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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:
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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 Coming of the Lord at Two Different Times and Purposes

April 10, 2023



“And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

“And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezek. 9:2-6.

Here the people are shown to be in a mixed state (tares and wheat commingled), with the time just ahead of them when on the one hand those who have sighed and cried for the abominations in their midst shall receive the mark of deliverance, while on the other hand those who have

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not sighed and cried shall be left without the mark, to perish (in their sins) under the angels’ slaughter weapons.

From this separation — the one in the church — come forth the first fruits.

Then follows the separation from among the nations, as seen in the parable of Matthew 25, prophetically describing Christ’s coming, though not the one viewed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, for at the time of the latter, “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”; whereas at the time of the former, “when the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory [the kingdom-church, which up to this point consists only of the first fruits].

“And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand [these being the second fruits], Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world….Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into

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everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. 25:31-34, 41.

From this separation — the one among the nations — come forth the second fruits.

The angels who are round about the throne in the heavenly sanctuary during the judgment of Daniel 7:9, 10 and of Revelation 5:11 shall, as the parables explain, descend with “the Son of man” when He comes “to His temple” (His church) to separate by judgment “the wicked from among the just,” and to purge as gold and silver those “who may abide the day of His coming…that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mal. 3:2, 3.

In graphic demonstration that He will come to earth with all His angels to execute judgment upon the living, the Lord revealed Himself prophetically to Ezekiel as being brought enthroned to earth by four living creatures just before the slaughter of the hypocrites in the church takes place. And as each of the living creatures has the face of a lion, the face of a calf, the face of a man, and the face of an eagle (Ezek. 1:10), — the same judicial insignia as have the beasts who are before the throne in the heavenly sanctuary (Rev. 4:7) in the time of the judgment of the dead, — and as they descend to earth, they thereby symbolically show that the work of the mediatorial-judicial throne which convenes and

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presides over the judgment of the dead is extended to earth.

This extension, so far as we are able to know now, must take place at the opening of the seventh seal (Rev. 8:1), for at that time the celestial voices, which opened the judgment of the dead, cease in the heavenly sanctuary and begin, after the half hour’s silence, to sound on earth. In other words, just as in heaven at the opening of the judgment of the dead, there were “lightnings and thunderings and voices” (Rev. 4:5), likewise on earth at the opening of the “judgment of the living,” there are “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” Rev. 8:5.

With the judgment of the dead, however, the work of separation takes place in the books in the heavenly sanctuary; whereas with the judgment of the living, the separation takes place among the people in the church as well as among their names in the books in the heavenly sanctuary, thus showing that both sanctuaries will finally be cleansed.

Inescapably, therefore, the Lord’s coming to His temple (Mal. 3:1-3), His coming with all His angels (Matt. 25), and His coming enthroned above the living creatures (Ezek. 1), — all three representing the same event as has been shown, — take place at the beginning of the judgment of the living: the time in which the judicial activities of the heavenly sanctuary

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extend to the earthly sanctuary — the church.

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud,” exclaimed John the Revelator, envisaging the same coming variously described by Malachi, Matthew, and Ezekiel, “and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Rev. 14:14-16.

This coming of the Son of man is plainly, therefore, not when the resurrected and the living righteous are caught up together to meet Him in the air: for verses 17-20, following the ones quoted in the paragraph above, reveal that after He came and reaped the earth, “another angel…having a sharp sickle” came and reaped a second harvest before the wrath of God — the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1) — was poured out upon the wicked.

Thus again and for the fourth time it is seen that there are two different comings of the Son of man: the one to “sever the wicked from among the just” in the church (Matt. 13:49), and then immediately to call the just from among the wicked in

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Babylon (Rev. 18:4); the other to take the saints, both the resurrected and the living, to the mansions which He has prepared for them (1 Thess. 4:16; John 14:1-3).

Posted in End times, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

The Different Movements of God down through History

March 18, 2023


THE NOATIC MOVEMENT was ordained to build the ark both as a warning of the impending deluge and as a refuge from it. The special block of stumbling which Satan cast in the way of the multitudes at that time, he devised from the fact that never in all nature had man seen anything that lent the remotest evidence to the possibility of there ever materializing such a phenomenon as rain. Accordingly, leaning upon their finite knowledge of nature and its potentialities, they scoffed and scorned Noah’s science and his warning of doom, and continued their “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Matt. 24: 38, 39.

Their exalting human science and disregarding divine science, therefore, was the special snare which took the antediluvians. Their fate solemnly warns us carefully to avoid their mistake.

IN THE ABRAHAMIC MOVEMENT, the father of the faithful was called to depart from the cities of the ancient world, in the hope that someday the movement would triumphantly possess the promised land. Fully aware of this fact, Satan worked mightily to sidetrack the movement into the cities of the nations along the way. On this block of stumbling Lot fell, with the result that when the Lord finally snatched him from the destruction of Sodom, as a brand plucked from the burning, he came out the poorest of the poor.

Thus the worldly cities were the quicksands to the first postdiluvians. May we not lose all therein, as did Lot.

THE MOSAIC MOVEMENT was led out of Egypt to possess the land of promise, and there to become a kingdom. Cunningly suiting his temptations to their predispositions, Satan inspired those who were of age when they left the land of Pharoah, to continuous murmuring, complaining, office-seeking and rebelling, and finally to fearing the giant inhabitants of the promised land. Failing to see that their strength was the strong hand of the Lord, they were consequently forced to wander forty long years in the desert, and there to leave parching the bones of all but two of their members who were of age when they left Egypt.

Unbelief, stiffneckedness, distrust of divine leadership, and office seeking, therefore, were the four-headed monster that devoured the people of the Exodus. And these will devour every Present Truth believer who strays into their lair.

THE CANAAN MOVEMENT UNDER JOSHUA was ridded of all sinners and commissioned to possess the land, drive out the heathen, and set up an everlasting kingdom. Knowing that its continuance was contingent on their obedience to the Lord’s instructions through His prophets, Satan moved upon the people to mock the messengers of God, despise His words, and misuse His prophets, “until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:16), and He gave them back to captivity.

Hence to the subjects of the kingdom, the prophets were the great rock of offense—a rock upon which no age before or since has been free from stumbling. The wise today, therefore, will “despise not prophesyings.” 1 Thess. 5:20.

THE APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT was brought forth to proclaim the transferring of the earthly sanctuary service to the heavenly “tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb. 8:2), and to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19) all who should repent of their sins. But to frustrate its purpose, Satan set to work to fashion another deception, and with the departure of the Apostles he quickly succeeded in causing the church completely to lose sight both of the truth of the priesthood of Christ and the truth of baptism, and to establish in their stead an earthly priestcraft and infant baptism.

Thus being led to disbelieve and disregard the sanctuary services and baptism, their very salvation, the Christian church fell through Satan’s trapdoor into error. And that door is still set to take the feet of the unwary—all who disregard or lightly esteem the ever advancing truth unfolded in the special sealing message for today.

THE PROTESTANT MOVEMENTS were raised up to declare and to exploit the primacy of the Bible, because thepre-reformation world was bound in darkness by uninspired man’s religious rule, disallowing the common people the right to possess a Bible, and making them dependent upon his private interpretation of it. Hence came the Protestant churches in their succession, to restore the down-trodden Truth, each protesting against these abuses and usurpations of human rights, each being called forth to make the Christian world realize the need of true Inspiration and of freedom of religion, the right to own a Bible and to study for themselves, and the duty to make the Bible and the Bible only, the rule of their faith.

Being determined, though, to bring the Reformation to naught, Satan has from its beginning constantly worked to cause every church member to revel in private interpretation of the Scriptures and in extra-Biblical theories. Consequently, Protestantism today finds itself following not merely in the way of the uninspired Bible interpretations of one man but in the ways of the uninspired interpretations of thousands of men! And the result is that Christendom teems with schism and confusion unrivaled in history—evidence that the great work of the founding fathers of the Protestant Reformation has been perverted and turned into an undermining force for the frustration of God’s special design for the church today.

Thus we see that the Reformation, which, originally under the direction of inspired men, lifted the church out of one morass, later under the

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direction of uninspired men, plunged her into another, wherein she has been floundering ever since. And unless we let the truth extricate us from this fatal bog of confusion, we cannot defeat the enemy of Inspiration in his tireless and powerful efforts to pervert the implements of our salvation into weapons for our destruction.

THE S.D.A. MOVEMENT was appointed to declare the sanctuary message: “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment [the harvest] is come” (Rev. 14:7) upon all the dead who, from Adam’s time on, failed to get the extra oil (truth) in their vessels (Matt. 25:4), double their talents (verses 15-30), or put on “the wedding garment.” Matt. 22:11. These shall have their names blotted from the Lamb’s Book of Life.

This proclamation concerning the dead was to prepare the living for their impending judgment. For this reason, Satan has employed his every device to lull Adventists into being merely hearers and preachers but not doers of the Word; into tithing mint and anise and cummin, as it were, but omitting the weightier matters of the law. In short, he has made them to become wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked by failing on the one hand to be faithful themselves in doing what they teach others to do, and by failing on the other hand to keep themselves free from doing what they teach others not to do. And to prevent them from awakening to this “terrible deception” (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 254), he keeps them lukewarm, complacently dreaming of being rich in truth and of having need of nothing, though in fact they are in misery and in need of everything.

Clearly, then, lukewarmness and the hallucination of being rich are the faults peculiar to the Laodiceans, and are the dangers which if not recognized and removed are finally to result in God’s spuing them out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). Thus again the Lord mercifully pleads with Present Truth believers to walk in the light and shun lukewarmness, lest they fall back into thinking themselves rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, and again become poor and in need of everything.

THE ELEVENTH-HOUR MOVEMENT affects us today most immediately and intimately. Being the last gospel effort, it must “give power and force” to the Third Angel’s Message and “lighten the earth with his glory” (Rev. 18:1); it must triumph, though every movement before it has failed. It is destined, not to “prophesy again to many nations” (Rev. 10:11), but to “all.” And as it is to go to those who have not heard of His fame, and to bring to the house of the Lord all the saints “out of all nations” (Isa. 66:19, 20), it is consequently foreordained to endure. To effect this predetermined purpose, God is now taking the reins in His own Hands (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 300), to purify the church by removing from it the tares, and to preserve it free from them henceforth, so that it may stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1).

Indeed, in the very nature of the case, the Eleventh-Hour movement must triumph, for, being the last, the one to garner in the harvest, then should it fail, everyone in the world today would forever remain lost. Double, therefore, are the reasons that the Lord purposes it to stand. Thus the Davidians have been called to “the Kingdom for such a time as this.”

“For,” declares the Word, “by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.…And I will send them that escape of them unto the nations.…And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations.” Isa. 66:16-20.

“And they [the Gentiles] shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord.” Isa 62:12.

“But who may abide the day…? Who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.” Mal. 3:2.

All the more reason, then, that its adherents must be tested and proved worthy. What, therefore, is the first and gravest danger con-fronting Present Truth believers today?

With the end of the long journey in view, the work was never so great, the time in which to do it never so short, and the laborers never so few, as now. Self-evident, therefore, is the fact that Satan’s supreme effort at this hour must be to cause the time to be wasted and the work to go undone.

Rouse, then, O Present Truth believer! Rise speedily to the task set, and “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” Eccles. 9:10. No longer let a moment be wasted, for every precious one is vital to the salvation of your own soul and to the souls of others.” (Sym Code, no.8, p.7-8)

Posted in General thoughts, Present Truth, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

“Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.” (Part 2 of 2)

August 15, 2020

Looking for Elijah - The Association of the Covenant People

We continue with God’s Elijah restoration, part 2  —

4) Pure Food and Drink

In Amos 9:14 we read —

“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.”

“Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them.”(Joel 2:3)

“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.” (Joel 2:21-22)

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel 2:25-26)

Just as the garden of Eden was, with beauty and trees sprouting all over, the same restoration shall appear in the Holy Land in the last days. We can only imagine pure sparkling water such as never seen since the beginning! Fruits and vegetables shining and enticing our eyes to partake!

“‘And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.’ Everything that God had made was the perfection of beauty, and nothing seemed wanting that could contribute to the happiness of the holy pair; yet the Creator gave them still another token of his love, by preparing a garden especially for their home.

In this garden were trees of every variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit. There were lovely vines, growing upright, yet presenting a most graceful appearance, with their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit, of the richest and most varied hues. It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making for themselves a dwelling from living trees covered with foliage and fruit.

There were fragrant flowers of every hud in rich profusion. In the midst of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit appeared like apples of gold and “The creation was now complete. ‘The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.’ ‘And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.’ Eden bloomed on earth. Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No taint of sin, or shadow of death, marred the fair creation. ‘The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.’” (PP, p.45-46)

Let us remember that prior to this restoration, the last gigantic war as spoken of in Zech, 14:1-9 will have just taken place, and then shortly after that the Lord is to cause the land to become miraculously beautiful again as very clearly stated in the Word of the Lord —

“Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.” (Ezek. 36:33-36)

5) The Kingdom organization

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’S  house  shall be established on top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ “For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”(Micah 4:1-2)

As we have posted so many times this promise is directly applicable to us today “last days”. Yes WHILE THE HEATHEN ARE ROUNDABOUT! Unfortunately, our leaders in the SDA church are ignorant of this Word. But aptly able to explain it away should a truth seeker enquire of them its meaning!

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”(Dan. 2:44)


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 obviously 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.

An 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!

Again, as we have explained before, this Word of God shows that during, not after, and while “in” the time of these kings, those of the time of the end, God sets up His final kingdom. it’s beginning stage, then to transfer to the Heavenly courts for a thousand years.

“For thus says the LORD: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’  Behold, I will bring them from the north country,and gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.”(Jer. 7:7-8)

What we love about this reference is that it shows that the “blind and lame” are returning to His kingdom, His Holy Land. No blind and lame will exist in heaven or the new earth! The timing of this kingdom is set to appear and begin IN OUR WORLD TODAY.

For our last reference establishing the Word of His kingdom we look at a most beautiful promise —

 

“Thus says the LORD : ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Ol men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of old age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ says the LORD of hosts. Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ Behold , I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.”(Zech. 8:3-8)

In closing brethren, the full restoration is about to occur. Of course we just touched on a few of the aspects of the restoration to take place. We should know that we live in the final hours of time and that by God’s grace we must be accounted worthy to be a part of this restored kingdom!

 

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.

Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech. 8:20-23)

 NOTE: for those who would like to read a sermon given by brother Victor Houteff on this restoration, click here — http://www.shepherds-rod-message.org/tracts/2tg31.html

Some precious pictures of God’s handiwork —

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Color Code: Orange: The Lord speaking  Blue: The Bible or SOP speaking Brown: the Lord’s Elijah message brought by Victor Houteff  Red: important highlights

Posted in Daniel's Vision (chapter 2), Our Lord's kingdom, Prophecy study | 1 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.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 2

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

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 15, page 3

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

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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.”

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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.”

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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

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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

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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.

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ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW WORLD IN THE SIGHT OF THE OLD

May 2, 2020

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, FEBRUARY 15, 1947
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

TEXT FOR PRAYER The Truth Shall Make You Free

I shall read from “The Mount of Blessing,” page 186, paragraphs one and two. These paragraphs, you will notice, are based on the scripture which says, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs.”

M.B., pg. 186 — “Jesus here refers to a class who have no desire to escape from the slavery of sin. By indulgence in the corrupt and vile, their natures have become so degraded that they cling to the evil, and will not be separated from it. The servants of Christ should not allow themselves to be hindered by those who would make the gospel only a matter of contention and ridicule.

“But the Saviour never passed by one soul, however sunken in sin, who was willing to receive the precious truths of heaven. To publicans and harlots His words were the beginning of a new life…. Beneath an appearance of hatred and contempt, even beneath crime and degradation, may be hidden a soul that the grace of Christ will rescue, to shine as a jewel in the Redeemer’s crown.”

Here we see that in His statement, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,” Christ instructs His followers to abstain from trying to poke down any Bible truth into those who have no desire to be freed from sin. Regardless how far one may have fallen in sin, God will not overlook even one soul who is willing to be helped, and willing to accept and practice the Truth.

With this assurance, let us pray for an increased desire to escape from slavery of sin. Indeed the important thing is not how good or how bad we are or have been, but how susceptible and submissive to present Truth we are now while It unfolds. The real burden of our prayer, should be that we catch a vision of the Truth that makes free if accepted as the Scroll unrolls.

ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW WORLD IN THE SIGHT OF THE OLD

This afternoon we are to study the seventh chapter of Micah. This chapter brings to our attention three divisions of time in which three different conditions obtain on the earth. The first condition is recorded in the first four verses; the second in verses 5-14; and the third, in verse 15 down to the end of the chapter.

Now let us begin our study with–

Micah 7:1 — “Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.”

Something is likened to a vintage after its fruit is gathered in. What is it? We will find the answer by reading–

Mic. 7:2-6 — “The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.”

The righteous having been taken out of the world and the wicked alone left in it, its condition is depicted by a vintage that has been robbed of its fruit and left in a state of loneliness and fear because of total wickedness. This sifting takes place in the day God visits His watchmen; that is, in the Judgment day, the day He separates the “wheat” from the tares (Matt. 13:30), the good fish from the bad fish (Matt. 13:47, 48) the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31-46).

Mic. 7:7-10 — “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.”

These verses present God’s faithful people, the people to whom these prophecies have been unfolded as having an enemy that bears the feminine designation “she.” This “she” questions and doubts God’s presence among His people, she mocks them for their faith.

Since these prophecies are now for the first time brought to light they constitute the message of the hour; and since upon us has been placed the burden of carrying the message to the church, and since she is our enemy as was the Jewish church to the Christian, Inspiration thus bears witness against her, and pronounces her doom.

Then it shall come to pass that “the Gentiles shall see” the saints’ righteousness and all kings their glory and they as a people shall “be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” Isa. 62:2.

Mic. 7:11, 12 — “In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.”

Since this decree is removed in the day the Kingdom (the church purified) is restored, in the day the saints are fortified, the decree has no effect on them. In that day, declares Inspiration, there shall be a great gathering from Assyria and from the fortified cities, even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain. This message, therefore, is the one that precedes the harvest of the earth, the great and dreadful day of the Lord, the Judgment for the Living, the day in which all things are to be restored (Mark 9:12).

Mic. 7:13, 14 — “Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.”

Before these promises are fulfilled, though, Inspiration declared the land was to be desolate, the dispersion of the people would first take place.

This Rod of God not only speaks, but It feeds, too. And what can It be if not “meat in due season”? if not the message of the hour? The people, explains the scripture, are those who dwell solitarily in the woods, in the midst of Carmel. Prophecy, for this day and hour recommends the message which the Rod contains, and which Carmel puts out, none other.

Mic. 7:15 — “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.”

We are given the promise that the saints’ experience is to be similar to that of the Exodus movement; that is, just as they were led out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and were brought safely into the promised land, so shall it be now.

“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. 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.” Isa. 11:11, 12.

Mic. 7:16-18 — “The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

“They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of Thee. Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.”

“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.” Isa. 11:13-15.

As great as shall be the day of the Lord for the faithful, just that dreadful will it be for the unfaithful.

Mic. 7:19 — “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

Our God is wonderful indeed! He retains not His anger. He delights in mercy. He remembers not the sins of the penitent, He casts them away where they cannot be found anymore.

Mic. 7:20 — “Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”

Inspiration reaffirms all God’s promises. They never fail. His prophecies are sure. We are on the threshold of a new world in the sight of the old — soon there shall be sin no more.

“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 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.” Rev. 7:15-17.

Even now, says the Lord, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

“The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

“But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of My holiness. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

“Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.” Isa. 62:6-12.

We are indeed at the threshold of this new world in sight of the old. Let our works and faith now answer the Lord’s most astounding questions since the world began:

“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.

“Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, saith the Lord of hosts. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Mal. 3:1-6.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 28, pages 12 – 19

Posted in End times, Present Truth, Prophecy study, Victor T. Houteff | Leave a Comment »

New World Order Leaders make their Move

April 11, 2020

10 Knights Of The Round Table You've Never Heard Of - Listverse

Ever since Adam and Eve took the bait of which Satan tempted them, we know that Satan to a large degree has ruled the world. Of course, the Lord is still in ultimate control as seen by His word —

“He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:21)

But recently we have witnessed the first worldwide disturbance that many of us have ever witnessed before. A nearly worldwide lockdown! What are we to make of all this? Well as we pointed out in our last post, there are two ways of looking at these events — spiritually, or carnally (prevalent world view).

Obviously to those who are “wise and discerning” the spiritual or heavenly understanding is the one that really counts. So in that way, let us now look at the meaning of these events and where they will lead to.

As we have mentioned in prior reports, Satan has been basically given the kingdoms of this earth, up to a point. Therefore knowing this as truth, we know that he has worked through his evil servants. Those who are nefarious and have absolutely no love of our King nor His truth. Money, greed, perversions of all kinds comprise their life, thus perfect Satan servants.

With this in mind we then can deduct that those servants are doing dastardly evil things in the world, much more than we probably know!

So in short, there is a world hierarchy that runs the world. For more information on this hierarchy we made a YouTube video explaining it several months ago —

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtxiQ-s83js

So what is this hierarchy up to right now? Yes, you guessed it– the GIGANTIC Coronavirus scam! This worldwide disturbance has now locked down the world and is their BIG move to begin their New World Order –so they think! 

As one would imagine we have had a couple questions from the field and frankly many are puzzled, scared and downright worried. So we’d like to address these in this post.

Question –“As this so called pandemic is causing a worldwide lockdown and disruption to our way of life, could it be the beginning of the “New World Order” we have heard so much about through the years?”

No, it is not. How do we know this? The following Scripture gives us the answer–

“And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 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 forever.

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.” Dan. 2:41-45.

Although they may “try” to accomplish their dirty deed, it will all be shortly shut down as the stone (144,000) will break the nations! This glorious team of God’s servants take the field after the tares are removed from the church. Praise the Lord!


Question —  “As the current kingdom rulers of the world seem to be in control of the world through these drastic measures, will this soon turn into the Sunday Law?”

No, we don’t believe it will. The current world rulers are those who also own Israel (through their Zionist movement). Specifically the Rothschilds and a few other massively wealthy families. And we know their demise is promised in Daniel 11:45.

“And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.”

This will then cause a change in players. God’s servants (144,000) against the Mark of the Beast team –666 man, the false prophet, and Satan’s impersonation of Christ through a mysterious man. These anti- God players will have one purpose –to set up their counter world religious system, the Mark of the Beast system. Thus the 144,000 servants will be setting up God’s final real kingdom in Israel and the opposite team will be setting up their world-wide counter religion (Sunday worship).

So the current leaders, who have another “one world” idea in mind will fail badly and will give way to a new batch of leaders because no longer will money, politics, world wars, entertainment,  sports, etc. be the world’s focus, rather religion will be.

Right now there is a group of people, known as Davidian Seventh-day Adventists (not to be confused with Branch Davidians) who truly know prophecy and they look to the following Scripture as nearing perfect fulfillment!


“Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.” (Isaiah 8:9-10)

We are living in great and exciting times, let us be ready and be as His word says —

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matt. 24:42)

Posted in Daniel's Vision (chapter 2), End times, Final Events, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

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 »

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 »

Giving a Present Truth Study/Report (Part 1 of 2)

December 21, 2019

Pandemic Altered U.S. Churchgoers' Discipleship Practices - Lifeway Research

Recently in our part of the Lord’s vineyard, our Facebook ministry called Truth Tellers, a sister inquired on how to put a present truth study together to share with others. Frankly, this was a GREAT question and we supped with the Lord and knew it would be helpful to put a report out on this very basic yet important topic.

In 2 Tim. 2:15 we read —

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

Speaking from a personal point of view, perhaps there is no greater joy than knowing that we have helped someone learn the Word of the Lord, be it prophecies or enlightening and uplifting lessons. The Spirit of Prophecy says —

“You must dig deep in the mine of truth if you would find its richest treasures. Comparing scripture with scripture, you may find the true meaning of the text; but if you do not make the sacred teachings of God’s Word the rule and guide of your life, the truth will be nothing to you.” (The Youth Instructor, July 28, 1892)

There is no doubt that study and the spreading of His truth is richly rewarding in our lives. If we want to “follow the Lamb where ever He goes” (Rev. 14:4) we must indeed be dedicated to God’s holy Word!

Let us breakdown this most rewarding endeavor. 

1 — Prayer

When we come to study we should remember that it is the Great giver of Truth we should seek first. We should claim the promise for John 16:13 —

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”

2 — Admit your need of His help

Self-sufficiency is indeed a woeful thing! You NEED to request the Spirit of Truth in your prayer. We may think we know but we so often don’t. The message expounds upon this —

“..before a person can climb the ladder of Truth, he must first of all free himself from erroneous theories, which keep him bound in darkness. And to loose himself from such weights of error so as to reach the top step of the ladder of Truth, he must carefully investigate and “prove all things” in

Open-Mindedness.

“Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the Word, do not try to make the Word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding.” — Messages to Young People, p. 260.

This prime necessity urgently confronts those who have been disposed to accept, as unquestionable Bible truths, theories which are the results of

Adding To and Taking From the Scriptures.

Any explanation of a prophecy which adds to or takes from any part of relevant scripture in order to harmonize the interpretation, can only be false. When the Spirit of God interprets the Scriptures, He does not in any way need to alter any part of Them in order to make the explanation fit that which is being unfolded. When, moreover, the true interpretation of a prophecy is made, it always contains a lesson of present truth “adapted to the necessities of God’s people” (The Great Controversy, p. 609) at the time the scripture is revealed.” (Tract 5, p.6-7)

Thus we see that in order to do a report or prepare for a study, we need His guidance and it is given us if we prayerfully and honestly request it! God will help us to put the pieces together of the puzzle of truth we are endeavoring to make. Many times we come to do a report with pre-conceived ideas but if we let His word speak to us as it is, we’ll be on the right track.

3 — Focus on a main topic

If we do a study or report we should focus on a clear specific topic (ie. four winds, mark of the beast, special resurrection, etc.). Unfortunately, some present truth studies try to cover too many topics. This causes the report to lose the objective–to convey the main point or lesson. 

4 — Once a topic is chosen, pull out the SRod index

This is SO IMPORTANT! Why? Because it helps us not be private interpreters! We can’t tell you how many times we have read and reviewed countless reports and studies where the presenter has ignored, side-stepped, added to,  or subtracted from the actual INSPIRED words said about a topic or lesson! In other words, as revealed in the Zech. 4  lesson –inserted their own pipe into the trees and pulled out their own interpretations (oil)!

This #4 area we will have to delve into due to its extreme importance! First, God through His Elijah prophet revealed to us a most important lesson about how His truth is communicated from Him down to the church. That lesson is Zechariah 4. The message gave us a beautiful pictorial vision —

Here we see from one of the original Tracts that brother Victor Houteff made — the lesson in picture form of Zech. 4. The Lord’s brilliant truth conveying system is portrayed here, as the message explains —

“Summary of Zechariah Four.

This symbolic unit, having demonstrated that the Bible can be rightly interpreted only by the Spirit that dictated It, shows that the church can be led into all Truth only by this Spirit-controlled method: through the interpreters (the two golden pipes), who alone are qualified and inabled to bring forth meat in due season (golden oil) from the Scriptures (olive trees) into the storehouse (golden bowl) of Present Truth; and in turn through the ministers (seven tubes), who alone are to pass on from the bowl the oil to the church (candlestick), that it might illumine with the light of life this dark and dying world of ours.

Here in pictorial lesson God is unmistakably teaching that He controls the Scriptures and that He reveals them when a need arises, just as Joseph controlled all the grain in the storehouses of ancient Egypt, to hand it out in the time of famine. And as only through him could the Israelites, as well as the Egyptians, obtain grain in time of want, so likewise only from Christ, the King, through His Spirit-filled instrumentalities — Josephs (His specially appointed interpreters of the dreams and the visions which the Bible contains, whether they be to rebuke and enlighten the church or to forewarn the Gentiles) — can we obtain the “oil” which God has placed in the Bible.

In revealing through Zechariah’s symbolism the inspired method of interpretation of the Scriptures, God has graphically prescribed, for the present-day multifarious religious ills,

Heaven’s Specific Remedy.

The many grievous spiritual epidemics now afflicting the Christian church, are caused in large part by Christians unwittingly wresting, garbling, and perverting the Scriptures. This practice, the Devil has spawned and nurtured in order to head off Present Truth, destroy faith in the Scriptures, deceive souls, and increase infidelity, hoping thereby to cut off the human race from the knowledge of the only true and living God, and thus finally from the face of the earth.” (Tract 6, p.24-26)

A wonderful plan! Here we see that we “private” individuals can know His prophetic truth today ONLY through searching and studying “our” SDA prophets –sister White and brother Houteff. These are the TWO PIPES  that take the Inspired Word (the Scriptures) and interpret them and place them into the Golden Bowl of Truth –for us to draw out of and know through his ministers. Thus we have the SOP writings and the Rod writings that make it clear and understandable to us!

This prophecy is known by us, present truth believers, members of the SDA church, but soon as the Loud Cry comes to the world many shall know of it as well! This is the time described of in Rev. 7:9.

Let us give a good example of this truth conveying method helping to guide us and keep us from following a private interpreter’s ideas via a study or report.

Recently we were invited to brother G’s online study. It was to be about the “anti-typical king David” spoken of in Scripture (Ezek. 34:23,24). This study is a more advanced study for present truth believers, but those who have looked at ALL the references from the message on this topic, usually come to the clear decision that this king is someone Christ our King sets up to manage the pre-millennial kingdom–known as the anti-typical king David. But brother G has his own ideas. He tries to teach that Christ Himself physically (and visually) will sit upon the throne in the pre-millennial kingdom! A truly PRIVATE INTERPRETATION.

In the study, he took numerous Bible passages and interpreted them to make his point that Christ would be this anti-typical king. But by doing this he places his own “pipe” into the trees and pulls out his own oil (his ideas) and makes a study! But how do we know? Because we check the index! We carefully take note of the passages he reveals and his meaning of them  THEN we search the index. The message DOES NOT interpret the Scriptures as he interprets! In fact, in the study he presented the message is either silent on the passages he quotes or interprets them differently. This is a classic example of bypassing God’s truth conveying method for –private interpretation, condemned by the Lord’s word.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20)

Take a look at one example of what someone would find if they check out the Index and look up the relevant references the message has on this topic —

Ezek. 34:23, 24 — “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.  And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.”

The self-centered shepherds against whom the prophet is told to write, are to be replaced by one shepherd, David.  When this takes place God’s people will then have but one shepherd.  This, of course, cannot be Christ Himself, for Inspiration never calls Him David, but rather It calls Him the Son of David. 

Since God’s people have always had, and still do have many shepherds, the truth stands out as clear as crystal that the David of verses 23 and 24 is yet to come, and that the shepherds whom Inspiration addresses are in particular those whom David is to succeed.

   Ezekiel, then, was not given a vision of the shepherds in his day, nor of those before his day, but of the shepherds after his day — the day in which God raises up this antitypical David to feed His hungry and neglected flock. 

God’s people shall then no longer serve strangers, “But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.” Jer. 30:9.  Here we see that not only Ezekiel, but Jeremiah also was given a vision of this same truth.  Yes, all the prophets.”( 2 TG, no. 2, p.14-15)

Thus the Lord’s Elijah message says the anti-typical king David “cannot be Christ Himself” but a private interpreter says it’s Christ–who are you going to believe? But you are strong and solid, you’ve read the Index and KNOW what the Lord’s message says!

In an attempt to exalt and honor our King–Christ, brother G ultimately does the opposite by denying our King’s prophetic word! Oh my, what snares befall those who do not properly study! A CLASSIC example of why the Lord sent us the Zech. 4 lesson!

The best SRod Index we suggest is the following, published by the Salem organization. However we do need to caution you, they have the “new codes” in them as well and many of us (yours included) don’t subscribe to them as they were published by brother Houteff’s wife and not authorized by VTH while he was alive. But the main portion of the Index is very complete and has many Rod, Scripture and SOP references, enough to help gather all the particular references for your study. Here is a picture of the book (184 pages) —

This concludes part one, next week God willing we’ll finish with part 2. Contact us at  palmguy@dc.rr.com if you would like more information on the Index.

Color code — Orange the Lord speaking, Blue is Scripture or SOP speaking, Brown is the Elijah message/Rod message as brought by Victor Houteff

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

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