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Is The Lunar Sabbath Biblical?

June 17, 2023

Recently we were somewhat shocked to see a longtime Seventh-day Adventist announce on her YouTube channel that she has given up the SDA faith because we don’t keep the right Sabbath. We knew that her presentations weren’t often a “Thus sayeth the Lord” study, but now we know she wasn’t grounded at all. One of our most basic doctrines is cut asunder for a new theory.

The Sabbath is omni-important as we read —

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”(Genesis 2:1-3)

So this being the case, do we not think our arch enemy will find a way to becloud and confuse God’s Sabbath keepers? Of course. And one of the most delusional and non-logical tricks he has foisted upon us today is the lunacy of the — Lunar  Sabbath.

Let us delve into this subject.

The Lord said to Moses, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Ex. 12:2. God did not say, “It shall also be the beginning of weeks to you.”

It is true that the names of the months and the days of the week are of mythological origin, but the cycle of the week, as we shall see is from time immemorial.

Let us remember that the moon was created on the 4th day and the Sabbath was the 7th day. This fact shall come in handy as we proceed.

The Sabbath which the Lord hallowed was celebrated on exactly the seventh day after the creation of the earth began, not on the seventh day after the creation of the moon began (Gen. 2:2). So the weekly cycle which God set in motion, and the Sabbath which He Himself celebrated, were not measured by the revolutions of the moon, but by the revolutions of the earth.

Understanding the Creation Week | Six Literal Days | Six-Day Creation | God's Creation

Had He intended the moon to fix the time of the holy Sabbath, He would have made it complete its revolution around the earth once either in exactly four weeks or in exactly one week. But since the moon does not do so, it cannot be taken as the Divine regulator of the weekly holy Sabbath day. Moreover, Sabbath begins at “even,” whereas the new moon may appear at any hour of day or night.

So God’s instruction of “even to even” of keeping the Sabbath holy, and as all the historical records prove, must be changed into something else if we observe the lunar sabbath. 

For instance, in the area where we live, the new moon starts this evening (June 17th) at 9;37 pm, past the time the sun sets at 7:59 pm! So are we to ignore the “even to even” time to start the Sabbath now? If that’s the case, then all the ancient customs of the Jews and Christians must have broken the Sabbath, as they both started and stopped the holy observance at the wrong time according to the lunar sabbath observance!

The following paragraphs briefly bring forth solar, lunar, and Biblical facts, not implications, that the weekly cycle never has been and never can be controlled by any lunar or solar calendar, and that the church under God’s direction has never either in the Old or in the New Testament kept a lunar Sabbath.

Had the Lord blessed and observed a Sabbath that is governed by the moon, then the Sabbath hours could not have fallen on the seventh day from the beginning of creation, but rather must have fallen within the tenth day, for the moon was not created and set in motion until after the fourth day of creation. (See Genesis 1:14-19). Since the week was not then governed by the moon, it certainly cannot be governed by it now and still be the week of creation.

As creation week was three days older than both the sun and the moon, the fact conclusively follows, therefore, that neither of these heavenly luminaries could have ever regulated the week of creation. Moreover, such a solar-lunar regulatory force would, except it be in cycles of tens, deprive Time and Creation of the first three days, leaving them as a phantom “lost period.”

The lunar month is not actually four weeks (28 days) long, but approximately twenty-nine and a half days. All the ideas of the weeks being dependent upon the monthly orbit of the moon, cannot hold up upon Biblical history, facts, and logic.

So we see had the Lord wanted us to use the lunar cycle as the Sabbath beginning, then by logic, it would have been the 10th day after creation, not the 7th day, to which we were to observe the Sabbath. The three prior days of creation must be days that count as nothing. God just eliminated them from history! So we see the complete folly of this idea.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” (Jer. 23:16)

“The only ones that will endure to the end will be those who carefully watch their steps from being carried away either by his additions to, or by his subtractions from, the works of Inspiration.” (2 TG, no. 46, p.43-44)

Summary —

History does not support the lunar sabbath either from Scripture or logic. On the contrary, it reveals that the present Roman week is the same as the ancient Jewish and Christian week, that it has been and still is the world’s week from time immemorial from creation. If we fall for a spurious sabbath, then our enemy has snared us with the breaking of the 4th Commandment. The enemy has devised a false idea of true Sabbath worship snaring those who fail to be guided by the “Spirit of Truth”.

Posted in Commandments, Proper teachings, Sabbath, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Sabbath Studies

April 29, 2023


As we near our SDA probation’s close, the thought occurred that some truth seekers may be able to join our Sabbath studies we have every Sabbath.  The Word says —

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

It is important we continue to study and do more study, why? Let us read —

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)

Meeting info —

Date: Every Sabbath
Time: 1 pm Western, 3 pm Central, 4 pm Eastern (USA time)
Subject: Bible studies on prophecy, health studies, testimonies, questions and answers

Login:  by computer or handheld :  brotharrison
By phone: 951-981-7783  or 605-313-4492



Today’s study  (April 29)  and program is as follows:

1) Testimony by a Russian sister who accepted the message of the hour
2) Health presentation

           3) Main Bible study “Current events and Bible prophecy”

          For those who cannot make the live presentation, we will add a recording link later on this post, so check back again.

We are inviting you to join their FreeConferenceCall Meeting Room.

Join the meeting using one of these easy options:

1) One Tap Mobile Dialing: +19519817783
2) Tap here to have us call you: https://www.freeconferencecall.com/backup?dial_number=9519817783
3) Join online for Video and Screen Sharing: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/brotharrison

Additional Options to connect:
Dial-in number (US): (951) 981-7783
Find your local number: https://fccdl.in/i/brotharrison

Having trouble connecting?
Text ‘Call Me’ to (951) 981-7783 to receive a call back. Standard Messaging rates may apply.

Posted in Present Truth, Proper teachings, Prophecy study, Revelation teachings, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

THE JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS’ FAITH IN THE PROPHETS

June 27, 2020


The following is a sermon address given by brother Victor Houteff on November 16, 1946. This is perhaps one of the most enlightening and powerful of all the sermon addresses that VTH gave (known as the Timely Greetings publications). Pray beforehand that the Spirit of truth shall guide you as promised (John 16:13).

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 16, 1946
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

A THOUGHT FOR PRAYER

I shall read from The Mount of Blessing, page 168, beginning where we left off last Sabbath.

“The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us. Satan is working by every deception he can command, in order that we may not discern that love. He will lead us to think that our mistakes and transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will not have respect unto our prayers, and will not bless and save us. In ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we can not remedy our defects of character.

When we try to come to God, the enemy will whisper It is of no use for you to pray; did not you do that evil thing? Have you not sinned against God, and violated your own conscience? But we may tell the enemy that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ When we feel that we have sinned and can not pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we may be, and deeply humbled; but we must pray and believe….”

Here is seen that it is Satan’s studied purpose to discourage us, to make us think that God does not love us, and that He cannot save us from our sins. We are therefore to resist the whisperings of the Enemy. When we see ourselves as sinners, then is the very time for us to come to God, and to accept His love and to fully believe in Him.

We should now pray for an absolute realization that God is in business to save sinners, of whom we are chief. That it matters not how deep in sin we may be, if we but depart from evil and choose to do good He will gladly grant us forgiveness.

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THE JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS’ FAITH IN THE PROPHETS

Let us turn to the writings of the gospel prophet whom the Jews so maliciously sawed asunder.

Isa. 1:18, 19 — “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”

With this Divine recommendation for God’s professed people, the gospel prophet was instructed to introduce his book. And now that we are living in the present-day application of his prophecies, we dare not neglect to comply with Inspiration’s sound and fair recommendation. Our first step shall be to honestly and unbiasedly consider the successes and the failures of those who have gone before us.

Let us beforehand refresh our minds with the Jews’ attitude toward the prophets: Rather than going with the purpose of learning and reasoning, the Jews went to the prophets with prejudiced minds, with malice, with hatred in their hearts, and with instruments of cruelty. (We must not.) This evil spirit was prevalent among the Jews throughout their history. It was manifested even against Moses although for forty

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years he led the Hebrew host with Divine signs and wonders all the way from the brickyards of Egypt to the borders of the promised land.

The remnant finally crossed the Jordan only because they whole-heartedly believed that Moses was God’s mouth piece, and because they ceased murmuring, took and obeyed orders. The Hebrews ever after deeply cherished his writings, and this reverent regard for the Pentateuch continued among the Jews even to the days of Christ. As a man of God and as the nation’s emancipator and founder of its sacred ceremonies, Moses was highly esteemed by all.

Ironically, though the prophets that followed after Moses were rejected by the Jewish nation as a whole. Those who survived in the Babylonian captivity did accept the prophets Haggai and Zechariah only because they were the founders of the movement then on foot as was Moses in his day.

The Jews, according to their own way of reasoning, were honest, though blind, in concluding that they had no need of prophets, because as they saw it, Moses’ writings were complete, there was nothing lacking in them: They contained both the civil and religious laws. They, therefore, saw no need for greater light and no need of another prophet. Through their unbelief in the prophets, they failed to see that their kingdom was only a type of a greater one to come, they failed to see that God’s Truth is progressive and ever unfolding, that each generation has to have added Truth especially adapted to meet their particular needs. Their blindness to this was their basic sin that led them on to ruin.

While the Jews boasted of their faith in Moses’

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writings, Jesus reprehended them by saying: “…had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me.” John 5:46. He had reference to–

Deut. 18:15 –“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.”

Of the coming Messiah Zechariah also wrote:

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

Though they professed to believe in both Moses and Zechariah yet they gave no heed to any of these passages, and ever since a curse has rested upon them.

In rejecting the prophets the Jews thought they were surely keeping out of deception, and thought that they were thus actually loyal to Moses’ writings and consequently to God. This they believed as much in Jesus’ day as Israel believed in Elijah’s day.

Let us now note that they fell into ruin only because they refused to give heed to the prophets who were sent to reform their ways, to correct their erroneous interpretations of Moses’s writings and to lighten the path of their feet the rest of the way — clear to Paradise. Having deprived themselves of the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy by doing away with the prophets, they completely cut off Heaven’s communication line and were thus left in gross darkness and led into error, fanaticism, and crime. They became self-sufficient, proud, boastful, and high minded.

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They felt rich and increased with goods, in need of nothing more. Thus it was that their perversions of the Scriptures by their uninspired interpretations of them caused them to lose the way, and finally to reject and even to crucify their own long-expected Redeemer.

Of Moses’s writings the Jews made a mighty weapon against Christ and the prophets of that day. They were, however, at one time or another forced to acknowledge that their dead fathers were guilty of the blood of the prophets. The same is true today. Many admit that sectarianism is thriving on uninspired interpretations of the Scriptures, yet they expect no inspired interpreters for this day. They thus reject the antitypical prophet Elijah even before his appearance though the Scriptures definitely predict his coming before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, before the Judgment of the Living commences.

If we accept Inspiration’s counsel and come and reason together while we are examining our own standing with the prophets, then an excellent place to begin is

Gen. 49:10 — “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Here Moses wrote that the gathering of the people shall be unto Judah, and that when Shiloh comes, Judah shall have a king and a lawgiver of her own. Do we as Seventh-day Adventists believe in this particular part of Moses’ writings? If not, then we have no better standing with Moses than did the Jews.

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To examine our standing with the rest of the prophets, we need not depart from the subject which Moses has introduced in the scripture just quoted. Mark that between the writings of Moses and of Isaiah, the Bible contains the records of history, the judges and the kings. Isaiah, then, is the next prophet after Moses that we shall go to.

Isa. 2:1, 2 — “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 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.”

Not to Takoma Park, not to Mt. Carmel Center, not to some other place, but to house of Judah and Jerusalem shall the final converts from all nations flow. Isaiah you plainly see absolutely confirms that the gathering of the people shall be unto Judah. Do you?

Jeremiah being the next prophet to Isaiah, we shall read

Jer. 31:6 — “For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.”

“Mount Ephraim,” you know, is the location of the ancient ten-tribe kingdom, Israel. According to this scripture, the kingdom of Israel, which is still lost among the nations, shall some day emerge from the four corners of the earth and gladly join the kingdom of Judah. So shall the gathering of the people be.

Jer. 31:7, 8 — “For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness

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for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.”

Jeremiah discloses that the gathering unto Judah shall be from the four corners of the earth. Indeed, Jeremiah, Moses and Isaiah, all three, speak alike on the subject. The question is, Do you believe what they say? If not, are you then better than were the Jews?

Next we are to test our standing with the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezek. 36:17-27 — “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before Me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: and I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land. But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

“Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of

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Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 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.”

What more could Inspiration say to make the subject clearer? God plainly and solemnly promised to recreate and to rebuild the ancient kingdom, to set it up in its own land. This He is to do after Judah and Israel are scattered among the Gentile nations, and assimilated by them — after they have lost their racial identity — then as Christians, not as Jews, He is to gather them from the four corners of the earth and to bring them to their own land. (And moreover, the Scriptures teach that they are as the sand of the sea for multitude.) This He is to do, you note, not because they are worthy, not because they had been good before or during their dispersion among the Gentiles, but because He is anxious to sanctify His Own name among the heathen.

Still further, after He gathers them from all countries and brings them into their own land, then it is that He promises to cleanse them eternally from

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their filthiness and from their idolatry — to remove all the defects that sin has wrought upon them. Then it is that He gives them a new heart, puts His Spirit upon them and enables them to unavoidably keep His judgments. Mark carefully that regardless of our ideas and opinions all these things take place after God’s people return to their father’s land.

The 144,000 descendants of Jacob, whose fathers were assimilated by the Gentile nations and who thus down through the centuries lost their racial identity, are the first fruits, the first to be gathered unto Judah. They are those who stand on “Mount Zion with the Lamb.” Rev. 14:1. The faithful descendants of the Jews who composed the early Christian church, and who also lost their national identity by naming themselves Christians (Acts 11:26), are also to be gathered from everywhere and brought unto Judah.

Finally, if these prophecies are not to be fulfilled, as the angel of the Laodicean church supposes, and if God’s people are not to return to their homeland, then how will they ever be cleansed from their filthiness since the cleansing is to be done there only? How will they ever have their hearts changed? And what is to make them keep His statutes and judgments unless, as promised, beforehand receive His Spirit in the Promised Land? Indeed, if these prophecies fail, then how will God’s people ever be able to stand before a pure and holy God?

And how will they ever obtain immortality and be on schedule for translation if they do not comply with the prophecies, with His expressed will and plan for His people? And if they ignore these prophecies, the fulfillment of which is during the Judgment for the Living, the harvest, the gathering time, what chance do they then stand to survive that great and dreadful day of the Lord?

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To be more specific, if the denomination fails to recognize and accept these promises, then where are the laity to be led from here on? Certainly not to the Kingdom if their leaders do not believe in It. Do you now believe in Moses, in Isaiah, and Ezekiel? Or do you rather still believe in fables devised by men?

Next to Ezekiel is the prophet Daniel. Incidentally, let us remind ourselves that to begin with, Daniel did not prophesy to the Jews, but to the Chaldeans and to the Medes and Persians. The Jews accepted him as God’s servant only as they saw his prophecies fulfilled. The great question before us, however, is, Do we fully believe in the prophet Daniel’s writings? Let us see.

Dan. 2:44, 45 — “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

On Daniel’s own word, the stone is symbolical, not of something else, but of the Kingdom, the which in the parable of the wheat and tares Jesus calls “barn,” the place into which He is to put the wheat (saints) after it is separated from the tares (Matt. 13:30). Now mark carefully that according to Daniel’s interpretation the stone depicts the Kingdom, the which God shall set up not after the days of these kings, but in their days, and that the stone Kingdom Itself, not

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something else, shall break the great image. If our interpretation of the stone contradicts Daniel’s interpretation of it, then we do not only reject Daniel’s inspiration, but even misconstrue the Word of God! We better not. We now come to the prophet Hosea.

Hosea 1:11; 3:5 — “Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel…. Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.”

Can one believe Hosea on the subject of the Kingdom if he does not believe in the former prophets who taught exactly as he? — Of course not.

We are now at Joel’s prophecies.

Joel 3:1, 2 — “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land.”

When God frees the antitypical children of Judah and of Jerusalem, the church of today, and takes them back to their own land, then it is, you note, that He gathers all nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There He is to judge them — to separate the good from the bad, (Matt. 13:47, 48), the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:32). And this work you must know is the work of the Judgment for all the living. Are we to

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reject Joel along with the prophets before him, and consequently the message of the Judgment for the Living after having for over a century preached the Judgment for the Dead? Ponder over what the Scriptures say and thus make up your mind to forsake all other voices. And what about your belief in the prophet Amos? Let us read

Amos 9:9-15 — “For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by My name, saith the Lord that doeth this.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 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.”

Since Amos with even greater emphasis bears the same testimony as all the prophets before him, and since the language on the subject is crystal clear as is the language of all the prophets before him, so much so that it needs no comments, what shall we do with him? We are now to read

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Obad. 1:15-18 — “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.”

In harmony with all the prophets before him, and in perfect clarity, Obadiah, too, relates that in the day the Lord destroys the heathen, in the day of harvest, or judgment, otherwise called the cleansing of the Sanctuary (Dan. 8:14) and the purification of the church (Mal. 3:1-3), and also the great and dreadful day of the Lord, there shall be deliverance upon Mount Zion, and the house of Jacob shall possess the wealth of the heathen. Do you now believe in the testimony of Jesus through His prophets? If not, then how can you say that you speak according to the “law and to the testimony” (Isa. 8:20)? Ever remember that the law and the testimony always go hand in hand.

The prophet Jonah is next in line, but we shall consider his prophecies when we come to the prophet Nahum.

We shall now see what is to be done with the prophet Micah.

Micah 3:12; 4:1, 2 — “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become

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heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest:… But in the last days 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 unto 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.”

As emphatically as all the prophets before him, Micah declares that after the destruction of the Lord’s ancient “mountain,” (the kingdom), comes the reestablishment of it in the last days, and that peoples and nations shall flow unto it because the Law and the Word of the Lord shall go forth from Zion and from Jerusalem. Shall you now close your ears and eyes against this promise? or do you as servants of God intend to get there with the first fruits? I hope it is the latter. We now come to the prophecy of Nahum:

Nah. 1:12, 13, 15 — “…Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder…. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.”

Nahum’s burden is concerning the restoration, and the fall of Assyria, the powers which rule them in the day He restores the latter-day Kingdom of Judah; in the day He breaks the Assyrian yoke, in the day He bursts asunder the bands that bind His people. In that

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day He sends His messenger to bear good tidings to His people, tidings of peace while the world is upset with wars. Through His messenger He is urging His people to perform their vows, for He is to take away the wicked from among them. Assyria is to vacate and give room to Judah. “For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.” Isa. 30:31. Now He pleads:

“Turn ye unto Him from Whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day [in the day Assyria falls] every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited. And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.” Isa. 31:6-9.

The purification (Judgment), here you see, is conducted from Zion and Jerusalem. And through Malachi asks the Spirit, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi [the ministry], and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mal. 3:2, 3. Do you accept Nahum? And since Jonah’s prophecy is a counterpart of Nahum’s, then if you reject Nahum, you automatically reject Jonah, too.

The prophet Habakkuk was told to “write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run who

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 16

readeth it.”

Hab. 2:3 — “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Then Habakkuk prayed, saying,

Hab. 3:12, 13 — “Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for salvation with Thine anointed; Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.”

Can we in faith pray for the same thing Habakkuk prayed? — That the Lord go forth for the salvation of His people, that the vision be fulfilled without delay, and that we run to proclaim the good tidings? If not, then truly we spurn Habakkuk also.

Let us see what Zephaniah has to say concerning the latter day house of Judah — the mountain of the Lord.

Zeph. 2:5-7 — “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. 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.”

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 17

Since Zephaniah’s prophecy is also definite that the Lord is to re-establish the kingdom of Judah, and since it, too, needs no comment, we shall quickly pass to Zechariah’s prophecy.

Zech. 1:20, 21 — “And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And He spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Once God raised “horns,” nations, to scatter His people throughout the Gentile nations, but those “horns” in the restoration of “all things,” are seen to become “carpenters,” so that while they as horns at long last cast the Gentiles out from the promised land, they are as carpenters to build for Judah. Thus Zechariah, as do all the prophets before him, prophesies of the restoration of the kingdom of Judah. Now we shall read from Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets.

Mal. 3:1-3 — “Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, Whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 18

If, in the face of the plain and unquestionable teachings of all the prophets, we as Seventh-day Adventists fail to give heed to the truth of the Purification of the church (the Kingdom here dealt with), the message of the Judgment for the Living and of the restoration of the kingdom of Judah — the sanctuary for the purified ones, — then certainly others will have to take our places in proclaiming it.

Then along with the Jews we will have to bear the guilt of rejecting all the prophets since the world began. Why? — Because unless we actually believe all that they have written, our merely pretending to believe in them means as much to Heaven as the faith of the Jews in the writings of Moses meant to the Lord. What! Preaching the gospel of the Kingdom but denying the Kingdom Itself!

In closing I shall read from Early Writings, in the chapter entitled “The Loud Cry.”

“This message [that is the message that makes the Loud Cry] seemed to be an addition to the third message, joining it as the midnight cry joined the second angel’s message in 1844.” — Early Writings, pg. 277. And on page 118 we read: — “I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.'”

The author of these statements makes clear that the Loud Cry is not made by a lot of noise, but by an additional message, and that the third angel’s message in the end of the world, not the end itself, selects the wheat from the tares. Who among you would be foolish

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 19

enough to close his eyes and ears to the testimony of the prophets, and at last in consternation cry out, “The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jer. 8:20.

Now, if we as a church do not even so much as expect an additional message, besides rejecting the former prophets, then how much better is our attitude toward God and His prophets of today as well as of yesterday?

The Jews wanted a kingdom of their own, a kingdom of this world (saint and sinner in it). Yes, they wanted a kingdom on earth, but none in Heaven. What is more, they wanted it two thousand years ahead of schedule. Now, ironically, in the time of the restoration of the Kingdom, the Denomination takes an opposite attitude: It wants a kingdom in Heaven, but none on earth. Indeed, it wants to board the “chariot” from Takoma Park. And besides while the Lord says He is to save nations, the Denomination says “He is to save only 144,000 living sons of Jacob,” and consequently none of the sons of other nations!

The Jews wanted nothing but what they wanted, and nothing is just what they got. So it will be with the Denomination if this clear cut and extra Biblical Truth, and the example of the Jews does not help her see that she has drifted “to sea without chart or compass.” — Christ Our Righteousness, pg. 37 (1941 edition). If she continues to want nothing but what she wants, it is certain that nothing is what she can expect.

Pray tell, what more should one expect to get from partial belief in the prophets, from private human interpretation of the Scriptures, from a system

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 20

of explaining away the Scriptures, of making mysteries of simple passages by the use of unknown manuscripts and sectarian translations? Let us hold to “the book of the Lord” which His mouth hath commanded, and which manuscripts His “Spirit…hath gathered….” Isa. 34:16.

Say anything you wish against the Jews, but my study tells me that we as Seventh-day Adventists are outdoing them in mischief.

Moreover, it is now seen that our study of this afternoon is a summary of the message to the Laodiceans, who think that they are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing more, though they have need of everything. They had better awake to their poverty.

To be sure, the present state of affairs does appear gloomy. Yet seeing that this dark and cloudy day holds forth a future of unsurpassing glory, let us with the prophet Habakkuk say: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Hab. 3:17, 18. Thus, just as the apostles defeated the enemy of the church in their day, likewise shall we defeat him in our day.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 21

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Proper teachings, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

God’s everliving Hope

June 6, 2020

The Apostle Paul and His Times: Christian History Timeline ...

Apostle Paul continued to write about the hope in our King —

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” (1 Thes. 1:2-4)

Down through the ages, this has been our Christian belief –that hope is everliving and God delivers those who love Him.  Apostle Paul was certainly one of the most prominent of God’s servants who expressed this hope, in fact, the following Scriptures make it clear of his everliving hope.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thes, 4:16-17)

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. “ (1 Cor. 15:50-52)

Knowing these Scriptures from our view today we know that the Apostle was speaking more for a future time in the prophetic timeline. But as we read them it shows that the servant had hope that he would remain alive and be changed in a twinkling of an eye.

Yet the unfaithful and weak of faith, surely could have used those words as proof that he was a false prophet. They could spread word that his whole movement was false because Paul did indeed die. He lied in other words.

They failed to see that God did not remove His people’s hope. A similar example is a time when the Lord was about to descend to the Father. Let us read —

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” (Acts 1:6-7)

The Apostles had the hope that they would see the long hoped for Kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures. We notice the Lord did not say “No, I will not.” They were keenly aware of the pre-millennial kingdom, the one described throughout Scripture  In Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. But their hope was to remain, not taken away.

Fast forward to the Lord’s last prophet predicted in Malachi 4:5-6. Did he also have this everliving hope? Let us see.

Recently we have had a very intense spiritual battle with the spirits of darkness. Not with Satan himself or his angels but rather through their human agents. These agents have been around for many years, doing much private interpretations and thereby doing private construction of God’s word. In other words, they teach strange fire doctrines. Let us tell of a specific issue.

They are known as “Wave Sheaf Ministry”. This label is most likely made because one of their primary teachings being that current present truth believers, aka. Davidian  Seventh-day Adventists, will be the “first of the first fruits” of the living and the first to survive what is known by them as the “day of reckoning”. The Lord, according to them, is to “suddenly come to His temple” and purify Davidian SDA.

And then after this DSDA judgment, the remaining servants go out and bring in the remained (balance of the 144,000) from the SDA church. Thus they are the final Loud Cry servants of Rev. 7:1-4, who bring in the Great Mulititude (Rev. 7:9).

In doing this teaching, in effect, they are taking the servants of God’s attention from our most important task–spreading the message of Elijah to the Seventh-day Adventist church! To us, it is surely  “strange fire doctrine”. Praise the Lord not many DSDA are snagged.

So let us break down this deception and provide clarity of the issue. 

In the Tract know as “The Levitcus of the DSDA” it reads —

“The name, Davidian, deriving from the name of the king of Ancient Israel, accrues to this Association by reason of its following aspects: First, it is dedicated to the work of announcing and bringing forth the restoration (as predicted in Hosea 1:11; 3:5) of David’s kingdom in antitype, upon the throne of which Christ, “the son of David,” is to sit.

Second, it purports itself to be the first of the first fruits of the living, the vanguard from among the present-day descendants of those Jews who composed the Early Christian Church. With the emergence of this vanguard and its army, the first fruits, from which are elected the 12,000 out of each of the twelve tribes of Jacob, “the 144,000″ (Rev. 14:1; 7:2-8) who stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1; 7:2-8), the reign of antitypical David begins.” (page 3)

Three other references  —

“The Lord wants us to know that when He turns away our captivity He will also make us a name and a praise among all the people of the earth. This kingdom of Judah (the church purified and set apart), is therefore, not only pre-millennial, but also probationary. And how glad we ought to be for the privilege to be among the first of the first fruits.” (1 TG, no.23, p.9)

 

“…Everyone who is well informed in the message that Mt. Carmel is proclaiming, knows that Mt. Carmel is in no way endeavoring to take any institutions, but rather is endeavoring to bring about that reformatory movement long-foretold by Sister White in ‘Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 126. However, it is true that we expect ‘a 144,000’ members from the SDA denomination to join us, after which a GREAT MULTITUDE from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is to swell our membership so greatly that ‘no man could number’ it.” ( 3 SC no. 11,  p.2)

When we see these words penned by brother Houteff, what do we see? We see his everliving hope. The prophet expressed hope that he, along with his group, would indeed be the first of the first fruits, the vanguard that will lead out the movement to the kingdom. God did not take that hope away just as He did not do with the Apostles. But just like with brother Paul, brother Victor spoke more for our time than  theirs.

Looking at these words we know, just as in Paul’s writings,  that they are to be applied today. We as present truth believers are indeed leading out, the vanguard as it were. Our movement is still known as Davidian Seventh-day Adventists.

Yet the great twister of the Word knows how to hook and snare, especially with those who have a desire to exalt themselves. Instead of following the Rod counsel in trying to understand the above references, the Wave Sheaf group puts a whole different view upon them.


“The most common cause of doctrinal confusion among Bible students lies in their so very frequently failing to view a subject in full perspective from the writer’s point of view, — a failing which results in their seeing it from some foreign standpoint so narrowing their view that instead of gaining the writer’s idea on the subject, they gain a false idea on it. And if the idea be to their liking, they magnify and zealously promote it as truth, whereas if it be not to their liking, they vigorously oppose it, and then lay it to the responsibility of the writer!” (Tract 3, p.91)

In the Lev. Tract quote they have made a whole doctrine of the subject “first of the first fruits”. They inject the meaning of that reference to mean that we as Davidians are to be the wave sheaf of the living! In other words upon the day of reckoning, the purification of Davidians, there will be a small number of servants that survive and are to be presented before the Father as the living wave sheaf of the living. The first of the first fruits of the Harvest for the living.

But if we are grounded upon the Rod(Micah 6:9) , the Lord’s final message of Elijah we cannot be snared. The Rod is too clear to misunderstand this subject —

 

“Just as Christ and those whom He raised and took with Him became the prototypical sheaf, betokening the ingathering of the first fruits (the 120) of those who are to be resurrected, so also when He entered upon His priestly ministration in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and presented Himself and His trophies before His Father, they became the antitypical sheaf, betokening the ingathering of the first fruits of those who are to be translated (the 144,000 living saints). In the light of this parallel, the spiritual condition of the 120 before the apostolic Pentecost is clearly seen to typify the spiritual condition of the 144,000 before the future Pentecost.” (Tract 3, p.85-86)

 

“Just as Christ arose on the very day the sheaf was to be offered, likewise the Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 disciples on the very day the wave-loaves were to be presented before the Lord. The apostolic Pentecost was accordingly the prototype of the ceremonial Pentecost (the day the wave-loaves were offered). And since the wave-sheaf was a figure of Christ and of those who arose with Him as the first of the first fruits of the dead, hence the wave-loaves were a figure on the 120 Spirit-filled disciples who were the full complement of first fruits of the dead, and who were gathered in after the resurrection.

From these facts it can more clearly be seen that those whom Christ took with Him were the living wave-sheaf and the only one that has been offered in the heavenly sanctuary; and that as ones raised from the dead, they are the first fruits of the dead, whereas as ones everliving before the Father, they are the living wave-sheaf of the first fruits of the living, the 144,000 servants of God, who sequentially precede The Second Fruits And The Feast Of Tabernacles.”(Tract 3, p.79-80)

Thus we see that there is no need to be confused. The message says Christ our King and those who arose with Him are the “living wave sheaf” of the 144,000.

The deceiver and his agents try hard, though, the deceive with cunningly devised fables. If we are not well-read and thorough students, we may be snared. So we MUST do as counseled–

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

When we step back and look at this issue we see that God’s everliving hope is alive and shown through His prophets. It is only Satan and his agents that mis-construe God’s Word. How thankful we should be that we are promised the “Spirit of Truth” and that He guides us into “all Truth” –Amen!

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

Color Code — Orange — Our King speaking, Blue — Scripture/ Spirit of Prophecy, Brown –Victor Houteff (Rod message), Red— important highlights

Posted in Christian faith, Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, Delusion, Proper teachings | 1 Comment »

Timely Sermons

May 9, 2020

 

Hosea 1 and 2 - Jimmy Kakouri - YouTube

The King said —

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)

And so we must also be found working as daytime allows (probation open). In this way, we’d like to show three sermons that give “meat in due season”. After praying to be “guided into all truth  (John 16:13) you will find them very timely and enlightening. Right now, as we have posted recently,  God has provided His remnant church the opportunity to know His final message of Elijah. May you be blessed!


 

Posted in General thoughts, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Useful sites | Leave a Comment »

The Brethren Come Together

March 28, 2020

As we showed in our last post, the time is now for us to proclaim the Lord’s final message of Elijah. Today (Sabbath March 28, 2020) our brethren from MT. Dale organization held a “Shepherd’s Rod History” presentation. 

They discuss many aspects of the history of the movement, with its many twists and turns. They also discuss current disrupters who attack their work and yet in a cloak of righteousness claim that their work is of God. As an example, one group accuses them of doctoring some artwork on the Tracts, but unbelievably the accusers show that they practiced exactly what they accuse our Mt.Dale brethren of doing! 

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” (Roman 2:1)

The original artwork from the Tract called “Entering Wedge”. A booklet based on health principles which brother Houteff wrote back in 1946 —

Entering Wedge — A Time for Drugs Rather than for Food: A ...
(Source — UPA7.org)

Accusers  doctored Tract for sale on Amazon (since  deleted after being exposed)

UPA7 Attacks God's Workers Again | HearYeTheRod

Despite the enemy coming in from all sides, we must keep our eyes on the goal–His kingdom!

Posted in Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, General thoughts, God's storehouse, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Victor T. Houteff, Witnessing | Leave a Comment »

Uriah Smith’s Confusion

March 14, 2020

Image result for Uriah Smith

As many of us Adventists know, the book “Daniel and the Revelation”, which before was called “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation”, is often used as a basis for some of our SDA end-time beliefs. Yet our final messenger, brother Houteff clearly showed that this book, though partly illuminating, certainly cannot be held in “inspired” esteem as some have thought. Let us now read the cutting truths presented by our Elijah message about this situation.

” .. the reader’s attention is called to Elder Uriah Smith’s book, originally entitled Thoughts on Daniel and The Revelation, and later Daniel and The Revelation, in which is explained, among other subjects, the subject of “the seven trumpets.” Here one will notice that Elder Smith is not the original author of the exposition of the trumpets. The originators were Messrs. Keith, Clark, Barnes, et al. “Thus far,” says Elder Smith, “Keith has furnished us with illustrations of the sounding of the first five trumpets.” — Daniel and The Revelation, p. 506.

Then further in the same chapter, and in explanation of Revelation 9:17, we read: “As the Turks discharged their firearms on horseback, it would appear to the distant beholder, that the fire, smoke and brimstone issued out of the horses’ mouths, as illustrated by the accompanying plate.” — Id., p.510. “Barnes thinks this was the case,” remarks Elder Smith; “and a statement from Gibbon confirms this view.” — ld., p. 510, footnote.

Thus, plainly, the interpretation of the seven trumpets, as it is found in Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, was not originated by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. But their placing upon it their endorsement makes it appear as Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. In other words, the theories of uninspired men having the S.D.A. stamp of approval, are made to appear to the S.D.A. laity as genuine S.D.A. Bible doctrines.

This goes to show that the majority of Seventh-day Adventists, right along with others, do not ask, “Is it true, — in harmony with God’s word? but, By whom is it advocated?” — Testimonies to Ministers, p.106. And if the theory comes through a popular channel, they as a rule unquestionably accept it!

A fair example is their unhesitatingly applauding such manipulations as rationalizing “the heads of lions” (in the symbolism of Revelation 9:17) into heads of Arabian horses, and the serpent-like tails (Rev. 9:19), into common horses’ tails (as evidenced by the accompanying illustration) in order to connect the trumpets with the battles of the Turks!

But even worse, they unhesitatingly agree that the “fire,” “smoke,” and “brimstone” did not issue, as John saw them, from the lion-like mouths, but rather from a gun in the hand of a Turk!

Their accepting these additions and subtractions to and from Holy Writ, a practice condemned by the Scriptures (Rev. 22:18, 19), shows that they are victims of a faulty vision, which causes them to think themselves right when they are all wrong (Testimonies, Vol. 3, pp. 252, 253).

Their subscribing to such a practice, moreover, undermines faith in the Bible, for if the Revelator be wrong in one instance, then can he not be mistaken in other instances also? And if we cannot depend upon the book of The Revelation

 

 

image onf page 5 of tract 5

 

just as it reads, then how can we put confidence in any of the Bible? And if inspired prophets cannot declare the positive truth of what they see, then how can uninspired students of their writings declare it? So, those who learn “to give an answer to every man that asketh…a reason of the hope that is in” (1 Pet. 3:15) them, will have no trouble answering the question:

Did John See Correctly?

True, the seer of Patmos was an erring human being like ourselves, but the one who dictated His writings — the great and infallible I Am, Overseer and Proof Reader of the Scriptures — was there to see that John made a faithful record of what he saw, for the exact truth of the symbolism means our very life. Indeed, it is not possible that the Lord would jeopardize our salvation by displaying the symbolism so far removed from John’s sight that he could not accurately see and record it, and yet expect to save us by it.

If John failed to see correctly the symbols in the vision, as these supposed-to-be men of learning and experience speciously explain, then does it not imply that God is indifferent as to whether or not He reveals in a misleading way truth which is essential to our salvation? If not, and if John was wrong, why, then, did not God correct him? Was it impossible for Him here to correct His prophet?

“The second angel,” says the Revelator, “poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.” Rev. 16:3. If John could not, as is contended, see exactly where the “fire,” “smoke,” and “brimstone” came from, then how could he see that “every” creature, as he says in the words just quoted, died in the bottom of the sea? Which condition is the more difficult to see with exactness?

The acceptance and the teaching of such interpretations is signboard evidence that there is today gross darkness throughout the church, enveloping both the laity and the watchmen who claim to be the “men of experience” mentioned in Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 293, and elucidated in Tract No. 4, The Latest News for Mother Revised Edition, pp. 32-35. These men, though exceedingly “unskilful in the Word,” as is seen from the foregoing observations, forbid that anything new in which they see no light, be brought before the people. And despite the fact that such utterly unlawful and light-obscuring restrictions are devised to keep the people forever in their errors, the laity nevertheless accept them without question, and esteem those who devise them as wise and true friends.

And all who refuse to be bound by such restrictions are “cast out” (Isa. 66:5), while multitudes who disbelieve the Spirit of Prophecy are retained, and other multitudes of like unbelief are accepted as members in approved standing! Thus is reenacted the outstanding sin of the Jews, which called forth from the lips of the Saviour the piercing pronouncement: “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt. 6:23.

“The enemy,” says the Spirit of Prophecy, “is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. They have to a great extent forgotten his past record, and when he makes another advance move, they will not recognize him as their enemy, that old serpent, but they will consider him a friend, one who is doing a good work.” — Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 294.

O what great darkness has covered the people! Will you, Brother, Sister, sit in calm unconcern, and watch the enemy plunge them blindly into hell? Says the Lord: “I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” Rev. 22:16. Then He adds the dread pronouncement: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.” Rev. 22:18, 19.

Now, if John failed in his work, and the Scriptures indeed be as imperfectly written as the commentaries herein examined would force one to conclude they are, how, then, dare Christ adjure us, under pain of such fearful penalty, not to tamper with the Holy Word of God? For if John was wrong in what he wrote, we perish. And if we alter his writings, likewise we perish! What! Were the Scriptures devised for our destruction rather than for our salvation? Forbid the thought! The immutable words of Jesus just quoted, certify that His Book is perfect, and that It need not be altered by any man.

Ironically, though, the very ones who usually become involved in the practice of altering the Scriptures, are those who talk the loudest about exercising great care not to be enmeshed by false doctrine. And, to back up their talk, they very carefully keep themselves aloof from everything new which does not come through themselves. Such will never recover from their terrible blindness until they begin to search for “eyesalve” (Inspiration) as they do for gold, for only new truth can open their eyes, unmask their errors, and woo them to the truth. Satan, though, well knowing that their sight will quickly recover if they come with an open heart to the light, consequently fills them with prejudice to keep them from making an unbiased personal investigation of unfolding truths.

Such are the “lukewarm” church members who have not kept pace with the light, and who as a result have been left behind in every advance of truth. Whereas those who have been dissatisfied with their degree of enlightenment, who are “either hot or cold,” have marched on with present truth from generation to generation.” (Tract 5, p.7-15)

Posted in General thoughts, Proper teachings, Revelation teachings | 2 Comments »

Helpful Videos

February 22, 2020

Image result for Prophecy videos

Some may not be aware of our other ministry work. We have two YouTube channels where we bring updated videos on Bible prophecy and the Elijah message. We’d like to offer some links to certain videos that may be helpful in your Bible knowledge and walk.

1 —  THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS

We discuss one of the message Tracts where it talks about fulfilling God’s work He would like you do to. We discuss prayer and supping and knowing the difference.

2 —  THE SUNDAY LAW DEATH DECREE

We discuss the upcoming Sunday law and the surrounding circumstances to come.

3 — THE SHEPHERD’S ROD HISTORY

We go over the basics of the Rod message and some history in its formation.

4 — WHO IS ADADDON AND APOLLYON?

We discuss what long time beliefs are about this great puzzling question.


5 —  INTERNATIONAL HIERARCHY 

We discuss what kind of current world system we have and how Satan is largely working out his devious plans and how it will soon change.

Posted in Final Events, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Prophecy study, Revelation teachings, Sunday law, Useful sites | Leave a Comment »

Where’s the Beef?

January 25, 2020

Image result for Clara Peller where's the beef

As many of us remember, there was an all-time 1984 classic commercial that aired around the country from Wendy’s fast food chain. Clara Peller was shocked and amazed that what she ordered, what she wanted, was not there except a tiny portion. 

Much like Clara’s amazement and disappointment, we as truth-seekers, often come away from our Sabbath sermons asking the same question –where’s the beef? How come I don’t feel fed? In other words, where’s the thought-provoking, heart-stirring, even solemn messages from our pulpits today?

To be clear, SOP states–

“There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is “present truth” that the flock needs now.” (EW, p.63)

So let us look into our present leaders, our shepherds as it were, and what they are really doing from the pulpit.

In order to relate to our subject, let me tell of my personal history as a preacher from the pulpit.

When I first came into the Sabbath truth, naturally I was led to the SDA church. Slowly but surely I developed friends within it and soon the pastor took me under his wings, so to speak. God, of course, was directing all this, the great All-Seeing One.

I told the  pastor of how I became an Adventist, the sign given me that first Sabbath, and he became excited and said, “Brother Rob, how about you going up in front of the church and telling your story?”

Of course, I accepted as my excitement was still very fresh and I wanted my new church family to know what great things God has done. Taken me, a heathen through and through, into His marvelous light!

So a couple weeks later I was asked to speak during the sermon address. The pastor began his sermon and soon led it into introducing me to share my story. Not really experienced in public speaking, I went up in full faith that I could do it and bring glory to God. Yes, I was nervous, rarely looking straight into the crowd, but the Spirit led and the story was well-received.

But little did I know God was getting me ready for much more public speaking and presentations on a yet to be created, the worldwide viewing platform called YouTube.

The first “sermon” had been a success, and soon the head elder asked me to go up and give the short “pre-Sabbath School” talk. This was exciting and I enjoyed it, particularly because it was my chance to expound upon the Scriptures.

This worked out very well for a few months. But around this time, on that fateful day May 21, 2011, I discovered the life-changing Elijah message of the Lord. So naturally, I embarked on a new direction, Scripture that was only dark sentences to me such as —

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”(Isaiah 2:2-3)

Now became clear and understandable. The “when and how”  now was seen. So towards the end of my short lived SDA public speaking career, I started to speak of “present truth”. I was careful not to mention “The Rod” or “Shepherd’s Rod” as I learned that this would be rejected by the leaders and labeled “heresy” “false doctrine”, etc. putting my position as an SDA in “good standing” in jeopardy.

But the last day I spoke in the pre-Sabbath School talk, I was led to be particularly straight and solemn. I don’t remember all that I said but I do remember the following Scripture spoken —

“You will leave your name for my chosen ones to use in their curses; the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.” (Isaiah 65:15)

This no doubt shook up some in attendance that day. But let us remember the words of the prophetess –

“There is nothing in the popular ministry that stirs the wrath of Satan, makes the sinner tremble, or applies to the heart and conscience, the fearful realities of a judgment soon to come.” (EW, p.273)

But after this last presentation, the head elder later told me “Brother Rob, we were very blessed by your speech today, we need to get you up there again next week.”

But Satan’s workers were there that day and they “trembled” at the straight solid testimonies. A certain woman came up after the talk and asked “what is your name?” I told her and she walked away in a huff. No doubt to inform the Pastor of the straight testimony.

Sure enough later that week I get a call from the Pastor asking me to come into his office before Sabbath service starts the next Sabbath. Long story short they inquired if I was a “Shepherd’s Rod” believer. “Of course” I responded, “why aren’t you guys?” The Pastor had tricked me into thinking it would be a one to one talk, but instead, he had invited the head Deacon and one of the Elders into his office to “warn” me as well.

Sad to say, the spiritual “food” the Spirit was leading me to give the members, many who outright showed much appreciation, was to no longer be dispensed from the pulpit anymore. For Satan had once again blocked the way for  God’s people to be fed!

The SOP again gives us great counsel —

“Ministers who are preaching present truth should not neglect the solemn message to the Laodiceans. The testimony of the True Witness is not a smooth message. The Lord does not say to them, You are about right; you have borne chastisement and reproof that you never deserved; you have been unnecessarily discouraged by severity; you are not guilty of the wrongs and sins for which you have been reproved.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.257)

“…books and papers that contain little of present truth are exalted and men are becoming too wise to follow a ‘Thus saith the Lord.’…many of the watchmen are asleep. They are as the blind leading the bind. Yet the day of the Lord is right upon us. As a thief it is coming with stealthy tread, and it will take unawares all who are not watching. Who among our teachers are awake, and as faithful stewards of the grace of God are giving the trumpet a certain sound?” — (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 166)

“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 is 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 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. 252, 253.)

The Lord’s Rod also has great counsel —

“Unquestionably the time has come for all church members to realize that they are now passing from Christian childhood into Christian maturity, and should, therefore, no longer try to reach the stature of the full grown by continuing to feed on the food of babes.  Hence each one, even the younger members (the born after the flesh), can now be enabled to recognize their spiritual parents, so as intelligently to say, “my Father and my Mother”: for to know their God aright through the Son, and to know their church aright through timely Truth, is what brings life eternal.  And as each assimilates the “strong meat,” he will thereby become wise and strong “to refuse the evil and choose the good.”

Of necessity, therefore, the “special work” for  the church, predicted in The Great Controversy, page 425, has been ordained to bring every honest member to Christian maturity.

Accordingly, also the two foods which Immanuel was to eat in order to “refuse the evil, and choose the good” must be symbolical; for butter and honey in themselves possess no virtue or efficacy to transmit moral discernment, vitalize the will, and purify the heart. 

Besides, He ate of all lawful foods in general (Matt. 11:19).  These two points therefore witness that the “butter and honey”, are symbolical of the Scriptures unfolded — “meat in due season,” — the only food that gives one the knowledge and the will to do right instead of wrong.  Thus Christ said: “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” John 4:32.  Hence, the Christian who would truly know his God and his church in order to be emptied of evil and be filled with the good, must now feed on Present Truth, — the progressive Truth of the living Word revealed through Inspiration. (For the interpretation of the remainder of Isaiah seven, see our Tract No. 6.)” (Tract 14, p.38-39)

The Scriptures as well —

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” ( 2 Tim. 4:3-4)

In closing, is it no wonder that many SDA church members are lethargic and lazy in their spiritual lives? Their food each week, instead of being nourishing, is causing them spiritual degeneration. The real truth seekers want more.

Let us be now firmly aware  –there is a reason you are reading a blog like this, or watching a YouTube video. You want “real food” that satisfies your soul and the Lord is now working through these channels and we praise His name!

They no longer have to say “Where’s the Beef?”

One of our Videos —

 

Posted in Present Truth, Proper teachings, The Spirit of truth, Truth telling vs. lying, Warning our brethren | Leave a Comment »

Giving a Present Truth Study/Report (Part 2 of 2)

December 28, 2019

Image result for picture of a puzzle on table

5. Putting the pieces together

Ok, so now you have a subject you’d like to present. As mentioned in part one, the very first endeavor is to get all the “pieces” together. In other words, go through the index and research all the references that speak of your subject. Let us break this down.

You decide that your subject is the “Mark of the Beast”.  We know that in Rev. 13:14-17 it speaks about this. We find that the Index has 37 places in the Lord’s final message about this subject. Not all are speaking of verses 14 through 17 but may be speaking solely of verse 15 for example. But you still need that as a piece of the truth puzzle you are putting together. You may not need to put each reference in your report.

Often you will find that the references support or repeat each other, or there may be contradictions. We shall deal with that in point 6.

“No one by beginning to study a subject from the middle, backward or forward, can learn its continuity and know what it is all about. If one is to learn the full truth of a subject, he must study it in its entirety.” (TG, vol. 1, no. 5, p.3)

Once all the pieces are gathered, you are now ready to study them very closely!

At this point, it is good to insert a couple of warnings to those who wish to report on the message of the hour. There are two specific counsels that the Elijah message shows us that certainly apply to this endeavor.

“Teach the message as it is—add nothing to it, neither take anything from it.” (SC, vol.1, no.4, p.1)

“Be absolutely certain that you are teaching according to that which is written, and not according to that which you may think should be or will some day be written.

Failure to comply with this requirement will disqualify anyone as a worker in this cause.” (SC, vol. 3, no.5-6, p.14)

Straight clear and unmistakable,  and failure to do this disqualifies us! That is why we are expounding on the point of gathering all that is written, in order to correctly have your sound doctrinal basis.


6. Examine each and every word closely

Image result for magnifying glass

Ok you have gathered all the references that are written on your subject. Note: We are NOT saying the Index is infallible, so there may be occasionally other references existing in the message not listed. But our experience shows that at least 90% plus of the necessary references are listed.

One other tool that is also very helpful are computer searches via a Rod website. The one we find handy is the following site —

http://www.shepherds-rod-message.org/tracts/tracts.html

You will notice the top right hand of the page is listed a “search this site” box. Entering a keyword , for example, “Mark of the Beast”or another reference here can help in your further gathering.

The message here also gives us great counsel on understanding God’s message through understanding His words —

”  ..when we take into consideration the meaning of each word instead of making thoughtless and hasty conclusions, the Scriptures prove to be not only most perfect and wonderful and yet simple, but also inspiring, making wise the humble—and lightening the path of him who as did Christ, delights to do the will of God.” (SC, vol. 2, no.2, p.3)

“Those who do not accept the Word of God just as it reads, will be snared in his trap.” (2 SLM, p.52)

Let us give you an example of how Satan traps many by encouraging them to ignore the above counsel.

As many of you are aware we have worked in His vineyard for a long time now, trying to show our SDA brethren the Lord’s final message of Elijah. We often show them the plain clear promise of Mal. 4:5.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD”.

To this Word, we have seen countless times they say “Oh that is the members of the church who gives the Elijah message, not a specific prophet.” Here is a CLASSIC example of spiritualizing away God’s Word. In other words, crossing out the promise of “Elijah” for “Elijahs”!

This counsel will tremendously help you in putting together a report because you study and believe the message AS IT READS, not as you want it to read, or sidestep it for a pre-conceived idea.

7. Putting it all together

Ok now that some of the basics are established, you are ready for your careful review of all that is written on your subject. Once again we like to use the picture puzzle as our analogy. Your references (pieces of the puzzle) are all laid out on your table (written or copied as to what each reference says).

You now read them all one by one. Carefully comprehending what they say. Personally, I often have to read them 3 or even 4 times each to get a good picture of what they say.

Once you have looked them all over, the promised Spirit of Truth, then helps you start to get the “big picture” of your subject and the lesson you want to present. Remember we are promised, “HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH”. Trust and believe that!

As mentioned, you will likely see repetitions of the same wording or meaning in some ref’s. But you will also experience, especially if you are a seasoned present truth reporter, some areas of the message that seem hard to reconcile, or even occasionally –contradictory. Not to worry!

Even the Scriptures have this issue. But in this case, the preponderance of the evidence, or weight of evidence is what we are counseled to believe in. This “weight” arrives in two ways– the amount of references saying a certain thing and also — the clarity of references. 

“The weight of evidence” is the only fair and final criterion worthy of a  Christian who must ever make an investigation for himself concerning purported  truth.”(Answerer, vol. 1, Q-6)

For example one of the most controversial subjects of the message is the 144,000 and “those with”. Once a study is delved into on this, you will find a dozen or so references that “seem” to indicate that more than 144,000 will be sealed from the Ezek. 9 SDA church judgment from the living. These of course are often misinterpreted. But there are about 50 references that show “only” 144,000 are to be sealed and escape. 

In both the number of references and also to the clarity it shows the latter as being the more weightful position, and one we must believe in. To do otherwise is to show we have a private agenda and private ideas we want to promote. The preponderance of the evidence, in this case, is swept under the rug and self-delusion and truth twisting is the ultimate result.

After you have all the references then you can then start to put it out as a study or report, careful to keep the main lesson in mind. Most of the time the report will be only a few pages, but occasionally and due to the many references on the subject, it may require several pages.

Dissemination is important and can be one of many avenues. Blogs, FaceBook, Typed or printed out reports for live in-person studies, YouTube, Live phone conferences, etc.

In giving the presentation and particularly if it is a live presentation or study, bringing the SRod Index can be a big help. There may be questions on a certain reference you didn’t have in the study and you can quickly see if the message has anything to say about it. Preparation will always reward you :-).

ALWAYS begin your study in prayer, asking the Lord for the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit). This way you’re off to a great start!

Summary —

As mentioned presenting a present truth study can be tremendously rewarding. But as we have shown, proper preparation should be done. These steps are a great help to getting it right and keeping from the all too often blunder of “private interpretation” that we have witnessed many times before. Learn the Zech 4 lesson very closely and you will know the Lord’s method of knowing Truth/Prophecies. When we get all the pieces together, we can stand back and see the beautiful “big picture”.

May God bless you in your endeavors to spread His final message! Here is a great video on Zech. 4–enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkjCpTRnNag&list=PLLd9ht6R3H1vYLClVLCzGbxuGxBRE4n2l

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Proper teachings, Prophecy study, Truth telling vs. lying, Witnessing | Leave a Comment »

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