Godsloveandlaw's Blog

We as present truth believers have often used/seen the following reference–

“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls.

They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.”(GC, p.608)

Some may ask — why is this reference so important? Precisely due to the fact that the S.D.A misinterpret it as far as the timeline and who exactly is the “large class” it describes.

Let’s look at the S.D.A point of view often taken.

When they read it they allow it to fit the long time well-known denomination understanding of end time events. The large class are active S.D.A who have “turn coated” against the faithful remaining church members who still are obeying the Sabbath, when the heat is on and the image is forming. This all comes to a head when the “test comes” ie. the actual set up of the Sunday Law takes place.  The former faithful now go against the faithful in the courts and effectively set them up for penalties/ persecutions.

This narrative is well-known within S.D.A circles. The promoters of this idea, of course do not have the Elijah message knowledge and skip over the very important fact that the message tells us that all unfaithful active S.D.A at the time of the church judgment (Ezek. 9) –will no longer be on earth to witness the Sunday Law! As well-known, the current leaders promote the “shaking” as the time when the Sunday Law develops and only those who stand firm and continue to go to church on the Sabbath, will be right with God.

Sadly all this is not true because the SOP reference applies to the “Great Multitude” or AKA “Second Fruits” who are those who come out of Babylon (false doctrine churches) and decide to keep the Sabbath. The large class who go against them and “have professed faith in the third angel’s message” are the inactive S.D.A and who basically quit going to church for their own justified reasons.

Further the message tells us not to expect the Sunday Law (ie. the storm) to cause the shaking within the church —

“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,” p. 270.)

   “In the mighty sifting soon to take place, we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor.” (Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 5, p. 80.)

   Thus, both, the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy explain that He Himself will purify the church, and that when thus purified “the Gentiles shall see” her “righteousness and all kings” her “glory.” Moreover, Christ in the parable explains that it is Satan’s determined purpose to sow the tares among the wheat. (Matt. 13:38.)

   As the “Blue Sunday Law” is to be enacted by Satan’s own will, not by God’s, then such a method to purify the church would not only be contrary to every inspired statement but also to Satan’s determined purpose, for his aim is not to bring the tares and then pluck them out, but rather to choke out the wheat by their continued presence. Neither is his intention to fulfill the prophecies, for that is what he would be doing if he should enact blue Sunday laws, but rather defeat them. Therefore, if the church is to be purified by Satan’s laws he would be doing the work which God has assigned to His servants and which He is to do Himself.

   Is Satan working for God’s and His church’s interest or against? If against, he will never do one thing to purify the church or to fulfill the prophecy.

   The only thing that would compel him to pass blue Sunday laws and go “to make war with the remnant of her seed” (with those that are left, Rev. 12:17) is the purity of the church when God by the slaughter weapons of Ezekiel Nine takes away the tares which received not the mark, and even then Satan will not enact “blue Sunday laws” until after he has exhausted every other weapon against the church.

Therefore, as long as the church remains in her present Laodicean condition, there will be no blue laws or “war” against her, but a bluff only to make her members believe that they are free from his snares and that he is still trying to cause them to fall. But the worst of it all is in that they are sound asleep, which is shown by the fact that they still think Satan is working terribly hard to fulfill God’s word by trying to pass blue laws and are not aware that he is only playing with them as a cat with a mouse, and the brethren “to whom the Lord has entrusted the spiritual interests of the people” (“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 5, p. 211) instead of sounding the alarm to arouse the church are determined to even silence the voice of the Rod, and thus rocking her to a more sound sleep!  (Sym. Code, vol. 2, no.1, p.9-10)

Question No. 37:

If God’s people are in the Kingdom during the Loud Cry, how can they be put in prison or driven to the mountains during that time, as the Spirit of Prophecy asserts they will (“The Great Controversy,” p. 626)?

Answer:

When it is understood that the 144,000 are but first fruits, the forerunners or advanced guard of a great multitude of second fruits, the difficulty in question is immediately resolved. The first fruits stand with the Lamb, safe on Mt. Zion (in the Kingdom). Thus those who shall find refuge in the mountains, and those who shall be put in prison, can only be from among the second fruits—those who shall accept the message during the Loud Cry, but who shall not yet at that time have reached the Kingdom. (See our Tract No. 12, The World Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, 1941 Edition, pp. 45-49.) (Answerer, vol. 2, Q-37)

We know that the message tells us that all who shall embrace the fourth angel’s message as it joins the third angel’s , the final Gospel proclamation that is to lighten the whole world, shall finally make it into the pre- millennium kingdom in Israel (see SC, vol. 9, no.1-12, p.15) , then it appears that despite being put in prison, the Gentiles shall be freed by the hand of God and taken out.

Ok here is where it gets interesting. Did you notice we highlighted “active” S.D.A? There is an important reason for saying this. let us read–

 “..if we voluntarily stay away from the church services, we lay ourselves open to the charge of being offshoots from the body, and at the same time forfeit the opportunity of coming in contact with the congregation.

   Moreover, if in this wise we separate ourselves, then in the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. when those who have not the “mark” are taken away, we shall not have the same right to claim an inheritance in the Denomination.” (Answerer, vol. 4, Q- 90)

Ah, the ramifications of this is very widespread! Take for instance the literally thousands of “Reform S.D.A” or the “Home S.D.A” or the myriad of other S.D.A who often call the church–Babylon. They have basically left the church due to the numerous “abominations” and doctrinal differences done within her today. These are they who shall have no right to claim “an inheritance in the Denomination”! This will be devastating in the end! They look from without at what could have been – a part of that glorious number (144,000) formed from the very S.D.A church they abandoned!

Let us be clear the Lord’s Rod message DOES NOT advocate leaving the mother S.D.A church. The Lord will separate the wheat from the tares, not us.

One of the most insidious tricks Satan uses today is to fool even a few “present truth” believers to stay away from the church. The reasons are that just like some of the other abandoners, they think that the abominations are too great and they can just “coast in” with their knowledge of the Lord’s Rod and yet not have to remain at their post of duty! Wow, what deception indeed!

In closing my beloved, make no mistake there are only three courses we can take right now, as members of the S.D.A church.

1. Strive with all power God has given us to be among the 144,000 (RH, March 9, 1905)
2. Ignore and/or fight the Rod message and suffer that dreadful day of the Lord (Ezek.9)
3. Abandon church and become one of the “large class” whom shall be left out.   (Tract 1, p.30)

“The knowledge of present truth, which the five foolish virgins possessed since 1844 is the judgment of the dead, and was the only oil in their lamps.  When the judgment of the living commenced, and the “cry was made,” they were found without this extra oil in their vessels; they had neglected their Lord’s command: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”  Thus when the wise ones started out to meet the bridegroom the lamps of the foolish went out, for, the judgment of the dead had passed. 

Therefore, it was present truth no more, and thus they were left in darkness.  At the beginning of the judgments of God they saw their mistake and rushed for the ark of safety, but it was beyond their reach for they knew nothing of the message, and by the time they acquired it (filled their lamps with oil), there had been a delay, the angel had passed “through the city, through Jerusalem,” thechurch — the sealing was finished, and probation for the church had closed — the door was shut. 

Thus they were left out.  Then they came with these words: “Lord, Lord, open unto us, But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”  “Appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  What a disappointment that will be! ” (SRod, vol. 2, p.185-186)

Time is short and soon the storm indeed will be speedily approaching, let us choose the safe and secure way, the number 1 way.

This entry was posted on March 3, 2018 at 7:13 am and is filed under End times, Final Events, Sunday law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.