In our last post we reviewed the type truths of Jacob’s return home and trouble on the way. In part two we shall look at camp two’s ideas and if they correspond to the actual truth of the type.
Where do they get their ideas from, what inspired references?
1) “Jacob Homeward Bound: Time Of Trouble
At the end of the twenty years Jacob was homeward-bound to the promised land and his father’s house with great possessions. By the time he arrived at his father’s house he had his twelve sons (the heads of the twelve tribes). Before Jacob entered his father’s house he went through that terrible struggle and wrestled with the angel till the breaking of the day. Gen. 32:24-29.
Jacob’s wrestling with the angel typifies the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (for the church). We read in Early Writings, pages 36, 37: “A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob’s trouble.” See also Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 202-203. (SROD, vol.1, p.62) (1930)
2) “After twenty years of faithful service in Padan-Aram, in the sharp, overreaching employ of Laban, his uncle, Jacob at last turned his face and his steps homeward toward his father’s house in the land of promise.
But trouble overtook him. While grappling with his fears as to the outcome of his imminent meeting with Esau “there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” Gen. 32:24
Here lay down the man Jacob and rose up the man Israel, exemplifying the agonizing experience through which his posterity must victoriously pass before they, too, receive a new name, pass from sons of Jacob to sons of God, become Israelites indeed. Having gained the victory over this test, “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” they will reach home, the land of promise — the happy end of their long and troubled journey.
On this trying and testing time the Spirit of Prophecy comments: “A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob’s trouble” — Early Writings, pp. 36, 37. (See also Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 202, 203.) (SRod Tract, p.36) (1930, revised 1945)
The above is a key part of camp two’s JTT teaching. Let’s focus in on the above references.
We highlighted a key to their views. The first reference was made in 1930 “before” the message had any light on the pre-millennial kingdom. Obviously the knowledge of the time of Jacob’s (144,000) returning to the Land of Cannan in the last days was not known. Thus we confidently can see that it falls under the following message’s counsel —
“…there are circumstances in connection with certain aspects of every message which necessitate clarification. Such clarification, however, can be no greater than the light which shines at the time. And the light may come solely from within the message itself, or, again, it may derive from a limited understanding common to the time “then present”–an understanding which the messenger himself shares.” (1 Ans, p.49)
So the 1930 reference was repeating “the light which shines at the time”. In other words, SOP had given this light about a decree affecting the saints of God and the Rod was simply supporting it because it was the “limited understanding common to the time then present.”
Soon the Rod message would have the kingdom light and add more to this understanding with more light.
But a bit more difficult to harmonize is the SRod Tract reference. We see that it was written in 1930 but also it was revised in 1945, which was a year which the Rod had the kingdom light. So what are we to make of this? The key we believe is the additional reference the message gives us to help explain the EW, p.36,37 reference. Also note the (for the church) comment is removed as stated in the 1930 reference. Thus we need to examine Patriarchs and Prophets (page 202-203), and zero in on the context of “when” SOP describes this JTT?
Before we do that we remember that the message gives counsel on context (continuity) and how we must pay attention to it in order to know the truth. So we found that examining page 201 will show us the context.
“..as we now know that the Scriptures cannot be rightly understood isolated from their continuity.” (1 TG, no.22, p.23)
On page 201 it reads —
“Jacob’s experience during that night of wrestling and anguish represents the trial through which the people of God must pass just before Christ’s second coming. The prophet Jeremiah, in holy vision looking down to this time, said, “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace…. All faces are turned into paleness. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:5-7.
When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man’s behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. When Jesus leaves His position as man’s intercessor before God, the solemn announcement is made, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. Then the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. As Jacob was threatened with death by his angry brother, so the people of God will be in peril from the wicked who are seeking to destroy them.
And as the patriarch wrestled all night for deliverance from the hand of Esau, so the righteous will cry to God day and night for deliverance from the enemies that surround them.”
Clear it is that SOP places this Patriarchs and Prophets reference of JTT after probation is closed. Thus we know that this can only be applicable to the Great Multitude (Rev. 7:9) and NOT the 144,000! This is in perfect keeping with the knowledge that SOP had light on the Great Multitude and end time events and not so much on the 144,00 and end time events.So to say that the Rod references mentioned above and used by camp two , are proof that JTT comes to the 144,000 prior to the Ezek. 9 church judgment, is wrong, out of context, and in error.
“Remember, too, that the practice of comparing statements stripped of their context is fundamentally disingenuous, and leads today to as many perversions and misapplications of truth as does the deliberate wresting practiced in Satan’s challenge to Christ: “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Matt. 9:6. (8 SC, no.1-12, p.4)
Further, as explained in part one, Jacob in type was not in his adopted homeland of Haran when he experiene his trouble, but far along his travel heading home in physical travel. Type cannot be harmonized with anti-type on this key issue from camp two.
There is another additional glaring fact that is also enlightening. It is found in Tract 1, p.38.
“And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt Thou destroy all the residue of Israel in Thy pouring out of Thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said He unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great,…and as for Me also, Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity.” Ezek. 9:8-10.
After the sighing and crying ones were marked (which is not to be understood as being consummated in its entirety worldwide before the slaying follows anywhere), the slaughter completed, and the matter reported, the Lord “spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city.” Ezek. 10:2. (Tract 1, p.38-39)
Here we see that the command is we are not to understand that the sealing is completed UNTIL the Ezek. 9 slaying starts! Thus, the 144,000 cannot come into existence until Ezek. 9 starts. So anti-typical Jacob (the 144,000) cannot be able to experience his time of trouble until AFTER Ezek. 9 – very clear and profound!
We must take note also, that the message is very clear that no harm shall come to the 144,000, nor prevent the sealing message to go forth UNTIL the 144,000 are all sealed. The winds of Rev. 7 are clear enough! Thus to say that 144,000 experince JTT before the sealing is completed and the winds let loose, is to make confusion of the timeline.
Pitfalls of camp two’s beliefs —
1) They teach against the type, that the JTT occurs while Jacob is at home (in the 144,000’s own country) and not travelling homeward to the kingdom. Type and anti- type do not harmonize.
2) They teach that the 144,000 exists as Jacob BEFORE Ezek. 9, even though we are told NOT to think that way. The 144,000 cannot exist until the slaying of Ezek. 9 begins, at which time the final marking is done.
3) SOP references are taken out of context. The Rod explains them as “commonly understood” in the early days. Then in 1945 makes adjustments to SOP reference by eliminating the idea of it for the church and instructing us to read the Patriarchs and Prophets statement in context.
This concludes part two. Next post we’ll finish up with camp one’s views and then a summary.
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