As many of us Bible students know the Bible is full of symbolic terms and ideas. One of those is the describing of God’s word as either milk or meat. This is significant because both of these terms are specific and should be understood in their intended meaning.
When we were babies, was any of us provided a steak dinner? Of course not. Our food for the first few months was largely milk. This provided just what we needed and could handle, we were way too underdeveloped for the stronger foods such as meat. But in the spiritual realm there is an important distinction between these two symbolic meanings–Milk and Meat. Let us look at this important understanding.
In Isaiah we read —
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.”? (Isa.28:9-10)
As a baby we have to grow and as such there comes a time when we have to be weaned off milk. Milk no longer provides all the essentials we need, like more iron and other minerals and especially protein. All this can be correlated to God’s word.
Inspiration addresses the above quote–
“The obvious lesson is that at the time one is converted (born again) to Christ, he is but a babe in the Christian life, and needs for the time being to be fed, as a new born babe, on the “sincere milk of the Word,” that he “may grow thereby.” 1 Pet. 2:2.
Through the apostle Paul, Inspiration interprets this milk to be “the first principles of the oracles of God.” Heb. 5:12. And through Isaiah, It asks: “Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine?” Then, answering Its own questions, It declares: “Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.” Isa. 28:9.(Tract 14, p.36-37)
This is something we can all relate to. From a personal testimony I remember when I first came into the truth of God’s word, particularly the Sabbath truth, that is all I wanted and desired. The holy 10 Commandments and the Sabbath truth was such an all-consuming subject that I desired little else such as the deeper prophecies.In fact, during the first couple of years during my walk, I actually was a little turned off by those who propounded the prophecies primarily. I thought they were just not that important. But I was a babe, looking back, and the meat was viewed as too much, or not needed.
But as I continued to study, the Great Guider the Spirit of Truth, began to show me the deeper things of the word. This can be pictured as a stair step. We all need to start on the bottom step and walk up one step at a time. But we do need to advance, lest we become stagnate!
Those that stay on a certain step can be likened to continuing to want to drink milk. This can lead to deficiencies, spiritually speaking of God’s word–His meat.
You see brethren the deeper things, the Lord’s prophecies, are what we as grown ups must have spiritually to grow. Yet what are we given each quarter for our Sabbath school studies? Mostly milk in the form of our quarterly lesson books. Take a close look at them.
For example the current SDA Adult Sabbath School Bible study guide has lessons such as —
— Justice and mercy in the Old Testament
— Loving your neighbor
— Jesus showed sympathy
Now, these are truths that give us encouragement and good solid lessons, but these are continual to the point of over feeding us milk. We all should know these things because they are foundational and help us to know the basic love of God and of one to another, but there are truths such as prophecies that expound the deep lessons of God’s love in such a way to truly make us awestruck and enlightened with His last day moves to save His church from Satan, who is now in control.
If you don’t think this true, just read Rev. 12 and what Satan has done since the days of Constantine. A worldly flood has nearly overcome the church! See our post here –https://godsloveandlaw.com/2015/03/21/the-church-and-the-dragon/
Only those who are still feeding on milk would not know that Satan has taken over ALL churches , including our own beloved SDA church.
One other note we’d like to point out is that if our study guides do contain mention of some prophecies, they are likely to be interpreted incorrectly or incompletely. Such is the case with our latest quarterly study guide in regards to Ezek. 37 and 47. But there is no reason for such oversight or mistakes. Our Lord provided His messenger with the correct interpretation, if we’ll only seek it out and prayerfully read it!
“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)
Isaiah clearly shows us that in our last days all “seven” women, meaning churches, universally and completely, are eating their own bread ( a man-made mixture of true and false doctrines and prophecies) yet claiming to be walking as a true Christian. Our SDA church is not excluded.
Satan knows that if he can lull us to sleep with milk feeding, and hold back the prophecies and their correct interpretations, the people will not know the Lord’s next moves neither his own devious plans.
For instance, nearly all us SDA have been fooled into thinking that the next big move upon the world is the Sunday Law. But those who study the prophecies know well that this cannot be so. So he is playing with us much as a cat plays with a mouse. He’s got all those who fall for his tricks by refusing to want God’s meat, His prophetic words and instructions therein.
Why is this important? Because if we believe that the next move by the Lord is the setting up of the Sunday law, we then will not expect Him when He “suddenly” comes to His temple (church)(Mal. 3:1-5).
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Mal.3:1)
The word “suddenly” denotes a surprise, an unexpected coming.
Last week we ended our two-part post of Hosea. This is a classic example of what “meat” is. These deep prophetic lessons show us what God has done and will do very shortly to reclaim His church.
Another example is a personal one I’d like to relate. For a good two years now I have attended our local church’s at home studies. Each week we hold a weekly study on God’s word at different homes of our members. But there has been almost a total neglect of prophecies in the studies. Milk is given over and over again. God cannot be pleased about this.
How many of us would want to see our children stay stunted for years and years, even well into the later years of life? Or see our older children still reading comic books and watching cartoons regularly?
The Spirit of Prophecy sheds light on how we must advance and keep pace with the Truth.
“The sanctified soul will not be content to remain in ignorance, but will desire to walk in the light and to seek for greater light. As a miner digs for gold and silver, so the follower of Christ will seek for truth as for hidden treasures, and will press from light to a greater light, ever increasing in knowledge. He will continually grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.” (Review and Herald, June 17, 1890)
Apostle Paul, speaking the words of the Lord said-
“Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy..” (1 Cor. 14:39)
The final words of our Lord bring home the great important of prophecy–
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10)
To be sure Satan knows that prophecies are very important to God’s people. Therefore, to those who do attempt to begin to eat meat, they must be on guard as this area has been tampered with by the great deceiver as well.He knows that the superficial students can buy seemingly plausible ideas yet when looked closely they crumble like a sandy foundation.
“No one is lost for believing a false interpretation of a prophecy before the truth of it is revealed, provided the false interpretation does not draw him away from some other truth. Such individuals, however, are in great danger because, as history reveals, very few who become thus involved in error are willing to humble themselves by renouncing their errors and accepting the truth when it is made known. They are consequently in constant peril of sinning against the Holy Ghost. And being acutely aware of this, Satan misinterprets the prophecies before they are divinely revealed.” (Tract 5, p.7)
The above message is packed with divine instructions. For example, we as SDA members have been led to believe the misinterpreted prophecy of Daniel 2 that claims that the rock that comes from the mountain is Christ. However, the Lord’s final messenger has soundly corrected that false idea. Instead of it being a narrow vision of simply Christ coming on the last day to destroy the world, it is instead a enthralling story of how Christ uses his final army of servants (the rock) to destroy the world’s kingdom symbolically and become a “great mountain” during the Loud Cry.
The prophet also exposed another example of how we can be hood winked into believing false prophecy if we are not serious students.
“..the reader’s attention is called to Elder Uriah Smith’s book, originally entitled Thoughts on Daniel and The Revelation, and later Daniel and The Revelation, in which is explained, among other subjects, the subject of “the seven trumpets.” Here one will notice that Elder Smith is not the original author of the exposition of the trumpets. The originators were Messrs. Keith, Clark, Barnes, et al. “Thus far,” says Elder Smith, “Keith has furnished us with illustrations of the sounding of the first five trumpets.” — Daniel and The Revelation, p. 506.
Then further in the same chapter, and in explanation of Revelation 9:17, we read: “As the Turks discharged their firearms on horseback, it would appear to the distant beholder, that the fire, smoke and brimstone issued out of the horses’ mouths, as illustrated by the accompanying plate.” — Id., p.510. “Barnes thinks this was the case,” remarks Elder Smith; “and a statement from Gibbon confirms this view.” — ld., p. 510, footnote.
Thus, plainly, the interpretation of the seven trumpets, as it is found in Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, was not originated by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. But their placing upon it their endorsement makes it appear as Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. In other words, the theories of uninspired men having the S.D.A. stamp of approval, are made to appear to the S.D.A. laity as genuine S.D.A. Bible doctrines.
This goes to show that the majority of Seventh-day Adventists, right along with others, do not ask, “Is it true, — in harmony with God’s word? but, By whom is it advocated?” — Testimonies to Ministers, p.106. And if the theory comes through a popular channel, they as a rule unquestionably accept it! (Tract 5, p.7-9)
In the book of Hebrews we find further light on our subject and Paul rebukes those who fail to advance from milk to meat —
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14)
Wow, strong meat helps us to know good from evil! Sounds like just what the Doctor ordered. Imagine sitting down to a most delicious feast, enjoying all the satisfying nourishment our bodies can take. This is what it feels like to those of us who have tasted His “meat” and found ourselves very satisfied!
In closing my beloved, we should not remain babies and subside on milk only, but get our nourishment from the deep truths of God–the meat of His word. In this way we advance with His truth and spiritually grow up.
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