Archive for September, 2019

Burning Hellfire Forever?

September 28, 2019

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One of the most profound and disturbing teachings that exist among so-called “Christians”  today is the idea that if one rejects Christ in this world, he is destined to burn alive forever and ever and ever. No escape from the scorching heat throughout eternity!

There is so much wrong about this, that one hardly knows where to begin. But we can be assured the Lord’s Word soundly rejects this Satanic teaching when one carefully studies the Scriptures and His end-time prophetic writings.

Recently a brother and I discussed this hell teaching and I was somewhat amazed that such short-sightedness and downright ignorant teachings can exist and be promoted. In our discussions, I made the point that I have often made in a real human life perspective on this eternal burning idea. In other words bring it home in a practical and human reasoning way.

How many of us have ever accidentally grabbed a kitchen pot handle that we forgot was very hot?  I am sure many of us have experienced this. We recoil back in great pain in our hand. Hopefully, we didn’t hold it long and make a scar.

Now imagine in your mind that same feeling over ALL YOUR BODY FOR ETERNITY! Yes, try and grasp that thought! Not for a day, not for a week, but for eternity, never-ending in other words. This thought just cannot be fully comprehended, try as we may. Yet this is what Satan has promulgated upon those who are hoodwinked by him.

This teaching alone, if the truth is told has probably done more to push people away from God than almost any other teaching. Why , they ask, would one want to serve a vindictive God who punishes souls for rejecting him in our short 70-80 years here on earth, with eternal burning forever and ever?

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. (Gen. 3:4)

This was his very first lie, and it has been promulgated ever since. The idea that we are never-dying souls, either to live forever or to burn forever is built upon this first lie. But God’s word clearly says —

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Gen. 3:19)

The Word is full of confirmations that we cease to exist at death, and only a resurrection of life or death follows —

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die..”(John 11:25)

“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalms 146:4)

“The soul who sins is the one who will die.” (Ezek. 18:20)

Apostle Paul also let’s us know that death is as one “asleep”.

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” ( 1 Cor. 15:17-18)

But some of the proclaimers of Satan’s trick, say that the following reference saying “worm” means human souls.

“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isa. 66:24)

The Lord’s message of Elijah shows us that the worm context means as follows —

“Although the preceding verses of this chapter are not studied much by any, the last two have often been discussed and debated upon by many. To some they mean that there is to be an eternal torment. But does the scripture at all sustain such a thought? — No, it does not. The definition of “carcasses” is “lifeless bodies.” And the prophet Malachi says: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.” Mal. 4:1-3.

The carcasses at first and the ashes at last of the unfaithful servants being under the feet of the saints, can hardly indicate that the unfaithful are pushed into “hell fire,” there to live forever. Moreover since only the righteous are given eternal life, then the wicked must be given eternal death. Furthermore, “second death” (Rev. 20:14) cannot mean “second life.”

The theory of eternal torment has been superficially derived from the statement, “their worm shall not die.” “Their worm,” the worm that gorges on their carcasses, though, cannot possibly mean the souls of the people. At least it cannot mean such to him who digs deep into the well of salvation, and that can think and reason for himself. Such a one reads between the lines and notes the full value of each word. If “worm” means anything, then it means that the worm thrives on the carcasses, that it is the agency which reduces the constituents of the carcasses to their original elements.

Indeed, “the worm shall not die”; it shall certainly accomplish its consuming work; the carcasses shall He bring down to dust, “for dust thou art,” says the scripture, “and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:19. It is this disintegrating agency, the consuming worm that does not die. Moreover, we are told that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezek. 18:4).

It is plainly seen that the preaching of eternal suffering in hell fire rather than eternal death, is prompted by unscrupulous so-called soul winners endeavoring to drive their audiences into church by fright. But if they knew that only the born-again through the love of the Truth are given the right to enter into the Holy City, if they knew that those who must be frightened in are excluded from it, if they knew that anything which maketh a lie is also not given the right to enter therein, — if they wholeheartedly knew all these, they would perhaps stop preaching eternal life in hell fire, and begin to preach eternal love of the Truth.” (1 TG, no. 45, p.21-23)

Let us discuss a good example of “eternal fire” as used in the Bible  —

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling–these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day, as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:6-7)

Peter under the Holy Spirit describes and interprets Jude’s hellfire comments —

“He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, having reduced them to ashes, having set an example of what is coming on the ungodly..” (2 Peter 2:6)

Are those who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah now burning with “eternal fire”? Of course not but they are utterly destroyed to ashes, their souls and their works! This, the Scriptures say is “an example” –-total destruction–the end of living forevermore.

Another inspired Word of God showing an important point in our discussion–

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” (Ecc. 9:5)

The message expounds on this important Word —

 

“Take for example the Revelator’s statement: “…I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God,…and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood?” Rev. 6:9, 10.

   The literalist on the one hand, would interpret this scripture to mean that the souls were conscious and actually crying out, though the Bible is very explicit that “the dead know not anything.” Eccles. 9:5. And, too, were the souls under the altar literally crying out for vengeance on their murderers, then, to be consistent, the Lord’s statement, “the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10), also the statement, “all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isa. 55:12), likewise must be interpreted literally in spite of the fact that it is impossible physically for blood to cry out and for trees to clap hands.

   If all, however, are obliged to admit that Abel’s blood could not literally cry out, and that trees can only figuratively clap hands, then, again to be consistent, the person given to extreme literalizing should easily take hold of the actuality that “the dead know not anything,” and that they are “asleep” — unconscious.” (Tract 3, p.89-90)

Once we truly understand that the dead are dead, and not alive (until the resurrection) the idea of going directly to heaven or hellfire ceases to be as divinely plausible, much less –truth!

To be sure, there will be burning and damnation cast upon the sinners, but NOT eternally! The message gives us a beautiful mental pictorial presentation of the final hellfire that will come to past —

 

Satan Is Loosed For a Little Season.   By the resurrection of the wicked dead, “…Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Rev. 20:7, 8.

   Concerning this “little season” in which Satan will be allowed to deceive the nations, the prophet Isaiah heard the Lord say:

   “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” Isa. 65:17-20.

   The reader will observe that when the Lord creates  the new heavens and the new earth, then from the time that the wicked arise from their graves to the time that they are destroyed  forever by the second death, — the “little season,” — “there shall be no more thence [among them] and infant of days [no more births], nor an old man that hath not filled his days [no more deaths before man’s days are fulfilled]: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Both the old and the young (that is, those who remain in their graves during the millennium) will afterward come forth together, each to live “an hundred years” — “the little season” in which Satan will again deceive them.  There will be neither death nor birth, but all the wicked will then be forever accursed by

The Second Death.   That portion of the new earth which the feet of the wicked have trodden and defiled during the “short season,” will be purified by the fire’s coming “down from God out of heaven” and burning them and their works, while those who will inhabit the new earth for eternity, will be shielded in and about “the holy city.” Rev. 21:2.

   “And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever…. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:9, 10, 14, 15.

   Since not only Satan, but also “whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life, was cast into the lake of fire,” the fire in the lake simply continues the same destruction wrought by the fire which comes “down from God out of heaven.” Rev. 20:9.  After the thousand years, in other words, the fire which comes “down from God out of heaven,” results in “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10) and in eternal extermination of all sinners. 

Of this final destruction, a pre-millennial demonstration is to be given when the beast and the false prophet are cast into the “lake of fire” — their grave for the thousand years.  And as the fire does not, of course, keep burning during the thousand years, the statement, “the devil…was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,  where the beast and the false prophet are” (Rev. 20:10), shows therefore that there are both a typical and an antitypical destruction; the lake of fire before the millennium, being a type of the one after the millennium. (Tract 9, p.37-39)

In closing, as we announce to the World that we are “Christian” let us teach and proclaim the TRUTH about our eternal life and sadly for many–eternal death. Burning forever and ever is Satan’s trickery upon those who are NOT being guided by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). Let’s humbly submit to His Word and the preponderance of evidence showing what will befall us (life or death).

 

Color Code :  Orange — the Lord speaking,  Blue — Scripture or SOP speaking, Brown — Elijah message or Lord’s Rod (Micah 6:9) as brought by Victor Houteff  Red– special highlight of Inspired Words

Posted in Delusion, Proper teachings, Satan, Truth telling vs. lying | 1 Comment »

God’s Meat — Prophecies

September 21, 2019

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The Elijah message tells us —

“He who controls the Scriptures is able to reveal present truth to His people at a time when needed. Therefore, though such truths are originally prophetic, they become new, and stand as a direct letter from God to men at the time revealed. “Thus saith God the Lord,… Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isa. 42:5, 9.)”(SRod, vol. 2, p.9)

Let’s face it, prophecy is sometimes so deep and mysterious that many throw up their hands and say “Well, there are more important things to know about God than prophecies. They are not so important as Jesus taught about love and that is what we need to concentrate on.”

True, God is all about love and His unfailing Word to us is about salvation and how His Son enables us to live forevermore. Amen! But the Scriptures tell us Jesus is the –Word (John 1:14), and as such the Scriptures are Him — the Word–ALL of it. Thus all of the Word, including the prophecies are about Him.

To say that one part of His Word is needed and not the other is to short change ourselves about learning about the Lord’s plans for mankind. The prophecies guide us to know about end-time events and what to expect in the future.

Our post was motivated by Brother R who recently seemed to say that prophecies are not the real focus, and that doing His will is the key. True, Commandment keeping is first and foremost, but doctrine is equally important–hand and glove as they say —

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim. 4:16)

 

To be sure, prophecies are sometimes complicated and involve symbols. The message tells us —

“These prophetic symbols of beasts, wings, horns, heads, crowns, etc., prove to be most perfect symbols in revealing the truth represented by them and when correctly applied it is certain that their meaning cannot be misconstrued.” (SRod, vol. 2, p.10)

We are to grow in our spiritual walk not remain stagnant. The Word tells us about growing up–

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly–mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able.” ( 1 Cor. 3:1-2)

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12)

Here we see that spiritual growth is expected of us. We need to advance in our knowledge of God’s Word. We need to ultimately eat “solid food” and not stay on “milk” like a stunted baby all our spiritual life.

Unfortunately, some want to stay as a baby just speaking and knowing the elementary things of His Word, not attempting to take some solid food for nourishment. And once we start eating this solid food –wow, we really feel deeply satisfied and know for certain God is truly brilliant and able to show us great and wonderful things in His Word and prophecies! Symbols become understandable, end-time events come into focus.

If anyone steers clear of prophecies due to the deeper and more complicated nature of them, the Word gives us a simple solution to know them more clearly —

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Parables also are filled with symbols and the message explains more —

“The reason these wonders were portrayed by symbols is the same as that which caused Christ to teach by parables. “And the disciples came, and said unto Him [Christ], Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (Matt. 13:10, 11.) “But the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10.)”

Thus we see that symbols are not freely given to be understood, but only by those who it is “given”. Those who do the will of God and receive His gift — the Spirit of Truth.

“However,  when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.”(John 16:13)

Did you read that?? The Spirit of Truth shall show us —THINGS TO COME–Prophecy! Thus prophecies will be correctly understood and we shall know what to expect. The Word will then become a roadmap guiding us to know where we are going. No longer we will have this fuzzy “well I am just waiting to go to heaven” or “I am just waiting for Jesus to come in the clouds”, etc. No! We will know His plans for the end times and what His servants (God willing we will be one) are to do in the last days.

But God has perfect timing. His prophecies are meant to be understood at their proper time. For example, the Jews had in the Scriptures the following prophecies such as —

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2).

“My people, hear My teaching; listen to the words of My mouth. I will open My mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old” (Psalm 78:1–2)

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zech. 9:9)

Yet they did not dwell or teach on them as significant prophecies. They were only revealed as timely truth once His Word was ready to be understood after Christ ascended. But even then only some understood due to their willing reception to understand prophecy! The searchers of truth thus rewarded!

“The prophecies, we all know, are Heaven’s light to our feet.  If we fail to open our eyes and hearts to them at the time the Lord would have us profit by the unrolling of the Scroll, how then shall we escape being like the blind leading the blind?” (WHR, p.27)

“Truth is ever timely, ever unfolding as time goes on.  So it is that our knowledge of one phase of a message is followed by God’s revealing another phase of it.  How glad and how anxious, then, ought we to be to keep pace with the unfolding of the Scroll, as we keep pace with time.” (WHR, p.29-30)

So why do we need to know prophecies today? As mentioned they provide a roadmap of where we are going. For example, much of the Christian world does not know that Jerusalem shall be seriously devastated soon and then rebuilt quickly by the Lord for the final Gospel Loud Cry headquarters, let us read —

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” (Zech. 14:1-5)

A gigantic war is soon to happen over Israel. And those of us watching the news daily know that the middle east is a powder keg, ready to explode. This is all the Lord’s doing to bring back His people, beginning with the 144,000 and then the Great Multitude (Rev. 7:1-9). Prophecy confirms the ultimate purpose of the great war —

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)

What will those who have ignored certain areas of His word–especially the prophecies, think when they see these things come to past? Well just like the Jews, they will have a decision to make. Search the Scriptures to see what God revealed or stay stuck on limited ideas (milk) not letting the Lord’s prophetic movements guide you as it should–just like the Jews! The Spirit of Truth either works or He doesn’t, the choice is ours.

So we see a clear map to end time events. 1) gigantic war 2) the 144,000 and great multitiude go back to the Holy Land  3) the Word of the Lord comes from the headquarters–Jerusalem.

In closing, let us be grown men and women, who are able to feast on meat in due season. We grow up for a time on milk, but soon our growth needs more to keep spiritually fit and strong.

Posted in General thoughts, Loud Cry, Our Lord's kingdom, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Prophecy study | 1 Comment »

The Great Paradox of the Ages

September 14, 2019

The following was a sermon given by brother Victor Houteff on January 10, 1948, be blessed.

TEXT FOR PRAYERBreak Up The Fallow Ground   I shall read from page 56 of “Christ’s Object Lessons”:

   “Throughout the parable of the sower, Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the soil.  In every case the sower and the seed are the same.  Thus He teaches that if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the reason is to be found in ourselves.  But the result is not beyond our control.  True, we can not change ourselves; but the power of choice is ours, and it rests with us to determine what we will become.

The wayside, the stony-ground, the thorny-ground hearers need not remain such…. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor.  So the evil tendencies of the natural hear can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus.  The Lord bids us by His prophet, ‘Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.’  ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy.’  This work He desires to accomplish for us, and He asks us to cooperate with Him.”

   We shall now kneel and pray that we may ever be awake to the Voice of the Spirit of God; to know that although we cannot change ourselves, yet the power of choice is ours; to ever remember that God has created us free moral agents, that we ourselves are responsible for our hardness of heart; to let Him break up our fallow ground so that we may sow to ourselves righteousness; to know that through prayer and study we can keep awake our desire for spiritual things.

 

THE GREAT PARADOX OF THE AGESTEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTSSABBATH, JANUARY 10, 1948MT. CARMEL CHAPELWACO, TEXASZech. 6:1-8 — “And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.  In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.  Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my Lord?  And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four Spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.  And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and He said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth.  So they walked to and fro through the earth.  Then cried He upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the noth country have quieted My Spirit in the north country.”

 

Zech. 6:18

THE CHURCH TO AND BACK FROM THE WILDERNESS

   The paradox in this prophetic symbolism is with the fourth chariot, you see: It is hitched to two teams, the grisled and the bay, one team trying to take it in one direction (south), and the other in another direction (to and fro through the earth)!  What is to become of the chariot, and which of the teams is likely to take it?  That is the paradox, for they cannot both have it unless they walk together.  As this is a paradoxical symbolism, it has been a mystery ever since the prophet wrote it, and as it is now disclosed for the first time, Inspiration obviously is forewarning someone of something very serious that is taking place at this particular time.  What can it be?–

   The prophet Zechariah was as anxious to know as we are, for he asked, “What are these, my Lord”?  And to his question came the answer, “These are the four Spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth.”

   The angel’s answer is positive.  The chariots, He declared, are the Spirits of the heavens, Who stand before the Lord, and Who are sent to go to and fro through the earth.  Plainly, then, these four teams and chariots symbolize four messages (four Spirits) sent from God’s presence.  And since all the messages from God are carried to and fro through the earth by the Ministry and the Church, the chariots and their teams, therefore, are seen to symbolize the church at work in four different periods.

   The next question is, Where in the stream of time shall we look for this message-laden and trouble-burden church?  in our time, in the past or what?  The brass mountains give the clue, for the chariots came from between them.  We should, therefore, first find out what the mountains symbolize, and where they stand in time.  And as the chariots came from between the mountains, one standing to their left (in the future) and the other to their right (in the past), it is necessary to locate them first.

The Biblical interpretation of a symbolical mountain is as follows: “Jerusalem shall be called a city of Truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.” Zech. 8:3.  The mountains in Zechariah’s prophecy, therefore, as elsewhere in the Bible, are seen to symbolize two governments, churches, very similar in nature (both of brass) and at two different times (one to the chariot’s right and one to their left).

Being of brass, a metal that has everlasting qualities, that does not deteriorate, shows that they represent something eternal.  Moreover the mountains being of the same symbolical material as that which the feet of Christ (Rev. 1:15) were shown to be (brass), it locates the mountains in the Christian era.

   The only such holy governments of God in the Christian era, one in the past and one in the future between which the path of the chariots lies, are the church of the Pentecost with the 120 Spirit-filled disciples, symbolized by the mountain to the chariots’ right, and the church at the second Pentecost (Joel 2:28, 29, yet future) with the 144,000 Spirit-filled disciples standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1), symbolized by the mountain to the chariots’ left.

   It is well understood that the church of today is made up of all kinds of materials, not of solid brass — not of true Christians only, but commingled with good and bad — wheat and tares.  The truth is therefore obvious: There is to be another such sin-destroying and sinner-sifting Theocracy as the one in the day of Ananias and Sapphira who for sinning gave up the ghost as they fell at the apostle’s feet (Acts 5:1-11).

   Plainly, the chariots symbolize the church militant at work between the two Pentecosts.

   The fourth chariot being the last, it is to be found operating just before the second Pentecost.

   Since the chariots are led by horses, the horses themselves must symbolize the chariot’s (church’s) leadership, and the passengers in the chariots must symbolize the laity.

   The symbolism, though, is to disclose the paradoxical situation that exists with the fourth chariot, the last, and hence the Laodicean church with the Judgment message, as her name itself indicates.

   The first chariot, you remember, is led by red horses; the second by black horses; the third by white; and the fourth by two kinds — grisled and bay horses.  The color of each horse being a mark of species, it must be indicative of their natural and consequential circumstances.  And as afore-noted, they are symbolical of the ministry in each segment of church history.  The red evidently signifies martyrdom; the black signifies captivity; the white signifies freedom; grisled (an indefinite color, neither black nor white) symbolizes ministers that are neither true Christians nor true Gentiles — hypocrites.  The bay, however, denote strength, as the marginal reference points out.

   This symbolical prophecy is seen to corroborate history.  It points out that the Christian Church at first suffered martyrdom, shown by the color, red.  Then followed the Dark Ages of religion when the church was in captivity (black).  Following these came the Protestant period, the period of religious freedom (white team).  And at last comes the fourth chariot with its bay and grisled teams.

The teams are seen to have a controversial struggle over the chariot.  Grisled being an indefinite color — neither black nor white, denotes hypocrisy, the kind of which is heretofore unknown, whereas the color, bay, denotes spiritual strength (margin) the kind heretofore unknown.

   Since the Church originated in Asia, Jerusalem in particular, the first chariot is seen to have remained there, for it went nowhere.  The “north country,” geographically north of Palestine is where the other chariots went; that is, the countries which the Christian nations are now inhabiting.  The fourth chariot, though, is supposed to go to and fro through the earth — to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people.  But contrary to this, the grisled horses “go forth toward the south country” which, figuratively speaking, would be spiritual Egypt — worldliness.

   God’s Spirit having been silenced in the north country, must denote that the messages of God in the north country were generally rejected, especially the one of the forth chariot, which caused the Spirit of Truth to turn away and to bring Truth no more through them — to be silent there — and that, therefore, there is not to be expected any Truth through them.

   The double team of horses, and their two kinds of colors, pulling in two different directions are immediately seen to symbolize a double set of church leaders (the Seventh-day Adventist leaders and the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist leaders) unlike in character and aim.  Symbolically speaking, the grisled horses, those that appeared first on the prophetic scene, are leading the chariot into Egypt — the worldliness from which they ought to come out rather than go back into.

The bay horses, though, are endeavoring to pull away from it and go to and fro through the earth as commanded — to finish the gospel work in accordance with God’s plan.  But this cannot take place so long as both teams are hitched to the chariot, for the chariot cannot possibly move in either direction while one team pulls in one direction and the other in another direction.

   The immediate necessity, therefore, is to unhitch (discharge) the one, so that the other can be free to go to and fro through the earth as soon as they are told to “Go.”  When this happens the paradox will be a paradox no longer.

   What put two different kinds of leaders working at cross purposes? — I shall let the Spirit of Prophecy give the answer.  Here follows the description of one set of church leaders:

   “…Those who have rendered supreme homage to ‘science falsely so-called,’ will not be the leaders then.  Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent, will not then stand at the head of rank and file.  They did not keep pace with the light.  Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock…” — “Testimonies,” Vol.  5, pg. 80.

   Obviously, these self-important leaders, who love to slumber in a lukewarm country, are represented by the grisled horses.

   We shall now read of the leaders whom the bay horses depict, the ones that come on the scene last:

   “…The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view.  There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal.  They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you.  But, it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed.  In the daytime we look toward heaven, but do not see the stars.  They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them.  In the night we behold their genuine lustre.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pp. 80-81.

   This is exactly what is happening right now: Those who are rejecting the message that is announcing the Judgment for the Living; those who “did not keep pace with the light,” and are satisfied to stay in antitypical Egypt; the Seventh-day Adventists’ ministry are to be discharged (unhitched); and the “hidden” ones, those represented by the bay horses, the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists’ ministry, are coming to the front.  They are now being “disclosed to view,” and are getting ready to take the chariot!  Then as soon as they are told to “Go,” they will unhesitatingly and speedily move on “to and fro through the earth” with the message of the hour, the Judgment for the Living.

   Now let the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination concretely explain what and where the south country is:

   “I am filled with sadness when I think of our condition as a people…. The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader, and is steadily retreating toward Egypt.  Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power.  Doubt and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere.  Satan would have it thus.  Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus.

The testimonies are unread and unappreciated.  God has spoken to you.  Light has been shining from his world and from the testimonies, and both have been slighted and disregarded.  The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 217. (Underscored words ours.)

   What will unhitch the grisled horses from the chariot? — Isaiah the prophet has the answer:

Isa. 66:16, 19, 20 — “For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many…. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.”

   Here is projected a slaughter, taking place among those who have been instructed to abstain from unclean meats, but among whom many are violating God’s command.  The disobedient, those whose bellies are their gods, including those who sanctify and purify themselves, (the self-righteous) in the gardens behind one tree (behind their Truth-hating minister, Isa. 66:17, margin), are by the Lord Himself removed from among His Truth-seeking ones.

   After the transgressors are thus removed, then those who are left, the “remnant,” the escaped ones, become the servants of God and are sent to all the nations, especially to those who have not as yet heard either of God’s fame or the good news of His Kingdom.  These escaped ones are to bring to the house of the Lord all their brethren, all that will be converted to Christ — “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.”  They shall stand “before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” Rev. 7:9.

   Thus will the Gospel be finished by those who escape from the Lord’s slaying (Isa. 66:15,16) and God’s people be quickly gathered from the four corners of the earth, happily brought as an offering to the house of the Lord (Isa. 66:19, 20).

   Now is everyone’s chance to decide to be either on the one side or on the other, either to reform and be led by the faithful bay horses, or to cling to the self-important grisled horses and stay by them in the south country, there to perish.  Here is indeed a momentous decision to be made by every member of the Denomination.  It calls for action that will decide the future destiny of the laity as well as of the ministry.

   Now is your opportunity to act, and it is my wish and prayer that you, and every member of the Denomination, chooses to be on the side which this unveiled paradox of the ages plainly and definitely instructs you to be on.  Do not let the grisled horses deceive you any longer.  Meet their fair speeches with “Thus saith the Lord.” You take them to task on this strictly Biblical Truth. (Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, p.16 – 27)

 

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Why Shouldn’t We Pay Tithes to the SDA Church?

September 7, 2019

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We know our Christian history. In Acts 4:33-37, we read–

“And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

What was taking place here? It was the fact that the believers now knew what the present truth was, that Jesus the despised leader was in fact “the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:16)”. They knew that they could no longer support the church that was the “official” church, so claimed by the multitudes. To do so would only support the enemy of their cause, to lead them to destroy their movement in full

We see the changing of the storehouse. The unpopular and despised movement being the true God led one. The popular and majority led one– no longer God’s. Today we have the anti-type in the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist movement. Let us look at this subject more fully.

Last week we wrote about how no matter our financial position, we still need to be faithful to God. But the question arose — Why not return the tithes to the Seventh-day Adventist church? After all as SDA, even though we may call ourselves present truth believers, why not return the Lord’s money to the church we have our official membership with? A legitimate and timely question.

To begin, our faith in what is Truth is paramount. The message tells us —

"For every truth-seeker, moreover, stands the promise that He will not let one of them be deceived: "God never honors unbelief and questioning and doubt.  When He speaks, His word is to be recognized and carried out in the daily actions.  And if the heart of man is in living connection with God, the voice that cometh from above will be recognized... Those that do the will of God shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God for no deception will cloud their minds." -- Testimonies  on Sabbath-School Work, pp. 64, 65. (Tract 10, p.42)

Powerful injunction! Do we see a basic foundation of how we know Truth?  Do God’s will and we will know Truth–guaranteed!

So let us compare the Seventh-day Adventist “will” for God’s people versus the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist will and see which one stands closer to –God’s will and Word.

1) The SDA wants us to believe that EGW was the last prophet to come from God to His people. When asked about the “male prophet”–Elijah promised to come in the very last days (mal. 4:5) they do not believe in it’s fulfillment. or they have strange ideas such as “Ellen White fulfilled that role” or “God people in his church today fulfill that role”, or “that is symbolical”, etc.

The DSDA takes God at His word and believe that when He makes a promise His word will not return void. They never want to spiritualize away what is the clear and straight word of God.

“So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper whereto I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11)

2) The SDA general leadership doesn’t want to uphold the high dress standards of our founder Ellen White. Our Inspired prophetess was very clear that dress reform is not to be trifled with. Her many writings deal squarely with this as does our unfailing standard — the Bible.

“In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses  and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. Instead of fragrance, there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.” (Isaiah 3:18-24)

The Word of the Lord solemnly warns the people of God that soon He will deal with all this dress perversion among His people, that come to His sanctuary as if He is a common God, not noticing such terrible disrespectful attire among His people.

For anyone who doubts that the current leadership of our church is fast asleep in this issue just go to the services for a few weeks and you’ll see not a few younger women dress in short skirts and high heels. Some of the men dressed in jeans open collar shirts, tennis shoes, etc. The leadership blissfully winks at it all!

Not so with the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. They will be found dressed in suit and tie, the women dressed modestly as well, including head covering.

3) Week after week the SDA pastors and leaders will come to the pulpit giving what is known as “peace and safety” messages. By this, we mean that there is hardly ever a word about sins in the church or a need for reformation among the people of God. No, they blindly assume that you just need to punch in your weekly church card and you’ll be ready for the portals of glory when the King comes in the clouds!

The SOP has straight applicable words here–

“Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God’s love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them; he represents that while the threatenings of God’s word are to serve a certain purpose in His moral government, they are never to be literally fulfilled. But in all His dealings with his creatures God has maintained the principles of righteousness by revealing sin in its true character—by demonstrating that its sure result is misery and death.

The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of the government of God. It would fill the unfallen universe with consternation. God has faithfully pointed out the results of sin, and if these warnings were not true, how could we be sure that His promises would be fulfilled? That so-called benevolence which would set aside justice is not benevolence but weakness.” (PP, p.522)

However, the DSDA know well that peace and safety is not the message for the church. Scripture and SOP tell us —

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thess. 5:3)

“Our message is not to be one of “peace and safety” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). As a people
who believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a work to do, a message to bear—“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). (SLM, vol. 2, p.150)

So after knowing the above, what is the Truthseeker to do–return His tithes to the SDA church or to the DSDA organizations? Before we answer this the following question was asked dealing with the two groups. We as Adventists really need to know –who is who?

 

ON WHICH SIDE WILL YOU BE?

Question No. 66:

  How do the Davidians regard the Seventh-day Adventist denomination?  What Position do they take concerning the writings of Mrs. E.G. White, and what dose Mt. Carmel stand for?

Answer:

  The Davidian Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Seventh-day Adventist  church was ordained of heaven and charged with a special message for the world but that in the course of time she permitted herself to grow self-complacent, lukewarm, and careless in discharging her sacred responsibilities; and that thus having once “turned back from following Christ her Leader,” she has ever since been “steadily retreating toward Egypt,” with the sad and tragic consequence that her “own course of continual backsliding has separated” her from God.—Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 217.

  The Davidians further believe that this tragic departure from the Lord is all too manifest in that divided state revealed in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination by the contest within it “between the commandments of God and the commandments of men.”-Id., p. 81. To the end that this ruinous state of division and weakness be resolved into unity and strength, an absolute imperative to the church’s ever fulfilling her high destiny, the Davidians still further believe that, as is written, “the gold will be separated from the dross in the church.”

In other words, they believe that the Modernists, those who have rendered supreme homage to “ ‘science falsely so-called,’ . . . trusted to intellect, genius, or talent” (Id., p. 801, will be winnowed from the Fundamentalists—from those who “are standing in the light . . .sighing and crying for the abomination that are done in the land.”—Id., p. 209

   Let it, however, be immediately understood that, unlike those who openly affirm their modernistic views, the Seventh-day Adventist Modernists deprecate all such tendencies, and insistently profess to stand solidly on the fundamentals of Seventh-day Adventists, although unwittingly they gradually slip further and further away from them (Christ our Righteousness, 1941 Edition, p. 36).

  That this drift is recognized as an actual peril by some even within the church, is seen from an article published in The Review and Herald, July 2, 1936, entitled, “Modernism—A Personal Application”:

  “As we view with alarm the rapid spread of Modernism among the various Protestant churches, it is well to consider our own lives, to see if the same principles and trends may not have begun to operate there. While the doctrines and principles of Seventh-day Adventists are Fundamentalistic, there is grave danger that we as individuals may become Modernistic.

  “In order better to appreciate this danger, it is well to consider the essential difference between Fundamentalists and Modernists. The Fundamentalist believes in the word of God as a final authority; while the Modernist believes in the interpretation of the word of God according to his human reasoning, thus putting reasoning above the God of revelation.

  “In these last days, God has not confined His revelation to us as a people to the Scriptures only, but has also given us special instruction through the manifestation of the Spirit of prophecy ….

  “So while the popular churches show their Modernistic attitude only toward the Bible, it is possible for us to show the same attitude toward God’s special messages to us. In fact, our relation to the Testimonies is the very place where this attitude will be first manifested.”

  This insidious variety of modernism, weakening “the faith of God’s people in the Testimonies” (Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 211), and gradually “new-modeling” the Denomination’s fundamental principles (Testimonies To Ministers, pp. 48, 69, 70, 360, 372, 373, 409), is heartbreaking evidence that those at its helm are Modernists. But their seeming innocence of the fact and their denial of it, make exceedingly difficult our doing anything to help them, without our efforts being misunderstood.

And to fix guilt for starting the drift away from the Heaven-established fundamentals of the faith today, is as impossible as to trace down the first Jewish teacher who put in the place of a “thus saith the Lord,” a thus saith himself or someone else. Indeed, whom to charge with this defection is as impossible to determine as is the date when the evil work started. Inspiration says:

  “There are those today who will present falsehoods as testing truths, even as the Jews presented the maxims of men as the bread of heaven. Sayings of no value are given to the people of God as their portion of meat, while souls are starving for the bread of life. Fables have been devised, and men are trying to weave these fables into the web. Those who do this will one day see their work as it is viewed by the heavenly intelligences. They choose to bring to the foundation wood, hay, and stubble, when they have at their command the word of God, with all its richness and power, from which they can gather precious treasures of truth.

The food that is being prepared for the flock will cause spiritual consumption, decline, and death. When those who profess to believe present truth come to their senses, when they accept the word of God just as it reads, when they do not try to wrest the Scriptures, they will bring from the treasure-house of the heart things new and old, to strengthen themselves and those for whom they labor.”-The Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

  Next, the Davidians hold that the belief that the Spirit of Prophecy is to repose in the church to the end of time, is one of the foundation stones of Seventh-day Adventism. “This prophetic gift bestowed,” admits Elder A.G. Daniels, “was to abide with the church from Adam to the second advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when He comes to take His redeemed people to Paradise. It did not cease with the apostles, but is traceable through the centuries to the last days of human history, just before the return of our Lord. When that supreme event of the ages shall occur, then—and not until then—shall come to pass that which is spoken of by the apostle Paul:

  “‘…whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.’—l Cor. 13:8-10, A.R.V.”—The Abiding Gift Of Prophecy, p. 6.

  Since this prophetic gift was manifest through Sister White, as has been evidentially established, she necessarily, then, wrote under divine Inspiration, as did the Bible writers. And, therefore, orthodox Seventh-day Adventism turns on the pivotal truth that “no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation,” and can no more be understood now without special divine illumination than could prophecy have been understood in Daniel’s time without enlightenment from the angel, who explained: “I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me In these things, but Michael your Prince.” Dan. 10-21. Just so, the same Michael must commission a “teacher’’ for us today; otherwise those things which belong to our peace will be “hid from tour] eyes.” Luke 19:42.

  This solid rock of doctrine was ever to be the Denomination’s sure foundation, and just to the extent that its principles have been faithfully followed out has there been power in the church.

  Upon the death of Sister White, in 1915, the gift of Inspiration, the active Spirit of Prophecy, became quiescent, no longer manifesting Itself for a time. With the church thus cut off from the very source of its life, as was the Jewish church from the death of the prophet Malachi to the rise of John the Baptist, how could it maintain its vitality and growth? Hence, now as then, there has followed the same inevitable spiritual malnutrition and deformity, accompanied with a long train of woes.

  Against this dark background of spiritual decline and consumption (wretchedness, misery, poverty, blindness, and nakedness), and imminent end (being spued out), stands out in bold relief the sternly chiseled work of Mt. Carmel Center as did the flaming summit of ancient Carmel amid the idolatry and decadence of apostate Israel. Again type meets antitype. But to the Israel of God today, says the angel: “Ye have done worse than they.”-Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 129.

  “Like a hammer to break the flinty heart; like a fire to consume the dross”  (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 254), the voice of Carmel cries unto Laodicea the unheeded warning: “I am filled with sadness when I think of Out condition as a people. The Lord has not closed Heaven to us, but our own course of continual backsliding has separated us from God. Pride, covetousness, and love of the world have lived in the heart without fear of banishment or condemnation. Grievous and presumptuous sins have dwelt among us. And yet the general opinion is that the church is flourishing, and that peace and spiritual prosperity are in all her borders.

  “The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader, and is steadily retreating toward Egypt. Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power. Doubt and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus.

The testimonies are unread and unappreciated. God has spoken to you. Light has been shining from His word and from the testimonies, and both have been slighted and disregarded. The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us.”-Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 217.

  “Now is the time when we should closely connect with God, that we may be hid when the fierceness of his wrath is poured upon the sons of men. We have wandered away from the old landmarks. Let us return. If the Lord be God, serve him;  if Baal, serve him. Which side will you be on?”-Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 137.

  And now louder and louder sounds the voice of Carmel, through the series of The Shepherd’s Rod publications, “the Lord’s voice…unto the city, and,” says the Divine Author, “the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the Rod, and Who hath appointed it.” Mic. 6:9.

  “Feed thy people,” He commands, “with thy rod the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel.” Mic. 7:14.

  Thus to rescue the honest in Laodicea from spiritual starvation and death, to revitalize, restore, and rearm them for the final conflict, the Lord has sent the Rod.

  When this work of restitution has been completed according to Matthew 17:11, and the Modernist element has been “cut off” as decreed in Ezekiel 9 and in Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 80, then will be seen in the church a speedy fulfillment of the words of Christ: “The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;” and it stood. Matt. 7:25.

  Like the early pioneers of the Adventist church, those who heed the Rod are the  restorers of the “old paths”; they realize the grave consequences involved in going contrary to any light the Lord chooses to send His people. And since the message of the Rod has aroused an interest in the need of “reformation among God’s people,” we as Davidians would not only be recreant to out trust but would also be passing “by on the other side,” allowing our beloved Seventh-day Adventist church to drag in the dust, our brethren to be lost, and the world around us to perish for “lack of knowledge,” if we did not bestir ourselves to warn the church of the oncoming danger.

  Our unselfish zeal and effort to help all Modernist Seventh-day Adventist brethren, regardless of their race, nationality, or social position, is evidence enough of our love for them and our devotion to them. We believe with the apostle Paul that all are of the children of Adam, children of adoption into the family of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

  Though we realize the greatness of our goal, yet with implicit confidence in our Leader, Who has never yet failed to carry through any phase of the Divine purpose, we face our task with courage and confidence, believing that “we are well able to go up and possess the land” of our inheritance, and finally to pass into that heavenly Canaan, where “milk and honey” will flow forever.

  Of necessity, then, Mt. Carmel Center is being built as a base of operations for training and fitting workers to carry this special message to the church; for educating deserving youth; for caring for worthy poor, aged, widowed, and orphaned; and for ministering to the sick and infirm according to God’s plan. It has heard God’s double charge to it: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isa. 58:1.

  “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 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.” Joel 2:15, 16.

  When it has accomplished this “closing work for the church” (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 266), then those who have overcome every “temptation in the strength of the Mighty One,” who have sighed and cried and escaped the destruction, will “be as David; and the house of David shall be as God as the angel of the Lord before them.” Zech. 12:8. Davidians indeed!—“a great people and a strong” (Joel 2:2), “clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness,…‘fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,’…to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 725.

  In this way the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists are to gather all the saints to the house of the Lord.

  Mt. Carmel’s great burden is to get this manifold work done as soon as possible, so that we may then go home to our eternal rest no more to be fettered with the shackles of sin.” (Answerer, vol.3, Q-66)

TO WHOM SHOULD MY TITHE GO?

Question No. 96:

   While still holding membership in the Seventh-day  Adventist denomination, should one pay tithe to the Davidians?

Answer:

   One can best answer this question by asking himself the following questions:

   Do I believe that The Shepherd’s Rod contains the message of the hour, the sealing message of the 144,000? Have I received any spiritual help from it? Has it caused me to repent of formerly indulged sins? Am I now a better Seventh-day Adventist than I was before I accepted it? Has it made me love the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the brethren more than ever before?

   If one’s answer to each of these questions is “No,” then he should pay his tithe to the church of which he is still a member. If his answer to them is “Yes,” and if he is still in doubt as to where he should pay his tithe, then he should further question  himself:

   Had I continued in the Laodicean course in which the Rod found me, could I be saved and ready to meet the Lord at His coming? Can my Seventh-day Adventist brethren be saved by remaining in their present condition?

   If to these questions one’s answer is “No,” then his answers to the following questions will instruct him where to pay this tithe.

   Since I am responsible for the light which is now shining upon my pathway, and since I must help give it to my brethren, should I pay my tithe to the Denomination so that the ministry may have more money with which to fight both the message and my personal endeavors to reach the people with it, and thereby, working at cross-purposes, only help to keep them in darkness?

Or, should I pay it to the Davidians, the “storehouse” of Present Truth, where it naturally should go to promote the advancement of a heart-searching reformation and to rescue my Seventh-day Adventist brethren from eternal ruin? And as they themselves  are not prepared to meet the Lord (Testimonies,  Vol. 6, p. 371), then how can they adequately prepare the heathen?

In view of all these facts, shall my tithe go to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in behalf of the heathen or to the sealing message in behalf of the brethren?  If I dare not place my tithe to the support of what I believe to be Present Truth, then how will it be supported, and where else can I conscientiously place my tithe?

   Furthermore, if I place it in the Denomination to be used largely for the evangelizing of worldlings, rather than in the storehouse of Present Truth to be used for the benefit of my brethren, then am I not doing so to the neglect of my own brethren, and thus denying that I am my brother’s keeper?

   And ought I, moreover, obey the ministers’ order to go in search of sheep in the house of Baal, instead of heeding the Lord’s express command to take the heaven-sent remedy to the sin-sick sheep in the house of Israel  (Matt. 10:6)? Which of these two endeavors would be the more sure to gain for me the commendation,  “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”? Matt. 25:21.

   “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing.” Matt. 24:45, 46.

   Now if after having answered these questions to your satisfaction, you are still undecided as to what you should do with your tithe, then read Tract No. 4, The Latest News for Mother, 1943 Edition, pp. 63-70. Then “remember Lot’s wife,” and do as the Lord bids you. (Answerer, vol. 4, Q-96)

The Lord’s work through His church has come full circle, just as it started. A movement has sprung up within it, led of the Lord just like the early Christian movement was. And the same financial situation exists, the true believers have kept pace with the Truth and therefore have decided to support the message of the hour. To do otherwise is to help the opposers of the message, thus reducing it to smolders, instead of the Lord’s brightly fire of Truth shining to all those who have eyes and hearts.

All of these sins mentioned by the SDA church cannot and will not be glossed over when the Lord “suddenly comes to His temple” (Mal. 3:1).

“The Lord will not leave His church without reproofs and warnings. Sins have become fashionable; but they are none the less aggravating in the sight of God. They are glossed over, palliated, and excused; the right hand of fellowship is given to the very men who are bringing in false theories and false sentiments, confusing the minds of the people of God, deadening their sensibilities as to what constitutes right principles.” (SLM, vol. 2, p.147)

In closing, we received a comment on our last post about tithes from the poor, trying to equate the reasoning of calling out problems with the SDA church versus calling out the problems with the DSDA organizations. In other words, the brother was saying –Why do the Davidians say they are to pay their tithes to DSDA groups even though they have some of their own issues and their own message says not to judge the organizations, but remain faithful. Doesn’t this rule also apply to the SDA church then?

Not at all. For one thing, the issue with the DSDA organizations is not at all like the SDA, as outlined above in the 3 points. Dress, diet, health, prophecy study, acceptance of the Lord’s final prophet (Mal. 4:5), the straight solemn message of warning of the church purification, etc are ALL part of the DSDA today. So the issues with them are not at all similar to the blatant rejection of all the items listed above by the SDA.  

Rejection of the Lord’s Word, diet, health, dress, other SOP numerous counsels, neglect of prophetic studies, renting out the Lord’s sanctuary to Sunday churches, failure to preach the straight testimonies in favor of peace and safety, rejection of the Lord’s last prophet “Elijah”, etc. etc, cannot compare to the DSDA shortcomings.

In closing, just as in the former early church days, we are at a crossroads with the Seventh-day Adventist church. Return His tithes to opposers of His final message of Elijah, or go with the small group of  “fisherman” who have moved onward with the Lord’s prophetic Word and plans.

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