Present Truth Questions and Answers

July 30, 2016

Q and A picture

We hope this study has been rewarding to you.  We are providing the references for the correct answer.

1) According to the message what are the three categories of disease?

a) obesity, viral, mal-nutrition

b) Hereditary, communicative, and self-created

c) Gluttony, wrong food combinations, over eating of sugar

Answer- B (Tract -Entering Wedge, p.9)

“THE CAUSES OF DISEASE

 Disease has been identified in three different categories — hereditary, communicative, and self-created (acquired). This being so, then there must be three kinds of sin, three laws to transgress. Two of these laws are found in the Decalogue (Ex. 20:3-17): The first prohibits sinning against God, and the second against our fellowmen. The Third, therefore, is the law of health, the law which forbids transgressing against our bodies.” (Lev. 11; Isa. 66:16, 17).

 

2) Who represents Modern Assyria?

a) Modern Babylon (Religious confusion and sects)

b) United States

c) English-speaking Christian world

Answer- C (1 TG, no.23, p.6)

“At this point let us pause a moment and summarize the characteristics by which this modern Assyria is to be identified.  (1) As man looks at things, she is so great that there is none like her.  She is well instructed in the things of God.  (2) She is oppressive, a hard ruling nation.  (3) She has polluted the sanctuary and has declared the law of God void.  (4) She has piled up wealth by going after it as an evening wolfe goes after its prey.  (5) She harbors the church of God.  (6) She exists in the time the Lord is to manifest His power and destroy all the wicked nations.  (7) She is an Assyria-like nation, widespread, a nation of conquests.

   There is but one people under the sun that answers to all these descriptions, and that people is, of course, the English-speaking people, in whose midst is the church, and from whose midst the Gospel and the Bible flow out to all nations.  As clear as language can make it, the burden of the prophet Zephaniah is for the English-speaking Christian world.”

 

3) What three movements typifies every phase of our work?

a) Zechariah’s, Moses’, and Noah’s

b) Abraham’s, David’s, John the Baptist’s

c) Jeremiah’s, Ezekiel’s, Isaiah’s

Answer- A (1 TG, no.9, p.12)

“The work of these three movements — Zechariah’s, Moses’, and Noah’s — therefore, typifies every phase of our work.

   Here is clearly seen that our God-given work does not consist of preaching alone, but of manual work, too.  There are thousands in the world who are as anxious to preach as are the bears to fill up their stomachs after coming out of their winter hibernation, but there are few who will put their shoulders to the wheel and keep on pushing.”

 

4) Name the five groups of saints that will be in the Kingdom?

144,000, Great Multitude, Special resurrection of Daniel 12:2, Special Res. of Ezek.37:1-14, Resurrection of Rev. 20:6

Answer- (Tract 9, p.65-66)

Five Groups in the Kingdom.   “These groups are (1) the 144,000, Israelites the first fruits of the living, whose “nobles shall be of themselves,” and whose “governor shall proceed from the midst of them” (Jer. 30:21); they shall return to Jerusalem, and stand on Mount Sion with the Lamb; (2) those whom John saw, after the sealing of the 144,000, gathered from “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” during the “great tribulation,”  the “time of trouble such as never was” — the great multitude who go to Jerusalem  before the resurrection; (3) those who arise to everlasting life in the resurrection of Daniel 12:2; (4) those Israelites who shall come forth in the resurrection of Ezekiel 37:1-14; (5) all who come in the resurrection of Revelation 20:6; — collectively, these are all the Israelites and Gentiles who shall return to Jerusalem, possess the promised land, and then the whole earth.”

 

5) Where is the following reference said in the message?

“Such a combination of circumstances will result in a replication of the international church-and-state rule of the Middle Ages, and will relegate to the scrap heap the world’s finest instrument of human liberty — the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States of America.”

a) Great Controversy

b) Tract

c) Jezreel Letter

Answer- B (Tract 12, p.54)

“Such a combination of circumstances will result in a replication of the international church-and-state rule of the Middle Ages, and will relegate  to the scrap heap the world’s finest instrument of human liberty — the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States of America.  Since this development will make the world’s ills worse, it will signalize that the four angels have let loose the winds, and that the 144,000 Israelites are sealed.” (Rev. 7:3-8).

 

6) What number is the Bible connected to?

a) 3 (Father , Son, and Holy Spirit)

b) 5 (Five time messages in the Scriptures)

c) 7 ( The complete word of God)

Answer- B (Tract 3 supplement, p.9)

Number Of The Bible

   “The parable in the twentieth chapter of Matthew, explains that the Bible contains five time messages; namely, “early in the morning,” “the third hour,” “the sixth hour, and the ninth,” “and the eleventh hour,” – five in all. These symbolical calls prove to be all the time-messages in the Bible from the day It begun to be written to the close of probationary time; that is, when these messages are proclaimed to the world, the Bible will be an exhausted book as far as saving any one after that. (This subject is fully proved in “The Shepherd’s Rod”, Vol. 2, pp. 222, 238.) Therefore, the numerical value of the Bible is, Five.”

 

7) How many regimes does the “king of the north” have in history?

 

a) 4

b) 7

c) 5

Answer -C (Tract 12, p.62-85)

http://shepherds-rod.org/Tracts/trac012.html

 

8) In Isaiah 60:1-3 we read. ““Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.” What prophetic time is this describing?

a) After the Lord’s resurrection, the early Christian church

b) The pre-Ezekiel 9 time of “Jacob’s trouble”

c) In the Loud Cry

Answer – C (Shep. Rod, vol.1, p.152)

“This chapter begins with the words “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” The Latter Rain, the Spirit of God, and the glory of His power.  The chapter tells of the ingathering in the time of harvest.  A great multitude composed of all nations, and classes of people, rich and poor alike, from all walks of life; kings and rulers among them, and also the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to the church.  The nation and the kingdom that will not serve them (the church) shall perish.  The multitude gathered here are the ones with the palms in their hands.”  Rev. 7:9.

 

9) Right now the Chariot of Ezekiel 1 is being used as–

a) A Prayer center

b) A base of Operations

c) A marking station

Answer– B (Tract 1, p.37-38)

“The fact, therefore, that from the chariot, the Lord commands the prophet to go speak, bear the message, to His people, and that the message totals over 1250 pages of literature published since 1930, unfolding its truth from different angles, solemnly reveals that the chariot, though invisible to human beings (as to “the young man” were the chariots which covered the mountains — 2 Kings 6:17), has already arrived.

And since it is already here, it must of course be the divine instrumentality through which, as a sort of base of operations, the Lord is ordering and directing His work, and through which He shall do so until “this gospel of the kingdom…be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and…the end come.” Matt. 24:14. 

 

10) Satan works through ____________ to control the people

a) Ministers

b) The General Conference

c) Lukewarm SDA members

Answer – A (Testimonies to Ministers, p.472-473)

Says the great deceiver…

“I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of bondage. The people accept their minister’s explanations of Scripture and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.”

 

11) The word “to pass under the Rod” means

a) To learn the message

b) To make a covenant with God

c) To separate His elect from the multitude

Answer—C ( 2 TG, no. 1, p.7-8)

“And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27:32.

   To determine the Lord’s part, the tithe, the Lord’s lambs, goats, or sheep, were made to pass under the rod.  Each tenth then was taken and set aside for the Lord.  The statement of Ezekiel twenty, verse thirty-seven, “to pass under the rod,” therefore, means to separate His very elect from among the multitude, from among the “tares,” (Matt. 13:30) or from among the “bad fish” (Matt. 13:47, 48).  And being thus separated, they are counted.  So it is that the 144,000 (Rev. 7:3-8; 14:1) are a separate and numbered company.”

 

12) Many “honest souls” would welcome the sealing message if they did not –

a. Lack backbone and zeal to resist opposition

b. Ignore Bible studies of present truth

c. Read the Scriptures daily

Answer – A

( Unfortunately we lost the reference and cannot find it, though the answer (a) is the true one. When we do we’ll post it)

 

13) As Nineveh was spared by the message to it, also the Laodiceans are saved by—

a. Zealous church membership

b. Evangelism to the world

c. A message to the Laodiceans

Answer– C (TG, vol.2, no. 20, p.26)

“Ezek. 9:4-6 — “And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.  And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.  Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”

   When the day approaches for this scripture to be fulfilled, then its truth must be the “meat in due season” for the people at that time.  Nothing else can take its place.  And so we see that as Nineveh was spared by the message to it, so the Laodiceans can only be saved by the “Message to the Laodiceans.”

 

14) In what book describes Jesus’ traveling from His throne to the Father’s throne in heaven?

a) Early Writings

b) Jezreel Letters

c) Revelation

Answer– A (Early Writings, p.55)

“I saw the Father rise from the throne, [See page 92.] and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way.

Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, “Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.” Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, “My Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.”

 

15) In Isaiah 55:1  what does the word “buy” the wine and milk mean?

a. Pay with some money , however little to help support the workers in the vineyard

b. Agree to pay the Lord some day in devotion

c. Give something in trade for it

Answer: C (SRod, vol. 1, p.141-142)

“Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”  Though the water is free, the wine and he milk are sold, but there is no set price on it, nor is the exchange made with money.  Something must be given in trade to make the transaction.  What must it be?  The answer is found in the seventh verse, as follows: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” 

We must forsake our ways and our thoughts, and in exchange, take God’s thoughts and follow His ways.  Isa. 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”  Not until after this transaction is made can one please, serve, or understand God, nor can he enter heaven.  When this transaction is made, the thoughts, ways, desires, actions, and the whole human being is changed. 

How do we get God’s thoughts?  Only in one way may they be attained.  God’s thoughts and ways are found in His Word (the Bible).  The man who will follow the complete instructions by the Spirit of God is in a heavenly atmosphere, and walks with God as Enoch of old.”

 

16) In Isaiah 64:1 it says “..they shall build the old wastes..” Who is the “they”?

a. Those who make it to the kingdom in the latter days

b. the 144,000

c. The believers since 1844

Answer: B ( Srod, vol. 1, p.154)

“..in Isa. 61:4 we read: “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.”  The meaning of this verse is to restore the truth of God which has been trodden down under foot for many generations.  The 144,000–the true Israel of God–are the builders.” 

 

17) The term “Laodicea”–

a. Refers to the last section of the church to be commingled with wheat and tares

b. Is a Greek term meaning “people declaring judgment”

c. Signifies the mission of the last section of the church

d. All of the above

Answer- D (Tract 2, p.35, Tract 3, p.62) (Please review these references)

 

18) The purpose of the scene in Rev. 5 is to –

a. Open the book with the seven seals

b. Bring about the new world order

c. Announce the beginning of Armaggedon

d. All of the above

Answer- A (15 Tract, p.9-10)

“He was taken in vision to see and to write those eventful “things” which were to take place at the time the judicial-like throng of Revelation 4, 5 should actually convene.  As to the other “things,” the things which follow as a result of the event, assured He Who has the “keys of hell and of death,” some were and some were to be (Rev. 1:19); that is, when this divine throng convenes, then some of the “things” that are brought to view as a result of the event, are  already history, while some of them are yet  prophecy — some point back and some point forward.

   The first and most important thing that takes place in this solemn assembly, is the opening of the book.  It should be remembered, too, that the book is sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5:1).  It being in seven sections, each section individually sealed, seven seals in all are consecutively broken, permitting each section to unfold its own contents:

The first seal, or section of the book, discloses the things of Revelation 6:2; the second, the things of verse 4; the third, the things of verses 5 and 6; the fourth, the things of verse 8; the fifth, the things of verses 9 to 11; the sixth, the things of verses 12 to 17 and of chapter 7; the seventh, the things of chapters 8 to 22.  That the seventh seal contains chapters  8 to 22 is immediately seen by the fact that each chapter is connected with the conjunction “and.”  In other words, The Revelation, save for the first five chapters, is but a reproduction of the things which were on record within the seals, and which as a result of the breaking the seals were pictorially displayed in John’s sight.”

 

19) According to the message what is man’s greatest test?

a) The decision to stand for present truth

b) The temptation of diet

c) Whether to sigh and cry for abominations done in our life and the church

Answer- A (Tract 3, p.9)

“Always man’s greatest test, and one which has ever involved almost an instantaneous decision, has been in the unrolling of the scroll — in the eclipse of a past message by a new one, — present truth. On every such occasion each one has had to decide: Shall I heed the new and unpopular truth and walk in its light, joining with those who are despised by nearly every religious leader in the land? or shall I allow myself to be deterred by the decision and counsel of the ministry in my church?”

 

20) If God’s storehouse is not doing all things right according to our perceptions, the messages tells us–

a) Make your complaint and if the organization does not correct it, send it to where you feel is best

b) Withdraw from Tithing and use the money for your own personal ministry

c) Continue to Tithe, knowing that you are being judged for what you do and they will be judged for what they do

Answer-C ( Answerer, vol. 4, Q-98)

“Question No. 98:

   Should we pay our tithe to the “storehouse” if we know that it is not used rightly?

Answer:

   Knowing that our tithe belongs to God’s storehouse, our greatest burden should be to see that it is faithfully paid there. Nowhere in the Bible do we find that the Lord has laid upon any tithe payer the policing of the channels through which these funds pass.

   The Lord’s treasury is under His control, and if He Himself should not see fit to correct an abuse in the handling of His money, certainly we could not correct it however hard we might try. If we guard carefully that part of His work which He entrusts to us, our only concern will be to find out where His “storehouse” is, and then faithfully to deposit His money there. He has not made us responsible for its use; that, He will personally take over–even as He is now “taking the reins in His own hands.”

   When the Promised Land was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel, the tribe of Levi received no land for an inheritance, as did the eleven tribes. Instead, the Lord decreed that the tithes of the other tribes were to go to the Levites. This was their inheritance. It was actually their own. And just as they, as the tithe receivers, had no right to dictate to the others, the tithe payers, what to do with their own increase after it had been tithed, so the tithe payers had no right to dictate to the tithe receivers what to do with the tithe. Each tribe was itself to be accountable to the Lord for that which He had entrusted to it. Thus it must be today.”

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Present Truth Questions

July 23, 2016

Q and A picture

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

We’d like to present 20 questions that will help gauge the level of knowledge one has on various present truth subjects. Next week we’ll present the answers. Enjoy.

1) According to the Elijah message what are the three categories of disease?

a) Obesity, viral, mal-nutrition  b) Hereditary, communicative, and self-created  c) Gluttony, wrong food combinations, over eating of sugar

2) Who represents Modern Assyria?

a) Modern Babylon (Religious confusion and sects  b) United States c) English-speaking Christian world

3) What three movements typifies every phase of our work as Elijah messengers?

a) Zechariah’s, Moses’, and Noah’s  b) Abraham’s, David’s, John the Baptist’s  c) Jeremiah’s, Ezekiel’s, Isaiah’s

4) Name the five groups of saints that will be in the Kingdom?

_________________________________

5) Where is the following reference said in the message?

“Such a combination of circumstances will result in a replication of the international church-and-state rule of the Middle Ages, and will relegate to the scrap heap the world’s finest instrument of human liberty — the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States of America.”

a) Great Controversy  b) Tract  c) Jezreel Letter

6) What number is the Bible connected to?

a) 3 (Father , Son, and Holy Spirit)  b) 5 (Five time messages in the Scriptures)   c) 7 ( The complete word of God)

7) How many regimes does the “king of the North” have in history (found in the book of Daniel)?

a) 4   b) 7   c) 5

8) In Isaiah 60:1-3 we read– “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.” What prophetic time is this describing?

a) After the Lord’s resurrection  b) The pre-Ezekiel 9 time of “Jacob’s trouble”   c) In the Loud cry

9) Right now the Chariot of Ezekiel 1 is being used as–

a) A Prayer center b) A base of Operations c) A marking station

10) Satan works through ____________ to control the people

a) Ministers b) The General Conference c) Lukewarm SDA members

11) The word “to pass under the Rod” means

a) To learn the message b) To make a covenant with God c) To separate His elect from the multitude

12) Many “honest souls” would welcome the sealing message if they did not –

a) Lack backbone and zeal to resist opposition  b) Ignore Bible studies of present truth  c) stop reading the Scriptures daily

13) As Nineveh was spared by the message to it, also the Laodiceans are saved by—

a) Zealous church membership  b) Evangelism to the world  c) A message to the Laodiceans

14) In what book describes Jesus’ traveling from His throne to the Father’s throne in heaven?

a) Early Writings  b) Jezreel Letters  c) Revelation

15) In Isaiah 55:1 what does the word “buy” the wine and milk mean?

a) Pay with some money , however little to help support the workers in the vineyard  b) Agree to pay the Lord some day in devotion  c) Give something in trade for it

16) In Isaiah 64:1 it says “..they shall build the old wastes..” Who is “they”?

a) Those who make it to the kingdom in the latter days  b) the 144,000  c) The believers since 1844

17) The term “Laodicea” means–

a) Refers to the last section of the church to be commingled with wheat and tares b) Is a Greek term meaning “people declaring judgment” c) Signifies the mission of the last section of the church

18) The purpose of the scene in Rev. 5 is to –

a) Open the book with the seven seals  b) Bring about the new world order  c) Announce the beginning of Armageddon

19) According to the Elijah message what is man’s greatest test?

a) The decision to stand for present truth  b) The temptation of diet  c) Whether to sigh and cry for abominations done in our life and the church

2o) If God’s storehouse is not doing all things right according to our perceptions, the messages tells us–

a) Make your complaint and if the organization does not correct it, send it to where you feel is best  b) Withdraw from Tithing and use the money for your own personal ministry  c) Continue to Tithe, knowing that you are being judged for what you do and they will be judged for what they do

 

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The Four Winds are Gaining Speed

July 16, 2016

Angel holding winds

In Revelation 7:1-4 we read —

“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

In the picture above, we see the utter strength and power needed right now by these four angels. Why? Because the terrible trouble that is to come upon the earth is already starting to show, and the winds are busting through the cracks. Thank God the winds are still held but it is almost time for them to be let loose at God’s command because the 144,000 will be fully sealed and prepared for God’s last work upon mankind.

Recently all of us have seen one mass killing after another, almost now on a weekly basis. The Dallas ambush killings, and now the Paris truck slaughter, are just recent examples of the utter chaos that soon will hit the world. We are seeing more and more world-wide strife now. Yes, the winds are slipping through but the Great I Am is still in control because there is a work to be done and then we are to witness a shocking development within our SDA church.

The Spirit of Prophecy gives us good picture of what is preparing to take place–

“Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.” (Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p.967)

The world is soon to witness the Lord do as long ago He promised in both Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy. Let us read.

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

The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. The Lord commissions His messengers, the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands: “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.”  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 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, p.211)

To be sure, once the judgment of the living begins within our SDA church, these four winds will then be released. There is no more need for God’s final servants to be protected, He will do so Himself. But that means the winds are then to harm the earth and the people, unless the true in heart submit to God’s true worship and the obeying of His 10 Commandments.

Imagine if you will the Super Bowl beginning kick off, or the Indy 500 green flag, or the World Series first pitch. So too the church judgment kicks off the last day events, the final “great controversy” battle for souls. No longer will politics, sports, or any other kind of news be the leading headline makers. This shocking scene as shown to us in Ezekiel 9 will be as real as your breathing right now. It will be spread around the world in front page news as an unheard of disaster and will mystify the unaware masses. This event will swing the world’s attention to the Great I AM, or to the all time great deceiver,  and religion will from there on be the world’s final focus and topic.

Last week we spoke about how Satan has known since the beginning of God’s word that prophecy is extremely important to us. Yet he has tampered with it so much that nearly all of us SDA either know very little about the correct truth of the prophecies or many cases–nothing at all.

One such area is these four winds. The Bible does show winds as strife and conquest in some parts of the Word. For example in Daniel chapter 7 and Great Controversy, p.440, we see that the winds symbolize conquest and world strife. But, when we look at Rev. 7, we see that there is one purpose for the winds to be held, and that is the protect the sealing of God’s servants–the 144,000.

So we need to find out what specifically does the winds mean in this particular instance? It cannot solely mean war or nation conquests as in Daniel because we have had both world wars and conquests of nations and still the 144,000 have not been sealed. Thankfully God provided us a specific reference to show us what these specific winds represent in Rev. 7

“The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast. We came near having this realized in California a short time since; but this was only the threatening of the blowing of the four winds. As yet they are held by the four angels. We are not just ready. There is a work yet to be done, and then the angels will be bidden to let go, that the four winds may blow upon the earth. That will be a decisive time for God’s children, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Now is our opportunity to work.” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p.152)

S0 we see that these winds will form the mark of the beast decree, or otherwise known as the Sunday law. This action will definitely harm the great masses in that religion will be forced upon them. The right to freely practice your faith will curtail. So logically God must hold back actions right now that interferes with us as SDA learning His final message of truth, the message that helps us survive the beginning judgment in God’s house.

Awhile back we did a post called “Backed into a Corner” where we discussed the SDA church’s 501 c-3 tax situation. In it we pointed out how this situation is a “sinister overhang” over the church. Yet this is a perfect example of  potential trouble capable of, yet not now,  harming the church. The reason is that the four winds are still held back and as such this issue is not allowed by God to interfere with our freedoms to learn His final sealing message of Elijah.

This final message of the Lord does not disappoint in regards to thoroughly understanding these four winds. Let us read the following clear, understandable, enriched truth.  In specifically describing Rev. 7:1-4 we read–

Here are brought to view two hurtings about to take place: one by the winds, the other by the angels; and two commands to the angels: one that they restrain the winds, that the winds blow not “on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree” (Rev. 7:1); the other that the angels restrain themselves from hurting “the earth,… sea,” and “the trees,” till the servants of God are sealed. Rev. 7:2, 3). 

Since, therefore, as soon as the  servants of God are sealed both the winds and the angels will begin to hurt the question arises as to what the work of the winds and the work of the angels  represent — political strife or something else?  As the nations have always been at war, this two-fold work of hurting could not represent political strife. And as Jesus says that at the time of the end “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:7), it is clear that the hurting by the winds, also the hurting by the angels both of which are kept back until the 144,000 are sealed, must be figurative of holding back the “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” Dan. 12:1. 

Accordingly, God’s restraining of the four winds is His holding back the image of the beast’s activity (Rev. 13:15-17) against the saints, while His restraining the four angels that they hurt not is His holding back the executing of His vengeance (Isa. 63:1-4; Jer. 51:18) upon the sinners who trouble the church, until after the sealing of the 144,000 is completed. Being coupled, these two hurtings bring the time of trouble such as never was.

   Revelation 7:1-3, therefore, reveals a two-fold conflict: wicked men against God (the blowing of the winds) and God against them (the angels hurting them).  But though the blowing of the winds and the hurting of the angels after the servants of God are sealed, will bring the “time of trouble,” yet “every one that shall be found written  in the book” “shall be delivered.” Dan. 12:1.

   From these facts we see that this time of trouble is held back in order to safeguard the sealing of the 144,000 servants, lest they, “the very elect,” be brought down to worship the image of the beast, or be killed for refusing.

   Since “in the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 585), the sealing of the servants of God (Rev. 7) must necessarily be found also in the prophecies.  In Ezekiel, chapter nine, is envisioned the marking of those who sigh and cry “for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (in Judah and in Israel), and the slaughter of those who do not thus sigh and cry. 

And the fact that God has at no time taken the sinners from among the righteous in Judah and in Israel, shows that this prophecy of purification by slaughter has never been fulfilled.  So, therefore, as the marking is the same as the sealing, the angels’ slaying is the same as the angels’ hurting.

   This hurting and sealing which John saw, and the slaughter and marking which Ezekiel saw are again identified as one and the same: “This sealing of the servants of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p. 445; Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 211; Vol. 3, p. 267.

   Although the marking and the slaughter (Ezek. 9) include only the church, — Judah and Israel, —  the hurting by the winds and the hurting by the angels (Rev. 7) include all the world — both “the earth” and “the sea,” each of which is indicative of a different locality: the sea, in the realm of nature the storehouse (home) of the waters, is therefore in the realm of symbols the birth-place of the nations — the Old Country, the earth, the opposite of the sea, is correspondingly a domain away from the Old Country.  It is located to John in the symbol of the two-horned beast’s coming up, not out of the sea, but “out of the earth”  (Rev. 13:11), the only place where trees naturally grow. 

And as according to Daniel 4:20-22, trees are figurative of rulers, therefore the trees in this instance represent “the ancient men…before the house” (Ezek. 9:6) — a fact which reveals that in this period, the church’s headquarters are in the two-horned beast’s dominion — the New World, “the earth.”

  In the light of the clear cut facts before us, we see that the main object of the sealing or marking of the servants of God is to cleanse the church from sin and sinners, so that she may be able to stand strong against the image-beast in the time of trouble; and that when this purifying work is completed, “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: 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.” Isa. 4:3, 4.

   When this “special work of purification, of putting  away of sin among God’s people,” is accomplished, then “the church is to enter upon her final conflict. ‘Fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners,’ she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.”  — The Great Controversy, p. 425; Prophets and Kings, p. 725. (Tract 8, p.22-25)

These winds as we now understand are symbolic of the Sunday law and the subsequent time of trouble, and the Word shows us in the following very clear and unmistakable  time-table that we must know and prepare for.

1) The sealing takes place before the winds are let loose.

2) The sealing is “one and the same” as Ezekiel 9, the church judgment.

3) The four winds will be let loose after the sealing/judgment upon the house of God (our SDA church).

“Just before we entered it [the time of trouble], we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds.” (Maranatha, p.244) 

4) Satan  will then be “wroth” with God’s people and go to make war with them (persecute and ultimately form the Sunday law). For the first time since the early Christian church, the people of God now have a pure church with only converted believers in their midst.

“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:16-17)

5) The Sunday law shall be put in place soon after the release of the winds. Yet not right away  because of the final proclamation of the Gospel–the Loud Cry.

In closing, what we are witnessing today is the winds beginning to blow, though not fully, and  the world about to take a turn for the dominant subject of religion. As soon as that fateful 144,000th person is found and marked, the winds will be let loose and as they say, “all hell will break loose”. Let’s be ready and learn, obey and practice His final message to us as Seventh-day Adventists. To do otherwise is to be left without the seal and miss out on eternity.

Posted in Final Events, God's sealings, Revelation teachings, Sunday law, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Milk or Meat?

July 9, 2016

Milk and meat

As many of us Bible students know the Bible is full of symbolic terms and ideas. One of those is the describing of God’s word as either milk or meat. This is significant because both of these terms are specific and should be understood in their intended meaning.

When we were babies, was any of us provided a steak dinner? Of course not. Our food for the first few months was largely milk. This provided just what we needed and could handle, we were way too underdeveloped for the stronger foods such as meat. But in the spiritual realm there is an important distinction between these two symbolic meanings–Milk and Meat. Let us look at this important understanding.

In Isaiah we read —

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.”? (Isa.28:9-10)

As a baby we have to grow and as such there comes a time when we have to be weaned off milk. Milk no longer provides all the essentials we need, like more iron and other minerals and especially protein. All this can be correlated to God’s word.

Inspiration addresses the above quote–

“The obvious lesson is that at the time one is converted (born again) to Christ, he is but a babe in the Christian life, and needs for the time being to be fed, as a new born babe, on the “sincere milk of the Word,” that he “may grow thereby.” 1 Pet. 2:2.

   Through the apostle Paul, Inspiration interprets this milk to be “the first principles of the oracles of God.” Heb. 5:12.  And through Isaiah, It asks: “Whom shall He teach knowledge?  and whom shall He make to understand doctrine?”  Then, answering Its own questions, It declares: “Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.” Isa. 28:9.(Tract 14, p.36-37)

This is something we can all relate to. From a personal testimony I remember when I first came into the truth of God’s word, particularly the Sabbath truth, that is all I wanted and desired. The holy 10 Commandments and the Sabbath truth was such an all-consuming subject that I desired little else such as the deeper prophecies.In fact, during the first couple of years during my walk, I actually was a little turned off by those who propounded the prophecies primarily. I thought they were just not that important. But I was a babe, looking back, and the meat was viewed as too much, or not needed.

But as I continued to study, the Great Guider the Spirit of Truth, began to show me the deeper things of the word. This can be pictured as a stair step. We all need to start on the bottom step and walk up one step at a time. But we do need to advance, lest we become stagnate!

Those that stay on a certain step can be likened  to continuing to want to drink milk. This can lead to deficiencies, spiritually speaking of God’s word–His meat.

You see brethren the deeper things, the Lord’s prophecies, are what we as grown ups must have spiritually to grow. Yet what are we given each quarter for our Sabbath school studies?  Mostly milk in the form of our quarterly lesson books. Take a close look at them.

For example the current SDA Adult Sabbath School Bible study guide has lessons such as —

— Justice and mercy in the Old Testament

— Loving your neighbor

— Jesus showed sympathy

Now, these are truths that give us encouragement and good solid lessons, but these are continual to the point of over feeding us milk. We all should know these things because they are foundational and help us to know the basic love of God and of one to another, but there are truths such as prophecies that expound the deep lessons of God’s love in such a way to truly make us awestruck and enlightened with His last day moves to save His church from Satan, who is now in control.

If you don’t think this true, just read Rev. 12 and what Satan has done since the days of Constantine. A worldly flood has nearly overcome the church! See our post here –https://godsloveandlaw.com/2015/03/21/the-church-and-the-dragon/

Only those who are still feeding on milk would not know that Satan has taken over ALL churches , including our own beloved SDA church.

One other note we’d like to point out is that if our study guides do contain mention of some prophecies, they are likely to be interpreted incorrectly or incompletely. Such is the case with our latest quarterly study guide in regards to Ezek. 37 and 47. But there is no reason for such oversight or mistakes. Our Lord provided His messenger with the correct interpretation, if we’ll only seek it out and  prayerfully read it!

“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.” (Isa. 4:1)

Isaiah clearly shows us that in our last days all “seven” women, meaning churches,  universally and completely, are eating their own bread ( a man-made mixture of true and false doctrines and prophecies) yet claiming to be walking as a true Christian. Our SDA church is not excluded.

Satan knows  that if he can lull us to sleep with milk feeding, and hold back the prophecies and their correct interpretations, the people will not know the Lord’s next moves neither his own devious plans.

For instance, nearly all us SDA have been fooled into thinking that the next big move upon the world is the Sunday Law. But those who study the prophecies know well that this cannot be so. So he is playing with us much as a cat plays with a mouse. He’s got all those who fall for his tricks by refusing to want God’s meat, His prophetic words and instructions therein.

Why is this important? Because if we believe that the next move by the Lord is the setting up of the Sunday law,  we then will not expect Him when He “suddenly” comes to His temple (church)(Mal. 3:1-5).

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Mal.3:1)

The word “suddenly” denotes a surprise, an unexpected coming.

Last week we ended our two-part post of Hosea. This is a classic example of what “meat” is. These deep prophetic lessons show us what God has done and will do very shortly to reclaim His church.

Another example is a personal one I’d like to relate. For a good two years now I have attended our local church’s at home studies. Each week we hold a weekly study on God’s word at different homes of our members. But there has been almost a total neglect of prophecies in the studies. Milk is given over and over again. God cannot be pleased about this.

How many of us would want to see our children stay stunted for years and years, even well into the later years of life? Or see our older children still reading comic books and watching cartoons regularly?

The Spirit of Prophecy sheds light on how we must advance and keep pace with the Truth.

“The sanctified soul will not be content to remain in ignorance, but will desire to walk in the light and to seek for greater light. As a miner digs for gold and silver, so the follower of Christ will seek for truth as for hidden treasures, and will press from light to a greater light, ever increasing in knowledge. He will continually grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.” (Review and Herald, June 17, 1890)

Apostle Paul, speaking the words of the Lord said-

“Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy..” (1 Cor. 14:39)

The final words of our Lord bring home the great important  of prophecy–

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10)

To be sure Satan knows that prophecies are very important to God’s people. Therefore, to those who do attempt to begin to eat meat, they must be on guard as this area has been tampered with by the great deceiver as well.He knows that the superficial students can buy seemingly plausible ideas yet when looked closely they crumble like a sandy foundation.

“No one is lost for believing a false interpretation of a prophecy before the truth of it is revealed, provided the false interpretation does not draw him away from some other truth.  Such individuals, however, are in great danger because, as history reveals, very few who become thus involved in error are willing to humble themselves by renouncing their errors and accepting the truth when it is made known.  They are consequently in constant peril of sinning against the Holy Ghost.  And being acutely aware of this, Satan misinterprets the prophecies before they are divinely revealed.” (Tract 5, p.7)

The above message is packed with divine instructions. For example, we as SDA members have been led to believe the misinterpreted prophecy of Daniel 2 that claims that the rock that comes from the mountain is Christ. However, the Lord’s final messenger has soundly corrected that false idea. Instead of it being a narrow vision of simply Christ coming on the last day to destroy the world, it is instead a enthralling story of how Christ uses his final army of servants (the rock) to destroy the world’s kingdom symbolically and become a “great mountain” during the Loud Cry.

The prophet also exposed another example of how we can be hood winked into believing false prophecy if we are not serious students.

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

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

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

This goes to show that the majority of Seventh-day Adventists, right along with others, do not ask, “Is it true, — in harmony with God’s word? but, By whom is it advocated?” — Testimonies to Ministers, p.106.  And if the theory comes through a popular channel, they as a rule unquestionably accept it! (Tract 5, p.7-9)

In the book of Hebrews we find further light on our subject and Paul rebukes those who fail to advance from milk to meat —

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14)

Wow, strong meat helps us to know good from evil! Sounds like just what the Doctor ordered. Imagine sitting down to a most delicious feast, enjoying all the satisfying nourishment our bodies can take. This is what it feels like to those of us who have tasted His “meat” and found ourselves very satisfied!

In closing my beloved, we should not remain babies and subside on milk only, but get our nourishment from the deep truths of God–the meat of His word. In this way we advance with His truth and spiritually grow up.

 

Posted in Present Truth, Proper teachings, The Spirit of truth | Leave a Comment »

The Meaning of Hosea Chapter One and Two, Part 2 of 2

July 2, 2016

hosea

Continuing with part two of  our study —

Continuing with the same family illustration, and pointing to the Christian era, the Lord commands:

Hos. 2:1 — “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.”

   Here we see that the names of the two children of chapter 1 are again mentioned, but the first two letters of each name have been dropped:

Lo-ruhamah has become Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi has become Ammi.  Now the fact that these are the brother and sister of Jezreel, bears out the truth that the one whom the Lord commands to speak to them, is Jezreel, the first-born of the three.  He is to deliver the message to his brethren, Ammi and Ruhamah.

 

   Now, what is it all about? — It is not too difficult to see.  The one to whom God speaks, Jezreel, represents a prophet.  His brother and sister, Ammi and Ruhamah, can only represent the church membership, both male and female.  In actuality Jezreel must deliver God’s message to them.  And here is the message:

Hos. 2:2 — “Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not My wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.”

   The fact that God Himself calls the prophet Hosea’s visionary wife His own wife, reveals that she represents the church, that Hosea represents God, and that while Jezreel represents the mouthpiece of God, Ammi and Ruhamah represent the church membership.  In childhood (Hosea 1), they represent the Old Testament church, the Hebrews, but in their youth, having their names altered, (Hosea 2), they represent the New Testament church, the Christians.

   Now that the laity, at the command of God are through a prophet to plead with the church, therefore, the reformation here called forth is sponsored by Inspiration and carried out by the laity.  It is the long expected revival and reformation to the Laodiceans, and hence a layman’smovement called forth by the revived Spirit of Prophecy.

 

   From this prophecy, you see, the Denomination is by God Himself charged with “whoredom,” with having illicit connections with the world.  This lewdness she must give up if she is to obtain favor with God.

   These are not man’s words, you understand, but God’s.  And should we not be grateful that He is doing everything He can to save us?  The church must repent, says the Lord:

Hos. 2:3 — “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.”

   The Denomination often boasts of gain in membership (children), but God charges that those whom she brings in are illegitimate children!  And how could it be otherwise if the church herself is corrupted with the world?  What else could her converts be?  What would free them from the worldly influences, if she (the ministry), is herself tainted with the practices of the world?  Indeed her converts cannot be lawful children.

Hos. 2:5 — “For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”

   The church has gone after the world because she mistakenly thinks that her support comes from worldlings, from her “lovers.”

Hos. 2:6 — “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.”

Here we see that the church proposes, but that God disposes; her plans do not work out as expected — she loses her way as does a ship without chart or compass drifting at sea.

 

Hos. 2:7 — “And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.”

   Again we see that trials and adverse circumstances are for our good, for thus is the church brought to her right senses.

Hos. 2:8-12 — “For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.  Therefore will I return, and take away My corn in the time thereof, and My wine in the season thereof, and will recover My wool and My flax given to cover her nakedness.  And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of Mine hand.  I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.  And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.”

   From these verses we see that it was just such a departure from God that caused the church in her early Christian era to lose her path and all her possessions, including her feast days, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

   This is exactly what happened when the “Dark Ages” of religion began.  The Pagans in whose clutches the church fell were no more to blame for the church’s going into darkness than were the Chaldeans of destroying Judah and her temple.  The real blame falls on the church herself.  And this should be a lasting lesson to each of us, that we should never again have illicit connection with the world, should never depart from the Lord.

 

   Now, let us read what other experiences the church was to go through:

Hos. 2:13, 14 — “And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat Me, saith the Lord.  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.”

   Notice that the Lord visits the church not when she is in good spiritual standing with Him, but when she is in her greatest idolatry.  Indeed, He could not visit her at a more opportune time, because only when she is in greatest darkness can she possibly discern light.  And her condition, you know, can never improve unless He should call on her.  Thus it was in John the Baptist’s day, also when the Protestant reformation came, and thus it is today.  God knows how to save.  Saving is His chief concern.

   “God requires certain things of His people; if they say, I will not give up my heart to do this thing, the Lord lets them go on in their supposed wise judgment without heavenly wisdom, until this scripture [Isa. 28:13] is fulfilled.  You are not to say, I will follow the Lord’s guidance up to a certain point that is in harmony with my judgment, and then hold fast to your own ideas, refusing to be molded after the Lord’s similitude.  Let the question be asked, Is this the will of the Lord?  if not, Is this the opinion or judgment of __________?” — Testimonies to Ministers, pg. 419.

    And what is God’s promise now to His church?

 

Hos. 2:15 — “And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

   As a result of her vineyards’ being restored, and also of her being given the valley of Achor for a door of hope, the church is to sing as in the days of her youth, as when she came up out of Egypt and lodged in the Promised Land.  What could her vineyard be but her own land?  And if the valley of Achor is for a door of hope to her, what can it be but what it was in Joshua’s time — removal of the Achans of today from her midst (Hos. 2:15)?  Indeed, this is her only hope — in fact, even more so than it was in the day of Israel’s defeat at Ai, the gate to the Promised Land.

   “The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.  The Lord commissions His messengers, the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands: ‘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.’

 

   “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 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.

Hos. 2:16 — “And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call Me Ishi; and shalt call Me no more Baali.”

   So it is that after the hypocrites and sinners are taken out of the way, the church shall no longer call the Saviour Baali (Lord), but she shall call him Ishi (Husband).  The significance is that then He will truly be her husband, whereas now He is to her as it were only some great personality.

Hos. 2:18 — “And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.”

     Here is peace, the only peace that one can have today if he so desires.  This is peace overflowing with safety.  The saints, after the sinners have been removed from among them, need not fear beasts, fowls or creeping things of the ground, neither gun nor sword; they shall lie down in confidence and assurance that nothing shall hurt them, for He “Whose fan is in His hand,…will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt. 3:12.

 

Hos. 2:19-21 — “And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.  I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.  And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth.”

   In saying that the Lord will hear the heavens, and the heavens the earth, Inspiration actually says that when these things take place on earth, the Lord is to be in the midst of His people, that He is to speak from earth and His subjects in heaven shall hear Him.

Hos. 2:22 — “And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.”

    To hear the corn, the wine, and the oil is to hear them speak, and since real corn, wine, and oil cannot speak, they must be figurative of spiritual food and drink — figurative of the mighty message in the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And by the fact that the people of the earth shall hear Jezreel, the mouthpiece of God, it is made clear that the call, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4), will accomplish its appointed work.  Those who come out, go into the aforementioned place of safety.  And those who do not hear Jezreel shall perish as did the Jews who rejected the prophets in their day.

 

   Let us now review our study of today by following this graphic illustration:
 

hosea
 (Click to Enlarge)

Here we see Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi as little children pictorially representing the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in their calamities, a complete but brief history of the Old Testament church and her people.

   Then we see that the letters “Lo” are dropped from the names Ruhamah and Ammi, denoting a change of names — Jews called Christians, — meaning “mercy” and “My people” instead of “no mercy” and “not My people.”  Jezreel’s name, though, remains the same, and as he represents the prophets of God in all times, this shows that they are the descendants of Jacob and therefore we must hear and obey them.

 

   The family as little children representing the people of the Old Testament church, and as youth representing the New Testament church, show that spiritual growth has been made through the stream of time, that they are now grown, able to take “strong meat,” and truly to be the reformers to the church, and the missionaries to the world.

   We also see that the same mother and the same father, along with the same children, represent both the Old and New Testament churches; that the descendants of Jacob in reality are the old olive tree (Rom. 11:24), that the only way the Gentiles can get into the kingdom is for them to be grafted into the old olive tree.  Jew or Gentile, all must join it if they are to be in the kingdom.  This can be done only by our own consent and action now while the Spirit is pleading with us, and while the Lord stands ready to do the work.  No one need be excluded.  No one need remain a lukewarm Laodicean unless he so chooses.  My hope is that all will choose life rather than death.

 

   Next we see that the church as a whole, as a family, is composed of a father, a mother, and of sons and a daughter, that the father is God; that the wife is the ministry (those who bring in converts); that the children are the laity.  We see also that the church (woman) was married to the Lord in her youth, in the day she came out of Egypt; that although the ministry as a whole never advanced from one truth to another, the church (wife) continued by being replaced by new and successive ministers time and again.  And now that she is deep in whoredom, obviously she is again to be replaced by a new ministry, and thus will she become faithful to our Father; that this will be accomplished by taking away the sinners from her midst.  Then will she be given her vineyards, and then will she and all her children live in peace and safety.

   Clearly, then, lewdness shall actually flee away, and this revival and reformation brought forth by this layman’s movement shall accomplish its given work.  And so, you see that as a result of the childrens’ protest, the whole family of God shall live happily in peace and safety forevermore.

(Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 6  P.17-27)

What a beautiful story described in Hosea. The all -loving God gives His all and goes all out to win back “Mother”. Yet she will not return and He must execute , as a last resort, judgment “the valley of Achor for a door of hope” upon His people. Very soon the relationship with the King of Kings shall be one of “Husband and wife”, do we realize the utter privilege that awaits those who are prepared for the Lord’s visitation upon His remnant people, those who have accepted His final message of Elijah?

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The Meaning of Hosea Chapter One and Two, Part 1 of 2

June 25, 2016

hosea

When the Lord promised to send His final messenger to our church, one of the greatest things we find is the understanding of long-held mysteries of the Bible. One of those mysteries we now understand is the often confusing story of Hosea. All too often the people are told that Hosea chapter one and two is a “real” story. That Hosea really did go out and marry a whore. This idea stems mostly from our protestant friends, those who also tell us the Sabbath has been done away with. However we as SDA have some private ideas on this story from our leaders as seen here –https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/bible-ot-texts/hosea-12

But let us  look at the story and find out the real spiritual meaning as brought to us by the final prophet, Victor T. Houteff. We shall see a pleading story from God to us His remnant church, a story that shows the depth of His love for us and the desperation that exists in bringing her back to Him.

 

 

Let us now break this story down and study it from our prophet’s interpretation.

Hos. 1:2 — “The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.”

   We immediately see that this wife and these children symbolize God’s people departing from Him, and that such a wicked act, He calls whoredom.

Hos. 1:3, 4 — “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.  and the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.”

   God’s reason for thus naming Hosea’s first visionary son, was to signify that in a little while He was to avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, who was then the king of Israel.  Then declared the Lord:

Hos. 1:5 — “And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.”

   To break the bow would mean to break the nation’s military strength.  The history of this is recorded in 2 Kings 10, 11.

Hos. 1:6 — “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter.  And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.”

   This child’s name was to denote the complete destruction of the house of Israel, the ten-tribe kingdom.  This destruction, we know, was accomplished by the king of Assyria, who scattered the people throughout the cities of the Medes.  The history of this is found in 2 Kings 18:11 — “And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”

Hos. 1:7 — “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.”

   The Lord promised to spare the house of Judah from the invasion of the king of Assyria.  The history of this incident is recorded in 2 Kings 19:35 — “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.”

Hos. 1:8, 9 — “Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.  Then said God, Call his name Lo-Ammi: for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God.”

   The name of the third child was to signify that though Israel and Judah were God’s chosen people, the day was fast approaching in which they would no longer be called His people.  The fulfillment of this phase of the prophecy brings us to the Christian era.

Hos. 1:10 — “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”

   In spite of the calamities that were to overtake the children of Israel, they were to become very numerous.  And when they are thus greatly multiplied, they are again to be called the sons of God.  And so here we see a prophecy of the rebellion of God’s people and God’s rejection of them, as well as their repentance and re-acceptance by Him. (Timely Greetings, vol. 2, no.6, p.13-17)

Let us here for a moment discuss the titles “Judah” and “Israel.”  When superficially read these titles are as a rule misconstrued and made to mean the identified Jews.  But we must not be superficial readers and thinkers.  Let us be deep Bible students.  Now, everyone knows that the identified Jews of today are but a handful — certainly not as the sands of the sea.  The innumerable children of Israel, therefore, cannot be the unbelieving Jews of today.  Besides, theidentified Jews of today are not the descendants of the ten-tribe kingdom, but of the two-tribe kingdom.  Who, then, is this multitude of people referred to in Hosea’s prophecy?

 

   We must not overlook the fact that the Gospel of Christ divided the house of Judah into two sects — Jewish and Christian, that the Christian church for about four years after the resurrection of Christ consisted practically only of Jews.  Plainly, then, the original Christians were full-blooded Jews, — the Christian church is only a branch of the Jewish church, but they and their descendants have, through the years, lost their racial identity. 

Then, too, the descendants of both Israel and Judah who through the years of captivity lost their identity as did the Jews who embraced Christianity, according to prophecy must also have greatly multiplied.  Plainly, then, many who are taken as Gentiles, are but unidentified descendants of ancient Judah, Israel, and the Jewish Christians.  The Christian church herself is, as we have seen, a Jewish-Christian church.

   These descendants of Jacob, who were assimilated by the Gentile nations, therefore, were to multiply as the sand of the sea.  They are the ones who, after becoming Christians, are again called the sons of the living God.

   Of those who first embraced the Christian faith, the Apostle Peter speaks thus: “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Pet. 2:10.

   And the Apostle John says: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12.

 

   Now we see that the prophecy of Hosea 1 begins with the house of Israel and Judah, and brings us down through the stream of time to the Christian era.  For light on the church in the Christian period, we turn to–

Hos. 1:11 — “Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.”

   The Word of God, therefore, definitely declares that the subjects of the torn-down kingdoms — Judah and Israel — as Christians, along with the Gentiles that have joined them, will gather together and appoint themselves a king.

   In a similar symbolism, the prophet was told that after many days of obscurity and wandering, “shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king [evidently David is the “one head” whom they appoint], and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” Hos. 3:5. (Timely Greetings, vol. 2, no.6, p.13-17)

 

(Next week we’ll finish the Hosea prophecy with chapter two and a summary about it’s lesson for us today)

Color code– Scripture  and  Victor Houteff

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Finished by Electronic Equipment

June 18, 2016

Computer two

In the fast closing hours of our Seventh-day Adventist probation, the Lord has pulled out all stops. And one of the main ways His final message of hope and salvation to us is– Electronic equipment.

The Lord sent our final prophet to pen these words–

“God’s servants shall have no time or desire for the cares of this world, for there is a city prepared for them whose builder and maker is God.  As we have just enough time to get ready for translation, we must not let the enemy steal our precious moments.  Because the work is so broad, its expansion so vast, and its importance so great, God has inspired modern science to invent, and build speedy equipment to quickly finish His work.  “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.  Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:4, 10.)(SRod, vol. 2, p.229)

Just imagine how far we have come in the last 25 years. The world has been so intertwined with the mass communication of electronics, that in the year 2000, we remember that some well-known computer experts were predicting a literal shut down of the world, with the predicted date change mal-function of the 2000th year.

The computers, cell phones, advanced copiers, and all the other electronic items have truly revolutionized our world. But just as we see  from the inspired Daniel quote, “knowledge shall be increased.” And indeed it has!

But let us step back and ponder this a little. We all know  that the world and the souls in it belong to God. Yes, Satan has commandeered it temporarily but God has not abandoned His people. This being so, who do we think inspired the pioneers like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to come up with all their brilliant ideas? You got it, our ever-loving and all-seeing–King of Kings!

And the reason the computer and electronic age has so developed is for the primary reason–to get His message out to all who are willing. And the next step we as present truth believers know well, is the securement of His elect– the 144,000.

It truly is a marvel that the message of Elijah has gone so far and wide via electronics. Yet despite this very few have taken the time to devote to “study to show yourself approved unto God ..”(2 Tim. 2:15). Nevertheless the Lord has set the table, who will come and eat the bread of life?

But let us not lose track that a good 25 years of the Lord setting the table of electronics before us comes with a condition. That is that this message is literally at our fingertips and we have no excuse to plead ignorance. The solemn words of the prophet come to us again–

“And just as soon as this message reaches every church member, just that soon will the purification take place.” (Timely Greetings, vol.1, no.12, p.26).

We also notice that the world’s electronic build up started in direct correlation to the Lord’s final message, which begin in 1929-1930 with the first volume of the Shepherd’s Rod.

Wikipedia states — “Television became available in crude experimental forms in the late 1920s. After World war two an improved form became popular in the United States and Britain, and television sets became commonplace in homes, businesses, and institutions. During the 1950s, television was the primary medium for influencing public opinion.”

Today, the TV has been very instrumental in furthering His final message. Not so much for actual TV programming but for the use of DVD’s and other medium which uses the TV for playback abilities.

Those striving to become one of His end time servants have little time for worldly TV. Their all-consuming passion is to be about the Lord’s business in His vineyard.

So with this mass electronic spread, we can see that the message is being given through it, so that every member of God’s remnant church shall have no excuse. It is there, available to be read, seen and heard.

CD’s have also played a big role in spreading the message. Computer websites are numerous and people from all over the world can go on and order Tracts, CD’s, DVD’s, and other literature. YouTube videos are plenty today as well, describing the final message of the Lord. For this very reason has the Lord allowed advanced electronics to become so central in our world today!

I think of a  vision of the Lord looking at his subject upon judgment and they say ” I did not know about your final message, Lord.” And the Lord asks if they had a computer and of course, in most cases, the answer is yes. The message is all over that computer they just don’t want to see it. Instead news, work, worldly games, friends and relatives, shows and other entertainment comprise almost all  their computer time.

On our Facebook group Truth Tellers, we are providing message updates and studies and those with computers, cell phones and handhelds, regularly view and partake in this medium. Praise the Lord for this avenue because most of them are from the far away countries, which  only electronic media makes possible. The poor often cannot afford a computer or laptop but usually have a cell phone and can access our site.

There’s been a long time denial of the Elijah message in our church and through the pulpit, and as such our Lord’s inspired electronic media has provided  one of the main sources of His message of hope for His remnant. However at the same time,  His warnings of the upcoming “judgment for the living” that begins in the house of God first is solemnly given.

“For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)

“God does not send judgments upon His people without first warning them to repent. He uses every means to bring them back to obedience and does not visit their iniquity with judgments until He has given them ample opportunity to repent.” (Testimonies, vol.4, p.179)

This electronic media will no doubt stay an important tool for the Lord once the Loud Cry begins. From Israel there shall be much of the Lord’s activity and no doubt live TV coverage. Satan, no doubt will counter the Lord’s final message to the world and with electronic media will likewise try to influence the masses.

It shall be as our prophetess says, “The Great Controversy”. And the Lord’s method of choice to a large degree will be–  Electronic Equipment.

 

Posted in Warning our brethren, Witnessing | 3 Comments »

Let Us Kneel

June 11, 2016

Jesus praying

Many of us as Seventh-day Adventists are aware of the prayers we make during our Sabbath service. For the most part, with the exception of the “garden of prayer” portion of the service, we all stand when we are led by the speaker  to ask for payers.

But what does our Biblical history through Scriptures show?

In Ephesians 5:1-2 we read–

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

One of the ways we can imitate God is through the prayer actions of our Lord and His prophets.

“And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,..”(Luke 22:40-41).

The Spirit of prophecy sheds light on our subject —

“Both in public and in private worship, it is our privilege to bow on our knees before the Lord when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our example, “kneeled down, and prayed.” [Luke 22:41.] Of His disciples it is recorded that they, too, “kneeled down, and prayed.” [Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5.]

Paul declared, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Ephesians 3:14.] In confessing before God the sins of Israel, Ezra knelt. [See Ezra 9:5.] Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.” [Daniel 6:10.] {Gospel Workers p.178.2}

Now, to be clear, there is no command in the Scriptures to bow down on our knees to pray. Yet if we truly want to show honor and respect we can know that this act of holy reverence can only be pleasing to our Lord.

In Ecc. 12:13 we read–

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Many of us are well familiar with the holy 10 Commandments, but how many of us spend time thinking of “fearing the Lord”? This means ways we can show holy reverence and deep respect for His awesome power and might.

Daniel was a man who was highly favored of the Lord. One of the keys no doubt was his holy reverence in “kneeling” three times a day in prayer to the Lord. Are we to aspire to such elevated heights to please the ONE whom is worthy? We should be at least trying.

Our prophetess spoke quite firmly about this issue —

“I have received letters questioning me in regard to the proper attitude to be taken by a person offering prayer to the Sovereign of the universe. Where have our brethren obtained the idea that they should stand upon their feet when praying to God? One who has been educated for about five years in Battle Creek was asked to lead in prayer before Sister White should speak to the people.

But as I beheld him standing upright upon his feet while his lips were about to open in prayer to God, my soul was stirred within me to give him an open rebuke. Calling him by name, I said, “Get down upon your knees.” This is the proper position always.” (Selected messages, vol. 2, p.311)

“We are living in perilous times. Seventh-day Adventists are professedly  the commandment-keeping people of God; but they are losing their devotional  spirit. This spirit of reverence for God teaches men how to approach their  Maker–with sacredness and awe through faith, not in themselves, but in a  Mediator. Thus man is kept fast, under whatever circumstances he is placed. 

Man must come on bended knee, as a subject of grace, a suppliant at the  footstool of mercy. And as he receives daily mercies at the hand of God, he  is ever to cherish gratitude in his heart, and give expression to it in the  words of thanksgiving and praise for these unmerited favours.

Angels have been  guarding his pathway through all his life, and many of the snares he has been  delivered from he has not seen. And for this  guardianship and watchcare by eyes that never slumber and never sleep, he is to recognise in every prayer the service of God for him.” (NBL p.121.)

David, another man after God’s heart said —

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker”(Psalms 95:6).

One of the certain times we should kneel and pray is when the pastor or speaker comes up to preach the sermon.

“When the minister enters, it should be with dignified, solemn mien. He should bow down in silent prayer as soon as he steps into the pulpit, and earnestly ask help of God. What an impression this will make! There will be solemnity and awe upon the people.

Their minister is communing with God; he is committing himself to God before he dares to stand before the people. Solemnity rests upon all, and angels 493 of God are brought very near. Every one of the congregation, also, who fears God should with bowed head unite in silent prayer with him that God may grace the meeting with His presence and give power to His truth proclaimed from human lips.

When the meeting is opened by prayer, every knee should bow in the presence of the Holy One, and every heart should ascend to God in silent devotion. The prayers of faithful worshippers will be heard, and the ministry of the word will prove effectual. The lifeless attitude of the worshippers in the house of God is one great reason why the ministry is not more productive of good.”(Testimonies, vol. 5, p.492-493)

 

To summarize, this issue really is a “search your heart” issue and the Lord is leaving it up to us to know our reverence. Many times we pray but may be driving in the car or at another place where kneeling is not possible or inappropriate. But when it is, our first and best action is to  kneel before the MOST HIGH and offer up our petitions. After all our great leaders of the past did it and the KING Himself did it.

 

Posted in Prayer | 2 Comments »

The Dad is Stumped (Part 2 of 2)

June 4, 2016

Man thinking

Last week we showed the first part of the study, and so far we see that Art has been quite perplexed as to his son’s revealing Scriptures and SOP.

Johnny: Do you remember where we showed that the Lord is to have a conquering  church?

Art: Yes, that was from our prophetess.

Johnny: But how can this be Dad, when right now we have our own beloved church allowing abortions upon demand ,and people with non-Biblical perverted lifestyles  ministering in our churches, for example?

Art: Son, we are still sinful people and the Lord is to work upon us as we walk through our Christian experience.

Johnny: That’s true Dad, but the word says there will be a church purification before the Loud Cry.

Art: I never heard of such a thing show me where you get that? My understanding is that there will be a testing time, the Sunday law, and that will cause the weak in faith to depart the church and thus this produces a solid deep faith church, willing to stand for Christ and His word.

Johnny: There is way too much to address all of the evidence now but I will show you a few.

“The third angel’s message is to lighten the earth with its glory; but only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.” (Review and Herald, Nov. 19,1908)

“The church may appear as about to fall, but it dies not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.” (2 Selected Messages , p.380)

“God has promised that where the shepherds are not true He will take charge of the flock Himself. God has never made the flock wholly dependent upon human instrumentalities. But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor.”(Testimonies, vol. 5, p.80)

“The Lord will work to purify His church. I tell you in truth, the Lord is about to turn and overturn in the institutions called by His name.” (Testimonies to Ministers, p.372-373)

The Scriptures also show it —

“Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.” (Nahum 1:15)

 “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.” (Isaiah 52:1)

“But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken.” (Obadiah 1:17)

Art: Ok son you are presenting much that is quite different from what we as SDA have learned or teach , now tell me how you found all this?

Johnny: Ok, let’s turn to Malachi chapter 4 verses 5 and 6. It reads-

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. “

In 1929 a man taught in  our church, in the Sabbath school lessons in Los Angeles. His name was Victor Houteff. This is how I came across all this. He has some publications called the Shepherd’s Rod.

Art: Victor who?

Johnny: Houteff, he is believed by some to be the prophesied Elijah to come that the Lord promised He would bring to His people.

Art: No son, we are told by our prophetess that we as faithful workers in these last days are the prophesied Elijah to come. Here it is–
“There is constant need of earnest, decided messages of warning. God will have men who are true to duty. At the right time He sends His faithful messengers to do a work similar to that of Elijah.” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p.254)

Johnny: Dad, there is something better, read this —

“Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.”(Testimonies to Ministers, p.475)

But I must tell you that the first two original publications of the Testimonies to Minsters  this quote was left alone. But in 1962, the General Conference added an asterisk to it saying that Ellen White was talking of herself as the Elijah to come. It was after Victor Houteff died and the SDA church was dealing with an underground movement saying that his writings were inspired and should be followed. So to quiet the speculation they published a 1962 version of the book and added the asterisk telling people to not take her words as they appear.

In other words Dad, they were saying that when she said “somebody is to come” she was saying it was herself who had already came. And when she said “when he appears” she meant “when she appears”. It’s pretty ridiculous Dad.

Art: Ok , let’s recap son. First, this Victor guy taught we are to go into the land of Israel after the church purification for the purpose of what?

Johnny: The Loud cry. You see Dad, the Lord cannot pour out His Spirit upon a mixed group, converted and unconverted. No where in the Bible has He ever done such a thing. Do you remember when the Israelites were defeated in the land of Ai, after their great victory in Jericho?

Art: Yes

Johnny: Well the people did not have God’s Spirit with them because of one man, just one sinner named Achan. God told them that He would abandon them if that one sinner was not removed. So Joshua discovered who it was that had stolen some items from their prior victory in Jericho. The Lord had Achan and his family along with all their possessions stoned and buried right in the desert.

According to Victor this was a type of the church  purification, because in order to get to the kingdom (Israel) the Lord had to do a purification of  any sinner in the midst. So the anti-type is us today and the upcoming purification.

Art: Well that all makes sense but does the Scriptures say anything more concrete about this purification?

Johnny: Yes it does, In two places we see really good revelations of it. Both were brought to our attention and taught by Victor , let’s read–

“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-6)

Johnny: His garments are stained red because of the unfortunate dreadful church work the “Mighty to save” One has to do.

(At this point Art is sitting up straight marking every word Johnny says.)

Johnny: And this is perhaps the best one in all the Bible–

“For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow,to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.” (Isaiah 66:15-20)

Johnny: Do you see that after this slaying by the Lord there are those who escape and go to all the world to proclaim the Lord’s glory and then bring in brothers and sisters from around the world, into a clean vessel, meaning they will worship the Lord in a clean church? Never before has this happened in history Dad, it is yet future.

Art: My Son, why haven’t we as SDA known about all this? What are we doing? I never knew all this was in the Bible and SOP!

Johnny: It’s because of our refusal to diligently study the Scriptures and SOP for  ourselves  Dad. SOP nails it with this one —
“But beware of rejecting that which is truth. The great danger with our people has been that of depending upon men and making flesh their arm. Those who have not been in the habit of searching the Bible for themselves, or weighing evidence, have confidence in the leading men and accept the decisions they make; and thus many will reject the very messages God sends to His people, if these leading brethren do not accept them. ” (Testimonies to Minsters, p.106-107)

Johnny: Too many of us are “rich and increased with goods” as the Scriptures say. We think we know all the truth when we are””Blind and naked” as the Lord said. The General Conference knew all about Victor’s writings and decided to make efforts to spread falsehood about Victor and his work. Soon the SDA was hearing how he was bad and not teaching truth. But remember when SOP said–

Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.”(Testimonies to Ministers, p.475)

Johnny: The Lord through Ellen White saw that when the Elijah comes he would be told he teaches falsely and they , the SDA church leaders and General Conference, will tell the people what is truth not this man who many think is the Elijah.

In fact, Victor said this about it–

“..I would remind you, Brethren, that no prophet of God has ever been welcomed by the church.  On the contrary, each in his time was rejected, abused, and most of them were martyred by the ones to whom they were sent — the very ones who were supposed to be serving God!  Indeed, the Lord Himself paid the same price.  For this very reason we must remember that when the last prophet comes he will have the greatest opposition to meet, for Satan well knows that if he loses now, he loses forever. 

What makes Elijah’s work especially hard is that Christendom has long been drilled in the idea that no prophet is to come, that there is no necessity for one, that it has enough revealed Truth to carry it inside the Pearly Gates.

It is therefore only to be expected that the predicted Elijah will be denounced as a false prophet, perhaps even as the anti-Christ, offshoot, or what not.” (General Conference Special, p.6-7)

Art: Why do you think they wanted to hush him up?

Johnny: It was because he was calling out their sins. He was showing the people how God, through the Scriptures and SOP,  was soon not going to tolerate the people who had great light yet continued in their sins. Reformations such as dress, eating, worship, medical, schools, Sabbath keeping , etc were all addressed in his writings and the GC knew that should this reformation call take hold the leaders and their own growing structure would be forced to change everything. They had already began to retreat towards Egypt and had no intention of halting this backward direction.

Their medical institutions and schools were fast conforming to worldly standards, and just as the Romans in Constantine’s day decided to appease the worldly masses and lower their standards to gain more attendance to their churches, so too the SDA leaders. The Lord’s strict word became loosely followed. Sin no longer meant sin but a human weakness that we couldn’t really overcome in this life.

Victor called all this out. He found new interpretations of Scripture that had never been revealed. The true understanding of Daniel 2, Hosea 1 and 2, Ezekiel 1 and 2, and more, Isaiah and Jeremiah and the list goes on and on. But the main thing Dad, as the type did (original Elijah) his message was of warning that the Lord is about to come unexpectedly  and shall surprise the hypocrites and non-converted. Thus the church will be as SOP puts it, “Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners”

Art: This truly is enlightening son. So how long have you been studying these writings?

Johnny: For a little over a year. What I did Dad, is I checked it all with Scripture. The main test was –“To the Law and to the testimony.” (Isaiah 8:20)  I checked if he taught correctly about all the Ten Commandments, and then I checked if he taught what the prophets taught as well, including our prophetess Ellen White.

Art: Ok son, this has been a good study, I will make you a promise. I will study what you have and if it’s truth your Dad will be on board, deal?

Johnny: Deal!

*********************************************

The above story, although a allegory, is intended to make us think. The truth is something we as SDA are truly in need of today. The Lord knew we would need more truth and a better understanding of prophecy, otherwise he would never have promised a prophet, Elijah, to come and bring the Lord’s last message to us. Just as Art showed that despite his prior beliefs, when new light was presented to him, he was willing to look, listen and move upon it. My prayer is that all who read this blog will be like Art. You’ll not regret it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Elijah, Loud Cry, Present Truth, Proper teachings, Victor T. Houteff, Witnessing | 4 Comments »

The Dad is Stumped (Part 1 of 2)

May 28, 2016

Man thinking

Johnny is 14 years old and by all accounts, he seems gifted. But Johnny is not gifted in the sense of talent such as sports, music, art or any other human passion. He studies the Bible, that is his consuming passion. His father, Art, is a long-time Seventh-day Adventist and he is doing a good job with Johnny following the Lord’s counsel.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Being active in his Bible studies, Johnny prefers to go one on one with the Spirit of Truth in learning the Scriptures and of course, as an Adventist, the Spirit of Prophecy. Johnny knows well what the Lord has told us about knowing Truth.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13)

And being of such a young age, the Lord cannot be but thrilled to know Johnny is searching Bible Truth as a miner searches for gold. So this being the case, Johnny was guided to some literature concerning the Lord’s Elijah message. He has been studying it in private for a good year now, marking every word and confirming it to the Scriptures.

One of Johnny and his father’s custom is to have a couple Bible studies each week. So it was Tuesday evening and they went into the family’s study room and began their study.

After prayer Johnny tells Art he has some really interesting points and questions he’d like to review with his Dad.

Johnny: Dad, we as SDA teach that the Sunday law is coming and that once it comes, we’ll have to run to the hills because we can’t buy or sell, is that right?

Art: Yes son that is right. Our prophetess showed us that the Sunday law will be in place in the final days and that we’ll have to get out of the cities and rely totally on God. Even for water and bread. Here’s a good reference for that —

“I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst. Then I saw the leading men of the earth consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy around them.

I saw a writing, copies of which were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day of the week, the people were at liberty after a certain time to put them to death. But in this hour of trial the saints were calm and composed, trusting in God and leaning upon His promise that a way of escape would be made for them.” (Early Writings, p.282. 283)

Johnny: So that means our SDA church will be fragmented and really dispersed and just barely surviving soon?

Art: Pretty much son, it will a real tough time.

Johnny: But how do we explain this SOP quote?–

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

Art: That’s a good point. I guess the church still tries to do the Loud Cry during the time of trouble.

Johnny: Not only that but look at this one–

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:1-2)

Art: Um, that is interesting. We as SDA don’t discuss that one much.

Johnny: Why not? This shows that we as the Lord’s remnant people will be part of a great church, a church based in Jerusalem.

Art: No son, that is not correct. Our prophetess told us the following —

“I also saw that old Jerusalem never would be built up.” Early Writings, p.75

Johnny: But Dad there is more —

“In that day I will make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.” Zech. 12:6. 

“The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the LORD.”(Jeremiah 30:3)

“Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:”(Jer.32:37-38)

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. “(Ezek. 36:24-27)

Johnny: The only land and place that the Lord gave to His people was Israel.

Art: But son those were conditional promises made to the ancient Jews. They did not fulfill their word and therefore God could not fulfill His promise.

Johnny: No Dad, when we read all those four quotes there is words like “I will” “shall be” “they shall”. And nowhere in the context or even before those words in the chapters is any condition given. Let’s read what the Spirit of Prophecy says about this matter.

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

Johnny: Do you know Dad that the promise to restore the land of Israel back to His remnant people is one of the main covenant promises made by God to His ancient people?

( At this point Art is both confused and a little uneasy. He knows that his son is speaking rightly , yet this is not what he has been taught.)

Art: Son , where did you get this stuff?

Johnny: I will tell you in a minute Dad, but first let me show you something else I learned. It’s here in Isaiah  chapter 11. Let me read it.

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; And his resting-place shall be glorious.”(Isaiah 11:6-10)

Art: Ah, one of my favorites Scriptures. This shows a beautiful time when on the new earth there will be beauty and harmony abounding.

Johnny: No Dad that is incorrect.

Art: What? What are you talking about?

Johnny: Allow me to explain. As we know God does not use any useless words in the Scriptures. Therefore we must pay very close attention to each and every word because it has meaning.
First, did you notice that a little child leads the goat, calf and lion? And the infant will play near the cobra’s nest?

Art: Yes

Johnny: That cannot be in the new earth. Let me show you why. This is what our prophetess said.

“There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth, but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the “sure word of prophecy.” The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.” (Maranatha, p.370)

Johnny: Dad, there will not be any little children or infants in the new earth. Because we know that the word says we will grow like calves in the stall (Mal. 4:2). Further, it is foolish to think that during the 1000 years in heaven we will still have babies and young children that won’t grow up there.

Art: Go on I’m listening.

Johnny: We see also that in this time there will be someone whom the Gentiles seek. Will there be any Gentiles in the new earth?

Art: Ok, ok you’ve made your point. Now, where did you get these ideas?

Johnny: I will tell you Dad but I still have more to show you first.

(To be continued…)

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