Last week we spoke of the prophetic quote by Ellen White in Testimonies to Ministers, p.475-76. This is where she said a prophet was to come after her.
“Prophecy must be fulfilled… Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way, let me tell you how to teach your message.”
One of the clear clues as to who this Elijah prophet would be, and what he would be known for in that quote, was as an “interpreter” of Scripture. In other words, the Elijah prophet was to make known prophecies and hidden truths for the last remnant people of God, particularly what we must do to be spared in the “great and dreadful day” of the Lord. Additionally we know that her prophetic call was pin-point accurate in regards to him being rejected from the vast majority in the SDA church. So we thought we’d provide some interpretations of Scripture so that you can see for yourself and believe or not believe whether the truth is spoken by this “Elijah”. Does it make sense? Are there new revelations which make real sense and expose some prior mis-understandings we have had in our SDA teachings?
Obviously the SDA church as a whole has rejected the Elijah, so you won’t find his writings in any SDA church or any of their approved sites. They are intent to “let me tell you how to teach your message.” But thank the Lord, this site and other Elijah messenger sites are proclaiming His last message as brought by the prophet.
Our prophetess spoke about the great joy and reward in searching the Scriptures, such as, “The truths of the Bible are as pearls hidden. They must be searched, dug out by painstaking effort.” (7 BC. p.945). ” The Bible is a precious treasure. It should be in every home, not to be laid away or put upon a shelf, but to be diligently studied.”(SW p.46). “We are to explore the sacred volume as a miner explores the veins of ore in the earth, and finds the precious seams of gold.”(SW p.46).
So as we study some revelations by the Elijah prophet let us ask the Spirit of Truth to guide us –into all truth. If you ask this you will receive it. When we discover “pearls hidden” what joy we can have! We add to our knowledge base the great and wonderful things of God.
Our first quote is from Isaiah 4:1.
“The prophet Isaiah, looking forward to this time of wholesale deception, headed by so-called spiritual guides, says: “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” (Isa. 4:1.)
It is an admitted fact among Bible students that churches are symbolized by “women.” Pure woman — pure church, as in Jeremiah 6:2, Revelation 12:1; vile woman — corrupt church, as in Revelation 17:4,5. Isaiah says, there are “seven” women. The number comprises these same churches. They say, “We will eat our own bread.” That is, they want to have their own way; they care not for God’s way (Word). “We will wear our own apparel”, that is, they want their own plans in preference to God’s plans or His righteousness. Thereby, they clothed themselves with self-righteousness.
Their aim is to be called by the one man’s name; that is, by the name of Christ (Christians) to take away their reproach. People have come to suppose they can do most anything under the guise of Christianity and get away with it. God will let them continue their course until they, like Belshazzar, have passed the boundary line of divine grace, and then He will call them to account.”(Shep. Rod, vol.2, p.98)
Next we see warnings about the customs of the heathens being wholly accepted by the church and leaders.
“Jeremiah, looking forward to this time of apostasy, says: “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” (Jer. 10:2-4.) Though the Word declares, “Learn not the ways of the heathen,” professed ministers of the gospel will cut a tree from the forest and deck it with silver and gold, then dare call it by the name of Christ — Christmas tree. What greater blasphemy can one do? Are ministers and religious teachers ignorant of these things? Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John heard the men defying God, saying ,”Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” That is, who can abolish this pagan system of worship; is there one? They challenge God’s authority. It may not be said by words, but it is most decidedly expressed by action. Men’s discernment is blunted by sin, and when an attempt is made to associate the sacred with the common or pagan, they see no evil.”(Shep. Rod, vol.2, p.99)
Next we learn of the seven universal empires from creation.
“According to Biblical reckoning the flood came more than 1600 years after creation. God originated the human race through Adam and Eve. Therefore, one people, one race, one language and nation from creation to the flood. The rulership given to Adam we call the first universal Adamic empire. Babylon was the second; Medo-Persia is the third; Grecia the fourth; Rome the fifth; the broken state of Rome (symbolized by the feet and toes of the great image of Daniel 2, which is the present unstable civilization) is the sixth; and from the close of the millennium after the resurrection of the wicked to their second death, is the seventh and last. Thus the Biblical number seven, as always, signifies, completeness. Therefore, seven such universal empires, revealing a complete history of the world, denote the end of sin and its dominion.”(Shep. Rod, vol.2, p.41).
In the following we learn how Scripture is revealed and properly interpreted.
“God used the dead and the living, the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, the land and water, sun, moon, and stars, to reveal His divine plan and to sustain His servants, etc. (See Gen. 16:7, 9; 1 Sam. 6:7-15; Num. 22:30; 1 Kings 17:4-6; Jonah 2:10; Matt. 17:27; Num. 16:32; Matt. 24:29.) God has a thousand ways whereby He can render help in a moment. Truly, what more could divine love do for fallen human beings?
How Are The Scriptures Revealed, And Properly Interpreted?
Analysis of ancient and modern history, both sacred and secular, prove that sealed, or prophetic truth has never been revealed through the educational system of the world, or by the wisdom of man, but only by the power of God. If anything is true, it is this one thing. Said Jesus: “When He, the Spirit of Truth, is Come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13.) Christ plainly declares, that we are led into truth, not by wisdom of man but by the Spirit of God. Not into some truth, but in all truth.
When God reveals truth, He is able to lead His servants in all truth, and does not allow such instruments to mix His truth with error. Though they may not understand all, yet the message they bear is the truth and nothing but the truth. Therefore, such truths are originally revealed by inspiration only. When the time divinely appointed is fulfilled, then God calls servants of His own choice, and by the Spirit of Truth reveals a portion of His Word to them. Usually in the form of a message which they must first bear to the church.” (Shep. Rod. vol.2, p.12)
As the message from Elijah is predominately about reformation and the 144,000, it’s important to address the question as to the following- Are the 144,000 of both sexes?
“The command to mark this company so that they fall not under the slaughter weapons by the figure of the five men, reads as follows: “And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” (Ezekiel 9:4.) Because the Word says: “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men,” therefore some have held the position that the entire company is made up of men only. The second reason given for this erroneous idea is that they are to be kings and priests and therefore they must be men. The idea carried by these passages cannot be sustained by other portions of Scripture. Thus we are compelled to study deeper into the subject.
While Ezekiel calls them “men,” John says they are “virgins.” (Rev. 14:4.) Now, if we should take the position that Ezekiel means men only, then we can as well say, John means women only. Can it be possible that one writer should contradict the other? No indeed. We conclude by the following Scriptures that the 144,000 are of both sexes: “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe.” (John 1:7.) “All men,” must include both men and women, otherwise salvation would be for men only. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32.)
If the word all men in this text does not include both sexes, then the women are lost. “And the time of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” (The Acts 17:30.) Again, if “all men” include not both male and female, then women are not commanded to repent. It is evident that the noun, men, is a collective Biblical term of both men and women. The same is true by creation, for, God made the woman of the man. Therefore, she is a wo-man. Again in Gal. 3:28, we read: “There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”(Shep.Rod, vol.2, p.167)
Next we’d like to show a example of how the Elijah prophet “restored” our understanding (SDA) of the long time held view of the seals of Revelation (Chap. 4 to 7, and first part of 8). The Lord willing we’d like to do a 2 or 3 part post in the near future showing how some of the old standard prophecy beliefs within the SDA, don’t hold up upon close investigation, as discovered and shown by the Elijah. ” Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20).
Question:
“What Biblical proof have you for placing as you do the
seals of Revelation, chapters four to seven and the first part of the eighth? Why make them span the entire world’s history, when the Seventh-day Adventist denomination has been teaching for years that they begin after the crucifixion?”
“The questioner has a perfect right to ask for Biblical proof of our interpretations of the Scriptures, but he must remember that our rights are as good as his. Hence, before answering his questions, we would like to ask him to give us but one Scripture as the basis upon which he can establish that the seals span the Christian era only. Our being as well informed as the questioner on all the doctrines which the denomination teaches, and of the proofs upon which they are based, we are free to say that the strongest and the only foundation upon which the denominational interpretation stands is grounded upon the presumptuous idea that the white horse and he that sat on him, going forth conquering and to conquer (Rev. 6:2), represents the early Christian church in her best spiritual condition.
This position is assumed upon the unmitigated presumption that the color of the horse (white) must represent the purity of the early church, and that the words, “conquering and to conquer,” stand for her rapid growth after Pentecost.
We agree that “white” stands for purity, and that “conquering and to conquer” could represent the growth of the church, but what proof would that be if such an idea is contradicted by all other truth? For example, we call the reader’s attention to the fact that when John was about to be shown in vision the events in the seven seals, it was about sixty-five years after the Pentecost and in the period when the church was already declining from her spiritual condition. The voice which he heard said to him: “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Rev. 4:1); that is, the event which he was to be shown was to transpire in the future, “hereafter,” from the time John had the vision. Now let us take notice of the event he saw.
Says John: “I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much,…and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Rev. 4:2; 5:1,3-5.)
The event of which John prophesied was to transpire in the future from John’s time instead of having already taken place. Hence, the idea that the white horse with its rider represents the rider in her purity after the Pentecost is only a presumption. Moreover, it is taught that the book with the seven seals is the book of “Daniel and Revelation,” and that those who interpreted the seals are the ones who opened the book, whereas, a “strong angel proclaimed with a loud voice,” that “no man in heaven, nor in the earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” Consequently, we would like to ask the questioner how could the men who interpreted the seals open the book if they could not even “look thereon”?
Still further, whoever heard that the church could be symbolized by a man riding on a horse! Furthermore, those who are fighting against the sealing message on the pretext that it contradicts the Spirit of Prophecy have themselves altogether closed their eyes to the voice of the Spirit of Prophecy by a flat contradiction of it, for they claim that the book with the seven seals is the book of “Daniel and Revelation,” whereas, the Spirit of Prophecy, in perfect harmony with “The Shepherd’s Rod,” says: “Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice. Their decision was registered in the book which John saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, the book which no man could open. In all its vindictiveness this decision will appear before them in the day when this book is unsealed by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” — “Christ’s Object Lessons,” p. 294.
The above quoted passage shows that this book contains the names and record of those who profess to be the people of God. Then, how could it be the book of “Daniel and The Revelation”?
We would not take longer in disproving the former interpretation of the seals, but we shall briefly prove the reason why the seals cover the entire history of the human race.
One of the proofs that the seals include the entire world’s history is in the fact that the book with the seven seals is “The book of life,” which contains the record of God’s professed people, and also in the fact that it was to be opened in the day of judgment. Hence, it proves that in 1844, when the judgment began, Christ opened the book before the throng that surrounded the throne, and this being the Lamb’s book of Life (which no one but the Lamb could open), containing the record of the people from Adam’s time and on, it is obvious that the seven seals, which were broken at the beginning of the judgment, contain the entire history of the human race, divided into seven periods, which sealed the book up to the day of judgment. See our exposition on the seals in “The Shepherd’s Rod,” Vol. 2, pp. 194-221 (Symbolic News Code, No. 7-8, p.9-10)
The next we see the lessons of Matthew 24 explained more closely and specific to “our” generation.
“The gospel of the coming of Christ in this generation, and the signs of the times as in Matthew 24, was committed to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination since 1844. No other body of people has had the burden of the message that is taught in this chapter (the signs and the end of the world), and the urgency of its speedy delivery in this generation. Therefore, whatever commendation, or condemnation is written to the “servant” in Matthew 24, cannot be applied to another people.
Furthermore, as the rest of Christendom had fallen by 1844 because they rejected the messages that were sent to them and thus God would not let light shine through them since that time, it is evident that the gospel of the 24th chapter of Matthew could not have been preached by any other people. Therefore, the statement concerning the servant in the following verse is applicable only to the foregoing denomination.
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them [to the world] meat in due season” — present truth? (Matt. 24:45.) Note, that there is a question as to whom this faithful servant could be. If that people to whom primarily this gospel was committed had been faithful, then the following promise would have been their’s: “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That He shall make him ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:46, 47.)
The significance of “all His goods” is the finishing of the gospel, bringing everlasting righteousness, and ushering in the kingdom of Christ! What a wonderful promise! But, observe the danger of losing this everlasting glory: “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken.” (Matt. 24:48, 49.) The “servant” (singular) that shall “begin to smite his fellow servants” (plural) signifies the leadership — the “angel” of the church of the Laodiceans — those who have charge of the “household.” But the “servants” (plural) apply to the ministry under that leadership.
By the unfaithfulness of “that servant,” the gospel has been delayed; the generation is about to pass, and the work is years behind. The result is, that the delay has not been expressed by action only, but it is even said by words, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” And as one sin leads to another, the doctrine of “Health Reform,” eating foods that have been devitalized by modern inventions the “dainties” of Babylon, etc. — indulging fleshly lusts, has been largely disregarded, thus fulfilling the words, “eat and drink with the drunken.”
The doctrine of health reform is said to be “the right hand and arm of the Third Angel’s Message,” and that the medical work is “the right hand of the message.” The idea of health reform is a thing of the past so far as the church as a body is concerned, and the leadership cares little. But that is not the worst, this unfaithful servant of God has even dared stretch his hand over the gulf to form an unlawful alliance of the denominational medical institutions with those of the world who are bitterly opposed to the idea of health reform — right hand and arm of the “Third Angel’s Message.”
The very channel which was instituted to uphold and carry that part of the work, is being bound by a confederacy and now in order to maintain this alliance it has been compelled to sacrifice the very principle for which it was organized. Thereby God’s agency for treating the sick and preventing disease by healthful living and divine healing through obedience of the truth, has been substituted by drugs.
Thus the devil has cut off the right hand and arm of the “Third Angel’s Message,” and by this cunning device has robbed the church of God of its medical institutions! What a calamity! What a loss! Would not God’s faithful people at such a time as this come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty? How a body of people with so much light can become so blind is beyond human understanding; it is a mystery!
Had they (those who were charged with this great responsibility) been faithful to the trust committed to them, the everlasting blessings found in the following verse would have been their’s: “That He shall make him ruler over all his goods.” But to him who neglects his Master’s commission: “The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 24:50, 51.) Had they taken heed to the last urgent message sent them, calling for decided changes in these things, the following chapter (Matthew 25) would have been prophetically different.” (Shepherd’s Rod, Vol. 2, p.179)
In closing, the above are but just a few of the treasures one can find by reading and learning what the Lord’s Elijah message has for us. When we read in (Rev. 3:17) that the Laodiceans “have need of nothing” , it can only be Truth from the Lord–His Elijah message, that they declare they don’t need. Let it not be said of us, that we don’t need any more messages of truth and warnings from the Lord, for we must think we are not ” rich and increased with goods.”
Godsloveandlaw's Blog 
July 29, 2013 at 12:15 pm |
brethren,if the SDA church has completely rejected the Elijah message,what assurance do we have that the Lord will not spew her out from His mouth.?We either be too cold or be hot least we be rejected.Let me boldly say that God is now no longer with the SDA church !
July 29, 2013 at 3:32 pm |
My brother, I can sympathize with your feelings about this situation within our church. However, we must remember that our Lord has not called us to come out of her, despite these abominations. Instead, we must “sigh and cry” for them and spread our disgust and disappointment to our ignorant brethren. Also our prophetess was confronted with many in her day that declared the SDA church- Babylon. She steadfastly rebuked those with such stance. “The Lord has not given you a message to call the SDA church- Babylon, and to call the people of God to come out of her.” (Selected Messages, p.63) Our God is deeply hurt by what is happening within our church but He has not abandoned her. Instead He will take the “reins in His own hands” very shortly–Ezekiel 9 and Isaiah 66:15-21. (Test. to Ministers, p.300)