Sealed

Which Church is Going Through? – Part IV

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A Denominated People

What makes a church God’s denominated people? Are you part of God’s denominated people? When Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven, when He looks down, you and I will be standing here in this world. I have thought about this so many times. When Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven, I want to start to lift off from this world. Do you? Can you make yourself rise? No way! If you are going to be part of the church that is going to triumph and go with the Lord, He has to recognize that you are a part of His church because that is who He is coming to take to heaven.

Revelation 19 makes it very clear that Jesus is coming back to this world to get His church, His bride. So when Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven, He has to recognize those who are a part of His church. Will He recognize someone just because they are a Seventh-day Adventist? I have a big shock for you. There will be many Seventh-day Adventist people whom He will not recognize; and their feet will stay right on the ground. They will never leave the earth. They are going to have an argument with the Lord. They will say, “But Lord, we are part of your people. We were evangelists, we were ministers, we were leaders.” Jesus talked about this in Matthew 7.

I remember when I was a child, we used to think that these people whom God would not recognize were the people in the Sunday-keeping churches who do not keep the commandments of God. Were we ever wrong! I am not saying that He will recognize the Sunday keeping churches, but He is not going to recognize all of us either.

A Form of Godliness

“It is possible for me to offer the Saviour outward homage, to be Christians in profession, to have a form of godliness, while the heart, whose loyalty He prizes above all else, is estranged from Him. Such ones have a name to live, but they are dead.” Upward Look, 301.

Mrs. White says it is possible to have a form of godliness, to make a profession of godliness; in other words to physically be part of God’s true people, and yet the heart is on something else. Now she is going to open up a veil and you are going to look into the future: “To the marriage supper of the Lamb will come many who have not on the wedding garment—the robe [Christ] purchased for them with His lifeblood. From lips that never make a mistake come the words, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ Matthew 22:12. Those [thus] addressed are speechless. They know that words would be useless. The truth, with its sanctifying power, has not been brought into the soul, and the tongue that once spoke so readily of the truth is now silent. The words are then spoken, ‘Take them out of My presence. They are not worthy to taste of My supper’ (cf. Luke 14:24). As they are separated from the loyal ones, Christ looks upon them with deep sorrow.” Ibid.

Banned from the Feast

Does Jesus want you to be lost? No! He is going to have great sorrow if you are not saved. The next sentence describes who these people are. “They occupied high positions of trust in God’s work.” Who are these people? These are Seventh-day Adventists, and I want to tell you they are not the church janitor. Who are they? They are the leaders. They are people who occupied high positions of trust in God’s work, and they think that they are saved, but they are not. They come to the wedding supper, but they are not allowed in.

“From the quivering lips of Christ come the mournful words of regret, ‘I loved them; I gave My life for them; but they persisted in rejecting My pleadings, and continued in sin. ‘O that thou hadst known, even thou, in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.’

“Today Christ is looking with sadness upon those whose characters He must, at last, refuse to acknowledge. Inflated with self-sufficiency, they hope that it will be well with their souls. But at the last great day, the mirror of detection reveals to them the evil that their hearts have practiced, and shows them at the same time the impossibility of reform. Every effort was made to bring them to repentance. But they refused to humble their hearts. Now the bitter lamentation is heard, ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved’” (cf. Jeremiah 8:20).” Ibid.

You Must Overcome Sin

There are going to be a lot of Seventh-day Adventists saying, “The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and I am not saved.” Why? Because they continued in sin. Friend of mine, do not think that you can continue in the most secret sin and have salvation, because it is not so. Your wife, your husband, your family, your employer, nobody else may know, but if you are living in sin today, you are lost. You cannot be saved in sin. You must overcome sin. You must be saved from sin.

“What a scene is this! I pass over the ground again and again, bowed down in an agony that no tongue can express, as I see the end of the many, many who have refused to receive their Saviour.” Ibid.

The Lord wants to save you, but He cannot save you in your sins. He can save you from sin if you are willing. When you are baptized, you make a public confession that you are through with sin and that you are going to arise to walk in newness of life. Read Romans 6. That is what baptism means. The person who is still living in sin cannot be baptized until he has left his sins behind, through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you are baptized, what you are publicly saying is, “I am through with sin, I am going to follow Jesus, and by the power of His Holy Spirit I am going to live the Christian life.” It would be too bad to be baptized in vain, wouldn’t it? But see, if I am baptized and then I continue to live in sin, I have made a profession that I would let sin go, but my profession is a lie.

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

What makes a church God’s denominated people? When Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven, and He looks at us, what makes Him say, “These people belong to Me. They are part of my church; they are coming with Me.” This is so simple that I do not know how we could ever get mixed up on it, but there seems to be a lot of Bible students who are thoroughly confused on this point. They write me letters and send me all types of information, and they think that the denominated people are people who belong to a certain organization. Let us see what the Spirit of Prophecy says.

“…I was considering this matter in the night season, it seemed as if One stood up in the midst of us and pointed us back to the Israelites as an illustration of a distinct people, denominated of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 38.

There, somebody says; there it is; the Israelites were a distinct people; they were denominated of God. What we have to belong to is this. Who are these distinct people denominated of God? Look at the next sentence: “That which made them denominational was”— How would you fill in the blank? Oh, somebody says, “I know what it is; they belong to this organization.” That is not what it says. “They were the descendants of Abraham.” That is not what it says. “They followed Moses.” That is not what it says. Here is what it says. “That which made them denominational was the observance of God’s commandments.”

I do not know how to emphasize this enough! From the beginning of the great controversy, clear to the end, the point of controversy is the law of God. That was the issue in heaven. That was the issue with the children of Israel. That was the issue at the cross. That was the issue with the early church. That was the issue in Martin Luther’s time. That is the issue today! The dividing line, what it is that makes you denominational, what it is that makes you part of God’s people, is whether you keep the commandments of God. Is that hard to understand?

She says, “We are Seventh-day Adventists. This is a fitting name, for we keep the seventh-day Sabbath, and look for the Second Advent of our Lord in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Even with respect to the name indicating some of the peculiar points of faith distinguishing us from other Christians, we are denominational. In keeping the Sabbath that God declares should be kept holy as a sign between Himself and His people, we show to the world that we are His peculiar, chosen people—a people whom He has denominated.” Ibid. p. 40.

Sealed by God

Do you keep the Sabbath? If you keep the Sabbath, that is a special sign that you read about in Exodus 31; and again in Ezekiel 20. It is also mentioned in Hebrews 4, and it is referred to over and over again in the book of Revelation. The Sabbath is a special sign called God’s seal, or His mark. If you keep it, that is a special sign that you are one of God’s denominated people. You can’t keep the Sabbath unless you keep all the rest of the commandments. You cannot keep the Sabbath and run around with your neighbor’s wife, because it says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” You cannot keep the Sabbath holy if you are practicing unholiness with your neighbor’s wife; so you have to keep the seventh commandment to keep the fourth. If you go through all the rest of the commandments, you also have to keep them to keep the fourth. You cannot lie to your wife or to your husband and keep the Sabbath; that is impossible because then you are not holy. The law is holy, and you have to be in harmony with the law to be a holy person. You have to be in harmony with the law to keep the Sabbath holy. That is why the Sabbath is a special sign, because if you keep it, you will keep all the other commandments. You cannot keep it without keeping the rest.

Committed to God

“When you come to the point where you decide to serve God, you are denominational.” Ibid., 52. I am denominational, strictly denominational, that is all. Are you? I have decided to serve the Lord. Have you decided to serve the Lord? This day, not yesterday, today, I have committed my life to the Lord. I am not bragging about it; I am just telling you the facts. Today I have committed my life to the Lord; everything that I have for now and for the future I have committed to Him. I have decided to serve Him. So I am denominational. I am strictly denominational.

“In the name of the Lord we are to identify ourselves as Seventh-day Adventists. If any one among us is ashamed of our colors, and wishes to stand under another banner, let him do so as a private individual, not as a representative of Seventh-day Adventist medical missionary work.” Battle Creek Letters, 52.

So, are you denominational? I hope you are. Are you part of the people whom God has denominated? “As a people we are looked upon as peculiar. Our position and faith distinguish us from every other denomination.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 138. These words point us out as God’s denominated people.” Read also Testimonies, vol. 9, page 18, where it talks about the Sabbath. When Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven there is going to be a church waiting here that is going to go through, and they are going to go up to meet Him in the clouds.

Judged by What You Know

I want to address, for just a moment, something that may be troubling some of your minds. This question comes up very often. I had a Sabbath-keeping lady ask me what is going to happen to her dead husband. She said, “My husband was a very sincere Christian. He loved and followed the Lord, but he did not know about the Sabbath. What is going to happen to him?” The Bible answers that question. 2 Corinthians 8:12 says; “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” God knows exactly what you understand and what you do not understand. We are not passing judgment on anybody in the world who does not understand all that the Bible teaches. We are not passing judgment on anybody, but here is the catch. The Bible says; “…the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18. (NKJV.) Paul said, “…the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30. (KJV.)

There was a time when very few people in the world even had a copy of the Bible, but is that true today? No. Everybody in the world can have a copy of the Bible today. God has poured upon this generation more spiritual light than any previous generation. So when somebody asks me, “Is my relative, who died and who was not keeping the Sabbath, going to be saved?” I cannot pass judgment, but I will give you two points. We already went over one in 2 Corinthians 8:12. If you are living up to all the light that you have, God accepts you. But here is the catch, nobody will be lost because they were deceived and sincerely believed an error. Even Eve was not lost in the Garden of Eden for that reason. She was deceived, but that was not the reason she was banished from the garden. Why was Eve sent out of the Garden when she was deceived? It was not because she believed the serpent, it was because she rejected and disbelieved the Lord. You are not lost because you sincerely believed an error and you did not know the truth. Nobody will be lost because of that. If you learn about the truth and you reject the truth, then you are lost. God cannot trust you in heaven. If you know truth and are not practicing it and are not doing it, God cannot trust you. He cannot save you, and you are not going to go to heaven when Jesus comes.

Planted in the Midst

I know some will think this is a strange question, and wonder why I am even asking it. The reason I am going to ask it is because there are so many people who believe it. Do God and the devil ever work together? A lot of people think they do. A lot of people would not be so confused, if every time they read the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy they always understood that God and the devil never do anything together.

The following statement was written to the Battle Creek Church to professed Seventh-day Adventists; “These are the true feelings of a large class in Battle Creek. Satan exults at his success in controlling the minds of so many who profess to be Christians. He has deceived them, benumbed their sensibilities, and planted his hellish banner right in their midst.” Appeal to the Battle Creek Church, 2. Right in the midst of what? Right in the midst of the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She says the devil has planted his banner right there! “…and they are so completely deceived that they know not that it is he. The people have not erected graven images, yet their sin is no less in the sight of God. They worship mammon. They love worldly gain. Some will make any sacrifice of conscience to obtain their object. God’s professed people [the professed church] are selfish and self-caring. They love the things of this world, and have fellowship with the works of darkness.” Ibid. Can you have fellowship with darkness and light at the same time? Read 1 Corinthians 10. It tells you point blank that you cannot.

“They have pleasure in unrighteousness. They have not love toward God, nor love for their neighbors. They are idolaters—worse, far worse, in the sight of God, than the heathen graven–image worshipers who have no knowledge of a better way.” Ibid., 3. Of course they are the true church, aren’t they? Do you believe that God and the devil work together? Mrs. White said that the devil has set up his banner right in the middle of professed Christians, and they did not know it. They were following him and worshipping him. They did not love God; they were not following Him; they were having fellowship with darkness and not with light, and you say that is God’s true church? Do God and the devil work together? No! If you can always keep it straight in your mind that God and the devil never do anything in co-partnership, you will be able to figure out who and what the church is.

Separation Continues

The wheat and the tares are being separated right now, and it is going to be all over one of these days. Before some people wake up it is going to be too late, and they are going to find out that they are lost. I do not want it to be any of you. I have prayed a lot as I have seen what is happening to God’s professed people. I have said, “Lord, I do not know what I can do, but if there is any way, please use me as a humble instrument to save some out of this trap that they are in.” Do not ever feel at ease and say, “I am a Seventh-day Adventist; I belong to the right organization, and therefore I am going to be saved.” It is not so. Your character has to be in harmony with what you believe.

The reason I am telling you these things is because I want every single one of you to be saved. You can be, if you are willing to commit your life to Him and say, “Lord, I am surrendering totally to you.” The Holy Spirit is powerful enough to clean up your life and my life, to clean up our minds, our tongues, our bodies, and our actions. Do you want Jesus to recognize you as one of His when He comes in the clouds? Do you want to be part of the church that is going to go through? If that is what you want, make a commitment to the Lord, and say, “Lord, I want to be washed; I want to be sanctified; I want to be justified; I want you to save me from sin. I want to be part of the group that is going to go through.”

Bible Study Guides – “What Shall be the End of These Things?”

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September 22, 2001 – September 28, 2001

MEMORY VERSE: “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.

STUDY HELP: Great Controversy, 635-650.

Introduction: “In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 256.

“Thy People Shall be Delivered”

1 What wonderful promise is made for God’s people during the “time of trouble such as never was”? Daniel 12:1.

NOTE: “God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble.…The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Those only who have clean hands and pure hearts will stand in that trying time. Now is the time for the law of God to be in our minds, foreheads, and written in our hearts.…What leisure time we have should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day.…Let the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ be in your minds continually and let them crowd out worldly thoughts and cares. When you lie down and when you rise up, let them be your meditation. Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man.” The Faith I Live By, 339.

2 Of what two resurrections was Daniel told? Daniel 12:2. Compare John 5:28-29, Mark 14:61-62, Revelation 1:7.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 637.

3 What promise is made to those who have sought to bring others into harmony with God’s will? Daniel 12:3. (For “wise” compare verse 10.)

NOTE: The marginal reading for “wise” in this verse is ‘teachers.’

“The worth of a soul cannot be fully estimated by finite minds. How gratefully will the ransomed and glorified ones remember those who were instrumental in their salvation! No one will then regret his self-denying efforts and persevering labors, his patience, forbearance, and earnest heart yearnings for souls that might have been lost had he neglected his duty or become weary in well-doing. Now these white-robed ones are gathered into the fold of the Great Shepherd. The faithful worker and the soul saved through his labor are greeted by the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and are led to the tree of life and to the fountain of living waters. With what joy does the servant of Christ behold these redeemed ones, who are made to share the glory of the Redeemer! How much more precious is heaven to those who have been faithful in the work of saving souls! ‘And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars.’ What is done through the co-operation of men with God is a work that shall never perish, but endure through the eternal ages.” In Heavenly Places, 364.

“Seal the Book”

4 What was Daniel told about his book? Daniel 12:4, first part, 9.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 547.

5 What was Daniel told about “the time of the end”? Daniel 12:4, last part.

NOTE: ‘The book that was sealed was . . . that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days. The Scripture says, ‘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). When the book was opened, the proclamation was made, ‘Time shall be no longer.’ [See Revelation 10:6.] The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth. By the increase of knowledge a people is to be prepared to stand in the latter days.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 105.

See also Desire of Ages, 234, 235.

“How Long Shall It be?”

6 Whom did Daniel next see in his vision? Daniel 12:5, 6.

NOTE: “The inquirer was Gabriel, who years earlier had asked Jesus the same question concerning ‘cleansing-of-sanctuary day 2300.’ The identity of the other Being hovering above the waters is revealed by His sacerdotal [priestly] robes. He had appeared as the High Priest at the beginning of Gabriel’s explanation. [Daniel 10:5] Now at its conclusion He again appeared similarly ‘clothed in linen.’ The question ‘till when?’ as well as the two speakers, connect the reader with the discussion which Daniel overheard in his third oracle.’ [Daniel 8:13-14].” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 231.

7 What did Daniel hear the Man clothed in linen say? Daniel 12:7. Compare Daniel 7:25, Revelation 11:2, 3, 12:6,14, 13:5.

NOTE: “In the gesture used by God when making a covenant oath, [Ezekiel 20:5, Ezekiel 47:14] Jesus raised both His right and left hands towards heaven, and swore in the name of the One who lives forever. Because He could swear by no one greater, He pledged in His own name [Hebrews 6:13].” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 232.

“The ‘holy people’ are those who held to the religion of the Bible when the majority of those who called themselves Christians forsook the religion of the Bible and forbade anyone to own or read a Bible, who yielded their allegiance to the leaders of the church and lived in disobedience to the Bible and the law of God.…For reasons which God has not revealed to us, the great counterfeit system of Christianity was to destroy the holy people of God. It was to have power over the people of God—to ‘wear out the saints of the Most High’—for three and a half times (Daniel 7:25, 12:7). A ‘time” is the same as a year [Daniel 11:13, see margin] A Jewish year was 12 months of thirty days or each 360 days; therefore three and one-half years are 1260 days. This period of time of 1260 days when ‘the power of the holy people,’ that is the spiritual descendants of the apostles and the early church, was to be broken was to last until the time of the end. (Daniel 11:35-36).” Grosboll, God Predicts Your Future, 259.

“I Heard But I Understood Not”

8 What was Daniel’s reaction to this prophecy? Daniel 12:8. Compare 1 Peter 1:10–12.

NOTE: “The prophets to whom these great scenes were revealed longed to understand their import. They ‘inquired and searched diligently:…searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.…Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you;…which things the angels desire to look into.’ 1 Peter 1:10–12. To us who are standing on the very verge of their fulfilment, of what deep moment, what living interest, are these delineations of the things to come—events for which, since our first parents turned their steps from Eden, God’s children have watched and waited, longed and prayed!” Education, 183.

See also Great Controversy, 344.

9 How was Daniel gently shown that the understanding of this prophecy was not for him? Daniel 12:9.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 547, 548.

“The Wise Shall Understand”

10 What was Daniel told about those who will live during the time of the end? Daniel 12:10.

NOTE: “The truth received into the heart accomplishes the transformation of the mind and heart and character. To Daniel the Lord revealed the condition of the inhabitants of the earth in these last days. ‘Many shall be purified,’ He said, ‘and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.’ This is a subject the comprehension of which will put to the stretch every spiritual sinew and muscle. There is a great work to be done for the members of the church, to wean them from their idols. The church-members have had great blessings; they have had the living oracles of God opened to their understanding; they have not been left in darkness and error, as those who are doing wickedly. Now God calls upon those who claim to believe the truth to show to the world its converting power on the heart and character, and to reveal to the world that they are of the number who are being purified, and made white, and tried.” Review and Herald, March 7, 1899.

“Pardon is offered to all who will return their allegiance to the law of God. But there are those who refuse to accept a ‘thus saith the Lord.’ They will not reverence and respect His law. They make rigorous human enactments in opposition to a ‘thus saith the Lord,’ and by precept and example lead men, women, and children into sin. They exalt human enactments above the divine law. But the condemnation and wrath of God are suspended over the disobedient. The clouds of God’s justice are gathering. The material of destruction has been piled up for ages; and still apostasy, rebellion, and disloyalty against God is continually increasing. The remnant people of God, who keep His commandments, will understand the word spoken by Daniel, ‘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).” This Day With God, 84.

11 How may we understand the teachings of the Bible? John 7:17, Psalm 107:43.

NOTE:“I am pained to know that some who preach the present truth today are really unconverted men. They are not connected with God. They have a head religion, but no conversion of the heart; and these are the very ones who are the most self-confident and self-sufficient; and this self-sufficiency will stand in the way of their gaining that experience which is essential to make them effective workers in the Lord’s vineyard. I wish I could arouse those who claim to be watchmen on the walls of Zion to realize their responsibility. They should awake and take a higher stand for God, for souls are perishing through their neglect. They must have that sincere devotion to God that will lead them to see as God sees and take the words of warning from Him and sound the alarm to those who are in peril. The Lord will not hide His truth from the faithful watchman. Those who do the will of God shall know of His doctrine. The wise shall understand;’ but ‘the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand.’” Testimonies vol. 4, 527.

“Blessed is he That Waiteth”

12 Of what further prophetic period did the Lord speak to Daniel? Daniel 12:11.

NOTE: These words remind us of Daniel’s previous visions. See Daniel 8:11–13, Daniel 11:31.

“We see that there are two rebellions mentioned: a. the continuance in rebellion (Daniel 8:12); (often called the ‘daily’) and b. the desolating rebellion (Daniel 8:13).…These two rebellions are two successive stages of the great spiritual war being described: First, that which is the ‘continuance in rebellion,’ and then the prophet sees an army given to the little horn power against the ‘continuance in rebellion’ (Daniel 8:12).” Grosboll, God Predicts Your Future, 40.

“The continuance in rebellion (Daniel 8:12) represented paganism but paganism was to be abolished and the abomination that depopulates set up.…The papacy was the abomination that did desolate, depopulate the world of holy people. Those who clung, at the cost of their lives, to the religion of the Bible, were hunted and destroyed until at times the religion of Jesus Christ was almost obliterated from certain parts of the earth. Clovis, leader of the Franks, renounced paganism and accepted papal or Catholic Christianity in ad 496. Clovis launched a religious war against the other nations around him whom he judged to be either pagans or Arians.…Clovis won many victories during the next few years after he became Roman Catholic. In ad 507 he defeated the Visigoths in Gaul {modern France] and in ad 508 he pursued them to their southern strongholds and vanquished them.…Concerning this time, historians note: ‘It was decided that the Franks, and not the Goths, were to direct the future destinies of Gaul and Germany, and that the Catholic faith, and not Arianism, was to be the religion of these great realms. Clovis was the first to unite all the elements from which the new social order was to be formed—namely, the barbarians, whom he established in power; the Roman civilisation, to which he rendered homage by receiving the insignia of patrician and consul from the Emperor Anastasius; and finally, the Catholic Church, with which he formed that fruitful alliance which was continued by his successors.’ Clearly then in ad 508 paganism, the continuance or the continuous rebellion, was taken away as the national religion and the papacy was set up as the national or state religion.” Grosboll, God Predicts Your Future, 262, 263.

France thus became “the first son of the church.” At the end of the 1260 years of papal supremacy, France was to be the instrument of its undoing 1290 years after Clovis, king of the Franks, united his political and military might with the papacy.

13 What further time period is briefly mentioned? Daniel 12:12.

NOTE: While no time is given for the start of this prophetic period, its absence would suggest that it runs parallel with the other time period previously mentioned. Beginning in 508, along with the 1290 days, it would therefore end in 1843. A blessing is pronounced on those come to the end of this period.

“In the matching vision given to John [Revelation 10] Jesus held up in His hand Daniel’s ‘little book open.’ Its messages may be understood. The student of Daniel and Revelation now has the chronological framework within which to consider the directive Christ gave to John. He was bidden to ‘eat’ the prophecies of Daniel which were now ‘open.’ In fact, he was to “eat it up” in its entirety, that is, read and mentally digest it thoroughly. John was promised that he would find Daniel’s ‘time’ messages as sweet as honey in his mouth and would be thrilled with their preciousness. He was warned, however, that after he had digested their meaning, ‘his belly’ would become bitter.…In this prophetic tableau John was representative of God’s people living at the time when the prophecy of the ‘2300th cleansing-of-the-Sanctuary day’ was reaching its consummation. In the opening decades of the nineteenth century the Baptist farmer William Miller, and others in Europe and South America, led believers to study the prophecies of Daniel.…Miller concluded that it pointed to the year 1843. This marked the end of the 1335 days. This year of joyous anticipation proved euphoric for all who believed that the Saviour would return.” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 238, 239.

“In every part of the land light was given concerning this message, and the cry aroused thousands. It went from city to city, from village to village, and into the remote country regions. It reached the learned and talented, as well as the obscure and humble. This was the happiest year of my life. My heart was full of glad expectation.” Life Sketches, 59.

“Thou Shalt Stand in Thy Lot”

14 With what comforting words did the Lord conclude His message to Daniel? Daniel 12:13.

NOTE: “The time has come for Daniel to stand in his lot. The time has come for the light given him to go to the world as never before. If those for whom the Lord has done so much will walk in the light, their knowledge of Christ and the prophecies relating to Him will be greatly increased as they near the close of this earth’s history.” Manuscript Releases vol. 21, 407.

“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, 225.

“There is something for every one to do. Every soul that believes the truth is to stand in his lot and place, saying, ‘Here am I; send me.’ Isaiah 6:8.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 49.

15 What blessing on the student of the Book of Revelation may equally apply to studying the Book of Daniel? Revelation 1:3.

NOTE: “I have been instructed that the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be printed in small books, with the necessary explanations, and should be sent all over the world. Our own people need to have the light placed before them in clearer lines. Those who eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God will bring from the books of Daniel and Revelation truth that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. They will start into action forces that cannot be repressed. The lips of children will be opened to proclaim the mysteries that have been hidden from the minds of men. Many of the prophecies are about to be fulfilled in quick succession. Every element of power is about to be set to work. Past history will be repeated; old controversies will arouse to new life, and peril will beset God’s people on every side. Intensity is taking hold of the human family. It is permeating everything upon the earth.…Study Revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated.…We, with all our religious advantages, ought to know far more today than we do know. Angels desire to look into the truths that are revealed to the people who with contrite hearts are searching the word of God and praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and heights of the knowledge which He alone can give. As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies relating to the last days especially demand our study.…Christ through His servant John has here declared what shall be in the last days; and He says, ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.’” Maranatha, 30.

Remember The Sabbath Day . . . Part I

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Have you ever heard the term “corporate accountability?” In the secular world, corporate accountability is defined as the “legal obligation of a company to do the right thing.” The Role of Corporate Accountability in Sustainable Development, An NGO report to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, 1997, < https://www.un.org/en/> (cited June 5, 2002).

Applying this definition to the religious world, for anyone in a church group there rests a great responsibility to ensure that their church and their fellow members do those things that are right, that are in accordance with the word of God. When error comes into their ranks, when sin exists, they are responsible for addressing it and for having it corrected and removed. (Corporate accountability should not be confused with “corporate repentance” which is being promoted by some groups.)

“Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who through indolence or lack of interest make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God, are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by exercise of parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been our own.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 578.

Working Orders

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1.

“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all [ye of] Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.” Jeremiah 7:2.

“For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, [but] to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 3:5.

Messages of reproof and warning do not only come to those who do not know the truth, but to those who should already know—but for whatever reason, have backslidden.

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:17, 18.

Do you want to be held responsible for not telling someone, not warning someone of impending destruction and punishment? Is this what you want laid up to your charge?

“Those who in mind and heart are turning away from the Lord’s special work for this time, those who do not cooperate with Him in establishing souls in the faith by leading them to heed His words of warning, are doing the work of the enemy of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 70.

“When the Lord gives a man a message, He gives with it something whereby His people may know that the message is from Him. God does not ask His people to believe everyone who comes to them with a message.

“The Lord sends warnings to His people, not to destroy them, but to correct their errors. . . .

“We are living in perilous times. From the light I have, I know that Satan is trying to bring in that which will make people think they have a wonderful work to do. But when God gives a man a message, that man, by his meekness and lowliness, will give evidence that God is working through him. God lives and reigns, and He desires us to walk before Him in humility. He does not wish this man N to force himself before a congregation. . . .

“We are not going to be interrupted in meeting after meeting by those who claim they have a message to deliver. He who presses himself forward into a place where he is not wanted is not doing the work of God. We are to work like soldiers in an army. We are not to step out of the ranks, and begin to work on our own account.—Manuscript 30, 1901.” Ibid., 71.

Sometimes we, as Adventists, forget the meaning of the Sabbath day. Perhaps we have been Adventists for so many years, maybe growing up in the church, and we have seen other members—the deacon, the Sabbath School teacher, the school teacher, or the head elder, and even the pastor—doing things on Sabbath, and we never even questioned. We thought, “Surely if _____ is doing it, then it must be all right for me to do it also.” But that is not always a wise conclusion.

Study to Know the Truth

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

To study for ourselves, sometimes seems to be asking a whole lot out of us. Is it important for us to know—or to find out for ourselves?

“We have much to answer for, considering our superior advantages and knowing that we must be judged by the light and privileges the Lord has granted us. We cannot plead that we are less favored with light than that people who have been for ages an astonishment and a reproach to the world. We cannot expect judgment to be given in our favor because, like Capernaum, we have been exalted to heaven. The Lord has wrought for His commandment-keeping people. The light that has reflected to us from heaven was not granted to Sodom and Gomorrah, or they might have remained unto this day; and if the mighty works and knowledge and grace which have been manifested to this people had been made known to the nations in darkness, we know not how far in advance of this people they might now be. We cannot determine how much more tolerable it would be for them in the day of judgment than for those who have had the clear light of truth shining upon them as you have had, but through some inexplainable cause have turned from the holy commandment delivered to them. We can only point to your case with sorrow, as a beacon of warning. ‘Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ The Lord seeth not as man seeth. His thoughts and ways are not what blind, selfish men believe they are or wish them to be. The Lord looks on the heart and works in and with His creatures to will and to do whatever He commands or requires of them, unless they reject His counsel and refuse to be obedient to His commandments.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 624, 625.

The Sabbath must be proclaimed more fully, but before this can happen, we must thoroughly understand what we are proclaiming! We must live a life that proclaims the truth we are preaching.

“I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. . . . This enraged the churches and nominal Adventists, . . . as they could not refute the Sabbath truth. And at this time God’s chosen all saw clearly that we had the truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us. I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed.” Early Writings, 33.

Just because we keep the Sabbath day, go to church, do all the right things, and know all the prophecies, does not guarantee us a place in God’s kingdom.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21–23.

Not All Will be Sealed

“Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom, should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart.

“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. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

“We are too easily satisfied with our attainments. We feel rich and increased with goods, and know not that we are ‘wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.’ Revelation 3:17. Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True Witness: ‘I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.’ Verse 18.” Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 189.

This is why it is so important for us to individually know the truths for ourselves and to not rely on someone else’s interpretation of the scriptures.

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46–49.

We must dig deeply of the things that are salvation issues to us as a people. Let us not be content with superficial things or surface answers. We must search until we thoroughly understand a subject, while in the meantime we share it with others. By doing this we will find out that we will learn more and gain a blessing if it is shared with other God-fearing people. The Sabbath has to become very precious to us, so precious that we would not bring any dishonor to God by breaking His, and not our, Sabbath.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8.

Why do you think that God told us, not just the Israelites, to remember? Could it be that even we Adventists could forget to keep it holy?

Testimonies, vol. 6, 353, under the heading, “Preparation for the Sabbath,” tells us, “At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said: ‘Remember.’ He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He said: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ Exodus 20:8.”

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: For [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:9–11.

“Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:12–15.

“But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” You see, it is not our Sabbath to do as we please. If we keep His Sabbaths, we will not allow anyone else within our gates to pollute it either, whether it be family or a friend visiting over the weekend.

“And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27, 28.

“Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I [am] the Lord that sanctify them. . . . Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. . . . And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the Lord your God. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my Sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.” Ezekiel 20:12, 16, 20, 21, 24.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1–3.

Sanctified Hours

Sanctified, that is an interesting word. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines it as dedicated. Now let us look at the word sanctify. “Sanctify: (from the Latin word sanctus, holy + facere, to make) 1. to make holy; a. to make free from sin; purify; b. to set apart as holy; consecrate. 2. to give sanction to; make sacred, or inviolable.” Inviolable is defined as: “1. not to be violated; not to be profaned or injured; sacred: as, an inviolable promise. 2. that cannot be violated; indestructible.”

The Sabbath is holy, free from sin, set apart—not to be violated or profaned, and it is indestructible. That is pretty strong stuff! It is good enough for me; what about you?

Mrs. White writes, “Great blessings are enfolded in the observance of the Sabbath, and God desires that the Sabbath day shall be to us a day of joy. . . . Our heavenly Father desires through the observance of the Sabbath to preserve among men a knowledge of Himself. He desires that the Sabbath shall direct our minds to Him as the true and living God, and that through knowing Him we may have life and peace.

“When the Lord delivered His people Israel from Egypt and committed to them His law, He taught them that by the observance of the Sabbath they were to be distinguished from idolaters. It was this that made the distinction between those who acknowledge the sovereignty of God and those who refuse to accept Him as their Creator and King.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 349.

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:12, 13.

Notice something; God said “throughout your generations”—not just one, singular, but many, plural.

“Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.” Exodus 31:14.

I am thankful that the Lord is merciful and full of compassion, that we are not put to death immediately if we break His Sabbath, as were the Israelites. But we are given the sentence of death—eternally separated from God—because sin is the transgression of God’s law.

“Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth [any] work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant.” Exodus 31:15, 16.

Now here is another interesting word, perpetual: “1. lasting forever or for an indefinitely (or having no exact limits) long time. 2. continuing indefinitely without interruption, constant.” Webster’s New World Dictionary

“It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever [for eternity, for always, endless, always, at all times]: for [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:17, 18.

God wrote this with His own finger! He did not leave it for someone else to write.

A Sabbath Blessing

“As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God’s people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors.

“The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience.

“To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given ‘for a perpetual covenant.’ To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God’s government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise.

“The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those who obey this commandment take upon themselves His name, and all the blessings it involves are theirs.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 350.

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22–27.

[All emphasis supplied.]

To be Continued . . .

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part I

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It is sad to consider, but do you know that most Seventh-day Adventists will be lost? The reason is simple and yet painful to realize—we are making the same mistakes of the past. History is repeating itself. The reason most Seventh-day Adventists will be lost is because they know not the time of their visitation and will not take God at His Word.

The Straight and Narrow

Early in the experience of Ellen G. White, the Lord gave her an impressive dream, which describes what the future holds for the Seventh-day Adventist movement, particularly for the individuals who make a profession of it. Over 150 years ago, this vision was shown to this modern-day prophet for our admonition. (See Early Writings, 14–20.)

She shares with us that she saw a straight and narrow path, which had been cast up above the world. It was on this path that the Adventist people were traveling. The path is straight because God is straight, and His teachings (doctrines) do not deviate, neither can they be compromised. Also, the path is narrow, as the Bible said it would be—few would find it. This would not be a path where you would find the crowds and the pollution of popular opinion. You would find, rather, the purity of God’s calm assurance and trustworthy Word and the few who had learned to place their total trust in God.

There was a bright light—the midnight cry—illuminating the way for those traveling this path. This cry is “behold the bridegroom cometh” and He is none other than Jesus, Himself. In the vision, this light was given so the travelers would not stumble or, in other words, be caught unawares or deceived.

All in the group who kept their eyes on Jesus would be safe and sure-footed on the path. It was not long, though, before some grew tired of the rules and restrictions—the confines of the path. The journey seemed like it was taking longer than it should; some grew impatient. Remember what Jesus said: “Here is the patience of the saints.” Revelation 14:12. This is one of the identifying marks of the remnant.

Every so often the Lord Jesus would raise His right arm and shine light on the company of travelers, giving them encouragement. But those who were becoming impatient and weary would dismiss this encouragement and claim that God would not have led this company out so far.

There is an alarming amount of liberalism in the Adventist ranks today, which is not only being tolerated in the movement but is actually promoted by many who claim to be true leaders. They make the claim that God has not called the Seventh-day Adventist people to be a peculiar people. They may not say it in these exact words, knowing that could be detrimental to their influence with some, but they say it in so many other ways. This liberalism is not the freedom of living completely in the Lord but rather living almost in, if not completely in, the world while still believing that we are in a saved condition. Brothers and sisters, this will never be.

Darkness

In the vision, we are told that the Lord finally turned off the guiding light to the above group of liberals, and they stumbled and fell off the path into the dark and wicked world below. We have a tendency to think that if this group falls off the path, back into the world of wickedness and darkness, that there will be some kind of mass exodus out of the church organization. Many are looking for that as some sort of sign. The Lord has not given us minute details about every particular in the end, but I ask, When the professed people of God killed His Son, how many people left the faith? How many people walked out of the synagogue—the church structure? The answers for these two questions are very different!

The point is that people can leave the faith without necessarily leaving the building! Please do not miss this point. The Lord counsels us to buy the eyesalve for the purpose of discerning these very things. (Revelation 3:18.) This is vital in our understanding the process of shaken, sifted, settled, and sealed.

College of Christ

On this path, we find the final schooling for a people being fitted for an immortal life with their Heavenly Father and His Son. This path represents the College of Christ—the School of Higher Learning. The students in this class who do not get cut from the roster will go on to character perfection and will end up perfectly reflecting the character of their Holy Teacher. Those delinquents who cut class or show no real interest in the lessons will not graduate but will flunk the eternal test of faith. They will not possess the other identifying mark of the remnant, which is the faith of Jesus Christ. What we need to understand is that there are no grades of A, B, C, D, or F in this school. We either pass or fail! We either make it or we do not!

We are living in this time of winnowing right now! This process started back in the days when Mrs. White was yet alive, but we are about to enter into the final exam stage. We are in the middle of the process of being shaken, sifted, settled, and sealed in its strongest sense right this moment!

Shaking Period

The final process begins with the shaking period. Mrs. White said the mighty shaking had commenced in her day and that it would continue: “The mighty shaking has commenced and will go on, and all will be shaken out who are not willing to take a bold and unyielding stand for the truth and to sacrifice for God and His cause.” Early Writings, 50.

It would be to our great advantage to analyze this statement. Notice that the Lord says that “all will be shaken out.” It does not say that all might be shaken out. It is vital that we understand that if we do not make it a matter of life or death to enter into the Lord’s leading in this process, we will be shaken out. There will not be a neutral group or anyone slipping under the door. If you are not in the program, you are out of the graduating class!

Bold and Unyielding

Just as important as understanding the surety and certainty of the in or out fact is recognizing the makeup of the characters of those in the respective groups. “All will be shaken out who are not willing to take a bold and unyielding stand for the truth.”

A simple question will demonstrate the seriousness of this: How many people do you know—and it is extremely important that you include yourself in the answer—who take a bold and unyielding stand for the truth? Of course, you cannot possibly know the exact number of those who do, but your answer should be a pretty good indicator of the enormous trouble we are in as a people.

We must understand the moment of time through which we are passing. This will be our last and only chance to take to heart the Lord’s process of perfecting character. And that is exactly what He wishes us to do. Those who realize that this process has already started and those who truly desire to be a part of God’s Holy kingdom will enter into the process of refinement.

Why do most Adventists not make this choice for life when they have heard how important it is? How in the world can people allow this last bit of time to escape, knowing that a day of immense trouble is on the horizon?

“The ‘time of trouble, such as never was,’ is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.” The Great Controversy, 622.

Why does it say that many would not make it through to the end? Simply because they were too indolent (lazy) to obtain the experience they needed. What is the experience of which Mrs. White speaks, and why are people too lazy?

Practical Godliness

“Many of our ministers in their discourses dwell too largely upon theory and not enough on practical godliness. They have an intellectual knowledge of the truth, but their hearts are untouched with the genuine fervor of the love of Christ. Many have gained by the study of our publications a knowledge of the arguments that sustain the truth, but they have not become Bible students for themselves. They are not constantly seeking for a deeper and more thorough knowledge of the plan of salvation as revealed in the Scriptures.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 158.

“Practical godliness must be learned. Those who study and practice the teachings of Christ will gain an essential education in Bible knowledge. By the standard of the word of God every teacher will one day be measured by the greatest Teacher this world ever knew. Belief in the grand truths He presented will work a reformation in all who truly receive them.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 362.

Then Mrs. White speaks specifically of those who attend the schools of theology:

“Many have gone to Battle Creek to obtain an education who could have been better instructed in their own country. Time has been lost, money has been needlessly expended, a work has been left undone, and souls have been lost, because of the miscalculations of those who thought they were serving God. The Lord lives, and His Holy Spirit presides everywhere. The impression must not prevail that Battle Creek is the Jerusalem of the world, and that all must go up there to worship. Those who desire to learn, and who make every possible effort to acquire knowledge, walking conscientiously in the light of the truth, need not journey to Battle Creek. God is our teacher; and those who would improve their talents where they are, will be blessed with teachers sent of God to instruct them,—teachers who have been preparing to do a work for the Master. To spend more time, to expend more money, is to do worse than to lose it; for those who seek to obtain an education at the expense of practical godliness are on the losing side. That which they acquire in educational lines during the time when they should have entered upon the work, is mere waste and loss.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 365.

Especially in the crisis in which we find ourselves today, the preceding counsel has increased in value.

What is this practical Godliness that is being spoken of? The following quotation will help our understanding.

“Your light shining in your business life, exhibiting the power of practical godliness, is worth vastly more to all with whom you come in contact than sermons or creeds. . . . What you say in the church is not of half as much consequence as what you do in your daily business.” Our High Calling, 225.

All-powerful God

This is the essence of what practical Godliness is! It means placing the values of eternal origin into your daily life. It means having the living faith that believes enough to do what the Lord asks in all situations—to go or not to go, as the Lord directs, and to make all decisions based on what the Lord would have you to do. It means exercising the spiritual power extended by God in your life so you choose not to be overcome. You place your will squarely on the side of the all-powerful God, and you become an overcomer, which is also an identifying mark of the remnant. This is what practical Godliness is all about, and it is this believer only who will pass the litmus test of the shaking.

Even as one who chose not to follow the Lord in my earlier days, I always knew it was the height of stupidity to say that one believed in an all-powerful God and, at the same time, claim they could not overcome sin. Here is why: The only reason for not becoming an overcomer is because we want to sin more than we want to overcome!

If one believes in an all-powerful God, Who literally holds the universe together moment by moment, then he or she also has to believe that He created Lucifer. The Christians I know have always claimed to believe in the Word of God, and therein we find that God will destroy Lucifer in the end for his rebellion. What utterly amazes me is that most people want others to believe that this all-powerful God, Who holds countless worlds in space, somehow does not have the power to help them overcome the sin in their lives! What a contradiction! That is as ludicrous as throwing away the fourth commandment, because we wish to do something else other than follow God’s Word. And that is the real problem—not God’s inability to supply the power. The only reason for not becoming an overcomer is because we want to sin more than we want to overcome!

Striving Against Sin

Either God is the Sovereign of the universe, or He is not! Either He is all-powerful, or He is not! If these people really understand what they are saying, when they claim in so many ways that God cannot overcome our enemy, what makes them think that when Jesus comes back He will be strong enough to overpower that same enemy to take His people home?

Rightly understood, to claim that God cannot overcome sin in the life is to disclaim that He is actually the all-powerful God. What is many times worse is that in His place, knowingly or not, these same people make Lucifer the one who becomes all-powerful because they make him more powerful than God. They make Satan their god just as he claimed he would make himself—and so he is in the life that refuses to overcome.

The reason why most will not become overcomers is simple and something we should all strive to understand right now. If you are anything like me, you have certain areas in your life which are more difficult to lay aside than others. How do we enter into the winner’s circle in these areas? Why do we continue to struggle? We find our answer in God’s Holy Word. “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4.

In these brief words are the blessings we should be seeking in this time of shaking. Here is found the key that opens the door to a higher plateau of experience and the essential knowledge of practical Christian living. But what do these words really mean?

Undoubtedly many will say, “I have been trying for years and I am still in the mess I have always been in.” But this verse means more than just trying, for it is true that all our trying will be nothing more than frustration and a deep sense of failure and discouragement. The verse goes much deeper in experience than just trying. The word resist means to sit down against or to stand firm against. The other word we want to briefly look at is striving, which means to struggle against, to box, fight, to war, or to wrestle with. And that is what makes this verse so important.

To be continued November 2004 . . .

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part II

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Why do we continue to struggle? We find our answer in God’s Holy Word. “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4. This verse involves more than just trying, for it is true that all of our trying will end with nothing more than frustration and a deep sense of failure and discouragement. The verse goes much deeper in experience than just trying. The word resist means to sit down against or to stand firm against. The other word we want to briefly look at is striving, which means to struggle against, to box, to fight, to war, or to wrestle with. And that is what makes this verse so important.

The shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing are all about standing firmly against the opposition to God so that we cannot be moved. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us about Jacob’s little time of trouble. A study of it shows the connection it has with Hebrews 12:4.

Standing Firm

Those who successfully pass through the shaking will have “resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” This group will have cooperated with the Lord in the wrestling away of their sins, clinging to Him until the promised blessing has been realized. In the simplest language, what we must learn to do is to stay in communion with the Lord until the sin has been overcome. When temptation comes, we must, at that moment, flee to the Lord and stay there until the danger passes and the victory is gained.

The reason we are still struggling is simply that we are not letting the Lord fight our battles. For most of us, it is a matter of not realizing that all we need to do is get in the Lord’s corner and stay there, allowing Him to fight the adversary. We have been fighting him all of our lives, and it is time we realized and admitted that we, in our own power, cannot possibly win. Only then can we enter into the haven of the True Conqueror. Only in this corner is victory found. It is only then that we will find the power to apply the knowledge we have into our lives. This is the greatest need and one that must be recognized.

“It is a knowledge of practical godliness, a daily conversion, that is the great need in our world.” Bible Training School, November 1, 1916.

Settling Process

During this time of shaking, we need to understand that not only is this the process of the Lord, which means there is no other way up the path to the kingdom, but it is a settling process which will affect everyone. It is the work of Satan to divert the attention of those whose keen interest should be focused on this process.

“I [Ellen White] saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers who have rejected the truth and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned. . . .

“Some of these agents of Satan were affecting the bodies of some of the saints—those whom they could not deceive and draw away from the truth by a Satanic influence. Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away God’s people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling.

“Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God’s people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. . . .

“I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders and false reformations would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me were not reformations from error to truth.” Early Writings, 43–45.

Read the preceding quotation again, carefully. Some may say that this applied back in Ellen White’s day, and they would be correct, but take it further. I would say that this bit of inspiration shows that the shaking time will have a snowball effect along with the false reformations that she mentions. We know for certain that this statement is squarely planted in present truth, because it says that this covering of God is for protection from the seven last plagues. This quotation describes the time through which we are now passing. The Seventh-day Adventist movement is being affected by the agents of Satan to an alarming degree—most of it coming from the inside out.

Note the words in the above quotation, “standing stiffly for present truth.” These few words are extremely important and revealing. Take a few moments to consider the implications of this statement. What does it mean to stand “stiffly for present truth”? If we are not taking this stand, what does the quotation say will happen to us? What causes the shaking?

Every individual who is striving to be among the privileged redeemed must address these questions. It will not go well in the judgment for those who are complacent and content, allowing others to stand alone for truth. The voice, which is now silent, will later, at the Second Coming, be heard calling for the rocks to fall. (Revelation 6:16.)

Those who choose not to stand for present truth will fall! This applies to everyone who claims to be a Seventh-day Adventist—not just those who are in conference congregations. I have been alarmed and deeply troubled concerning those who are proving week after week that they are no better off in an independent church than in a conference church. Error has been spoken by some that have claimed leadership in the independent movement. Dishonest methods have been used by some who have claimed to be doing an end-time work. Some who have been considered leaders have abandoned the Bible truths altogether.

Follow Christ, Not Man

What is alarming is the fact that these errors have been open; there is almost no subtlety to them. But either because of the weakness of the people’s emotions or their total lack of personal study and knowledge, they just keep following these leaders as if nothing has happened. We need to realize that every single person, with no exception, who follows a man in the place of Jesus Christ, will be lost! It will not matter how insignificant or how well-known is the congregation, leader, or ministry, if we follow it in the place of Jesus, we will be lost!

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, it is our duty to seek out truth and stand for that truth no matter what happens or who diverts from it. It is incredible for anyone to take the attitude that individuals who stay in conference churches will be lost for putting up with error and not standing for truth—while at the same time they are doing the exact same thing in their independent churches, thinking they have somehow escaped the wrath that they say will fall on the other people!

Many are in this state of extreme danger. If they do not recognize the reality of the above principles, they will be surprised to learn, too late, that they cannot be admitted into God’s kingdom. If they switch camps for the right reason but cling to their old ways in the new camps, they will suffer the same end that they were trying to escape by switching in the first place!

We desperately need to understand that the shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing process will continue until all of us are in one group or the other. The principles working together in this process fall in line with those stated above. This being the case, as individuals we must go step by step up the path with our eyes firmly on Jesus. Mrs. White’s vision clearly shows that when the people took their eyes off Jesus, they fell. (See Early Writings, 14–20.)

We are also plainly told that, in this last moment of time, many wonderful and terrible things will be happening, and we will need to keep our eyes wide open and be empowered with the eyesalve to discern the events, thereby having wisdom from on high. (Revelation 3:18.) We are told that, in this time, many will come up to one point of faith, draw the line, and go no further, while others will draw the line at a different point. There will be those who are known for their great achievements or knowledge and, at one time, have shone brightly for the Lord, but for whatever reason, in the end, will go out into utter darkness. (See Maranatha, 43.)

There are far too many who are clearly exhibiting their loyalty to man above their loyalty to Jesus! Their actions would have us believe that they know who will end up in heaven and who will not! But this is the same foolishness they claim to recognize in others who say the church, meaning the conference, is going through.

How vitally important it is that people individually study to understand the process through which we are going—to see it as a matter of life and death, as it certainly is.

Exalt Truth

If there is any doubt about the validity of this point, read again how and why Adam made the choice to eat of the forbidden fruit, which threw the whole world into chaos. Consider the next few quotations about the shaking. Understanding them will clarify why we must deal with the above principles.

“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 God’s people.” Early Writings, 270.

“When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 112.

Practice makes perfect, not profession:

“You may point to some of our leading brethren who have not accepted and rejoiced in the light given, but have intercepted themselves between the light and the people, that it should not reach them; but they must answer to God for their position. They are certainly working away from Christ, instead of working in harmony with Him; but will their attitude and position excuse you for turning from the light which the Lord has thrown upon your pathway? I am sorry that you are in such great blindness that you are unable to distinguish the voice of God from that of the enemy. I have repeatedly presented before you and others that there would come a shaking time, when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. We are now entering upon that time. Your spirit is an offense to God, for you receive not the things that are of God, but range yourself on the enemy’s side to oppose God in the very work He is doing for this time.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 331.

“I [Ellen White] was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 89.

“If we only knew what is before us we would not be so dilatory in the work of the Lord. We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.” Ibid., vol. 6, 331, 332.

“The time has come when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. We are in the shaking time. Be assured that only those who live the prayer of Christ for unity among His disciples, working it out in practical life, will stand the test.” Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

To those who are riding on someone else’s coat tails:

“There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.” Last Day Events, 173.

“Just as long as God has a church, he will have those who will cry aloud and spare not, who will be his instruments to reprove selfishness and sins, and will not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. I [Ellen White] saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies. It does not suit their natural feelings. They would choose to have smooth things spoken unto them, and have peace cried in their ears. I view the church in a more dangerous condition than they ever have been. Experimental religion is known but by a few. The shaking must soon take place to purify the church.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 284.

“Our faith cannot be vested in any man. We need Christ’s righteousness. We need Jesus ever by our side. He is our Rock. It is by His might that we conquer, and by his righteousness that we are saved. When I [Ellen White] see men exalted and praised, extolled as almost infallible, I know that there must come a terrible shaking. When God’s lamp of life shines into the heart with clear and steady ray, darkness will instantly be dispelled. Every idol will be dethroned, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding will reign in the heart. Truth, precious truth, will be seen, appreciated, and obeyed. The standard will be elevated, and many will rally round it.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 91.

Sifting and Settling

The sifting and settling is that part of the process which determines where you and I will end. This process is very closely tied to the shaking, and its progression is brought about by events. Our choices relating to those events determine our status in the sifting and settling process. How sad it will be for some having come so far up the path to glory to find they have traded in the everlasting kingdom for some sentimental offering to a man.

The process of the sifting is one that winnows out the chaff from the pure wheat. We should be very sensitive to and ready for it. It is a continued testing time, which will come to every professor of truth. It will be telling on those who have received the love of the truth, and on those who have not taken the time to study these testing truths for themselves. In this time, which I believe we have already entered, those who have spent precious hours studying to know God’s will, will receive protection and discernment which are vital. Those who receive not of this gift and know not the truth through personal experience will not be protected but will end up on the wrong side, even though they think they are right.

“Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.” The Great Controversy, 625, 626.

There are those who may have the inclination to say that this is speaking of the time when Satan will walk the earth. They know the deception in this event, so they think that they could not possibly be deceived. I implore that they honestly and prayerfully consider the part of the quotation that asks, “Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses?”

In these few words, we find a wonderful, and terrible, revelation—one that gives us insight so that we need not be deceived if we choose not to be; one that may challenge our honesty. If we know we could not be deceived by Satan’s appearing, yet we find ourselves following a group, a man, or a ministry, based on an emotional attachment rather than the principles of truth, then, friend, we are already deceived! As incredible as it may seem to our logic, Inspiration guarantees that those who allow their emotions to rule their principles will be deceived, even if they have a head knowledge of the truth. We need to understand that when the Lord withdraws His Spirit from individuals who have simply chosen not to do things His way, they will do whatever Satan tells them to do.

To realize this truth, we do not have to go very far. Just look at who literally wanted to tear Jesus to shreds when He was here! They were not those whom we would have called heathen, but those who claimed to know the truth and who were a part of the ancient Adventist movement!

Good News!

The good news is that it still is not too late to allow the Lord to rule in our lives. If we have made some mistakes, if we have gone our own way, if we have placed another’s influence above God’s, we still can ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, find out what we need to do, and do it. But the precious hours of this testing time are running apace, and we must be making our decisions for God now!

“Do all in your power to gain perfection; but do not think that because you make mistakes you are excluded from God’s service. The Lord knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As you use faithfully the talents God has given you, you will gain knowledge that will make you dissatisfied with self. You will see the need of sifting away harmful habits, lest by a wrong example you injure others.” Messages to Young People, 226.

“Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. . . . The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy. “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 911.

To be continued . . .

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member, a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, and Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part III

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Well over a hundred years ago, Ellen White was taken into vision, after which she wrote: “The Lord, by close and pointed truths for these last days, is cleaving out a people from the world and purifying them unto Himself. Pride and unhealthful fashions, the love of display, the love of approbation—all must be left with the world if we would be renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created us. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ [Titus 2:11–14.]

“The church in —— need sifting. A thorough conversion is necessary before they can be in working order. Selfishness, pride, envy, malice, evil surmising, backbiting, gossiping, and tattling have been cherished among them, until the Spirit of God has but little to do with them. While some who profess to know God remain in their present state, their prayers are an abomination in His sight. They do not sustain their faith by their works, and it would have been better for some never to have professed the truth than to have dishonored their profession as they have. While they profess to be servants of Christ, they are servants of the enemy of righteousness; and their works testify of them that they are not acquainted with God and that their hearts are not in obedience to the will of Christ. They make child’s play of religion; they act like pettish children.

“The children of God, the world over, are one great brotherhood. Our Saviour has clearly defined the spirit and principles which should govern the actions of those who, by their consistent, holy lives, distinguish themselves from the world. Love for one another, and supreme love to their heavenly Father, should be exemplified in their conversation and works. The present condition of many of the children of God is like that of a family of ungrateful and quarrelsome children.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 52, 53.

There are many today, even among the independent ministries, who knowingly or unknowingly are fighting, not for the cause of Christ, but for the cause of man. These precious souls may not realize it, but they are actually fighting for a spot in the fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I implore you, friend; know what you are fighting against, and test your battles against the plain truths of God. The test is not if you take a stand; the test is if your stand is on the side of God! Be assured that the sifting process takes care of both sides of this issue, because no one will be able to fool the Lord. All the campaigns, tears, and amens will not allow into the kingdom anyone who does not successfully pass through the sifting time.

The Settling

The settling is closely tied to the sifting and is either news at its worst or at its best. During the process of the shaking and the sifting, all parties either settle into error and drift away from God and His true people—or they settle into truth and stay with God though the heavens fall. The settling time is also closely connected with the sealing time, for the decisions made in the sifting and settling are “sealed” forever. Shortly after the sealing come the last great deceptions of Satan. All who do not have the seal of God—those who have not settled into His truth nor have been sanctified by obedience to it—will be deceived by the lying wonders of Satan, even though they may have at one time preached the straight truth of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.

This is what Paul was speaking of in 11 Thessalonians 2:9, when he said that there would come a falling away first, before the Second Coming of Christ. His warning comes to us, more than 1,900 years later, that some would not endure sound doctrine in the end of time. He stated that, in the time of the revealing of the man of sin, there would be some who had professed the truth but who had received not the love for the truth, and they would fall away and join the ranks of the opposition. Then he said, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Verses 11, 12.

A Fearful Thing

It is a fearful thing to be left in the hands of God’s enemy! When the Lord withdraws His protective care from those who have refused to take Him at His word, they are turned over to a reprobate mind. Because they would not receive a love for the truth, God gives them over to all unrighteousness so they might be damned. I hope you realize that at this time—during this part of the process—there is no more going back and forth. Those who, at this step of the process, have not been sanctified by the truth will be turned over to Satan’s charge completely! The implication of this should cause us to tremble!

“By resistance to the truth, the hearts of such are settling down into the fatal hardness of confirmed impenitence. They are deceiving themselves, and deceiving others. They are Christians by profession; they pay outward homage to Christ; they unite in the services of the sanctuary; and yet the heart, whose loyalty alone Jesus prizes, is estranged from him. They have a name to live, but are dead. They are left to the darkness they have chosen,—the blackness of eternal night.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 233.

The Sealing

The sealing is the last of the process for the redeemed who have settled into the truth so that they cannot be moved. Just as soon as the sealing is completed, the last of the shaking, which has been building for many, many years, takes place. This will also be the time when events are quickly accelerated for, as we know, the last events will be rapid ones. This work of sealing God’s true and faithful ones ends just before the Lord’s slaughtering takes place (see Ezekiel 9) and begins with those who have professed Adventism.

“Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 207, 208.

As wicked as the world had become in Mrs. White’s day, and as much more so as it is today, she was more fearful for yet another group.

“But that which causes me to tremble is the fact that those who have had the greatest light and privileges have become contaminated by the prevailing iniquity.” Ibid., 209.

Prior to the sealing time, God will commission men and women to the sighing and crying for those who are departing from the pure faith. As the time marches steadily forward to the last scenes of this earth’s history, these whom the Lord in His great mercy has raised up, grow more filled with grief and anguish. Some are helped by the warnings, reproofs, counsel, and entreaty, but most go on in their rebellion. For the most part, the iniquity grows at an alarming rate and increases as the process of the sealing closes.

Hypocrisy

At this time, there will be some who are admired by their followers for their leadership but whose leading is not of God. These leaders, knowing the truth but unwilling to follow it all the way, have deceived those who have placed their trust in them. Today, many refuse to see what is really before them, but in that day, which is just ahead, God will lay in open view the hypocrisy.

“But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide.

“No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God’s mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in His wrath He deals with them without mercy.

“It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure. . . .

“Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons.” Ibid., 212.

Not All Professors Sealed

“Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith.” Ibid., 213, 214.

Friend, I plead with you to heed the inspiration shared with you in this article. Time is running out, and when the sealing takes place, it will all be over. Those who have heeded the counsel of the True Witness will receive the seal of the living God. But those—though they may presently be held in high esteem—who heed not the counsel will receive the wrath of God.

“Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.” Ibid., 214.

Not One Spot

The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman.

“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. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.” Ibid.

“It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. . . .

“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

“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 upon 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. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour.” Ibid., 215, 216.

Encourage One Another

“In this time of trial we need to be encouraged and comforted by one another. The temptations of Satan are greater now than ever before, for he knows that his time is short and that very soon every case will be decided, either for life or for death. It is no time now to sink down beneath discouragement and trial; we must bear up under all our afflictions and trust wholly in the Almighty God of Jacob. The Lord has shown me that His grace is sufficient for all our trials; and although they are greater than ever before, yet if we trust wholly in God, we can overcome every temptation and through His grace come off victorious.

“If we overcome our trials and get victory over the temptations of Satan, then we endure the trial of our faith, which is more precious than gold, and are stronger and better prepared to meet the next. But if we sink down and give way to the temptations of Satan, we shall grow weaker and get no reward for the trial and shall not be so well prepared for the next. In this way we shall grow weaker and weaker, until we are led captive by Satan at his will. We must have on the whole armor of God and be ready at any moment for a conflict with the powers of darkness. When temptations and trials rush in upon us, let us go to God and agonize with Him in prayer. He will not turn us away empty, but will give us grace and strength to overcome, and to break the power of the enemy. Oh, that all could see these things in their true light and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus! Then would Israel move forward, strong in God, and in the power of His might.” Early Writings, 46.

Jesus said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, also serves as Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

The 144,000, Part I

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There are many questions concerning the 144,000. Some can be answered; others cannot. For instance, is the 144,000 a literal or a symbolic number? Are the 144,000 sealed before or after the latter rain? Will the 144,000 convert a great multitude to God’s truth? Why will the 144,000 be translated without dying? What are the character developments that are necessary to become a part of the 144,000?

In this article, we will not dabble into speculation nor will we claim any new light, but we will search for what has been revealed in the Bible and in the Spirit of Prophecy.

From Scripture, we may read of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:2–4, 13, 14 and Revelation 14:1–5: “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

Different Standard

There are various members of our faith who are heard declaring that the 144,000 are no different from any other generation of God’s people. They say that God does not have two different standards, one for the 144,000 and one for all other generations. They insist that this is absurd. The 144,000 will be different only in that they will be alive when Jesus comes. Is this really true, or will the 144,000 be in some respect different? If so, what will make them different?

We first need to establish a very important truth. It is true that God does not have a different standard of salvation for the translated living and another for the resurrected, dead saints. Those who die must, at death, be right with God. They must be both justified and sanctified. As individuals, they must stop committing known sin, and invite Christ to dwell in their hearts by faith, and to give them the needed power to willingly obey their Lord. They will have been washing their robes of character and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Although the standard of salvation for both the living last generation and the dead saints is the same, there is a difference. Why? Because the severe end-time trials and great tribulations that the last generation will pass through, such as experienced by no other generation, will develop, in the 144,000 living saints, characters that will become more like Christ’s character than that of any prior generation of saints. They will reach a character maturity that will reveal that they have won the battle over evil.

“The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily beset the people of God. Especially in the closing work for the church, in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault before the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 266.

So intense will become their hatred of sin that they would rather die than sin. The difference will not be in the standard of salvation but in the degree of character development to which they will attain.

God has given us some Bible examples for this very purpose, so that we can clarify and better understand this difference. Let us begin with the example of Moses.

Moses

Ellen White wrote: “Moses, wearied with forty years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised Land.” Prophets and Kings, 174.

Consider the personal lesson we should learn from the experience of Moses, when he sinned by taking the glory from Christ in producing water from the rock. Christ uses the life of Moses as an object lesson to help us understand that there will be a difference in the experience between those who die and are resurrected, and those who are translated. Just one sin, which was immediately repented of, kept Moses from being translated, but it did not keep him from being resurrected.

“Satan had been trying to find something wherewith to accuse Moses before the angels. He exulted at his success in leading him to displease God, and he told the angels that he could overcome the Saviour of the world when He should come to redeem man. For his transgression, Moses came under the power of Satan—the dominion of death. Had he remained steadfast, the Lord would have brought him to the Promised Land, and would then have translated him to heaven without his seeing death.” Early Writings, 164.

“Had not the life of Moses been marred with that one sin, in failing to give God the glory of bringing water from the rock at Kadesh, he would have entered the Promised Land, and would have been translated to heaven without seeing death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 478.

We know that, in the lifetime of Moses, he committed more than one sin. In fact, he even murdered a man; he killed an Egyptian. Though he had confessed and forsaken his sins, God used this one sin, which Moses knowingly committed on the banks of the Jordan River just before crossing into the Promised Land, to impress us with the fact that the living saints must make an end of sin in their lives before they enter the heavenly Canaan. Nothing could be more plainly stated!

Though God had planned on translating Moses to heaven without seeing death, he was not then ready to be a type of those who would be ready to be translated. He must die. Soon after this, Moses did die, but within a few days, God resurrected him. He was taken to heaven to become a type of the resurrected saints of God; a type of those repentant ones who will not be required to go through the special end-time circumstances and great tribulations.

Enoch

On the other hand, Enoch was a type of the living saints. Consider his record. The Bible says that he walked with God for 300 years before he was translated: “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.” Genesis 5:21, 22.

In the book, Reflecting Christ, 307, we read, “Enoch was a marked character, and many look upon his life as something far above what the generality of mortals can ever reach. But Enoch’s life and character, which were so holy that he was translated to heaven without seeing death, represent the lives and characters of all who will be translated when Christ comes.”

Then, in Gospel Workers, 54, we read, “ ‘By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; . . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ [Hebrews 11:5.]

“To such communion God is calling us. As was Enoch’s, so must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second coming.”

This is such an important, provoking statement that the last sentence must be repeated: “As was Enoch’s, so must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second coming.”

Elijah was a type of the 144,000. He was a man of strong faith. He demonstrated this in the happenings of Mount Carmel, which are recorded in 1 Kings 18. However, after his lofty experience, “Depression seized him. . . . While under the inspiration of the Almighty, he had stood the severest trial of faith; but in this trial of discouragement, with Jezebel’s threat sounding in his ears, . . . he lost his hold on God.” Prophets and Kings, 161.

“Despondency is sinful and unreasonable.” Ibid., 164. So Elijah sinned, for “in a moment of weariness [he] allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God.” Ibid., 174.

Different Sins

Let us think this through for a moment. What was the difference between the sin of Moses and that of Elijah? While Moses committed sin just before he was to pass over into the Promised Land, not so in the experience of Elijah. As did Moses, he repented immediately, but he did not die soon thereafter. He lived on and demonstrated his strong faith in the Lord, which he quickly regained and maintained. God sent him back to Israel to finish bringing about a religious revival and a transformation in the land. When God finally asked him to call Elisha, a farm laborer, to replace himself, he spent some time teaching Elisha. He went from place to place with him, and from school to school, teaching him how to give the help that each needed.

Therefore, Elijah spent a number of years before he was translated demonstrating that he was a loyal, holy servant of the Lord. This is why God could declare, “Elijah was a type of the saints who will be living on the earth at the time of the second advent of Christ and who will be ‘changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,’ without tasting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.” Prophets and Kings, 227.

Absolute Necessity

Why is it necessary for the living saints who will be translated to be different in respect to the development of their characters? to have characters so mature that they will never again sin? What will make this maturity an absolute necessity?

First, they will be forced to meet the supreme test—that of a papal image of the beast. Second, after probation closes, they must be prepared to live sinlessly without a mediator in the sanctuary in heaven.

Let us consider the first test, the image of the beast. Some church members may have wondered, why is the Sunday sabbath, brought about by the image of the beast, to be the great test for the people of God by which their eternal destiny will be decided? Would we not naturally assume that this crisis would be a test for the world, for the unbelievers and the undecided?

The truth is that when God’s people are faced with this great test, they will be forced to make an immediate choice between life and death, as it were, between obedience and disobedience. If their characters were not already developed to the point to where they would rather die than sin, they would undoubtedly choose to sin, and thus come under Satan’s black banner. When brought to the test, God’s people will either receive the seal of God or the mark of the papal beast. Thus their eternal destiny will be forever decided.

In 1890, Ellen White wrote: “The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. . . . [Revelation 13:11–17 quoted.] . . .

“This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who proved their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 976.

What about the second reason, the close of probation? The saints who are to be translated must live through the final time of trouble, referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble, without a mediator in the heavenly sanctuary. Probation will have closed for this wicked, old world.

Without an Intercessor

Are we aware of just what this means? It means that if a saint were to sin after probation closes, there would be no forgiveness available. I do not believe any of us now living fully realize what it will mean to live on this earth in such a chaotic condition and under such pressure of a death sentence without an intercessor.

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil.” The Great Controversy, 425.

Christ is our only example of a man who lived on earth without an intercessor. What was the experience of Christ while He was on this earth? “Christ declared of Himself: ‘The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.’ John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.” Ibid., 623.

I trust that this is causing you and me to do some very serious thinking. In order for anyone to live on this earth without a mediator, such a one must attain to the same sinless condition lived by Christ while He was on this earth.

Gethsemane

Let us consider for a moment Christ in Gethsemane. In The Desire of Ages, 686, 687, Ellen White wrote: “Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which he had ever stood before. . . . Hitherto He had been an intercessor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for Himself.

“As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the power of darkness. . . . With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ’s soul was filled with dread of separation from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan’s kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God.”

So, likewise, when probation closes, the saints will find themselves in a different position than they have ever been before.

Saints Enabled

How will the saints be enabled? Actually, it will be by following Christ’s earthly example. “Christ left his heavenly home, and came to this world, to show that only by being connected with divinity can man keep the law of God. In itself humanity is tainted and corrupted; but Christ brought moral power to man, and those who live in communion with him overcome as he overcame. We are not left in this world as orphans.” The Signs of the Times, December 10, 1896.

Unless the saints follow the example of Christ in joining their humanity with divinity, they will be among the lost who will be consumed at Christ’s coming. It is absolutely imperative that they have this special preparation, for God’s glory destroys all sin and sinners. Sin cannot exist in the visible presence of God, for God’s glory is a consuming fire.

The Bible is very clear in stating that the very presence of God will consume all who are found clinging to sin. 11 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” As Christ nears this earth, his very presence will consume the sinner while consuming their sins.

Therefore, it is evident that all sin must be removed from the 144,000 in the days of preparation before they are sealed. That is the time in which we are living, for we are living in the preparation time. Times are tense. There is still opportunity for us to prepare.

Avoid Attractive Errors

Would to God that the ministers in God’s pulpits today would preach soul-stirring messages filled with divine conviction that would move the listener to sense the enormity of the sin problem, causing them to fall on their knees pleading with God for victory. Believe me, friend, this is no time for Celebration, with tame messages to satisfy the sinful nature, such as teaching congregations that they can continue sinning until Jesus comes.

Rather than representing so-called “attractive errors,” ministers should heed the counsel of Joel: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand.” “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God?” Joel 2:1, 16, 17.

This is the weeping time; a time for ministers to weep between the porch and the altar for all the sins that are being committed in the church. Certainly this is not a time for Celebration, for entertainment, or for preaching frivolous or smooth sermons to tickle the ear of the flocks. Rather, we ministers should sound such an alarming message that it will awaken the members of our churches from their Laodicean slumber to their need to sigh and cry for their own sins, as well as those of their fellow church members.

Ellen White informs us, “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. The great Searcher of the hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquities.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 211.

So, God admonishes us to, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1. Ellen White asks, “What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.” Ibid., 216. This is God’s last-day, preparation message. It is urgent, for time is short.

A True Story

A Seventh-day Adventist lady, whom I will call Rachel, lived in Oregon. She was studying God’s Word with a very godly woman. Now, Rachel had a certain problem insofar as the health reform message was concerned. Her teacher pointed out to her that the Spirit of Prophecy clearly reveals that no one will be among the living translated saints who was indulging in this certain vice. This shook Rachel up, and for two weeks she abstained. But then, forgetting her reform, she went back to the old practice with this comment, “I decided that I would go ahead and indulge myself and prepare to be among the resurrected dead rather than striving to be among the living who will be translated.”

What a dangerous reasoning! We are living in the end time, and God calls us to make preparation appropriate for the time in which we live. Surely we do not have the option of making such a choice as did Rachel. Rachel failed to realize that the standard of salvation is exactly the same for the dead as for the living. All known sins must be repented of and put away before death or before translation. If a certain practice is a sin for a living saint, one that would keep him or her from being translated, after one recognizes its sinfulness, if he or she should continue in this practice would he or she be eligible to be among the resurrected saints? This would be very questionable.

In this end time, we are admonished,

“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.

In closing, I will reaffirm the words of Ezekiel the prophet, as he appeals to ministers and laymen alike. To everyone, both the saints who will be among the living and those who will die in the Lord, Ezekiel’s message from the Lord has the same urgency as do the messages of Joel and Isaiah. Ezekiel 18:30–32 says, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.”

To be continued . . .

For over 60 years Pastor Lawrence Nelson served as an evangelist and minister for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Of that time, he served 13 years as the director of evangelism for youth at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Upon retirement from the General Conference, he continued to pastor, but when, as a result of his stand for truth, he was denied the opportunity to continue his pastorate, he started Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry, recording his sermons and making them available to individuals. Before his retirement from this ministry in 2004, over 18,000 audio tapes were being sent around the world each month.

Bible Study Guides – The Work of Redemption, Part 111

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July 15, 2007 – July 21, 2007

Key Text

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 215, 216; My Life Today, 354.

Introduction

“As your soul yearns after God, you will find more and still more of the unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches you will come into possession of them and will reveal the merits of the Saviour’s sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fullness of His wisdom, and His power to present you before the Father ‘without spot, and blameless.’ 11 Peter 3:14.” The Acts of the Apostles, 567.

1 Of what does the Spirit bear witness? Romans 8:16.

note: “If the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, what is the result? The believing soul comes into perfect submission to the will of God. The Majesty of heaven condescends to a holy, familiar intercourse with him who seeks God with the whole heart, and the child of God, through the abundant manifestation of His grace, is softened into a childlike dependence. You must commit your soul and body unto God with perfect trust in His power and willingness to bless you, helpless and unworthy as you are.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 276.

2 If we are children, what rights have we? With whom are we joint heirs? Romans 8:17.

note: “Through faith in Christ we become members of the royal family, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. In Christ we are one. As we come in sight of Calvary, and view the royal Sufferer who in man’s nature bore the curse of the law in his behalf, all national distinctions, all sectarian differences are obliterated; all honor of rank, all pride of caste is lost.

“The light shining from the throne of God upon the cross of Calvary forever puts an end to man-made separations between class and race. Men of every class become members of one family, children of the heavenly King, not through earthly power, but through the love of God who gave Jesus to a life of poverty, affliction, and humiliation, to a death of shame and agony, that He might bring many sons and daughters unto glory.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 258.

3 With whom are we connected, if we are heirs? Galatians 3:7, 9, 29. Of what was Abraham the heir? Romans 4:13.

note: “Though the people of Israel . . . had failed of the high destiny to which God had called them, in their unbelief had failed to become the light of the world, though they had despised God’s mercy and forfeited their blessings as His chosen people—yet God had not cast off the seed of Abraham; the glorious purposes which He had undertaken to accomplish through Israel were to be fulfilled. All who through Christ should become the children of faith were to be counted as Abraham’s seed; they were inheritors of the covenant promises; like Abraham, they were called to guard and to make known to the world the law of God and the gospel of His Son.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 476.

4 To what time are the saints sealed? Ephesians 1:13, 14.

note: “God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. ‘The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ [Psalm 37:29.] The time has come to which holy men have looked with longing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden—the time for ‘the redemption of the purchased possession.’ [Ephesians 1:14.] The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. . . .

“God created the earth to be the abode of holy, happy beings. That purpose will be fulfilled when, renewed by the power of God and freed from sin and sorrow, it shall become the eternal home of the redeemed.” The Adventist Home, 540.

5 To whom is the first dominion promised to be restored? Micah 4:8. What is meant by the “tower of the flock”? Psalm 61:1−3; Proverbs 18:10.

note: “He [God] is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.” Prophets and Kings, 202.

“God is our tower of strength.” Steps to Christ, 98.

6 To whom is the kingdom to be given? Daniel 7:27.

note: “God calls for separation from the world. Will you obey? Will you come out from among them, and remain separate and distinct from them? . . . You cannot mingle with worldlings, and partake of their spirit, and follow their example, and be at the same time a child of God. The Creator of the universe addresses you as an affectionate Father. If you separate from the world in your affections, and remain free from its contamination, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust, God will be your Father, He will adopt you into His family, and you will be His heir. In place of the world, He will give you, for a life of obedience, the kingdom under the whole heavens. He will give you an eternal weight of glory and a life that is as enduring as eternity.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 44.

7 How will the first dominion be restored to its original beauty? 11 Peter 3:10, 12, 13.

note: “The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored. . . . God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed.” The Great Controversy, 674.

8 With what important event is the renovation of the earth connected? 11 Peter 3:7.

note: “While Satan was rallying his army, the saints were in the city, beholding the beauty and glory of the Paradise of God. . . . We gathered about Jesus, and just as He closed the gates of the city, the curse was pronounced upon the wicked. The gates were shut. Then the saints used their wings and mounted to the top of the wall of the city. Jesus was also with them; His crown looked brilliant and glorious. It was a crown within a crown, seven in number. The crowns of the saints were of the most pure gold, decked with stars. Their faces shone with glory, for they were in the express image of Jesus. . . .

“Then the wicked saw what they had lost; and fire was breathed from God upon them and consumed them. This was the execution of the judgment. The wicked then received according as the saints, in unison with Jesus, had meted out to them during the one thousand years. The same fire from God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the stubble was consumed.” Early Writings, 53, 54. [Emphasis in original.]

9 With what is the day of judgment connected? 11 Timothy 4:1.

note: “The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as ‘holy, and just, and good.’ [Romans 7:12.] . . .

“No human language can portray the scenes of the second coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. He is to come with His own glory, and with the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. . . .

“The very One who died for man is to judge him in the last day: for the Father ‘hath committed all judgment unto the Son: . . . and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.’ [John 5:22, 27.] What a day that will be, when those who rejected Christ will look upon Him whom their sins have pierced.

“At His second coming, conviction will be brought to every heart. Those who have turned from Him to the trivial things of this earth, seeking selfish interests and worldly honor, will in the day of His coming acknowledge their mistake.” Maranatha, 292.

10 When the dominion is restored, what will be its condition? 11 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 11:5−9; 35:3−10; 55:12, 13.

note: “Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.

“In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called ‘a country.’ Hebrews 11:14−16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. . . .

“Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. There will be no more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning.” The Great Controversy, 675, 676.

“I [Ellen White] saw another field full of all kinds of flowers, and as I plucked them I cried out, They will never fade. Next I saw a field of tall grass most glorious to behold; it was living green, and had a reflection of silver and gold, as it waved to the glory of King Jesus. Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts—the lion, the lamb, the leopard and the wolf, all together in perfect union. We passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 53.

11 What should those who are heirs with Christ be doing? 11 Peter 3:12, first part.

note: “Many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ, are becoming conformed to this world, and seek more earnestly for the applause of those around them, than the approbation of God. . . .

“Many of these professed Christians dress, talk and act like the world, and the only thing by which they may be known, is their profession. Though they profess to be looking for Christ, their conversation is not in heaven, but on worldly things. . . .

“Let us strive to be Christians (Christ-like) in every sense of the word, and let our dress, conversation and actions preach that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, and that we are looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus.” Sons and Daughters of God, 352.

“It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

12 What effect will this have on their lives? 11 Peter 3:11, 14.

note: “[11 Peter 3:14, 18 quoted.] Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need to cry earnestly to God for help and strength to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there is no stopping place, there is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained. . . .

“The Christian life is constantly an onward march. Jesus sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation. A great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Here we see where the great labor rests. There is a constant work for the Christian. Every branch in the parent vine must derive life and strength from that vine, in order to yield fruit.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 340.

Editorial – The Hundred and Forty Four-Thousand

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For those of you who are mathematicians, 144 is a Fibonacci number. It is both a round number and a square number. But the reason that students of prophecy are fascinated with this number is because God says that in the last generation He is going to seal 144,000 people from His true church (Israel), and this will happen before the final destructive judgments come upon this world (Revelation 7:1–4).

These people are described as virgins (Revelation 14:4), for they have not drunk the wine of the fornication of Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 17:2; 18:3).

Inspired writings describe them as being very small in number compared with the multitudes on the earth in the last days. One hundred and forty-four thousand is indeed a small number compared with today’s population of over seven billion, including many millions of Adventists. That figures out to a ratio of approximately one in 50,000 people. Actually, that is a very high number of faithful people when you consider that the ratio was far less at other periods of time. Before the flood when the population was most probably over one billion, only eight people were found to be loyal and ready to enter the ark—Noah and his family. Out of the 300,000 children of Israel who journeyed through the wilderness, only two were found. The experiences recorded in Matthew 24 and I Corinthians 10 are examples of the last days.

In addition to the 144,000, there will also be an innumerable multitude saved (Revelation 7:9), many of them martyrs and the myriads who have died in Christ, but the 144,000 is a select group from the final generation who will receive special honors in the kingdom of God. (See Revelation 14:1.)

Specific character traits have been developed in the last days in all of those comprising the 144,000: (1) purity, (2) truthfulness, (3) faultlessness or blamelessness or, in other words, perfection of character. (See Revelation 14:1–5.) Referring to this group, Ellen White wrote, “Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.” Early Writings, 71.

“If we would have the image and superscription of God upon us, we must separate ourselves from all iniquity. We must forsake every evil way, and then we must trust our cases in the hands of Christ. While we are working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure.” The Review and Herald, March 19, 1889.

And finally an exhortation: “Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Servants Sealed

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November 19, 2016 – November 25, 2016

Key Text

“Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Revelation 7:3).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 207–216.

Introduction

“Satan is now using every device in this sealing time, to keep the minds of God’s people from the present, sealing truth; and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people, to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth, and was pure in heart, was to be covered with the covering of Almighty God.” The Review and Herald (The Present Truth), August 1, 1849.

1 A REFUGE

  • What invitation does God make to His people before the destruction of the earth? Isaiah 26:20, 21.
  • What promises will be a comfort in those turbulent days? Psalm 46:1–3; 91:1–10.

Note: “The time of trouble is the crucible that is to bring out Christ-like characters. It is designed to lead the people of God to renounce Satan and his temptations. The last conflict will reveal Satan to them in his true character, that of a cruel tyrant, and it will do for them what nothing else could do, up-root him entirely from their affections.” The Review and Herald, August 12, 1884.

“Their [God’s people’s] faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. Though suffering the keenest anxiety, terror, and distress, they do not cease their intercessions. They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel; and the language of their souls is: ‘I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me’ (Genesis 32:26).” The Great Controversy, 619, 620.

2 SEALED OR SLAIN

  • Who is destroyed, and who is given shelter in Ezekiel’s vision? Ezekiel 9:3–6, 9, 10.
  • How is the work of the protecting angels cited in the Revelation similar to that of the man with the writer’s inkhorn in Ezekiel’s vision? Revelation 7:1–3.
  • How does the experience of the Jews in the time of Esther illustrate that of God’s people at the end of time? Esther 3:8, 9; 9:1–3.

Note: “This sealing of the servants of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 445.

“The trying experiences that came to God’s people in the days of Esther were not peculiar to that age alone. … The same spirit that in ages past led men to persecute the true church, will in the future lead to the pursuance of a similar course toward those who maintain their loyalty to God. …

“The decree that will finally go forth against the remnant people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews. Today the enemies of the true church see in the little company keeping the Sabbath commandment, a Mordecai at the gate. The reverence of God’s people for His law is a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling on His Sabbath.

“Satan will arouse indignation against the minority who refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith. By false representations and angry appeals, men will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a ‘Thus saith the Scriptures’ to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for Sunday laws. … On this battlefield will be fought the last great conflict in the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Today, as in the days of Esther and Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.” Prophets and Kings, 605, 606.

3 PURIFICATION OF CHARACTER

  • What type of character will be developed in those who are preparing for the seal? Revelation 14:1, 5. What does having the Father’s name imply? Matthew 6:9; I Peter 3:15.

Note: “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 upon 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.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 216.

“It is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they [God’s people] cannot be moved.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1161.

“Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us—the perfection of His character? When the Lord’s people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads.” Ibid., vol. 6, 1118.

“I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.” Early Writings, 71.

  • How will the Lord perform this sanctifying work in us? Hebrews 7:25; 13:20, 21; Philippians 1:6; 2:12, 13.

Note: “I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place was nearly finished and that time can last but a very little longer. What leisure time we have should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day. …

“Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man. The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure.” Early Writings, 58.

“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.

4 SIGHING AND CRYING

  • What is the work of God’s people in the last days? Isaiah 58:12.

Note: “In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God’s remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God.” Prophets and Kings, 678.

  • What does it mean to sigh and cry? Ezekiel 9:4.

Note: “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.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 211.

“At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world. …

“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., 209, 210.

  • Where does the judgment begin, and what does this mean for God’s professed people? Ezekiel 9:6.

Note: “But the general slaughter of all those who do not thus see the wide contrast between sin and righteousness, and do not feel as those do who stand in the counsel of God and receive the mark, is described in the order to the five men with slaughter weapons: [Ezekiel 9:5, 6 quoted].” Testimonies, vol. 3, 267.

5 DELIVERANCE

  • How will God finally deliver His people in this time? Luke 18:7; Daniel 12:1, 2. Discuss the purification of the church prior to the close of probation.

Note: “In the hour of the church’s greatest danger most fervent prayer will be offered in her behalf by the faithful remnant, and God will hear and answer at the very time when the guilt of the transgressor has reached its height.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 524.

“The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 380.

“The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. … In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. … Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 81.

  • Who will survive the plagues and be translated at the second coming of Jesus? I Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 14:4.

Note: “None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience … such as no other company have ever had. … These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as ‘the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb’ (Revelation 14:4).” The Great Controversy, 649.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What protection does God offer from the plagues, and how can you have it?

2 How are we to be brought to the condition of readiness for the seal?

3 How do the remnant relate to the sin around them, in and out of the church?

4 Have you felt the personal assurance of God’s promise to prepare you for the end?

5 How does God’s vision of the wheat and the chaff differ from ours?

Copyright © 2015 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.