I shall read from “The Mount of Blessing,” page 217, beginning with the first paragraph–
“But to-day mercy pleads with the sinner. ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?’ The voice that speaks to the impenitent to-day is the voice of Him who in heart-anguish exclaimed as He beheld the city of His love: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate!’ In Jerusalem, Jesus beheld a symbol of the world that had rejected and despised His grace. He was weeping, O stubborn heart, for you! Even when Jesus’ tears were shed upon the mount, Jerusalem might yet have repented, and escaped her doom. For a little space the Gift of heaven still waited her acceptance. So, O heart, to you Christ is still speaking in accents of love: ‘Behold I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’ ‘Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.'”
We should pray that we gladly respond to God’s merciful plea; that we realize that His aim is to save us from eternal ruin; that we should respond now in the day of salvation; that we know He is pleading for us today as He pled for Jerusalem at the time of His first advent; that the door of our hearts be never closed to Him.
Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 47
JACOB’S TIME OF TROUBLE;JUDAH AND ISRAEL GOING HOME
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTSSABBATH, JUNE 28, 1947 MT. CARMEL CHAPELWACO, TEXAS
We are now to continue the same subject which we have been studying from the book of Isaiah, but today we shall study it from the book of Jeremiah.
To begin with, we shall notice that the first chapters of the book deal with ancient Judah and Israel, with their sins and stubbornness of heart, and with their resultant dispersion throughout the Gentile nations. The thirtieth chapter, however, deals, not with the scattering of ancient Judah and Israel, but with the gathering of Judah and Israel in our day.
We shall now begin our study with the first three verses–
Jer. 30:1-3 — “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”
Note that both Judah and Israel together have the promise of returning to their homeland. As this has
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never yet been realized, the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.
Jer. 30:4-6 — “And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?”
The cause of the fear here forecast is fundamentally needless and unnecessary, declares the Lord.
Jer. 30:7 — “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”
The people that have come to this antitypical time of trouble are returning to the homeland, are comforted. Apparently it is bad enough to frighten all, but God’s encouraging counsel is, “Fear not.”
Plainly, the burden of this chapter is concerning the antitypical returning to the homeland. Though terrible the trouble may seem, yet the outcome of it is to be the same as in the type. Right now we may not appreciate this study as we ought to, but the time is soon coming in which we will dig as fast and as hard for it as we would to get out from under an avalanche. Those who have but little faith in the Word of God though, the study will not do them much good. Now is the time to start cultivating the faith we need to have then.
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Jacob, our type, well knew that God had directed his return from Padanaram to the homeland, yet he trembled when he heard that Esau, with four hundred men were on the way to meet him. Besides, he was led to wrestle with the angel all night long. He prevailed only because he would not let the Angel go until He blest him. The final result was that on the morrow, Esau, rather than destroying the whole company, very kindly greeted Jacob with a kiss, and cordially invited him to return home! So when it all worked itself out, Jacob plainly saw that there was no need at all to have ever feared.
How encouraging that “all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10:11. That which happened to Jacob is sure to happen to us, and how comforting to know all this ahead of time. Now, if never before we should see that where there is a type there is also an antitype, and that where there is no type, there is no Truth.
Jer. 30:8 — “For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.”
This verse plainly says that God is to free His people from the Gentile yoke, and that strangers [unconverted] shall no more trouble them.
Jer. 30:9 — “But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.”
No longer shall the followers of Truth serve others, but they shall serve the Lord, and a king whom God Himself shall provide.
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Jer. 30:10 — “Therefore fear thou not, O My servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.”
There is therefore no need of fear, but there is a need for faith in the promises of God.
Jer. 30:11 — “For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.”
The punishment dealt to Israel is their being scattered among the Gentiles as amplified in the verses which follow. The time of freedom has nevertheless come, and for this we should be glad and give God the glory.
Jer. 30:12-19 — “For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore
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health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.”
After having gone through their captivity, the people shall fully realize God’s mercy and His wisdom to save them. They shall be happy forevermore, for He will multiply them in the land of their fathers, and there He will make them great.
Jer. 30:20 — “Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before Me, and I will punish all that oppress them.”
The Kingdom (the church purified and apart from the world) is to be as natural and as real as was the kingdom of ancient Israel, but there will be no sinners in It.
Jer. 30:21-23 — “And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto Me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto Me? saith the Lord. And ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.”
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Their nobles shall be of themselves; that is, this Kingdom shall be self-governing under theocracy. The word “behold” calls attention to something that can be seen and therefore implies that the Lord’s whirlwind is already doing its work. No wonder, then, that we are now having disturbance of all kinds, and heavy loss of life and property throughout the earth.
Jer. 30:24 — “The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until He have done it, and until He have performed the intents of His heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.”
The very fact that these truths are now revealed, and also the fact that the things foretold by the Scriptures are now taking place, plainly show that we are now living in the latter days, — the days in which we must consider the cause of the evils which envelop the whole world, and make our calling and election sure.
How thankful we ought to be that the Lord is feeding us with “meat in due season”! Though people kill one another by the millions in order to free themselves from the yoke of some other nation, Moses freed ancient Israel without a casualty. We should now know that faith removes mountains, while doubt ruins nations. We should no longer be fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have written (Lu. 24:25) “Believe” was Jesus’ motto, and it should be ours, too. No doubters will ever enter His Kingdom.
These things are written “that ye might believe….” John 20:31.
There is but one sensible conclusion that you can come to, and that is to whole-heartedly accept and to comply with all the prophets have written. Let no one divert your attention from this Truth.
What is the marriage spoken of in “Christ’s Object Lessons “ p. 307, and in “The Great Controversy,” pp. 416, 427? In one instance, it is said to be “the union of humanity with divinity”; in another, “the reception by Christ of His kingdom”; in still another it is said that the marriage “takes place in heaven, while [the saints] are upon the earth” waiting “for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding.” Will you please clear this complex subject for me?
Answer:
Let us remember that these figures of speech, along with many others, are only illustrations of truths, not the truths in themselves. For example, the setting up of the Kingdom is illustrated, in one instance, by the “harvest;” the subjects of the Kingdom, by the “wheat”; and the kingdom itself, by the “barn.” Matt. 13:30. In another instance, the setting up of the Kingdom and the separation of the sinners from among the saints, are illustrated by the angels drawing “the net” to shore, then sitting down, segregating the bad from the good fish, and putting the good into “vessels,” but casting out of it the bad (Matt. 13:48). In this instance, the subjects of the Kingdom are represented by the good fish; and the Kingdom itself, by the “vessels.”
So, while it is true that the marriage of Christ is a “union of humanity with divinity,” it is also true that the marriage is “the reception of His kingdom,” for humanity makes up the Kingdom. Therefore, the marriage is equivalent to the coronation- the Kingdom itself, to the city, or bride- and the guests, to the saints, or subjects of the Kingdom. From this we see that when Christ receives His Kingdom, He indeed will unite humanity with divinity.
The reception of His Kingdom takes place in heaven while the saints are still on earth, as Daniel was shown: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Dan. 7:13, 14.
Bringing into prophetic focus this same event, Jesus declared parabolically: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return.” Luke 19:12. Note that He receives the Kingdom (acquires ownership of it) while He is away, not when He returns. (See The Great Controversy, pp. 426, 427).
So, the marriage is the coronation of Christ, which takes place in the heavenly temple when all His subjects on earth are made ready, while the work is drawing to completion, and probation to a close. Obviously, then, the marriage takes place before He comes to “receive” the saints unto Himself (John 14:3), and before they meet Him “in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. Afterwards is served the “supper.”
Consequently though the wedding takes place in heaven, the saints while on the earth are the prospective guests for the marriage supper. Then, after the marriage is solemnized in the Holy of Holies, Jesus descends from heaven and takes the guests unto Himself, so that where He is, they may be also (John 14:1-3). There they eat of the “marriage supper of the Lamb.”—The Great Controversy p. 427; Rev. 19:9. In this instance, while the saints are said to be the guests, the Holy City is said to be “the bride.” Rev. 21.9, 10.
Again: just before the marriage, when the saints are still on earth, their righteousness is said to be the bride’s (city’s) “fine linen.” Rev. 19:8.
The lessons that are taught by these and other illustrations become priceless jewels of truth to those who take heed to them.(Answerer, vol. 2, Question 44)
I shall read from The Mount of Blessing beginning on page 183, the last paragraph.
M.B. pg. 183 — If Christ is in you the hope of glory you will have no disposition to watch others to expose their errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn it will be your object to help to bless and to save. In dealing with those who are in error you will heed the injunction Consider thyself lest thou also be tempted. You will call to mind the many times you have erred and how hard it was to find the right way when you had once left it. You will not push your brother into greater darkness but with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger.
He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvarys cross.
From this we see that our need is to pray for Christ to abide in us so that instead of watching for opportunities to accuse or to condemn others and to expose their errors we shall seek every occasion to help them to bless them to save them. We should pray for a deep realization of our own sins pray that the spirit of criticism and self-exaltation be forever banished from us. Then we shall not feel free to mount the judgment seat and accuse anyone.
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T HOUTEF, MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS SABBATH, FEBRUARY 1, 1947 WACO, TEXAS
This afternoon we shall continue our study of the book of Micah. Let us turn to the fifth chapter and begin with the first verse.
Micah 5:1 — Now gather thyself in troops O daughter of troops: He hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
You will notice that besides introducing a number of pronouns — he us they this verse also introduces several different topics: first a daughter of troops then the judge of Israel and a rod. Other subjects are introduced further along in the chapter.
Now to gain the vision and the lesson that Inspiration is anxious that we should from this scripture it is necessary that we study one subject at a time. And in order to do this we must group the verses according to subjects. Since the subject of verse one is the same as of verses 10-15, we shall quote them connectively:
Mic 5:1, 10-15 — Now gather thyself in troops O daughter of troops:…and it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard.
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These verses present a group of people — good and bad commingled — whom God is to cleanse. Then the scripture closes with Gods promise to execute vengeance upon the heathen. The mixed group of people wheat and tares very obviously constitute the church that is approaching the time of the harvest (Matt. 13:30) the time in which all idolators are to perish. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just…. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear let him hear. Matt. 13:49, 43.
We now come to the last part of Micah 5:1. The antecedent of the pronoun He is found in the preceding verse — chapter 4, verse 13. There quickly we see that it is the Lord Himself. Plainly then by the pronoun us Micah means himself and his people — Judah and Israel the church.
Clear it is that while the Lord with His message of warning and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups to oppose. Such has been the case at the introduction of each newly-revealed Truth.
The church is logically called daughter of troops because her mother the Jewish church at the time of the introduction of the gospel of Christ gathered together in troops to oppose the Lord.
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Moreover being smitten in the face rather than in the back the Judge of Israel (Christ) must have been squarely facing them — speaking to them — the reason for which the Jews crucified Him. The verses that follow verse one again confirm the fact that the Judge is Christ. They that smite Him are of course His adversaries His enemies. Concerning them Inspiration says:
Mic 5:9 — Thine hand shall be lifted up upon Thine adversaries and all Thine enemies shall be cut off.
According to Christs parables the time His adversaries His enemies of progressive Truth are cut off is at the commencement of the purification of the church at the harvest time. Then according to Ezekiels prophecy the Lord commissions the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands saying 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. 9:5, 6. The Spirit of Prophecy confirms this by saying:
Here we see that the church — the Lords sanctuary — was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of Gods power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief and they say The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show Gods people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men maidens and little children all perish together. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 211. And through the apostle Peter Inspiration declares:
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Pet. 4:17.
Mic 5:2 — But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel Whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting.
There is no doubt that this verse predicts the birth of Christ the Judge of Israel Whose goings forth have been from everlasting.
Mic 5:3 — Therefore will He give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
Crucifying Christ and their refusing to return to the Lord there was nothing that could have been done for the Jews at that time but to give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth.
The pronoun she points to the daughter of Zion (Mic. 4:10). She is to bring forth her children while in the field while in the Gentile lands. Then the time of her sojourning is to end and she is to be delivered. In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth …and I will make her that halted a remnant…and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever. Mic. 4:6, 7.
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Mic 5:4, 5 — And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.
When the children of the daughter of Zion return to Mount Zion they are to abide forever. Never again are they to be cast out among the Gentile nations. Never are they to be given up. The Lord is thus to make Himself great unto the ends of the earth. When she that travaileth shall have brought forth then the saints are to raise against the Assyrian seven shepherds and eight principal men that is all Gods shepherds and all His principal men including Christ the eighth.
Mic 5:6 — And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian when he cometh into our land and when he treadeth within our borders.
The kingdom of Israel that was destroyed by Assyria and also the kingdom of Judah that was destroyed by Babylon even all the twelve tribes of Israel are to be delivered. –
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And I will declares the Lord make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people and I will be their God. And David My servant shall be king over them and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them. Ezek. 37:22-24.
Mic 5:7 — And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grass that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sons of men.
After the Judgment in the house of God takes place then it is that the remnant those that are left are to finish the work of the gospel.
Those who have trusted to intellect genius or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient independent of God and he cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking testing time will be disclosed to view. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 80.
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Then it is that they the remnant of Jacob are to be gathered into their homeland after which they are sent as missionaries to the Gentiles that have not heard of Gods name and of His fame. Thus it is that those who escape alive from the Judgment of the Lord the remnant shall be as dew from the Lord as showers upon the grass. They shall wait for none in their missionary work. They shall bring all their brethren out of all nations for an offering unto the Lord. Isa. 66:15, 16, 20.
Mic 5:8 — And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver.
While Gods people are as dew and as showers to the righteous (Mic. 5:7) they are to the wicked as lions among beasts and flocks of sheep. In other words their gospel will save the penitent but destroy the impenitent.
Mic 5:9-14 — Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
These verses can mean only one thing and that is that God will thoroughly purge His floor. He will take the fan in His hand and blow out the chaff He will destroy the sinners that are among His people. In thus purifying His church He will create a clean people a united and zeal-filled ministry. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice He declares with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Isa. 52:8.
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Mic 5:15 — And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard.
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Peter 4:17, 18.
That we miss no part of the lesson in this study let us recapitulate the main points.
To begin with a group of people — good and bad commingled — are brought to view. They as we have seen constitute the church that is approaching the time of harvest in which the wicked are to be severed from among the just. (Matt. 13:49).
While the Lord with a message of warnings and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups ( troops ) to oppose. Then they are to be cut off. The horses (leaders) shall be cut off (discharged) and the chariots (gathering places) destroyed. Gods people are to be thoroughly purged of sin and sinners and only the penitent are to be left. They are the remnant of Jacob who shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid. Zeph. 3:13. They are to be gathered into their homeland from thence to go as missionaries to the Gentiles. To the penitent they are to be as dew and as showers but to the impenitent as lions among beasts and flocks.
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So the stir caused by Truths siege of the church and Its adversaries warring against It that is already beginning to arrest the attention of the world is to result in the cleansing of the church temple. Mal. 3:1-3
Thus is the Lord to finish His work on earth gather His people destroy the sinners and the heathen alike. Necessarily …the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 80. Depth of mercy can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear Me the chief of sinners spare?
I have long withstood His grace Long provoked Him to His face Would not hearken to His calls Grieved Him by a thousand falls. There for me the Saviour stands Shows His wounds and spreads His hands God is love I know I feel Jesus weeps and loves me still.
We have been working in God’s vineyard for about 15 years now and it truly is a great feeling to see a brother or sister, in the faith, produce something so enlightening and informative! This video above is a must watch video, especially if you are Seventh-day Adventist or Davidian Seventh-day Adventist.
The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy references are used to show a comprehensive final event outline. There are details, ofcourse, that the final message of Elijah can expound upon but the general outline here is excellent. Be blessed.
As we witness a war in Israel, we should be concerned that prophecies may soon be fulfilled in rapid succession. We have put out a video explaining more about the final Gospel Proclamation headquarters. For Seventh-day Adventists in particular, we MUST know the times of the seasons we live in. For the link please click below. May you be blessed.
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF, MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS SABBATH, FEBRUARY 1, 1947 MT. CARMEL CHAPEL WACO, TEXAS
OPENING PRAYER THOUGHT
I shall read from “The Mount of Blessing,” beginning on page 183, the last paragraph.
M.B., pg. 183 — “If Christ is in you ‘the hope of glory,’ you will have no disposition to watch others, to expose their errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn, it will be your object to help, to bless, and to save. In dealing with those who are in error, you will heed the injunction, Consider ‘thyself, lest thou also be tempted.’ You will call to mind the many times you have erred, and how hard it was to find the right way when you had once left it. You will not push your brother into greater darkness, but with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger.
“He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary, remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there, will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary’s cross.”
From this we see that our need is to pray for Christ to abide in us, so that instead of watching for opportunities to accuse or to condemn others, and to expose their errors, we shall seek every occasion to help them, to bless them, to save them. We should pray for a deep realization of our own sins; pray that the spirit of criticism and self-exaltation be forever banished from us. Then we shall not feel free to mount the judgment seat and accuse anyone.
Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, page 14
A WORLD WIDE STIR, AND ITS RESULTS
This afternoon we shall continue our study of the book of Micah. Let us turn to the fifth chapter, and begin with the first verse.
Micah 5:1 — “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: He hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.”
You will notice that besides introducing a number of pronouns — he, us, they, this verse also introduces several different topics: first a “daughter of troops,” then “the judge of Israel” and a “rod.” Other subjects are introduced further along in the chapter.
Now to gain the vision and the lesson that Inspiration is anxious that we should from this scripture, it is necessary that we study one subject at a time. And in order to do this, we must group the verses according to subjects. Since the subject of verse one is the same as of verses 10-15, we shall quote them connectively:
Mic. 5:1, 10-15 — “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops:…and it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down
Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, page 15
all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.”
These verses present a group of people — good and bad commingled — whom God is to cleanse. Then the scripture closes with God’s promise to execute vengeance upon the heathen. The mixed group of people, “wheat” and “tares,” very obviously constitute the church that is approaching “the time of the harvest” (Matt. 13:30), the time in which all idolators are to perish. “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just…. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt. 13:49, 43.
We now come to the last part of Micah 5:1. The antecedent of the pronoun “He” is found in the preceding verse — chapter 4, verse 13. There quickly we see that it is the Lord Himself. Plainly, then, by the pronoun “us” Micah means himself and his people — Judah and Israel, the church.
Clear it is that while the Lord with His message of warning and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups to oppose. Such has been the case at the introduction of each newly-revealed Truth.
The church is logically called “daughter of troops,” because her mother the Jewish church at the time of
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the introduction of the gospel of Christ, gathered together in troops, to oppose the Lord.
Moreover being smitten in the face rather than in the back, the Judge of Israel (Christ) must have been squarely facing them — speaking to them, — the reason for which the Jews’ crucified Him. The verses that follow verse one again confirm the fact that “the Judge” is Christ. They that smite Him are, of course, His adversaries, His enemies. Concerning them Inspiration says:
Mic. 5:9 — “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon Thine adversaries, and all Thine enemies shall be cut off.”
According to Christ’s parables, the time His “adversaries,” His enemies of progressive Truth, are cut off is at the commencement of the purification of the church, at the harvest time. Then, according to Ezekiel’s prophecy, the Lord commissions the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands, saying, “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. 9:5, 6. The Spirit of Prophecy confirms this by saying:
“Here we see that the church — the Lord’s sanctuary — was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light, and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say, The
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Lord will not do good neither will he do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs, that would not bark, are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children, all perish together.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 211. And through the apostle Peter, Inspiration declares:
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Pet. 4:17.
Mic. 5:2 — “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
There is no doubt that this verse predicts the birth of Christ, “the Judge of Israel,” “Whose goings forth” have been from everlasting.
Mic. 5:3 — “Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”
Crucifying Christ and their refusing to return to the Lord, there was nothing that could have been done for the Jews at that time but to give them up “until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth.”
The pronoun “she” points to the daughter of Zion
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(Mic. 4:10). She is to bring forth her children while in the field; while in the Gentile lands. Then the time of her sojourning is to end and she is to be delivered. “In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth,…and I will make her that halted a remnant…and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” Mic. 4:6, 7.
Mic. 5:4, 5 — “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.”
When the children of the daughter of Zion return to Mount Zion, they are to abide forever. Never again are they to be cast out among the Gentile nations. Never are they to be given up. The Lord is thus to make Himself “great unto the ends of the earth.” When she that travaileth shall have brought forth, then the saints are to raise against the Assyrian “seven shepherds, and eight principal men”; that is, all God’s shepherds and all His principal men, including Christ, the eighth.
Mic. 5:6 — “And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.”
The kingdom of Israel that was destroyed by Assyria, and also the kingdom of Judah that was destroyed by Babylon, even all the twelve tribes of
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Israel are to be delivered.
“And I will,” declares the Lord, “make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God. And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.” Ezek. 37:22-24.
Mic. 5:7 — “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.”
After the Judgment in the house of God takes place, then it is that “the remnant,” those that are left, are to finish the work of the gospel.
“Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent, will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and he cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 80.
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Then it is that they, the remnant of Jacob, are to be gathered into their homeland, after which they are sent as missionaries to the Gentiles that have not heard of God’s name and of His fame. Thus it is that those who escape alive from the Judgment of the Lord, the remnant, shall be as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass. They shall wait for none in their missionary work. They shall bring all their brethren out of all nations “for an offering unto the Lord.” Isa. 66:15, 16, 20.
Mic. 5:8 — “And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.”
While God’s people are as dew and as showers to the righteous (Mic. 5:7), they are to the wicked as lions among beasts and flocks of sheep. In other words, their gospel will save the penitent, but destroy the impenitent.
Mic. 5:9-14 — “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.”
These verses can mean only one thing, and that is, that God will thoroughly purge His floor. He will take the fan in His hand and blow out the chaff, He
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will destroy the sinners that are among His people. In thus purifying His church, He will create a clean people, a united and zeal-filled ministry. “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice;” He declares, “with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Isa. 52:8.
Mic. 5:15 — “And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.”
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:17, 18.
That we miss no part of the lesson in this study, let us recapitulate the main points.
To begin with, a group of people — good and bad commingled — are brought to view. They, as we have seen, constitute the church that is approaching the time of harvest in which the wicked are to be severed from among the just. (Matt. 13:49).
While the Lord with a message of warnings and reproofs makes a siege against His people, the adversaries gather together in groups (“troops”) to oppose. Then they are to be cut off. The horses (leaders) shall be cut off (discharged) and the chariots (gathering places) destroyed. God’s people are to be thoroughly purged of sin and sinners and only the penitent are to be left. They are the remnant of Jacob who “shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for
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they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Zeph. 3:13. They are to be gathered into their homeland, from thence to go as missionaries to the Gentiles. To the penitent they are to be as dew and as showers, but to the impenitent, as lions among beasts and flocks.
So the stir caused by Truth’s siege of the church and It’s adversaries warring against It, that is already beginning to arrest the attention of the world, is to result in the cleansing of the church, “temple.” Mal. 3:1-3.
Thus is the Lord to finish His work on earth, gather His people, destroy the sinners and the heathen alike. Necessarily, “…the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 80.
Depth Of Mercy
Depth of mercy! can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear, Me, the chief of sinners spare?
I have long withstood His grace, Long provoked Him to His face, Would not hearken to His calls, Grieved Him by a thousand falls.
There for me the Saviour stands, Shows His wounds and spreads His hands, God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still.
Recently we were somewhat shocked to see a longtime Seventh-day Adventist announce on her YouTube channel that she has given up the SDA faith because we don’t keep the right Sabbath. We knew that her presentations weren’t often a “Thus sayeth the Lord” study, but now we know she wasn’t grounded at all. One of our most basic doctrines is cut asunder for a new theory.
The Sabbath is omni-important as we read —
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”(Genesis 2:1-3)
So this being the case, do we not think our arch enemy will find a way to becloud and confuse God’s Sabbath keepers? Of course. And one of the most delusional and non-logical tricks he has foisted upon us today is the lunacy of the — Lunar Sabbath.
Let us delve into this subject.
The Lord said to Moses, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Ex. 12:2.God did not say, “It shall also be the beginning of weeks to you.”
It is true that the names of the months and the days of the week are of mythological origin, but the cycle of the week, as we shall see is from time immemorial.
Let us remember that the moon was created on the 4th day and the Sabbath was the 7th day. This fact shall come in handy as we proceed.
The Sabbath which the Lord hallowed was celebrated on exactly the seventh day after the creation of the earth began, not on the seventh day after the creation of the moon began (Gen. 2:2). So the weekly cycle which God set in motion, and the Sabbath which He Himself celebrated, were not measured by the revolutions of the moon, but by the revolutions of the earth.
Had He intended the moon to fix the time of the holy Sabbath, He would have made it complete its revolution around the earth once either in exactly four weeks or in exactly one week. But since the moon does not do so, it cannot be taken as the Divine regulator of the weekly holy Sabbath day. Moreover, Sabbath begins at “even,” whereas the new moon may appear at any hour of day or night.
So God’s instruction of “even to even” of keeping the Sabbath holy, and as all the historical records prove, must be changed into something else if we observe the lunar sabbath.
For instance, in the area where we live, the new moon starts this evening (June 17th) at 9;37 pm, past the time the sun sets at 7:59 pm! So are we to ignore the “even to even” time to start the Sabbath now? If that’s the case, then all the ancient customs of the Jews and Christians must have broken the Sabbath, as they both started and stopped the holy observance at the wrong time according to the lunar sabbath observance!
The following paragraphs briefly bring forth solar, lunar, and Biblical facts, not implications, that the weekly cycle never has been and never can be controlled by any lunar or solar calendar, and that the church under God’s direction has never either in the Old or in the New Testament kept a lunar Sabbath.
Had the Lord blessed and observed a Sabbath that is governed by the moon, then the Sabbath hours could not have fallen on the seventh day from the beginning of creation, but rather must have fallen within the tenth day, for the moon was not created and set in motion until after the fourth day of creation. (See Genesis 1:14-19). Since the week was not then governed by the moon, it certainly cannot be governed by it now and still be the week of creation.
As creation week was three days older than both the sun and the moon, the fact conclusively follows, therefore, that neither of these heavenly luminaries could have ever regulated the week of creation. Moreover, such a solar-lunar regulatory force would, except it be in cycles of tens, deprive Time and Creation of the first three days, leaving them as a phantom “lost period.”
The lunar month is not actually four weeks (28 days) long, but approximately twenty-nine and a half days. All the ideas of the weeks being dependent upon the monthly orbit of the moon, cannot hold up upon Biblical history, facts, and logic.
So we see had the Lord wanted us to use the lunar cycle as the Sabbath beginning, then by logic, it would have been the 10th day after creation, not the 7th day, to which we were to observe the Sabbath. The three prior days of creation must be days that count as nothing. God just eliminated them from history! So we see the complete folly of this idea.
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” (Jer. 23:16)
“The only ones that will endure to the end will be those who carefully watch their steps from being carried away either by his additions to, or by his subtractions from, the works of Inspiration.” (2 TG, no. 46, p.43-44)
Summary —
History does not support the lunar sabbath either from Scripture or logic. On the contrary, it reveals that the present Roman week is the same as the ancient Jewish and Christian week, that it has been and still is the world’s week from time immemorial from creation. If we fall for a spurious sabbath, then our enemy has snared us with the breaking of the 4th Commandment. The enemy has devised a false idea of true Sabbath worship snaring those who fail to be guided by the “Spirit of Truth”.
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.
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF, MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS SABBATH, APRIL 12, 1947 MT. CARMEL CHAPEL WACO, TEXAS
TEXT FOR PRAYER
The Narrow, Upward Road
I shall read from “The Mount of Blessing,” beginning on page 198 with the second paragraph:
“The narrow, upward road leading to home and rest, furnished Jesus with an impressive figure of the Christian way. The path which I have set before you, He said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of entrance; for the golden rule excludes all pride and self-seeking. There is, indeed, a wider road; but its end is destruction. If you would climb the path of spiritual life, you must constantly ascend; for it is an upward way. You must go with the few; for the multitude will choose the downward path.
“In the road to death the whole race may go, with all their worldliness, all their selfishness, all their pride, dishonesty, and moral debasement. There is room for every man’s opinions and doctrines, space to follow his inclinations, to do whatever his self-love may dictate. In order to go in the path that leads to destruction, there is no need of searching for the way; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad, and the feet naturally turn into the path that ends in death.”
We should pray for power to enable us to turn aside from the broad path, from following self — the path in which we find ourselves from birth up. We should pray to choose the narrow path with the few, to know for a certainty that only the narrow, upward way leads to home and to peace.
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“COMFORT YE, COMFORT YE, MY PEOPLE”
Last week we finished studying the thirty-fifth chapter of the book of Isaiah. And now since, as can be readily seen, chapters 36-39 inclusive, interrupt with historical data the theme of Isaiah’s prophecy, we shall continue where Inspiration picks up the thread of thought in chapter 40 with a tender plea to God’s message-bearing people:
Isa. 40:1, 2 — “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
Verse 2 leaves no doubt that Inspiration is speaking to a people in the latter days, — the days in which the warfare, pilgrimage, and captivity of God’s weary people are accomplished. Having received double for their sin and rebellion, their iniquity is pardoned and are now soon to be delivered. You cannot afford to overlook this comforting message. You must not neglect to make ready, for that is the reason that it is now unsealed and freely delivered to you. Prepare to meet thy God is its key note.
Isa. 40:3 — “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
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True, verse three found fulfillment in the work of John the Baptist; but the verses preceding and also the verses following, definitely apply to the people in the latter days and only partially to the people in John’s day. Therefore the truth stands out boldly that the direct fulfillment of this chapter is found in our time, thus making John’s work an ensample of our work — John’s work the type, ours the antitype.
The “wilderness” and the “desert” (Isa. 40:3) in contrast to the “vineyard,” the house of Judah literally and antitypically says: “The voice of him that crieth in the land of the Gentiles, that says, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the Gentile world a highway for our God.”
Isa. 40:4 — “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.”
To make this highway straight, “the voice” is, as it were, to raise up the valleys, cut through the mountains and hills, and grind down the rough places; that is, every obstruction must and will be removed, the saints must be gathered regardless where they live.
Isa. 40:5 — “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
This shall come to pass as soon as the highway is made ready.
Isa. 40:6-8 — “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord
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bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand for ever.”
“The voice” proclaims that all are grass, that all the goodliness in men is as the flowers of the field, but the Word of God stands forever. It must be, then, that men are blind to these realities, else they would not need be reminded of them. It must be that they are depending upon flesh, instead of upon the Word of God and His Spirit.
Isa. 40:9-11 — “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
The message which this chapter contains, we see, is not a message to be preached to the world, but to the cities of antitypical Judah, the church. And those who proclaim it are citizens of antitypical Zion and Jerusalem, members of the church. They are fearlessly to lift up their voices with strength.
They are to explain that the people whom God uses to get His work done are “His arm”; that they are to rule for Him; that His reward is with Him, and His work yet before Him; that He shall feed His flock, and with His arm (with His church) He shall gather the lambs (the newly converted) and carry them to His kingdom.
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Isa. 40:12-20 — “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.”
Those who are ignorant of God liken Him to something. But the great question is, to what are we likening Him — to something though there is no comparison of Him?
Isa. 40:21-26 — “Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: that bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be
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sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.”
O, how great a God our God is! And how slow we are to grasp His promises. How slow we are to let Him take full charge of us just as He has charge of the stars.
Isa. 40:27 — “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?”
Obviously God’s people are mistaken concerning His knowledge of their ways.
Isa. 40:28-31 — “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
These verses explain that God’s people need to know all these things before they earn the right to
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walk into His Holy Kingdom. And what a wonderful privilege is ours if we but wait on the Lord, if we but remain true and faithful to His Word. Then He shall renew our strength like the eagles; we shall run, and not be weary; we shall walk and not faint.
As the great and dreadful day of the Lord is fast approaching, and as we are already told what to do to make ready, we need not be found wanting. “Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land…. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.” Ps. 85:9-12.
What a comforting message this is! Any wonder why the Almighty urgingly commands: “Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people.”
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF, MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 14, 1946 MT. CARMEL CHAPEL WACO, TEXAS
OPENING PRAYER THOUGHT
Before engaging in a season of prayer, I shall read from The Mount of Blessing, pg. 154, beginning with the first paragraph:
M.B., pg. 154 — “Jesus teaches us to call His Father our Father. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. So ready, so eager is the Saviour’s heart to welcome us as members of the family of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God, He places the assurance of our divine relationship, — ‘Our Father.’
“Here is the announcement of that wonderful truth, so full of encouragement and comfort, that God loves us as He loves His Son. This is what Jesus said in His last prayer for His disciples, Thou ‘has loved them as Thou hast loved Me.’
“The world that Satan has claimed and has ruled over with cruel tyranny, the Son of God has, by one vast achievement, encircled in His love, and connected again with the throne of Jehovah. Cherubim and seraphim, and the unnumbered hosts of all the unfallen worlds, sang anthems of praise to God and the Lamb when this triumph was assured. They rejoiced that the way of salvation had been opened to the fallen race, and that the earth would be redeemed from the curse of sin. How much more should those rejoice who are the objects of such amazing love!”
To say “our Father,” not My Father, especially when praying in public, helps us to realize that we all are brothers. God loves us all as He loves Christ, and He will not disappoint us if we pray and live as Christ’s prayer and example teach. He cannot deny us the answer to our prayers if we know what we are praying for, — if we ask for the things we really need to have, the things He Himself is anxious that we have. Before praying for anything, we must study it over first, so that our prayers, too, may stand forever and ever. Let us kneel.
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ZION AND HER DAUGHTERS IN THE LAST DAYS
You remember that in our last Sabbath’s study, we found that the prophecy of the third chapter of Isaiah actually begins with the second chapter, continues on through the third, and ends with the fourth chapter. And you also recall that the concerns therein, are for the church “in the last days,” in the latter part of the time of the end. In other words, you recollect that in these chapters God is speaking directly to His people who are living at this very time.
Since the concerns of these chapters are addressed to Judah, Jerusalem, and Zion of the last days, let us briefly transpose these titles into the language of today.
The title “Judah” (kingdom of Judah), of course, takes in the nation as a whole. Applying this title to the church in our time, it means the Denomination as a whole, the people that are to make up the antitypical kingdom of Judah. The title “Zion,” the ancient palace grounds personified as is in this chapter, and away from the promised land, means the General Conference, the headquarters of the Denomination. According to Nehemiah 11:1, the title “Jerusalem” anciently meant the city of the rulers of the nation. Applying this title to our time, and away from the
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father land, as Inspiration does, means the under-rulers of the General Conference. To repeat, Judah takes in the laity; Jerusalem takes in the local and union conference officials; Zion takes in the General Conference officials. These are the only possible and logical applications that can be made of this titles.
Knowing now that chapter 3 presents the Lord’s concerns for us today, we shall begin our study with
Isa. 3:16 — “Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet.”
Besides the concerns which we considered last week, the Lord has today this message for “the daughters of Zion.”
In this particular verse, therefore, God is especially addressing the daughters of the highest officials in the Denomination, the ministry, those that are at the head of the work. Accordingly, He is about to do something because the daughters of Zion are “haughty,” proud. Their pride is made manifest in the fact that they walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes; they are unrestrained, licentious, vain. Then, too, while walking, they mince and tinkle with their feet, — they do not walk naturally, they perform as it were, to attract public attention. As God sees them they are on the streets, not to get where they have started for, not to get their work done, but they are there to be seen. This is the way God sees the state of affairs that exists among the daughters of Zion. He sees them as ringleaders in licentiousness in the church.
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You remember in our previous study what the Lord has against the ancients of His people, against the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the prudent, the captain of fifty, the honorable, the counsellor, the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator (Isa. 3:2, 3). They are “soothsayers,” He declares (Isa. 2:6); they “have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in [their] houses.” Isa. 3:14. Thus Inspiration points out that they are wickedly spending the spoil of the poor. Strong language, indeed, but it is God that says it.
Isa. 3:17 — “Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.”
Because the daughters of Zion are on the one hand at the expense of the poor making fools of themselves, and on the other hand professing to represent Heaven, the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of their heads. No, they are not getting away either with the spoil of the poor, or with their own foolish, wicked, vain fiddle-faddle.
“The Lord will discover their secret parts” if they do not now repent. They are proudly misusing their heads and their necks, their wrists and their feet. They are proud to make a display of their wares. For this reason the Lord will put on display those parts which they do not wish to have exposed. He will make them naked. He will make a public example of them.
Isa. 3:18-23 — “In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, the
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bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, the rings, and nose jewels, the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.”
“In that day,” the day in which these conditions prevail among God’s professed people, He will take away their bravery, take away the boldness with which they make fools of themselves. He will remove the wicked ornaments of their feet, legs, and necks. These daughters of Zion, right at the head of the work, are challenging the Lord, and misleading His people at the expense of His Truth, of His vineyard, and of the sweat of the poor. But now He will turn the tables. He will challenge them.
What can round tires like the moon be? — Well, they may be the high heels under their feet, the heels that make their necks long and their backs weak, but most likely, the round tires like the moon may be the fancy things which they put on their heads, and which they call hats probably only because they are put where the hat ought to be.
To so extremely follow the fashions of the world is perfectly proper for unbelievers, but it is certainly all wrong for those whose religious profession condemns their practice.
This catalogue of ornaments takes in everything imaginable, everything useless one may put on for display. Why not now, Brother, Sister, remove from your bodies the vanities that degrade your professed reputation, and that make God’s message of no effect? Why not now dress neat, clean, decent, modest — in
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harmony with your profession? Why wait until the Lord smites you with some curse from which you can never recover? Why not work out your welfare of life with God, the One Who is your only true Friend, your only Deliverer, the only One Who knows all your problems, the only One Who can blot out your sins?
Why not take the advice of the all-wise God? Why let hypocrisy bring you down to the level of the wicked, the indecent, and the disrespectful, — hypocrisy that leads down to the valley of indecision, of uncertainty, of calamity, of disgrace? Why should you in the name of the Lord spin devilish webs for unwary feet to be entangled in? Why should you serve your Enemy while professing to be Christ’s representative?
Do you suppose that we can convert the heathen to Christ’s high and exalted way of living when we dress no better than they, especially when they know that our dress is not in harmony with our own profession? So far, it looks as though the heathen are heathenizing the church, rather than the church Christianizing them.
Had God wanted you to be different from what you already are, He could have made you different. Had He wanted you to be like a turkey bird, He would have as easily given you a nose jewel, ear rings, and a brooch. Had He wanted you to be like a peacock, He would have given you a peacock tail and a peacock crown. Had He wanted you to have a stretched-out neck, He would have given you a giraffe neck. Had He wanted you to tinkle as you go, He would have given you a rattler’s tail. He could have made you any way He wanted to. But are you not glad that He has made you just what you are?
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Not many years ago if one of the daughters of Zion should have appeared on the streets attired in the kind of dress they wear today she would have been rushed into jail. But if one of them in a dress of that day should appear on the streets of today, no one would bother her. What does that mean to you? Does it not mean that the dress of today is indecent? that the world’s fashions are growing worse?
Are you Davidians, too, going to fall after the manner of the haughty daughters of Zion? Have you come into this world to gratify the eyes of the street idlers? or are you here to do the world good, and to please the Lord? Which one of you brethren wants to have your wife or your daughter on exhibition to please the wanton eyes that fill the streets?
Why is God to strip the daughters of Zion of their vanities? — Let us hear Him answer: “…Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet.”
The fashionable way of dressing makes them haughty, proud; makes them stretch forth their necks, and makes them tinkle with their feet; makes them do anything to attract attention — yes, everything with which to make themselves appear indecent, hypocritical, and of questionable characters. Is it any wonder that there is so much wickedness in the church? One must as it were, carry a gun to protect his wife on the streets. How can it be otherwise when the women’s way of dressing in itself invites trouble?
Moreover, if you sisters do not dress in harmony with the Lord’s will, in harmony with His advanced Truth, even the world, if it knows anything of your
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profession, will not think much of you. They are looking for hypocrites anyway, and if you are not faithful to your religion, you will in their eyes appear to be the best of hypocrites.
Isa. 3:24 — “And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.”
Dress properly and you will find not only that wicked men will not hang after you, but neither will the Lord’s curses fall upon you.
Isa. 3:25 — “Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.”
If the daughters of Zion fail to reform, then their men shall fall by the sword. Do you want me to tell you why their men will fall by the sword? — Because no sincere Christian boy in his right senses, will ever as much as consider marrying a girl that dresses as a hypocrite dresses. And so if such a worldly-minded girl is ever to get married, what kind of man will she get? — Not an informed Christian in present Truth, I am sure. She will get the kind of man that does not have God’s protection over him, the kind that is to fall in the war, the war that is fought while God’s people are being delivered. (Re-read Tract No. 14.) If you want to save your men, then quit fooling with the Devil. Get to be God’s true representatives.
What would you think if the angels came down on the streets dressed like these daughters of Zion? Would you think they were angels, or would you think they were devils? Would you think that Heaven is a
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good place to live in? Honestly, now, just what would you think? Would you give them the respect they deserve? No, I am sure you would not. Then why not dress as would the angels dress if they were in your place? If the angels should now appear, they would not be ashamed to be seen, but many a woman would be ashamed to be seen by the angels. Truth is Truth, and sense is sense; let us have them both.
Isa. 3:26 — “And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.”
The very thing that sifts out the unconverted, because the standard of her profession is cast to the winds, her gates of gathering places, shall lament and mourn. Desolate shall sit on the ground, not on a throne. Why suffer such a loss?
Of course people will look at you, but they will not regard you as an evildoer, or as a vain or a lude person, but rather as a respectable Christian. If they hate you, it will be because your behaviour is making them ashamed. And, moreover, how else will you win them to your religion which they must have to be saved, unless you rightly represent it?
When I go out with my wife, people that have never seen me before, that have no idea who I may be, with but very little hesitancy call me “Reverend” because they take her to be a preacher’s wife. That shows what the people of the world think when they see properly well-dressed women. Better to have them think that you are a preacher’s wife or daughter, than to have them guessing what you could possibly be.
Why not heed the Lord’s rousing cry? Do not put off heeding this urgent call until tomorrow, Brother,
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Sister. If you fail today, the morrow will never come. This is your opportunity.
As aforementioned, just as Isaiah chapter 3 is a continuation of chapter 2, chapter 4 is a continuation of chapter 3. We shall therefore continue this study through chapter 4.
Isa. 4:1 — “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by Thy name, to take away our reproach.”
That is, in the last days, the time the daughters of Zion are haughty, then seven women (all the churches of that day) shall in heart say to Christ, the one Man, “We shall eat our own bread, we shall wear our own clothes, We shall be entirely independent of Thee. There is but one thing that we want from You: Only let us be called by Thy Name, Christian, so as to take away our reproach.” This is the way God sees His church enslaved by the world.
Now, to this end, I want to read a poem to you. It perfectly tells how the fall has come about.
THE CHURCH WALKING WITH THE WORLD
The Church and the World walked far apart On the changing shores of time, The World was singing a giddy song, And the Church a hymn sublime. “Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World, “And walk with me this way!” But the good Church hid her snowy hands And solemnly answered “Nay, I will not give you my hand at all, And I will not walk with you;
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Your way is the way that leads to death; Your words are all untrue.”
“Nay, walk with me but a little space,” Said the World with a kindly air; “The road I walk is a pleasant road, And the sun shines always there; Your path is thorny and rough and rude, But mine is broad and plain; My way is paved with flowers and dews, And yours with tears and pain; The sky to me is always blue, No want, no toil I know; The sky above you is always dark, Your lot is a lot of woe; There’s room enough for you and me To travel side by side.”
Half shyly the Church approached the World, And gave him her hand of snow; And the old World grasped it and walked along, Saying, in accents low, “Your dress is too simple to please my taste; I will give you pearls to wear, Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form, And diamonds to deck your hair.” The Church looked down at her plain white robes, And then at the dazzling World, And blushed as she saw his handsome lip With a smile contemptuous curled. I will change my dress for a costlier one,” Said the Church, with a smile of grace; Then her pure white garments drifted away, And the World gave, in their place, Beautiful satins and shining silks,
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Roses and gems and costly pearls; While over her forehead her bright hair fell Crisped in a thousand curls.
“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World, “I’ll build you one like mine, With walls of marble and towers of gold, And furniture ever so fine.” So he built her a costly and beautiful house; Most splendid it was to behold; Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there Gleaming in purple and gold: Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held, And the World and his children were there. Laughter and music and feasts were heard In the place that was meant for prayer. There were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay, To sit in their pomp and pride; But the poor who were clad in shabby array, Sat meekly down outside.
“You give too much to the poor,” said the World. “Far more than you ought to do; If they are in need of shelter and food, Why need it trouble you? Go, take your money and buy rich robes, Buy horses and carriages fine; Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food, Buy the rarest and costliest wine; My children, they dote on all these things, And if you their love would win You must do as they do, and walk in the ways That they are walking in.” So the poor were turned from her door in scorn, And she heard not the orphan’s cry, But she drew her beautiful robes aside,
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As the widows went weeping by. Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church Walked closely hand and heart, And only the Master, who knoweth all, Could tell the two apart. Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said, “I am rich and my goods increased; I have need of nothing, or aught to do, But to laugh, and dance, and feast.” The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve, And mockingly said, aside– “The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church; And her shame is her boast and her pride.” The angel drew near to the mercy seat, And whispered in sighs her name; Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed, And heads were covered with shame; And a voice was heard at last by the Church From Him who sat on the throne, “I know thy works, and how thou hast said, ‘I am rich,’ and hast not known That thou art naked, and poor and blind, And wretched before My face; Therefore from My presence cast I thee out, And blot thy name from its place.”
–Matilda C. Edwards.
I do not know the author of this poem, but it seems as inspired as what I have read to you from the Bible. The poem tells the same story as the Bible does. Those who like to dress and look like the world, do so only because their hand is, as it were in the world’s hand, and because the world refuses to walk with them unless they dress as the world dresses. Ironical indeed — the world is true to its profession,
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but the daughters of Zion are not true to theirs!
The world kept on pleading. The church at first kept on backing out. But the world kept on pleading and pleading until it finally won. Those who give in by a fraction of an inch, day by day, are, therefore, the very ones who by their influence Satan is using to cause the church to fall. Awake Brother! Awake Sister! lest the Devil make everlasting fools of us all.
God is not asking us to put on anything that will roast our bodies. But He is asking us to put on something decent that will represent Him and His message of the hour. Unless we do this, the world will not believe that He has sent us, and we ourselves will begin to doubt. Our manner of dress speaks louder than words.
The Devil, of course, works both ways — he himself cares not which, but he is careful to accommodate the sinner so as to win him to his side. If one extreme will not do, the Enemy lets him have the other — anything to keep him from the middle of the road, anything to keep him from following the Lord.
Isa. 4:2 — “In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.”
In that day, — in the day the daughters of Zion become haughty, in the day the seven women take hold of the one man, at that time the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely for them that are the escaped of Israel. From what are His people to escape? Here is the answer:
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Isa. 3:1-3 — “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.”
It is obvious that they escape the destruction of these sinners in the church.
Isa. 4:3 — “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.”
Only the holy ones, those whose names are left written in the Book escape the destruction that falls upon the wicked in the church. Only they constitute “the remnant,” the ones that are left. When is this to be? — The Lord Himself has the answer:
Isa. 4:4-6 –“When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.”
It is to be when the purification of the church takes place, during the Judgment for the Living in the house
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of God (1 Pet. 4:17), during the separation of the wheat from the tares, in the harvest time, the time the good fish are separated from among the bad, the goats from among the sheep (Matt. 25:32).
In this time of trouble, when every element is at work to bring the time of trouble such as never was (Dan. 12:1) God is to cleanse His church in order to protect His people from the trouble that she is headed for. The people that are left after the sinners are taken, “the remnant,” shall have perfect peace.
The Lord is now calling for men and women “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
“And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their
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work in Truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 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
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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. 61:1-11; 62:1-12.
Why not return to God? No matter how bad a sinner you may be He will gladly pardon you. Why not accept now His call? You cannot afford to lose out eternally, you certainly do not want to miss this future glory that is projected by the prophets, and now freshly brought to light. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17. “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:).” Heb. 3:7, 8.
This is your opportunity. Today you may take it or you may pass it by, but tomorrow you will either
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leap for joy, or gnash your teeth in the outer darkness. It now all depends on you.
Surely you will not sell out so cheap as to forsake all this unsurpassing glory and God’s heart-rendering plea to drop the world and to return wholeheartedly to Him now at His final call.
Can the World See Jesus in You?
Do we live so close to the Lord today, Passing to and fro on life’s busy way, That the world in us can a likeness see To the Man of Calvary?
Do we love, with love to His own akin, All His creatures lost in the mire of sin? Will we reach a hand, whatsoever it cost, To reclaim a sinner lost?
As an open book they our lives will read, To our words and acts giving daily heed; Will they be attracted, or turn away From the man of Calvary?
Can the world see Jesus in me? Can the world see Jesus in you? Does your love to Him ring true, And your life and service, too? Can the world see Jesus in you?
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