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Jacob’s Time of Trouble (Part 3 of 3)

October 18, 2014

In this last installment of the study of Jacob’s time of trouble, we’ll look at some remaining quotes from brother Houteff. Then we’ll make a final summary as to how we see the whole view of this coming trouble.

Jer. 30:4-6 — “And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?”

The cause of the fear here forecast is fundamentally needless and unnecessary, declares the Lord.

Jer. 30:7 — “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.”

The people that have come to this antitypical time of trouble are returning to the homeland, are comforted. Apparently it is bad enough to frighten all, but God’s encouraging counsel is, “Fear not.”

Plainly, the burden of this chapter is concerning the antitypical returning to the homeland. Though terrible the trouble may seem, yet the outcome of it is to be the same as in the type. (Timely Greetings, volume 1, no.47, p.14)

We know that the anti-typical Jacobs who survive, will begin to make the trek back to the “homeland”, Israel. Brother Houteff says. “apparently it is bad enough to frighten all..” and “though terrible the trouble may seem..”, this could be the fearful understanding of the mighty armed men who are falsely protecting the promised land right after the war. This thought could very well make the 144,000 worry and afraid.

Jer. 30:12-19 — “For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.

Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.”

After having gone through their captivity, the people shall fully realize God’s mercy and His wisdom to save them. They shall be happy forevermore, for He will multiply them in the land of their fathers, and there He will make them great. (Ibid. p.16-17)

In this Scripture, I was struck how these words are applicable right now. The words such as “incurable, grievous,wound of an enemy, chastisement of a cruel one, etc.” surely describes those within the church now, who have experienced slander, murmuring, demotions and dis-fellow shipping, and other such injustices against them, all because of sticking up for the Truth. Therefore “captivity” surely means this time that the Jacobs are going through right now and even in brother Houteff’s day as well. This must be something they have to go through, the Lord’s refining process.

Expounding on the trouble to take place, brother Houteff correctly prophesied the use “of the civil arm of power to accomplish their evil ends.”

It’s amazing how the great God of recompense, will one day soon turn the tables on those who are now held “captive” by the Esaus within the church. They have been effectively silenced yet the Lord promises —

“And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.

Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful , and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.”(Isaiah 49:5-6)

Wow! What reward will be for those who endure the sufferings and “captivity”!

The S.D.A. church, repeating the history of the Jews (5 T 160), will be swayed by its “priests” and “rulers” today to take a course against “the faithful servants of God “similar to that followed by the priests and rulers in their treatment of Christ’s and the apostles'”. As the 144,000 become more and more like their Saviour, “the light of the world.” making manifest the “darkness and error” enveloping the church, the leaders in their “fanatical hatred” of the saints will move “the mob to a mad fury” against them and, in desperation born of blind and raging hatred, will reach out for the civil arm of power to accomplish their evil ends, merging the following type into antitype.(Sym. Code, vol. 1, no.9, p.3).

Those who have supported and promoted the Lord’s final message of the Shepherd’s Rod have often been first hand witnesses to the un-Christ like behavior from the “Esaus” in the church. Just recently we showed a video of a woman and her kids being escorted from the church by police, for just sticking up for the truth about abortion in our churches while in Sabbath school. The civil arm has been used on more than few occasions against those who’ve embraced His Elijah message. In fact, yours truly experienced the civil arm of the Lord when I helped out “sieging” a church a while back.

(Picture of cop called out by SDA church officials to interrogate woman and her children)

We did a post a while back that showed the leaders upset and physically threatening some young believers in Zambia, simply because they dare to kneel in prayer upon entering the church. The church leaders did not want “new customs” and were upset because the young men were trying upstage the churches “set time for kneeling and praying”. Hard to believe the “gross darkness” engulfing the church because the Jacobs dare to kneel as the Spirit moves them for God’s honor and truth.

Brother Houteff wrote of the reason why the SDA church leaders perpetrated their stand against the truth of his Elijah message. This is the foundation upon the trouble to the Jacobs of the church–

By having instilled in rank and file throughout Laodicea an unprecedented fear and prejudice against reading or hearing anything but that which enjoys someone’s official sanction and blessing, Satan’s subversives have sought to sever the lines of communication between the Spirit of Truth and the people of God. Then to hold them in subjection to themselves and their worldly standards, they threaten with disfellowshipment and perdition any who, fearing God more than man, would dare venture to know the Truth for themselves.

And the few who do have the courage to carry out their convictions, straightway in consequence become targets for the Enemy’s fiercest darts of opposition, — bitterest prejudice, scandalizing falsehood and character defamation, ridicule and scorn and hatred embarrassment and hardship.

Thus “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:12) find themselves “outcasts” (Isa. 66:5; Luke 6:22; Acts 24:14) at the hands of persecutive forces perpetuating and even outdoing the worst that was ever in Judaism and Romanism. And what is still worse, when these revivalists of tyranny, clothed in apostle like robes, succeed in confusing and overthrowing the faith of an investigator or of a follower of Truth for this very time, they compel him to submit to rebaptism in order to be readmitted into church fellowship, even though he has become more faithful than ever before! What astounding blasphemy! (White House Recruiter, p.54-55)

Ok, lets now turn to more references on our subject.

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 no.1, p.36)

In the highlighted area we want to add a comment. The word’s “the happy end of their long and troubled journey” must include the experience of the 144,000 while in the church pre-Ezekiel 9. This way the word “long” makes sense. We know that after the church judgment the elect will hasten to go home quickly as the message tells us–

Zech. 14:3, 4 — “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.”

At the time Jerusalem, that now is, falls, the Lord’s feet shall stand upon Mount of Olives and there make a very great valley; that is, remove the obstacles and hindrances, and thus prepare the land for the returning of His people. Then it is that the prophecy of Zechariah 10:8 — that the Lord shall “hiss” for His people — will have met its fulfillment.

Zech. 14:5 — “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.”

Having thus opened the way for the re-establishment of the house of Judah, His people, who beforehand have been informed of it through present Truth, will flee to the valley, to where the Lord’s feet stand, as quickly as if they were fleeing from an earthquake; and all the saints thereafter follow after them.(Timely Greetings, vol. 1, no.19, p.4-5)

Here we see that Inspiration tells us that right after the war, when the Lord stands on the Mount of Olives, the 144,000 will “flee to the valley, to where the Lord’s feet stand, AS QUICKLY as if they were fleeing an earthquake..” So we see that the trip post Ezekiel 9 to the promised land will be rather quick. The “long journey” therefore must include the experiences of the days of church persecution pre-Ezekiel 9, which spiritually speaking is the first part of our “long” journey.

“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” (Rev. 12:16)

Or, literally stated, the unconverted who are now in the midst of the church, are to be slain and buried. The converted are then to be taken into the kingdom. Then will the dragon be “wroth with the woman, and…make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17)

Stirred to fury over her purification, the dragon will make war “with the remnant of her seed.” Against her personally, though, he will not war, because her communicants, the 144,000 (the first fruits — Rev. 7:3-8; 14:4), those who go first into the kingdom, stand with the Lamb, the King, on Mount Sion (Rev. 14:1) His palace grounds. Thus being the rulers of the tribes, they are symbolized by the crowned woman. And being in their own land, they are protected from the dragon who consequently persecutes only the “remnant,” those who are left behind, who are still in Babylon but who are finally called out of her (Rev. 18:4).(Tract no.12, p.44)

Ah here is something extremely insightful. We notice that the 144,o00 are “protected” once in the kingdom. The dragon (Satan) goes to trouble those outside the kingdom! Let’s look at one more similar quote from the Elijah message.

“Fruits” garnered are the result of a harvest. When the 144,000, the first fruits (Rev. 14:4), are garnered in, and the tares (flood) are destroyed (swallowed) from among them, the 144,000 are taken to Mt. Zion, where they then comprise the Mother church, the twelve-star-crowned woman, under the protection of the Lamb, the One with them. Thus protected, she is secure from the dragon’s then making war against her. So he wars only against her “remnant,” those yet to be garnered-the second fruits still scattered throughout the world, away from Mt. Zion. This climax of the ages was vividly foretold by both Isaiah and Micah:

“But in the last days,” declares Micah, “it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Mic. 4:1, 2. (See also Isaiah 2).

From these scriptures, it is plainly seen that Mt. Zion becomes the headquarters for the last gospel work on earth, after the time the 144,000 arrive there, and during the time the dragon wars against the remnant “for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem”-no longer from the General Conference, or from Mt. Carmel Center. (Answerer, vol. 2, Q-26)

Again Inspiration clearly points out that the 144,000 are protected within the kingdom. So the last work of proclaiming the Gospel is to have the “headquarters” based from Mt.Zion. This would indicate that, a sort of home base is to be established from which the 144,000 are to leave and return on a regular basis. Sort of like missionary missions to the souls stuck in Babylon(false religions-churches).

One may ask– If the 144,000 go outside of the Kingdom, wouldn’t they then be able to be attacked by Satan and his human agents? Not necessarily, because the Scripture make it clear that His “redeemed” , the 144,000 are to be protected no matter what.

“Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”(Isaiah 52:8-12)

This concludes the references from Victor Houteff. So now we must “put it all together” and get the whole view from our blocks of truth. From what we’ve gathered so far, it is clear that Ellen White was given much more revelations of this trouble during the “post” church judgment (Ezekiel 9). Brother Houteff was given more before as well as after. Being the “restorer” (Matt. 17:11) he obviously was given a more complete picture of Jacob’s time of trouble.

SUMMARY

As we mentioned in the beginning, this subject is quite entailed and is not so easily clear to understand. But we did get enough building blocks of truth to see a general whole view.

Ellen White showed us that the trouble comes in the time period after the SDA church judgement. She showed that it comes both before the close of the “world’s” probation and after it. So it appears that she is equating the “Jacobs” as those who are not within the kingdom, because we just found out that the 144,000 will be protected. I am not sure how we can type and anti-type this but it appears that she is calling the “remnant”, those left behind who come out of Babylon, -Jacob– and consequently the Esaus which come from the same Mother (churches of Babylon) are persecuting them. For instance she says, “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.”(PP, p.201-203)

We know that the 144,000 are untouchable, because we just read–“Thus protected, she is secure from the dragon’s then making war against her. So he wars only against her “remnant,” those yet to be garnered-the second fruits still scattered throughout the world, away from Mt. Zion.(Answerer, vol. 2, Q-26).

So in order for EGW’s statement to apply it has to be concerning the “second fruits”, otherwise known as the “great multitude”. Again she says, “The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of Jacob’s trouble.” ( GC, p.615-616)

The Elijah message tells us of great joy by the people in the kingdom, such as “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.(Jer.31:13).

So obviously there appears two scenarios. The “Jacobs” of the world, and the Jacobs of the SDA church. A double application. Brother Houteff expounded clearly on the pre-Ezekiel 9 trouble to which singularly applies to the SDA church. Then he described the “short” trouble that can come immediately after the church judgment. But thank God , brother Houteff gives us an uplifting picture of the final result of the long-suffering “Jacobs” within the SDA church. Scripture does also–

“..a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it ,even to the years of many generations.” (Joel 2:2)

So there we have it, two scenarios to play out within the final events. Jacobs and Esaus playing their respective parts, in the world and in the church. As we cannot be sure of all the details, we are thankful for the light that the Lord has provided in regards to this glorious and troubling time–known as the long awaited– JACOB’S TIME OF TROUBLE.

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Jacob’s Time of Trouble (Part 2 of 3)

October 11, 2014

This week we’ll look at references from our last prophet, the Elijah to come of Mal. 4:5, Victor T. Houteff. As we look at more references, more light comes upon this subject. We’ll get a more solid and broader view of this trouble. Hopefully, we can piece it all together for a plausible end-time scenario.

(As always we’ll show Scripture and SOP in blue, and brother Houteff in brown)

We first begin with the following quote–

Isa. 66:5, 6 — “Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His Word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to His enemies.”

“Some have already had the experience of being carried bodily out of the churches for no other reason than for having read “The Shepherd’s Rod,” and for having said, “I believe what It says.” Of course, it is incredible that men should act like demons. It is nevertheless so, and God Himself testifies against their demon practice.

We do not pity ourselves, and are not at all angry at our adversaries, but we are sorry about their spiritual blindness, misery, poverty, and nakedness, for we know that the coming joy is to be ours, and the sorrow and shame and gnashing of teeth, theirs. This we know as verily as Jacob knew that God was with him in his flight from the face of Esau.

The Esaus of today, though, do not know this. No, they do not know it any more than Esau of old knew of Jacob’s night vision of the ladder that extended from heaven to Jacob’s dew-soaked bed.” (Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 45 , p.14-15)

This one is VERY revealing! It tells us that an application of Jacob’s time of trouble is happening now. In other word’s, the SDA church is composed of Jacob’s and Esau’s. We see that trouble had come in brother Houteff’s day, and even is now coming from our “Esau”, the unconverted worldly types in the church (especially the leaders).

Recently we showed a YouTube Video where a sister and her children were escorted out of church by police for merely trying to discuss how serious the abortion issue is in our church hospitals.

Brothers and sisters across the nation and in the world, in our church, are suffering trouble just for standing up for the Elijah message. The leaders are restricting them and in some cases physically abusing them. Conference leaders in some states send out “warning letters” to local churches against those who profess belief in the Shepherd’s Rod. All this is indeed trouble to the anti-typical Jacobs from the anti-typical Esaus.

6. That the angels’ letting loose the four winds to blow over the four corners of the earth (Rev. 7:1), does not anticipate a world war but rather a world-wide decree enforced throughout Babylon by the image-beast, and that then no one may buy or sell save he who worships “the image.” Rev. 13:15-17.

7. That subsequently, the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7) for the 144,000, the sons of Jacob, logically develops on their way home (Gen. 32:1, 24) to the land of their fathers (Ezek. 36:28; 37:21, 25).(Fundamental Beliefs, p. 13)

In the Davidian statement of fundamental beliefs, which means our core beliefs, they have 15 that are in addition to the SDA fundamental beliefs, which are all believed by the DSDA as well. The above quote is point 6 and 7. We see that the Rod shows that “subsequently” AFTER the letting loose the four winds-post Ezek. 9, the time of Jacob’s trouble “develops” on their way home.

And then to put an exclamation point on this timeline we read in fundamental belief number 10 the following–
10. That with this sequence of events will ensure the Loud Cry of the angel that lightens the earth with his glory (Rev. 18:1), as the other Voice cries, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:4. (FB p. 13-14)

However,we can become confused because we read in the first reference (TG, vol.1 no.45, p.14-15) that this trouble comes now before the time of the world-wide decree (Sunday Law).

But do you notice that brother Houteff says the important word “develops”? Even though the time of trouble has it’s start in Bro. Houteff’s day, and we experience it today, it continues until it develops into the post Ezekiel 9 Jacob’s time of trouble, apparently the most serious time of the trouble. This is the only way we can harmonize those two references.

We see that this time comes AFTER the church judgment of Ezek.9. We know this because the winds aren’t let loose until after the sealing of the 144,000 takes place. And this sealing concludes at the same time as Ezekiel 9 occurs (See Testimonies to Ministers, p.445).

So once the 144,000 are relieved of the tares, how can it be that the “dead” Esaus can cause trouble, since they are gone in the church judgment? As we have seen the time of trouble from the “live” Esaus in the church, according to the Rod were/are in VTH’s day and ours. This is simple and clear. In other words brethren, it appears that the anti-typical time of Jacob’s trouble involves a longer period than we may think. Instead of just the post Ezekiel 9 period , there is seen a pre-Ezek. 9 period as well.

The Elijah message gives us a great clue as to when post Ezekiel 9 trouble begins-

“..while the powers of earth are engulfed in a gigantic war, the wicked in the church shall be cut off, no more to pass through her.(Tract 14, p.22)

This shows that during this last world war in Israel, while the nations “powers” of the world are engaged, the church purification occurs. After this short gigantic war, the land is cleared out. There will be, no doubt, victorious armies will assume that the land is now theirs. At that time the Jacobs of the church, those who survive, will know that the Lord has done His “strange work”. They will be as a homing pigeon heading for home (Israel).

“They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And His sons will come trembling from the west.”(Hosea 11:10)

“For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” (Isaiah 28:21)

At this point, although they are made confident of His power, and now know beyond doubt their mission, they could very well be somewhat fearful as Jacob was, about how they are to take back the land from the powerful armies there with their modern computerized weapons and all. This could be an additional fear that the anti-typical Jacobs have in returning home. We do know that whatever the fear it will “develop” post Ezek. 9 on the way home.

Yet no matter, they will prevail , praise the Lord!

Next week we’ll finish with part three. We’ll make a final summary of the scenarios that seem plausible. With the final fourth Blood Moon occurring Sept. 28, 2015, this trouble may be closer than we think.

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Jacob’s Time of Trouble (Part 1 of 3)

October 4, 2014

Jacob’s time of trouble is somewhat complicated and has some twists and turns, and as such, we’ll try to dissect it reference by reference. Then as we do that, we can start to gain a better “whole view” of this time. I like to look at it this way. When we endeavor to do a study such as this, we have to build small building blocks of truth at first, one at a time. Then when they are all analyzed and assembled, we can step back and hopefully see a solid building of truth standing tall and clear. Kind of like addition. We add it all up and get the final sum total.

This subject matter came to me recently via the New York gathering of Mountain Dale association of DSDA. It has been much discussed within the Davidian SDA community for many years. Not so much in the S.D.A circles. This is understood when we sadly realize that our church often prefers “milk” as opposed to “meat” such as prophecy and it’s meaning.

What we are attempting to find in this 3 part study is where, when, and how, this Jacob’s time of trouble happens. The DSDA generally have two viewpoints. One says ‘before” Ezek. 9 church judgment and the other “after”. A few believe it occurs both before and after.

In Part 1 we’ll cover Ellen White quotes. And then after each reference, we’ll comment as to its meaning as best can be attained. We’ll bold highlight some areas we want to emphasize.

Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 201-203

“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.

…Such will be the experience of God’s people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God’s mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”

There is little doubt about this time setting of the anti-typical Jacobs’ time of trouble. This trouble comes AFTER probation is closed according to this reference. In the time after the Loud Cry has done it work.

Great Controversy, Page 615-616

“As the Sabbath has become the special point of controversy throughout Christendom, and religious and secular authorities have combined to enforce the observance of the Sunday, the persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to the popular demand will make them objects of universal execration. It will be urged that the few who stand in opposition to an institution of the church and a law of the state ought not to be tolerated; that it is better for them to suffer than for whole nations to be thrown into confusion and lawlessness.

The same argument many centuries ago was brought against Christ by the “rulers of the people.” “It is expedient for us,” said the wily Caiaphas, “that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.” John 11:50. This argument will appear conclusive; and a decree will finally be issued against those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, denouncing them as deserving of the severest punishment and giving the people liberty, after a certain time, to put them to death. Romanism in the Old World and apostate Protestantism in the New will pursue a similar course toward those who honor all the divine precepts.

The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of Jacob’s trouble. “Thus saith the Lord: 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.

…As Satan influenced Esau to march against Jacob, so he will stir up the wicked to destroy God’s people in the time of trouble. And as he accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against the people of God.(Page 618)

…The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.(Page 621)

Again SOP clearly places this time of trouble after probation.

Early Writings, page 36-37

“I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. 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. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God. The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God.”

Here we see the connection of the plagues as being in the time of trouble. One important point in this reference, which we’ll touch on later is the “The 144,000 triumphed.”

Signs of the Times, Nov.27, 1879

“When Christ stands up, and leaves the most holy place, the time of trouble commences, the case of every soul is decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin and pollution…Those who live in the last days must pass through an experience similar to that of Jacob. Foes will be all around them, ready to condemn and destroy.

Again we see that this time of trouble is after probation. As she further illuminates of Jacob, it is seen that this trouble is the anti-typical “Jacob’s time of trouble”.

Great Controversy, Page 648-649

Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mingled with fire,—so resplendent is it with the glory of God,—are gathered the company that have “gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.” With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, “having the harps of God,” they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, “the voice of harpers harping with their harps.” And they sing “a new song” before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand.

It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such as no other company have ever had. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as “the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.”Revelation 15:2, 3; 14:1-5.

“These are they which came out of great tribulation;” they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God’s judgments.

But they have been delivered, for they have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” “In their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault” before God. “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”

They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves have endured suffering, hunger, and thirst. But “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Revelation 7:14-17.

Here we see some details about the “time of trouble such as never was” and “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” This one shows more specifics concerning the 144,000, which we can use to harmonize with the Elijah message.

Early Writings, page 85-86(supplement)

On page 33 is given the following: “I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God’s dear, waiting saints. I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.”

This view was given in 1847 when there were but very few of the Advent brethren observing the Sabbath, and of these but few supposed that its observance was of sufficient importance to draw a line between the people of God and unbelievers. Now the fulfilment of that view is beginning to be seen. “The commencement of that time of trouble,” here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the “latter rain,” or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.

This is quite important to understand. Ellen White clarifies that the “time of trouble”is not only in the time of the plagues but “to a short period just before” the plagues are poured out. This shows that trouble is to occur during probation as well as after probation. In other words, an extended time of trouble covering probation and after probation. Christ is in the sanctuary as this trouble first occurs. God’s great and glorious glory takes place while His servants call out those in Babylon but at the same time Satan stirs the wicked to hinder but not stop the work.

Summary

The Spirit of Prophecy shows us that the Jacob’s time of trouble occurs during the Loud Cry as well as after probation. SOP dwells pre-dominantly with the scenes of trouble as it occurs after probation, in the time of the plagues. She describes how God’s people are to be “surrounded” by oppressors. But we’ll have to deal with this “surrounding” in context because the Elijah message tells us God’s people will return to the promised land during the Loud Cry and thus be protected.

It’s important to understand that, just as Ellen White was not given the understanding of the pre-millennial kingdom as Victor Houteff was, She does not show all the details of the time of trouble. The Elijah message will bring a deeper and clearer understanding of this issue next week.

Posted in End times, Final Events, Jacob's Time of Trouble | 1 Comment »

To Hell in a Hand Basket

August 23, 2014

The world seems to be falling apart. Almost daily now, we see reports of killings, and unrest that is instilling real fear in many around the world. Ukraine, Iraq, the middle east, and many other countries are experiencing daily bombings and shootings and it’s getting out of control. To many, it seems the world is going to “Hell in a hand basket”.

What is happening? Even the head of the United Nations is at a loss for words. The USA Today said this week, “The world faces the greatest humanitarian crises in the United Nations history, and nations aren’t coming together to solve the problems, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon warned Tuesday.”

In looking down to our time, the end of mankind’s history , our Lord said, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” ( Luke 21:26)

When we watch on our nightly news of the horrible crimes such as be-headings of innocent people, our fears certainly rise to the surface. But what really is happening?

As we know from Scripture, this world belongs to the dark adversary. “..the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” (Matt. 4:8-9)

The Lord did not contest Satan’s claim on the ownership of the world’s “kingdoms”. Satan has been at work, in his deceitful, lying, murderous ways since Adam and Eve. So this violence we see today is his handiwork and it will only intensify. We have made the observation that Satan is really like the mad insane killer who wants to take as many with him as he can, he’s going to die and his misery must be shared with all he can take down with him.

Recently the world beheld the first of four “Blood moons” to occur over a span of a year and a half. This is known as “Blood Moon Tetrad”. Here are the specific dates.

(Click on moons to enlarge)

Without going into the detailed rarity of these concurrent blood moons, we know that even one blood moon is rare. Now when we multiply that by four and then add the fact that they occur on Biblical holy days, well, let’s just say it’s extremely rare.

Scripture prophetically tells us that a “blood moon” is to be a direct sign from the Lord. Specifically right before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

“And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Joel 2:30 -31)

“The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord.” (Acts 2:20)

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;” (Rev. 6:12)

So what is all this telling us? We cannot be for certain as we are not prophets, but one thing is sure. Satan knows Scripture in and out and it may very well be that he knows that the final Blood Moon Tetrad is his cue that his final time clock has begun.

Therefore his wrath begins upon mankind and develops in intensity. Additionally we know from Scripture the world is to be turned upside down. God is about to “go to work” just as Satan is. The titanic battle is very shortly to begin, the “Great Controversy” indeed!

But the proud and mighty are to be debased. The penitent and humble ones are to “takeover”. Ellen White confirms this.

“The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us….Those who have been timid and self-distrustful will declare themselves openly for Christ and His truth. The most weak and hesitating in the church will be as David—willing to do and dare. The deeper the night for God’s people, the more brilliant the stars.(Test. for the Church, vol. 5, p.81)

“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. “Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners” (Song of Solomon 6:10), she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.”(Prophets and Kings, p.725)

Revelation 7 says that the “four winds” are to be held until the servants of God are sealed in their forehead. As of yet these winds are still being held, so Satan does not have the go ahead to start the “time of trouble as never was”. What we now see is just a prelim of the death , turmoil and upheaval that will encompass the world.

God in His long suffering mercy is holding this trouble back. He is patiently waiting for His “tribes of Isreal” (Rev.7:4-8) to come forward and embrace His final message of Truth. But as we have reported many times, His remnant church is fast asleep and I dare say–in a coma! Those of us who are active in spreading His Elijah message to the church, see the weekly shunning and dishonoring of God’s proper honor, especially in His house. Many preachers from the pulpit speak false things and ignore His last message. “Peace and safety” is the message.

“Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan….”(LDE, p.179)

Sadly, the vast majority of the “Israel of today” will not be around much longer. He is soon the “take the rein into His own hands” (Test. to Min. p.300). So while the time of trouble will be let loose, and test many souls around the world (those in Babylon), the current SDA church members will first experience —

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)

But make no mistake, while God deals with His own first He will by no means acquit the evil doers in the world. Those mask men who we often see in the news holding their sword or knife to kill and maim, think they are hiding behind their masks but they are marked. There punishment will be dire indeed! The God of “recompense” will appear to their horror shortly.

While they take pride in committing killings in the “name” of “God”, the real great “I AM” will soon protect both those who “escape” His church judgment (Isaiah 66:15-19) and those who escape Babylon.

God, through His people, will finally “fight back”. Through His word He foretells a time when none of the unrighteous will escape and will be brought down.

“Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;”(Jer.51:20)

“In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.” Zech. 12:8.

God has put up with Satan’s stomping His truth into the ground through his false teachers and prophets for a LONG TIME. But soon, the tables are to turn, and strong will be the servants of God. The adversary has finally met more than his match.

“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.” (Issiah 35:3-4)

So in closing, while it looks as if the world is going to “Hell in a hand basket”, the great God of Israel holds all the cards. His perfect plan of church and world redemption is at work despite what appears now. It can be very fearful when we look at the world’s current troubles, but there is hope in His word.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”(Isaiah 41:10)

Posted in End times, Final Events, God's signs | 1 Comment »

War’s a Knockin

August 2, 2014

Even as we write this post, the rumblings of war pound the middle east. But this is just the beginning. Is a gigantic war based in that very area predicted? If so, by whom and from where? From the Word that does not lie nor disappoint. The Word that reveals secrets. Let us look at what God’s word says about the soon to come war that will usher in His pre-millennial kingdom.

Many of us as Bible students have come to believe that the great “Armageddon” of Scripture portrays a last day gigantic war. A war that will end upon the Lord coming in the clouds. But is this really what the Scriptures tell us? Or has Satan and his henchmen pulled one of their vast interpretation tricks? Used men for private interpretation? To throw us off, having us look left when we should be looking right?

God’s word will shed light upon where, how and when this “last day’s” war will happen. The whole reason for Scripture is to prepare us. Let us know what shall be and how we can be fitted to meet the Lord and be forever with Him. This war study is one of the most important. May you be enlightened and thus prepared.

“(1) Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; (2) Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.

(3) Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. (4) For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

(5) Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.” (Zeph. 2:1-5)

Let us see what the Elijah prophet says concerning these verses.

What makes this nation gather together? — Certainly not the decree and not the Lord’s anger, for these are to come upon her after she gathers together. The “decree” certainly cannot be the beast’s decree, for there is not even a thought in the scripture that would so indicate; but it certainly points out that the decree is none other than the Lord’s decree — the fierce anger of the Lord in the day that passes as chaff.

According to the verse that follows, this undesirable nation’s gathering together, is a sign post to God’s people, urging them to continue seeking Him so much the more..

When this Judgment-bound nation begins to gather together then it is, if never before, that the meek of the earth need to seek meekness.

The meek of the earth are those who have wrought the Lord’s judgments, who have proclaimed the message of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. They are His people, His church. The nation that is not desired, therefore, is one people, and the meek of the earth, the church, those who are hid in the day of the Lord’s anger are another people. The one is gathering together, the other is seeking meekness. Definitely, then, the “nation” of verses 1 and 2 is not His church, but the people of verse three are His people, His church. (Timely Greetings, vol. 1, no. 22, p. 24-25)

So we see that the gathering of the people of Israel is a direct fulfillment of the end time prophecy. But the purpose is going to be for the Lord’s purpose not mere humans who now think that the land of Israel will continue to be a land run predominantly by the un-believing Abraham descendants. No, the Lord is setting up HIS OWN PLAN.

Let us continue with the prophet’s words.

…two truths stand out clearly: (1) that in vain the Jews seek to establish themselves in the Promised Land; (2) that we who are bearing the message of the great and dreadful day of the Lord are counselled to seek meekness and righteousness, for thus only shall we “be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger,” that is, merely bear knowledge of the message will not save us, there should be corresponding deeds with it.

Let us now connect verse 3 with verses 6 and 7, the verses that are applicable to the people of God, the meek.

Zeph. 2:3, 6, 7 — “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger…. And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.”

Now, the fact that the Lord is to destroy all the inhabitants in the land of the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5), and at the same time make it dwellings for “shepherds, and folds for flocks,” shows that He is first to drive out of the land all the wicked, all those who are not seeking meekness, then He is to set up the “house of Judah” in it.

Zeph. 2:8 — “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves against their border.”

Not only the unbelieving Jews, but also the unbelieving Arabs who resist the meek, are to be swept away from the land.

Zeph. 2:9 — “Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of My people shall spoil them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

While Moab and Ammon become as Sodom and Gomorrah, go out of existence, the captivity of God’s people is turned away. They become an independent nation and possess all the wealth of the people round about.

Zeph. 2:10, 11 — “This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be terrible unto them: for He will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.”

Zeph. 2:12, 13 — “Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My sword. And He will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.”

Zeph. 2:14 — “And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her [in Nineveh], all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for He shall uncover the cedar work.”

Who wants to ignore the truth that these conditions are definitely pre-millennial? Moreover, these prophecies show that the renewal of the ancient kingdom of Judah is to be a real thing, not something imaginary. Its subjects are to be real people, not ghosts. Now we can see that the common expression, “going to heaven,” means first going to the Promised Land, there to be fitted for the society of the pure and eternal. (Ibid, p.26-28)

Very soon a middle east country will make a blunder. She will do the unthinkable, yet unbeknownst to that nation, she will be acting out the Lord’s plan. Then this mistake will be the catalyst for the surrounding nations, even the “big boys” –USA, Russia, China, to get involved.

The end of this chaos and bombing will be that the land will be cleared out just as we read above and God’s true servants–the 144,000, shall take up residence there.

In Revelation 14:1 we read, “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”

After the land is cleared out, the people of God, will stand on mount Sion with our Lord. The Lord is to coordinate this war with His solemn church judgment. The servants then begin to fulfill further prophecy.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.”(Isaiah 11:11)

The purpose of this return is to set up “headquarters” for the last proclamation of the Gospel, known to us Seventh-day Adventists as the “Loud Cry”. Isaiah further illuminates this end time set up.

“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.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ” (Isaiah 2:2-4)

As we’ve shown in many previous studies, the “kingdom” will be God’s Theocracy kingdom. Not like the worldly kingdoms we know today (ie. USA, France, Germany Russia, etc.). Also from what we gather from SOP and the Elijah message, the time period will be very short, possibly as short as 2-3 years.

Make no mistake, the pieces are rapidly falling together. Recently in a May 30th article high-lightening an important natural gas alliance between the two nations that will one day oppose the Assyrian nations (white English-speaking countries) in the gigantic middle east war , it said, “In the joint statement issued by China and Russia, the main message is that China-Russia relations have reached a new stage of comprehensive strategic partnership and this will help increase both countries’ international status and influence, thus contributing to a more just international order.”(The Diplomat, May 30, 2014)

Further in the Elijah prophet’s “A Summary Chart of Types” we see that our time is really coming down to the final ticks of the clock before these powerful nations “unload”. We must take heed and know the time of the season prophetically speaking.

Dear brothers and sisters, don’t you want to be a part of this last great work? A time where the Lord’s hand will directly be involved? Finally the great I AM will show Himself. We can be. But what is the cost?

The Lord requires a sell out. That means that we cannot have one foot in the world (partaking in its worldly pleasures and lusts) and the other in the Lord’s work. Isaiah again fills us in on what type of hypocritical Christians there will be in the last days.

“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.” (Isaiah 4:1)

The Lord is not fooled. He wants His people to “hear His voice” and sin not. We can be victorious over sin when we decide to “follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes”.

This war is very close to happening and once it does, the end of the current world’s structure will change. No longer will the rich billionaires run this world, rather it will be the “little guys and girls”, the humble and sold outs that the Lord will promote. Yes, there will be troubles, but those who put on God’s armor right now will shine forth with His power.

They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”(Early Writings, p.271)

The great and dreadful day of the Lord is so near at hand and Joel describes it beautifully.

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” (Joel 2:1-3)

The Lord will be with those who really want Him and look forward to being employed in the greatest job ever held by human beings–God’s end time servants. War’s a knockin but God’s people will be the victors.

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” (Amos 9:14-15)

Posted in End times, Final Events, Our Lord's kingdom | 1 Comment »

Light Illuminated

June 7, 2014

This week was one of those weeks, where one gets a revelation that truly makes us go–“wow”! As an Elijah messenger to or people, I am constantly studying ways to improve my delivery, to solidify the message in a more straight forward and understandable way. The Lord came through again!

In Timothy we read, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”(2 Tim. 2:15).

The message gives us an almost uncontrollable love for our brethren. We realize the danger that faces the church unless we humble ourselves and take up the largely unpopular message of Elijah.

So the Lord divinely showed me something that really explained this message in a different way, and from a new angle, that may dig the dagger of truth into those who may be still stubbornly resisting the last message to the Laodiceans.

Ok let’s look now, at this approach and angle.

First, we know that we as Laodiceans need something. Why? Because our Lord said so.

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:17-18).

Ok, we all know this (or should). What our Lord said is that we have this stuffy proud feeling that we know the Lord and that we don’t need anything over and above what we know, to make it to the kingdom. I think we all can agree that this is a fair description.

So understanding the above, we must now admit that there IS SOMETHING we must learn or know, else He would not admonish us for being naked and without hardly anything. In other words, we need to stop deceiving ourselves, and awake to the fact that there is something out there that the Lord want’s us to know.

In this fascinating deception we find ourselves in , we read, “ “What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right, when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God.

While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and his testimony must be correct.” — Testimonies, Vol. 3, pp. 252-253.

I underlined two important points I’d like to address. First, we see that Inspiration confirms what the Lord said about us. But she adds that we are “honestly” deceived. We are so convinced that we have it all (truth) that we aren’t looking for more. What’s worse is that our “shepherd’s” (pastors and leaders) aren’t helping. They too are in the same condition!

The second underlined point gives us a big clue as to what we need. We need a “cutting and severe” testimony that breaks our lukewarm condition. In other words– a straight testimony, with no sugar-coating. And we know one thing for sure, the “peace and safety” message that we hear almost every Sabbath from the pulpit is not it.

Ok let’s admit that we need something, and that something is obviously a message from the “True Witness”. And how has this True Witness in times past, delivered it? Yes, the PROPHETS. As a church body, He sends His message strictly through His prophets. In our case through His promised Elijah (Mal. 4:5).

All our Scriptures are written by His prophets. In (Amos 3:7) we read, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

So we have found that we need two things up to this point:

1) A important message from our Lord

2) A message to be delivered by a prophet.

Ok, what is the word of God in relations to an end time prophet? It is found in the last book of the old testament–Malachi. I like to think of this book as His “sign off” letter of the OT. In other words it has His last words of extreme importance in them.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Mal. 4:5).

We see that this Elijah is to come right before this great and terrible day. Ah hah! This should be what the Lord is talking about! For this is the LAST message that He will send before the end.

3) The anti-typical Elijah prophet has the Lord’s last message.

Recently I was involved in an online discussion with a solidly entranced Laodicean woman . I pointed out the fact that there was one last prophet (Elijah) to come to our SDA church. She responded, “Oh that doesn’t mean a literal prophet, it’s a message.” Huh?

Let’s look at counsel from the very prophetess she claims to believe in.

“The language of the Bible should be explained according to it’s obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed.” (Great Controversy, p.598)

So instead of believing the Lord’s literal word, she must twist that into a non-literal meaning. Needless to say I pointed this out to her. But it was like water off a Duck’s back. It did not register.

I also pointed out that that kind of reasoning is right up Satan’s alley. When God said a straight testimony “Surely you shall die”, Satan twisted it to say “Surely you shall not die”. In other words she was not believing in the clear unmistakable word of God. And His promise as well.

When God makes a promise to send somebody, we don’t dare say, “No, you won’t God” do we?

Ok, let’s get to the quote that opened up this new idea of explaining the message to our brethren.

“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 will cause a shaking among God’s people.

The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance, and all that truly receive it will obey it and be purified.”(Test. for the Church, vol. 1, p.181)

Let’s carefully go over this very important inspired word of God. We see that a “shaking” is going to happen among us, and that this shaking won’t be caused by anything else other than “the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans.”

The counsel here represents those who are delivering that straight testimony for the Lord, beginning with and including the anti-typical Elijah. Notice something VERY IMPORTANT. This message is given only to us! Not the world. We, the Laodiceans, are the ones the Lord must give it to. It is us who are about to be sprued out not the world.(Rev.3:16)

Next we see that this message will cause division among us. Some will “rise up” indicating that they will not only be against it, they will be strongly against it because it unbearable. It obviously exposes our sins and lukewarmness, making them uncomfortable and defensive.

The last underlined point gives the seriousness of it all. THE CHURCH DESTINY HANGS UPON THIS MESSAGE. AND THAT IT WILL BE LARGELY–REJECTED.

So we can add two more points to our list.

4) Our Church’s ( Seventh Day Adventists) future destiny ( our eternal life) hangs upon this message.

5) This last message of Elijah will be almost entirely rejected.

The last point in that reference establishes what this message does to us upon reception and obedience to it. We repent and thus are purified. What does these miraculous things? THE LAST MESSAGE FROM THE LORD, It has such a transforming effect upon us.

6) This last message causes repentance and brings eternal life to those who accept it.

This is so important let us read it again,

“What greater deception can come upon human minds than
a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct.” (Testimonies, vol.3, p.253)

We see that this last message “breaks our security”, it exposes our true condition. If we are walking in its light, the message does not bother us. But if we are not walking in this light, refusing it for whatever reason, we shall either “rise up against it”, be intimidated by it, or humble ourselves and draw close to it causing us to have “deep repentance” and obedience. The Lord knew what He was doing in bringing this Elijah message. It works!

“The light which will lighten the earth with its’ glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory.” (Review and Herald, May 27, 1890)

“In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. “Why,” they say, “should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?” Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties, of the messages of God, but persistently said, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”(Maranatha, p.220)

This is getting more and more clear. We continue to see a clear and unmistakable rejection from God’s remnant people of the last message. They see it as dangerous and not from the Lord.

“..but prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5). Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say, “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.”(1 SM p.412.2)

The above is one of two clear and unmistakable Inspired quotes (the other is Mal. 4:5) showing that the Lord would send a male prophet to His remnant church at the very end of time. But we see, again, a rejection from the people.

Are we starting to see a common theme here? Yes, indeed!

So let us now add up the meaning of this post. What we can now see is that it is the REJECTED MESSAGE that is the one we are to follow. This is the one the Lord has sent! The real message that the vast majority of us SDA think is false!

We can add our last point now.

7) The last day message that saves us (seals us) is the rejected message of Elijah.

With this clear conclusion, we must now ask ourselves–What message has come to us SDA promoting that it is the Elijah message and been soundly rejected?

The answer– The Shepherd’s Rod.

Search our history, there has never been any another Elijah message that went church wide around the world that was soundly rejected and labelled as false by our leaders.

In closing, let us humble ourselves and begin to accept this rejected message, for as we’ve seen , it is the one we need. The Lord said we as Laodiceans need something, and the rejected Elijah message is the sure message that saves us from being “sprued out”. Amen.

Posted in Elijah, End times, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Witnessing | 7 Comments »

The Loud Cry

May 31, 2014

Soon the world will witness a united voice, God’s remnant people, who have been tried in the “refiner’s fire”(Mal. 3:2-3). Their voices will be sounding out mightily because God’s pouring of His Spirit has occurred.

In Joel 2:28 we read, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.”

Our Lord calls them “His jewels”. “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.(Mal.3:17)

This glorious time is very close and we can be a part of this elect group, His servants that will be allowed to do this grand work. Let us now look at this special time.

Scripture, Ellen White and the Elijah message give us some good information. Obviously the people who are called to give the Loud Cry will have a great responsibility. We’ll ask some questions and then look at some specific references.

Who are the ones to participate in the Loud Cry?

“The great issue so near at hand will weed out those whom God has not appointed, and He will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain.” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, p.327)

“Only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it (the 3rd angel message) when it shall have swelled into the Loud Cry.” (Review and Herald, Nov.19, 1908).

In the above we see that those allowed to give the Loud Cry will be over-comers. Right now we are being tested daily. Are we living for the world? Do we cherish idols such as TV, music, social clubs, hobbies, sports, or other things that take most of our time? Does the Lord and His work constitute a sizable part of our available time?

We can’t fool God, He watches our time and knows where we direct it to. Each day our time goes into either our account with the Lord or our account with the world.

What are the Loud Cry givers able to do in the Loud Cry?

“The glory of God rested upon the patient, waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon and calling upon God’s people to come out of her that they might escape her fearful doom.” (Early Writings, p.277-278)

“Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven.” (Early Writings, p.279)

“I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”(Early Writings, p.271)

Are we now to give the Loud Cry?

Today we see many false crusades go forth. Our churches today think that the Lord is working to reach the many in the false churches, yet that time has not come.

Brother Houteff explains, “.. to devote our time to evangelizing the world while neglecting the church, would be a criminal act, one of highest treason both to God and to His people. The church must first be saved from her Laodicean condition of being “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” She, not the world, is just about to be spued out. She “is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.”-Testimonies to Ministers, p. 15.(Answerer, vol. 2, question 32)

So with our church in need of a revival and reformation first and foremost, we can’t expect the Loud Cry until purification comes for our church.

“If the presence of one Achan was sufficient to weaken the whole camp of Israel, can we be surprised at the little success which attends our efforts when every church and almost every family has its Achan?” (Test. for the Church, vol. 5, p.157)

We also remember that the Lord does not change (Mal 3:6) and that in the time of Joshua, He would not pour out His Spirit to help the people until that one sinner, who was in their midst, was removed (Joshua, chapter 7). For this same reason a mixed church, sinners and converted, cannot go forward with the Loud Cry.

Let us read from Inspiration a summation of this magical yet troubling time.

There must be a marked difference between the voice of the message before the Loud Cry, and the voice of the message in the Loud Cry; otherwise it would not be called “loud.”

The message swells to a Loud Cry by virtue of an “addition” which gives it “power and force.”–Early Writings, p. 277. The only conclusion admissible, therefore, is that since the church has never accepted an additional message, and since there has never come one (other than that in The Shepherd’s Rod publications) that would give “power and force” to the old message, the Loud Cry could not have begun at any time previous to this.

Moreover, the “abominations” in the church have not only kept back the Loud Cry but have also even silenced the fainter cry which precedes it. Indeed, “the angel of the church of the Laodiceans,” being unfit even to finish the proclamation of the message in its fainter cry, must be altogether unfit to proclaim it in the Loud Cry. Obviously, if he does not now quickly repent and accept the additional message which is to begin the Loud Cry, then not only will he not help proclaim it but he will even be “spued out.”

“…only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One,” warns the Spirit of Prophecy, “will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel’s Message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.”–The Review and Herald, No. 19, 1908.

So while the fainter cry is proclaimed by those who have, as well as by those who have not, overcome temptation, the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have.

Though the Loud Cry was to have begun by 1892, it was muffled when the church rejected the message of Righteousness by Faith in 1888. Thus, the scroll which contained the “additional” message that was to give “power and force” to the Third Angel’s Message, for the time then being ceased unrolling. And consequently, instead of becoming the light of the world, the church herself went into darkness. Seeing this, the Spirit of Truth made a fearful pronouncement of doom upon unrepentant Laodiceans, while giving joyous promise of future glory to all who will arise and walk in the light that proceeds from the throne.

“How will any of our brethren know when this light shall come to the people of God?” was the sweeping question then asked by Inspiration. And the inspired answer was: “As yet we have certainly not seen the light that answers to this description. God has light for His people, and all who accept it will see the sinfulness of remaining in a lukewarm condition.”– The Review and Herald, Oct. 7, 1890.

“In the manifestation of the power that lightens the earth with its glory, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. Why, they say, should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?”–Bible Training School, 1907. (Reprinted in The Review and Herald, Nov. 7 1918.) This statement plainly projects the Loud Cry into the future from 1918.

“The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.”–Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 401. (Answerer, vol. 1, Q-10)

In describing the strength of the Lord’s army in the Loud Cry we read, “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider..” (Jer. 51:20-21)

The time of the Loud Cry will be war indeed. Souls will be fought over, the servants of God versus the marshaled army of evil servants. The Lord will destroy His adversaries through His servants. Oh, what a time of trouble. Yet, if we are found to be among God’s elect we shall indeed sing unto the Lord.

“And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.” (Isaiah 12:4-5)

Let us continue to walk on the straight and narrow path so that soon when the time comes, we can stand up and be counted among those “jewels” the Lord has prepared for this most special work given to the whole world.

Posted in End times, Final Events, Loud Cry | 4 Comments »

Thy Kingdom Come II (Part 2 of 2)

October 19, 2013

Last week we were reviewing Isaiah 11:1-12 and how this prophecy can only have a latter-day application. But let us look now at further evidence that Scripture points out the beginning phase of His kingdom here on earth–the pre-millennial kingdom .

Back to Isaiah, in verse 6, the very last clause says, and a little child shall lead them. A little child….That is just a child of a few years old. Then it says in vs 8,

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp,(That means an infant that is still feeding upon it’s mothers breast. He or she will be playing with the asp. That’s a poisonous snake. And then it goes on to say) and the weaned child) Now here we have a sucking child, a weaned child and a little child. That is children, infants. In the New Earth, brothers and sisters, there will not be any sucking children, any weaned children, no children at all. Now how do we know this?

Now before we even look at the Word of God, we know this, when all the saints are taken up to heaven, we will dwell there for a thousand years. And everyone the Bible says will grow up like the calves of the stall. Mal 4:2 We will all grow up to our full stature, after feeding on the tree of life. There will be no births and no deaths. So at the end of the thousand years, everyone will have grown up to full stature. At the close of the thousand years, everyone will descend in the Holy City to the New Earth. But there are no births, and no deaths. Hence no little children.

But we can prove that more concretely from the Bible. In the book of Luke chap 20:34, 35 Jesus is speaking to the Sadducees. They are trying to trick him with a question. And they gave Him a parable. A very difficult question. But Jesus made His conclusive statement. He says, “They that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world in the resurrection neither marry nor are given in marriage.”

Neither can they die anymore, for they are equal unto the angels and are the children of the resurrection. No marriage, No children. No deaths. How can there be any children then in the New Earth. By the time Jesus comes, no more children after that. Yes children will be taken up. To grow up like calves of the stall.

Ellen White further explains no children in the new earth. ““There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth; but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19). The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood.

They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.”(1 Sel. Messages pg 172, 173)

Therefore Isa 11:6 cannot be in the New Earth, for there will be no children in the New Earth. The prophecy is correct. It has to be prior to. Then you can have Gentiles from all these countries and there can be children. So with that in mind, we have concrete solid evidence, that Isa 11 is speaking about not heaven and New Earth, but a time before Jesus comes.

The Kingdom then will be pre-millennial. It will be beautiful. It will be peaceful. Now it does not mean that the entire world will be like this. It does not mean that outside the Kingdom we will not have turmoil and trouble, because at the same time, the Mark of the Beast will be urged upon all including even God’s people, God’s people will not accept it. They in turn will become a part of God’s true people. And will join this Kingdom. What a time.

The two Kingdoms are going to clash. God’s Kingdom is a representation of God’s Justice, Love and Mercy. A practical demonstration of all that God intended for man to be from the beginning. And He wants to do this in the sight of the heathen. So we are not talking about the entire world being converted. No, we are talking about the place where God will establish His Kingdom. His Kingdom will be established in the promised land. And all God’s faithful people will be there.

That will be brought from the various countries and islands and nations will be brought to that Kingdom. But they will have to make a decision, that is those who are in the world will have to make a decision to accept the Truth or not. If they accept the Truth and resist the Mark Of The Beast, even at the possibility of losing their lives. And come to the Kingdom of God and accept the Truth, they will be saved. The two Kingdoms will clash, but God’s Kingdom will win out. It says in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven will establish His Kingdom.

Now, some may ask how is this going to be possible with the current Jews and Arabs occupying the holy land? While we can’t go deeply into this in this post, we can simply say that the world is now being set up to have the gigantic world war III over Israel. This is obvious being prepared even as we speak. The tension has been building the last couple of years and will continue to do so, until God says it’s time for it to take place.

The applicable Scripture reads, “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation not desired;Before the decree takes effect– The day passes like the chaff– Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD’S anger comes upon you” (Zeph2:1-2) .

Where is this “nation not desired”? Verse 4 tells us,”Gaza will be deserted, and Ashkelon will be destroyed. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be torn out by the roots. It is in the land of Israel. The Lord’s anger will cause the occupants to be driven out so that His promises will be fulfilled to the letter!

Ok let’s look at (Ezekiel 28:24-26). ““And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.

And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”

In Ezekiel we see that this gathering takes place “in the sight of the heathen”. The Lord calls His “house of Israel” back to the land He promised their fathers. He keeps His word! As we know this has never happened to this very day, as the 10 lost tribes of Israel have been scattered among the nations.

A brother of mine pointed out something in a quote that we often miss pertaining to this “kingdom”. Look at (Matt 24:14), “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. I had never noticed that the proclamation will be about His kingdom. The main last message to all nations is this pre-millennial kingdom taking place in front of the heathen!

In other words, come into this kingdom now or you’ll not be able to go through to the heavenly kingdom later. This message of the kingdom is His last effort to reach the unbelieving. Oh, how we are blessed that He sent the Elijah messenger to us to “restore all things” such as these missed meanings of age old quotes!

Here’s wonderful Scripture showing the future people of God, destined for the holy land and experiencing a life changing experience “I will give you a heart of flesh.”

Ezek. 36:23-28 — “And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Jeremiah also give us a future glimpse of going home to the holy land. “”In those coming days,” says the LORD, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the LORD their God.They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the LORD with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.” (Jer.50:4-5)

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.” (Amos 9:13-15)

In closing, below is the kingdom map, per Ezekiel 48 instructions, that is prophesied to come. Notice the change in land divisions (anciently to pre-millennial time). Again this has never happened to this very day. Let us accept God’s word as a child and believe that all He says He’ll do–He’ll do. Amen.

http://sighandcry777.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/12-tribes-ezek-48-vs-solomon-3.jpg (The map on left is the ancient borders and areas of the tribes, the one on right is future)

(For those who would like to see the full report from which many quotes and comments were used in this report see this link http://www.shepherds-rod.org/basic/kingdom.htm)

Posted in End times, Our Lord's kingdom | 1 Comment »

Thy Kingdom Come II (Part 1 of 2)

October 12, 2013

This week the thought occurred of how the Jews of old had steadfastly looked and looked for any signs of the Lord’s kingdom on earth to be established. So much so that they ignored other more important Scriptures. Yet, today, we as His remnant people, the SDA church aren’t looking for it. And we are the ones who the prophecies are directed to! Amazing how both the Jews of old and us today, for the most part, are guilty of not searching the Scriptures to know them well.

In our first installment of God’s kingdom of glory, we would like to once again show the beauty of the foretold upcoming kingdom, a kingdom that first starts out on this earth before the millennial reign in heaven. Many within our SDA church are unaware that this pre-millennial stage will exist but as we go into the various Scriptures, it becomes very clear how God WILL establish His kingdom in front of the heathen. The Lord’s Elijah message has now uncovered these beautiful promises for us.

Let us now search and behold the marvelous things to come in God’s unconditional word.

Last week we pointed out who is God’s “Israel” of today. These are those who are to be the beneficiaries of the promises as Ellen White explains, ““That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today. He has “let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen,” even to His covenant-keeping people, who faithfully “render Him the fruits in their seasons.” Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made His interests their own. These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to His ancient people.”(Prophets and Kings, p.713-714)

The Jews held the following promise close to heart as one of their basics on the kingdom of God on earth.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

As Seventh Day Adventists, we are well aware of the fact that when Jesus comes again, He will indeed take His saints home to heaven. And be with Him a thousand years, we shall afterward descend in the Holy City to live here in a newly created earth. That is a marvelous thing and that will be a wonderful time. We look forward to that time. Oh yes we surely do, But what of the Kingdom that was promised to Israel and to Judah. What of that Kingdom?

“When they therefore had come together, they asked Him, saying, Lord will Thou at this time restore again The Kingdom to Israel.”

“And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the time, or the times of the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power.”(Acts 1:6-7) In other words, He did not tell them that the Kingdom was not to be established. He simply said, It is not for you to know when. Of course we know it was not to be in their day. But He did not tell them that. Perhaps it would have discouraged them. Kept them from preaching the Gospel with all of their might. But the Lord in His Wisdom kept that from them. But the Bible does tell us when The Kingdom Of God’s Glory is going to be established.

Before we continue, it’s important to note that this “establishment” of the kingdom, per the Scriptures, will not be in heaven, as we SDA are commonly taught. It’s right here on earth, and Lord’s great Name will finally be exalted by true representatives, those who “walk the walk” and not only “talk the talk”.

Let’s look at some specific promises found in Jeremiah.

“For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it”(Jer. 30:3)

What is important to know in this promise is that in Jeremiah’s day, only the 2 tribes of Judah returned. This promise calls for ALL 12 tribes to return. The 10 tribes of Israel were dispersed among the nations and have never returned to this day. So this remains yet to be fulfilled, lest God has made an empty promise.

Also it’s important to point out that this is unconditional. The words “I will” and “they shall” are, as any knowledgeable english student knows, without conditions. To solidify that this promise is yet future we read,

“The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.“ (Jer.30:24)

We are living in the latter days, and as such we now — consider it. We now know that this promise will be fulfilled as we are revealed His upcoming pre-millennial kingdom on earth, His words will not return void–praise the Lord!

Thus we see very clearly that this prophecy begins with the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Church of the last days. And we just read from inspiration, that all the covenant promises that were made to ancient Israel are to be fulfilled with us today. That is what the Bible says. As strange and new as it may sound, this is what the Bible says. Israel and Judah are to one day go back to the land that He gave to the fathers.

Now why would God want His people back there? Well to fulfill His promise. The promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Israel. He vowed to them that He would have a kingdom. Now you know why the disciples asked Jesus will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

They could not just shove those prophecies aside. They understood that it must be fulfilled. Because God promised it. And Jesus told them it was not for them to know the times. But in the latter days, Jeremiah proclaims it to be. God does not make a mistake. He is always right.

In the book of isaiah, chapter 11, we find something that should make every doubter sit up straight. Carefully observe the promises given and then we’ll discuss what makes these inspired words one of the clearest of all Scripture as to the pre-millennial kingdom.

Isaiah 11:

1: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

3: And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5: And r righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7: And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8: And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

9: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

10: And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

11: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12: And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

Now you are probably thinking that this is referring to the new earth. Well yes we do understand that in the New Earth everything will be peaceful. Everything will be marvelous. Pretty much as described here will be similar, But this prophecy brothers and sisters is not speaking about the New Earth.

Isa 65:9-20 Speaks about the New Earth. It tells how the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. Very similar to that of chapter 11. But here are three main reasons why this cannot be speaking about the New Earth. Isaiah 11:1 must be speaking about a time before Jesus comes.

THE FIRST REASON is simply this…It mentions in vs 10 that when this Kingdom is established when the wolf is lying down with the lamb, when the leopard is lying down with the kid, it says, vs 10, in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand FOR AN ENSIGN, (means a standard or a flag) for the people. And to it, (to the kingdom, to this ensign) shall the Gentiles seek.

Brothers and Sisters, THERE WILL BE NO GENTILES OR STRANGERS OR UNBELIEVERS IN HEAVEN OR IN THE NEW EARTH. So here Isaiah cannot be speaking about the New Earth or heaven. This prophecy is talking about a time when unbelievers, Gentiles, strangers, will be flocking to the kingdom. They will be coming to join God’s people. But this again cannot happen in heaven or the New Earth. Probation will already be closed by then.

Now with that in mind you can look at the next vs. That is vs 11.

Here the Lord says He is going to reach out and gather His people. Just like He did anciently, except he will not gather from Egypt alone this time, but from all the islands of the sea. And vs 12 says that He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. You can see Brothers and Sisters that Isa 11:11 must apply to a time when you can have Gentiles seeking the Kingdom. Wanting to know more about God and His people. And He is going to gather His people from all over the world. That has to be pre-millennial. Don’t you think? Not after, not during. But before, prior to.

Now with this in mind we can surely see that it is talking about now, our time, in the days of these kings. The latter days. But you may be saying again this is conditional. Brothers and Sisters, let’s focus on the fact that there are no conditions attached here. What God says He will do and unless He says otherwise, we are to accept what He says. Whatever is uttered from His mouth He will not change. No buts, no maybe’s. It is very plain. It is a prophecy that will be fulfilled. The Bible says exactly what God is going to do in the days of these kings.

Next week we’ll look at more reasons that Isaiah’s prophetic words apply to the upcoming earthly kingdom before the Lord’s return in the clouds. One thing we should be clear is that this kingdom will be what is termed Theocracy. That means a church kingdom that will be based out of Israel, the land He promises His remnant people in these Scriptures. The kingdom will not be considered a world governing kingdom because we know that the mark of the beast system will be set up as well during this time.

The two kingdoms will be directly opposed and as such people will have a clear-cut idea which side to choose and join up with. The main proponent is either worship Him corporately on the so-called “Lord’s day” which is promoted as Sunday, or the Biblical Sabbath which starts at sunset Friday evening to sun-set Saturday evening. The Lord is going to pull out “all stops” in one last witness to mankind. Sort of like “Here I AM, are you going to join Me?” This will be the time as prophesied by our prophetess.

“The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call and left the fallen churches. Many had come to years of accountability since these messages had been given, and the light shone upon them, and they were privileged to choose life or death. Some chose life and took their stand with those who were looking for their Lord and keeping all His commandments.

The third message was to do its work; all were to be tested upon it, and the precious ones were to be called out from the religious bodies. A compelling power moved the honest, while the manifestation of the power of God brought a fear and restraint upon their unbelieving relatives and friends so that they dared not, neither had they the power to, hinder those who felt the work of the Spirit of God upon them.

The last call was carried even to the poor slaves, and the pious among them poured forth their songs of rapturous joy at the prospect of their happy deliverance. Their masters could not check them; fear and astonishment kept them silent. Mighty miracles were wrought, the sick were healed, and signs and wonders followed the believers.

God was in the work, and every saint, fearless of consequences, followed the convictions of his own conscience and united with those who were keeping all the commandments of God; and with power they sounded abroad the third message. I saw that this message will close with power and strength far exceeding the midnight cry.”

Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction. God’s people were strengthened by the excellent glory which rested upon them in rich abundance and prepared them to endure the hour of temptation. I heard everywhere a multitude of voices saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”(Early Writings, p.278-279)

One thing we should understand here is that during this time of glorious miracles and calling out time, the people of God must come “out” and go into a righteous place where God wants them. Where will that be? it will be His holy land–Israel.

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.(Jer. 23:7-8)

My brothers and sister the above promises have never happened to this very day. We know that God’s word CANNOT return void. You and I may “shoot at the wind” in our speaking, but God’s word is life.

Next week in part 2, we’ll look at further reasons that Isaiah’s prophetic words apply to the upcoming earthly kingdom before the Lord’s return in the clouds. Also we’ll take a look at Ezekiel’s prophecies.

(We’d like to thank our friends at SDA prophetic ministries for some of the quotes and comments used in this post.)

Posted in End times, Final Events, Our Lord's kingdom | Leave a Comment »

Spiritual Warfare

August 10, 2013

As we are all aware, in war there is a supreme requirement– preparation. That is to prepare, to plan, to execute. What army does not calculate who, what and where the enemy is, and how to formulate their battle? The greatest “war” of all time is happening in our midst, it’s the final Spiritual war happening in an intense battle. The souls of the world and particularly the Seventh Day Adventists (God’s remnant church) , are being fought over. Christ our King and holy angels against Satan and his army of angels.

Obviously we know who wins this battle, but does that make the battle go away? Do we have to remain in this war, to endure it’s struggles? The answer is that only a “few” are active in this battle. The evil ones have no problem with the vast majority who haven’t decided to engage in the battle. The “rich and increased with goods” people are just who the devils enjoy. So what is this battle centered on? The last word from the Lord–His Elijah message of hope and life saving instructions.

In describing the plans and words of Satan to counter this last message of warnings, admonitions, and instructions, we read, ” I will have unbelieving ones present who will express doubts in regard to the Lord’s messages of warnings to His church. Should the people read and believe these admonitions, we could have little hope of overcoming them. But if we can divert their attention from these warnings, they will remain ignorant of our power and cunning, and we shall secure them to our ranks at last.” (Test. to Ministers, p.475)

Let us now look at the many facets of this war and learn more about this enemy we are fighting.

In (Eph.6:12) we read, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

In the above we find powerful and clear clues to this spiritual warfare. First, we see that our struggles are against the ones in power, the rulers, the powers of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil surrounding us. This clearly points out that Satan and his army is behind our struggles and battles. Our family, neighbors or friends may upset us, but the real upsetting comes from the “dark forces” behind it all. But as hard and tough as this battle becomes, we must ever remember “greater is He who is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

As we go into this post, it’s important to ask yourself — “Am I having spiritual struggles, battles on a somewhat regular basis?” If you are not, and find that your walk with Christ is mostly a coasting experience, a mellow all’s well and comfortable experience, then you should be awoke to the fact that something may be amiss. You may not have decided to enter the war. For we are directly told that, “.. all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,“(2 Tim. 3:12). This “persecution” isn’t like the days of old, the throwing you into the lions den, or going to the stake, but rather the murmurs against you, the demotions and dis-fellow shipping from positions in the church, the loss of friends, the mental struggles because of the dark forces surrounding you. All these are evidences that you are in the war. You’re not a looker on or bystander.

Let’s briefly speak about the mental struggles. Once you begin to stand up for the Lord and his purpose for you, you’ll notice that your sighing and crying, your warnings, will sometimes place a burden upon you. After all it’s tough to speak of the negative of situations, instead of the positive. But because we serve a “HOLY GOD” we must view sin as HE sees it.

Ellen White spoke about this, “The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.” (Test. for the Church, Vol. 5, p.211). “Those who have excused these wrongs have been thought by the people to be very amiable and lovely in disposition, simply because they shunned to discharge a plain Scriptural duty. The task was not agreeable to their feelings; therefore they avoided it…The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin in it’s real, sinful character.” (Test. for the Church, vol.3 , p.266)

So now let us look at our enemy and some of his devices he uses today to trip us, to even make us fall if possible.

1) Rich and increased with goods. This is so prevalent today. The devils are active in whispering in the lukewarm member’s ears–“You’re safe you got the knowledge concerning your walk with Christ. Who needs any more messages from the Lord? You have “need of nothing”(Rev. 3:17).

The messages from the pulpit today are largely peace and safety. The same ol same ol. You are saved just because you show up to church.

“The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has
about come. Although loath to punish, nevertheless He will punish, and that speedily. Those who walk
in the light will see signs of the approaching peril; but they are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned
expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the
day of visitation. Far from it. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others,
looking with strong faith to God for help.” (Test. for the Church, vol. 5 p.209)

Remedy- Learn all you can about the Elijah message. This strikes the enemy in his heart. This message helps you survive the upcoming church purification. The instructions given are specific and clear. In (Mal 4:5) we read, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Obviously the focal point of Elijah’s message is to warn us how we are to survive the great and dreadful day.

2) Murmurs and slander against you. The evil ones are not letting anyone who decides to accept the sealing message of Elijah, get away from people saying things against you. This is a center piece in their drive to divide the people of God. What better way to do it than to get the unconverted to talk against you? If we are silent and speak no words of warning to our brethren, then we can rest assured we won’t have this problem. For the devils love those who look the other way at sins in our midst. Does the speaking against us bother us- of course. But does this ploy by Satan and his unsuspecting workers become effective in stopping us from proclaiming the Elijah message of warning? Absolutely not. Did the multitude against Joshua and Caleb succeed in persuading them that the land of Canaan wasn’t able to be taken? They looked to God and believed in Him, not man.

Ellen White describes the actions of Satan in the last days. “We must cause distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their own souls, and lead them to criticize, to judge, and to accuse and condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. ” (Test. to Ministers, p.475)

“…The messages from heaven are of a character to arouse opposition. The faithful witnesses for Christ and the truth will reprove sin. Their words will be like a hammer to break the flinty heart, like a fire to consume the dross. There is constant need of earnest, decided messages of warning. God will have men who are true to duty. At the right time He sends His faithful messengers to do a work similar to that of Elijah.” (Test. for the Church, vol.5, p.254).

Remedy- Keep on doing what you are suppose to–warn, counsel and admonish when needed. As we read, it is our “duty to labor diligently to save others.”

3) Neglect to sigh and cry. This is a real biggie. For we know from the Lord’s Elijah message that “only” those who sign and cry for the abominations done in the church and our own life, will be sealed. God is not playing around when He says in Ezekiel 9 –“..put a mark (seal) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst. To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. (Ezek. 9:4-5)

But the devils are very active in countering these words of God. One of the sure ways they deceive is to say that this was past. Ezekiel 9 happened in the old days of Israel. But when you study and learn the truth you can tell anyone who doubts to read Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p.260. “Study the ninth chapter of Ezekiel, these words will be literally fulfilled.”

Remedy– Learn the specific abominations being done in the church. Then protest against them. There are many ways to do this. You can mention the wrongs to the fellow church members, elders, or even pastor. For example, a while back we had noticed that cell phones were going off in the sanctuary. We brought to the pastor’s attention. Shortly after, the church now prints on the Sabbath program flyer “please silence all electronic devices in sanctuary”.

You can start a blog and speak out about them. You can email brethren. You can from a small study group to discuss them. You can spread the posts and studies of present truth to the brethren. You can post your comments on Facebook. The main point is that you sigh and cry. You let the Lord know you are not a partaker and therefore you have the real chance of getting that eternal seal in your forehead.

4) Dark forces surrounding you. One can look at the situation like this. The whole world is in much darkness. Yet the ones who are converted, the ones who “sell-out” to Jesus and walk in all the light given them, are shining in the midst of the darkness. In other words the devils can spot them right away. In the spiritual realm this is obvious to them. So what happens? They concentrate on these elect of God. Satan has his army stationed around the ones who are doing the most damage to his cause.

Ellen White describes the dark forces surrounding the people of God in the last days.

“I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their faces would light up with the marks of God’s approbation, and again the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them.

Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view, that their eyes might be drawn to the darkness that surrounded them, and thus they be led to distrust God and murmur against Him. Their only safety was in keeping their eyes directed upward. Angels of God had charge over His people, and as the poisonous atmosphere of evil angels was pressed around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually wafting their wings over them to scatter the thick darkness.

As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. The angels of God left these and went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. I saw angels of God hasten to the assistance of all who were struggling with all their power to resist the evil angels and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance. But His angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them.”(Early Writings, p269-270)

We see that only the ones with “strong faith and pleading” are the ones having to deal with the “pressing darkness”. But then she describes the others who are “indifferent and careless”. Notice that these put up no resistance and go through no “agonizing and pleading” for the Lord. The hard stance of proclaiming the unpopular message of Elijah of church warnings, is the all consuming truth for today from the Lord, and hence the devils continue to press their “poisonous atmosphere” at the ones with the “earnest cries.” The sighers and criers are the ones in the battle!

In describing this darkness we read, “Moral darkness, like a funeral pall, covers the earth. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and satanic deceptions are misleading the minds of men. Without the Spirit and power of God it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth.” ( Test. for the Church, vol. 5, p.158)

Let us remember a very important Scripture, which we have brought up several times in past sudies. It is the Lord’s first description of those who won’t make it to heaven. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly...shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:7-8). The Lord has always rewarded those who have stood up. David, Noah, Elijah, Caleb, Joshua, Moses, among others were steadfast in courage. In this final war we must be of courage and not be afraid.

Remedy- Stay focused on Him who gives you strength. Read the Scriptures, SOP, and the Elijah message often. Know that because you are taking a stand in the battle that the evil ones will come at you. But because you know their schemes you can be better prepared to withstand their arrows. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Eph. 6:11)

Here’s an appropriate quote from the Elijah prophet, “The old devil well knows that this is the last message the world will ever receive and that it will chain him for a thousand years and at last reduce his being down to ashes as though he never was.”(Symbolic Code News, vol. 2, no.3-4, p.3)

5) No need to worry about the Tithes. In our present system, there is no doubt that “money makes the world go round.” The Lord knows full well that His work needs funds to reach the honest and willing souls. But Satan and his angels know this just as well. EGW states what Satan says about it , ” We must do our utmost to prevent those who labor in God’s cause from obtaining means to use against us. Keep the money in our own ranks. The more means they obtain, the more they will injure our kingdom by taking from us our subjects. Make them care more for money than for the up building of Christ’s kingdom and the spread of the truths we hate, and we need not fear their influence; for we know that every selfish, covetous person will fall under our power, and will finally be separated from God’s people.” (Test. to Ministers, p.474)

The tithe we must remember is the Lord’s, it’s not ours. So if we deny the Lord His money, we are in effect–thieves. And breakers of His 8th Commandment. His blood can cleanse us of our sins if we repent and turn away from them . But if we continually trespass without asking for repentance (such as stealing from him on a regular basis) are we not in a very dangerous position?

We also know that our Lord pleaded His case to us in His final letter to us in the Old Testament. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. (Mal 3:8)

But this has two elements to it. One, we must be loyal to tithing to Him. Two, we must bring the tithe into His “storehouse”, so that their will be “food in My house.”(Mal. 3:10). The big problem today in our churches is that there is no food (present truth). Meaning that their message is not one of present truth, but past truth. The message of peace and safety week after week is largely what we see. And the devils are perfectly fine with it! So the tithes must be sent to God’s storehouse of present truth. Where the latest and most applicable truth from the Lord is proclaimed.

Remedy- Be faithful in providing the Lord’s money to the right storehouse. If we pay our tithes faithfully yet they go to places where the Lord’s end time truths are not spoken of, are we not defeating the whole purpose of “food in His house”?

Our final quote says the following, ”

“Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their
entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people. Lightness, vanity, love of
ease and pleasure, selfishness, and impurity are increasing among us. There is need now of men who
are firm and fearless in declaring the whole counsel of God; men who will not sleep as do others, but
watch and be sober.” (Test. for the Church, vol. 5, p.160)

In closing, I must say that prior to accepting and proclaiming the Elijah message, the comfort and ease in my walk was much more prevalent. But what kind of servant, relaxes on the couch and takes life’s ease? They go to work, but in this case it’s war– the great spiritual war of all-time. The above 5 points are just a small example of some of the ways we are tempted and pursued by Satan and his angels. The enemy can and will be defeated. It’s only when we can look to our all powerful Lord and His word that we gain strength in this battle of all-time. As I am active in this spiritual war, I have found one of the best ways to combat the arrows thrown (and I feel many ), is to sing to the Lord in the middle of your moments of trial. When things seem very tough, that’s when I turn the tables and sing as if all is just fine. This flusters the evil ones to no end! And it also pleases the Lord! Remember Paul singing in jail?(Acts 16:25).

Ok, let’s put on that armor and go to work, knowing that “.. For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:12)

Posted in End times, Satan, Sighing and Crying, Tithes and Offerings, Warning our brethren | 6 Comments »

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