DEMOCRACY, COMMUNISM, CATHOLICISM, OR PROTESTANTISM–WHICH IS NEXT TO RULE THE WORLD?

October 29, 2023

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, MAY 15, 1948
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

TEXT FOR PRAYER

Christ Reproduced In His People

Christ’s Object Lessons, page 69, beginning with the first paragraph:

“‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”

Here is truth that tells when we may expect Christ to come and gather His own: “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people.”

We should now pray that we put forth the effort to grow as Christians, to love and work for others, to reproduce Christ’s character in us, then this old world will come to an end, and the new world will for us commence.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 36, page 2

DEMOCRACY, COMMUNISM, CATHOLICISM, OR PROTESTANTISM–WHICH IS NEXT TO RULE THE WORLD?

Are the nations from now on to live in two worlds? Man may guess, but he cannot predict. God alone knows the future. And if He does not tell us, then we shall never know ahead of time.




Daniel 7; Revelation 13, 17

 

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On this charted symbolism is seen the world in prophecy from the prophet Daniel’s time down to our day, and beyond. In this symbolical prophecy, therefore, we must search to see if there is any information given on the subject in question.

We and the majority in Christendom commonly believe that the lion represents the ancient empire of Babylon, the bear Medo-Persia, the leopard Grecia, and the non-descript beast in his two phases the empires of Pagan and Papal Rome. But as to the leopard-like beast, and the scarlet-colored, we may not hold views alike. And that is why we need to study now as never before if we are to know the Truth.

If the beasts of Daniel, the first four beasts on the chart, represent four periods of time, one following the other, then why should not the last three likewise represent three periods of time, one following the other? — Logically they should. We need not, however, wholly depend upon logic, for the symbols themselves should define the time and the systems they portray.

In contrast to the crownless horns on the non-descript beast (Daniel’s fourth beast) you see the crowned horns on the leopard-like beast of Revelation 13.

Why crowns on the one and no crowns on the other? — The only logical and scriptural answer that can be given is this: The angel explained to Daniel that the horns on the non-descript beast symbolize kings that had no kingdom as yet, that they would someday arise, take up their crowns and reign. (Daniel 7:24). And history records that

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this happened when Pagan Rome fell, and that the kings that then took their crowns, kingdoms, are the kings who reach down to our day. These kings have now almost dwindled away, their thrones are being taken by Fascism, Communism, or by some form of Republicanism.

The leopard-like beast, therefore, having his horns crowned, definitely denotes that he comes into being after the career of the non-descript beast, after the fall of Pagan Rome, and during the time the kings receive their kingdoms, for crowned horns denote crowned kings.

Moreover, the leopard-like beast blasphemed God and His tabernacle forty-two months, which is exactly the same length of time in which the little horn power of the non-descript beast was to speak against the Most High and to wear out the saints. He was to do this for a time (one year), times (two years), and dividing of time (half year) equal to forty-two months (Dan. 7:25). Both the leopard-like and the non-descript beast in the second phase, were against God and His people for the same length of time — forty-two symbolical months.

Plainly, then, the leopard-like beast reigns contemporaneously with the second phase of the non-descript beast.

Still further, the leopard-like beast is a composite beast of all the beasts before it! His mouth of a lion, feet of a bear, body of a leopard, and ten horns are marks which identify him to be a descendant of the four ancient world empires — Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. He is therefore the symbol of the world of today, the fifth symbolical beast.

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Now the fact that the wounded head of the leopard-like was to have his wound healed, and also the fact that the scarlet-colored beast of Revelation 17 is a beast that has the same characteristics as the leopard-like beast, having ten horns and seven heads but no wound on any of them, proves that the latter beast is symbolical of the time after the deadly wound is healed, of a seventh period of time for the two-horn beast comes before the scarlet-colored beast, and he is the one who makes an image of the beast before it.

We are now ready to see by means of this symbolical beast, the seventh, the kind of world we are entering into, — whether Democracy, Communism, Catholicism, or Protestantism, is next to rule. Light on the subject can be seen from the horns, and from the woman that rides, rules, the beast.

Let us first determine whom the woman represents. The first clue is in the widely known fact that Inspiration never symbolizes civil governments by a woman, but It does repeatedly symbolize a religious institution, a church, by a woman, one that brings converts to its creed. The beast, as do all other symbolical beasts, we have seen, represents the world, while the horns represent the rulers. The horns, ten in number are, moreover, significant of universality as are the ten toes on the great image of Daniel 2, and the ten virgins of Matthew 25. The heads, seven in number, also signify completeness, the whole.

Now the fact that the horns have no kingdom as yet, while the woman rides the beast, also the fact that the woman rides it, rules it, is

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evidence enough that the world is next to be ruled by an ecclesiastical body, not purely by Democracy or by Communism.

That the woman riding the beast symbolizes the world in this day and age is evident from the fact that the ten horns, the civil powers that be during the reign of Babylon, hate the woman, the Church. Communism being the only world-wide ruling power since the world began to hate religion, the Church, is itself solid proof that the ten horns are symbolical of Communism, and that the beast represents a period of time in which Communism is about to dominate the world’s seat of government. God is nevertheless to intercept by putting it in their hearts to “give their power and strength unto the beast,” “and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the word of God is fulfilled.”

Thus they receive power one symbolical hour with the beast, they themselves not having a kingdom of their own. And in the end of the “hour” they “make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” Rev. 17:16.

Since the woman is a “mother of harlots” (Rev. 17:5), it is obvious that other sects have sprung from her.

We have now seen that the world is next to be ruled not by Democracy, not by Communism, not by Protestantism, nor by Catholicism. It is to be ruled by a system of religion in which all her daughters participate — a church and state government, which is to be an image or likeness of the leopard-like beast before it received its deadly wound.

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Soon, Brother, Sister, we are to enter into this period of persecution, and how thankful we should be that there is no need to fear, no need to be taken off guard. For with the Light now shining on our pathway we should know what to expect and how to cope with the situation. Truly “unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.” Ps. 112:4.

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The Lord Is Coming

The Lord is coming! seas, retire!
Ye mountains, melt to liquid fire!
Ye oceans, cease to ebb and flow!
His stately steppings ye should know.

The Lord is coming! Who shall stand?
Who shall be found at His right hand?–
He with the righteous garment on
Which Christ our glorious King hath won.

The Lord is coming! watch and pray!
So shalt thou hasten that glad day;
So shalt thou then escape the snare,
And Christ’s eternal glory share.

–Anon.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 36, page 9

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The Sunday Keeping Pastors current Deception on the Israel War

October 14, 2023

With the Middle East war now going on, the Bible has much to say about these end-time events. However, the Lord had warned us that false prophets would appear in the last days.

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”(Matt. 24:10-12)

We recently did a video report on this subject and would like to invite you to watch it.

May you be blessed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPEyreq9bBA&t=62s

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THE CHURCH IN PROPHECY

October 1, 2023

As the church of today is conversant with past church history, but totally ignorant of the Divine prediction concerning herself, we, in an endeavor to enlighten her, shall set forth in this article the reason for her ignorance of the prophecies. But let us first refresh our minds by a brief review of the past before turning our attention to the future. In the following few paragraphs we shall see how completely the Lord has foretold to His church the course that she should, also the course that she would, follow, and the ultimate results in either case. Abraham, by the voice of prophecy, was informed that God had promised at some time to give him land the location of which was not then made known. Later he was told that he and his seed would sojourn in a strange land “four hundred and thirty years” before possessing the land of promise. When the fulness of this prophetic time came, even at the “self same day,” Israel was led out of the land of Egypt. But because of their repeated rebellions the Lord did not see fit immediately to take them into the promised land; therefore, He made known to them that they must remain in the wilderness another forty years. At the end of this prophetic period of time, the children of Israel, by as great a miracle as when they crossed the Red Sea, crossed the Jordan and went into the land promised to them.

Neither did the Lord leave them in darkness while they were in the promised land, but rather He sent to them prophet after prophet, (2 Chron. 36:15), warning them of the consequent results that would befall them because of their depraved spiritual condition, and telling them that by their attitude toward the prophets, and by their demeanor, they were making their final decision either for or against themselves.

As they failed to turn from their evil course, the voice of prophecy declared that they were to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans and there to remain captive seventy years. At the close of that span of time, God, by the hand of Cyrus and Darius, the kings of Medo-Persia, again set His people free, and the kings commanded them to rebuild the temple and the holy city. (Ezra 1:1, 2). As the prophecies concerning the church were then fulfilled, God in His faithfulness, made known to His people that which was to take place within a period of “two thousand three hundred days” or years (Dan. 8:14), beginning at the time when the commandment was made to rebuild the city, and ending in 1844. Among the events that took place during that length of time were Christ’s first coming and His crucifixion. (Dan. 9:26.)

Thus, these prophetic periods of time, linked one to another, carried us through history from the time of Abraham to 1844. But as we have referred to but a few of the prophecies, we might mention that there are many other prophetic events interwoven in the foregoing periods of time, such as the twelve hundred and sixty year period of Daniel 7:25, and the prophecies concerning the First-day Advent movement prior to 1844, etc., all of which shows that there has occurred nothing in church history of which the voice of prophecy has failed to speak.

As the prophecies connected with the First-day Advent movement and the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, are of greater importance to us than are any of the ethers, we shall treat of them more fully. However, as we are writing directly to Seventh-day Adventists, to explain the Scriptures with which they are already familiar is needless; therefore, we shall only refer to them and draw the lesson that God would have His people to know now.

In the tenth chapter of Revelation we read: “And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” (Rev. 10:10.) This scripture is rightly interpreted by the denomination to be a perfectly fitting symbolic prophecy of the indescribable happiness and the crushing disappointment of the First-day Advent movement which declared prior to 1844 the truth of the “2300” day prophecy, whose followers believed what they preached, sold everything of this world’s goods, and spent the proceeds for the preaching of the Gospel that others along with them might be ready for Christ’s coming in the year 1844.

Hence, the thought of taking a flight through the starry heavens and entering through the pearly gates into the eternal city of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, where there is no sorrow, nor pain, nor death, was as sweet a thought to them as is honey to the taste of the tongue. Therefore, to John, the incident was symbolically represented by eating the little book—the Word of God—and by being as sweet as honey at the first. But as the set date passed into eternity, and the Lord Whom they expected to come, did not appear, they, as John, felt their inexpressible joy turn into the gall of bitterness.

Furthermore, as the verse following the one which refers to the disappointment, says, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Rev. 10:11), it proves to be an accurate prophecy of the understanding and experience of the movement prior to 1844, for they thought that the Gospel work was then finished, and that probation had

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closed. Therefore, the angel declared: “Thou must prophesy again;” that is, you have made a mistake, and now you must repeat the preaching of your message. Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, composed largely of those who had been First-day Adventists, arose to fulfill the heavenly commission while some of the First-day Adventists have maintained their own organization to this day.

Now our attention is called to the most important question: Could it be possible that the Scriptures should contain such a complete prophecy of the church to 1844 and contain none at all for her since then? All must honestly agree that to leave the church out of prophecy at any time is illogical and also impossible, for God has never left His people in darkness, and He surely would not do so now at the most important time in the world’s history. Then why does the church of today know so much about the prophecies of the past and so little of the prophecies concerning her own destiny?

There are two great reasons for this mystery. The primal reason is given by the apostle Peter:

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19.)

This scripture declares that prophecy is the more sure word, and that it is as a light that shines in a dark place, and that when it is understood it makes the subject so plain that its clearness is compared by Inspiration, as a “day star” in our hearts. However, the verses following say:

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20, 21); that is, had the Scriptures come by the will of man, then they could be interpreted by the will of man without the aid of the Spirit. But the fact that “holy men of God” received the Scriptures from the Spirit of God, and as it is impossible for man of himself to know the mind of the Holy Spirit, he cannot interpret the Scriptures without the Spirit’s aid—he must, therefore, be inspired as verily as the ones to whom the Scriptures were given at the first.

This is attested by the fact that today we have thousands of isms which are the result of thousands of interpretations of the Scriptures, which proves that men have independently of the Spirit interpreted the Scriptures, for the Spirit of Prophecy does not, and cannot, give to one person one interpretation of scripture, and give to another another interpretation of the same scripture. Moreover since it is true that the Laodicean church does not know the prophecies concerning herself, it bears evidence that the Spirit of Prophecy is no longer active in the midst of her.

The second reason for her ignorance of “the more sure word of prophecy,” is in that she esteems herself as being “rich, and increased with goods,” and to “have need of nothing,” whereas, the prophecies declare that she is “wretched, and miserableness, and poor, and blind, and naked:” and that she knows it not. (Rev. 3:17.) Hence, as the prophecies concerning her “wretched” spiritual condition, and the ultimate results (should she fail to acknowledge and repent of her spiritual poverty), are in direct opposition with her supposed spiritual prosperity, she only partially interprets or misinterprets, misapplies, or leaves them entirely alone.

In the following paragraph we will endeavor to prove that the church of today is repeating the mistakes which the church of the past committed. For an example, as the Pharisees of old rejected the Inspired interpretation of the Scriptures, and as they feared that the common people might see their mistakes, they killed the prophets to silence them. Consequently, they were left in spiritual darkness, and as they privately—without Inspiration—interpreted the Scriptures, they misunderstood and misapplied even the most simple portions of the Word of God, with the result that they crucified the very One for Whom they had expended millions of dollars in sacrifices, and served hundreds of years in ceremonial services.

“The little horn” of Daniel Seven is a well-defined prophecy of the Roman Hierarchy. This prophecy has been preached for many years, but the Romans have never accepted it although they have not been able to attach its fulfillment elsewhere, nor to remove the time of its application. Just as the prophecies which did not commend the deeds of the Jewish and of the Roman leaders were not understood by them, so the prophecies which point out the errors of the Protestant churches are likewise considered as great mysteries.

This lack of understanding is not because the prophecies are difficult to be understood, but because they reveal the facts which the churches are not only unwilling to admit, but also very zealous to cover up. Hence, the advocates of “the more sure word of prophecy” are met with opposition, hatred, and ridicule, while their adversaries declare that the prophecies are but sealed mysteries. Therefore, as a result, ignorance of the Scriptures prevails among the people everywhere.

Thus, while on the one hand the prophecies reveal the poverty, wretchedness, and miserableness of the church today, she on the other hand boasts of her supposed high attainments, and of being rich and increased with goods, and of having need of nothing. This prevailing condition makes

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impossible her interpreting correctly or accepting “the more sure word of prophecy.” Thus, she is repeating the mistakes of the Jews, the Romans, and the Protestants.

We shall now carefully compare the voice of prophecy with the voice of the church. According to the prophecies, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was commissioned to “prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Rev. 10:11.) The word “many” is a limited word—it does not mean all. Thus, the prophecy in no uncertain terms declares that the Gospel commission to the S.D.A. church does not extend to all the nations, but only to “many,” showing that before the Gospel is proclaimed to all the nations, there must be another commission. This fact is attested also by the Spirit of Prophecy:

“God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children.

“A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit.”—“Christ Our Righteousness,” p. 154. (Italics ours.)

“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,’ she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.”—“Prophets and Kings,” p. 725.

While the voice of prophecy on the one hand declares that there is to be a “reorganization” and then a commission for the church to go to all the nations, the voice of the church, without having any more authority for what it says than do the Sunday observers for their belief that Sunday is the correct day to keep, cries aloud that the Seventh-day Adventist organization is “going through,” and the laity, as the laity of the nominal churches, do not ask for proof from “the more sure word of prophecy,” but rather, blindly exclaims “amen” to the voice of man against the voice of God! At the same time, to keep them in darkness, they are told not to listen to any other voice lest they be deceived!

We as the Seventh-day Adventist denomination were commissioned to go to “many” nations, and to gather the hundred and forty-four thousand, the first fruits, as is clearly shown in Revelation 11:1, 2: “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles.”

The words “measure” and “number” are synonymous, for measuring must be accompanied by numbering. Moreover, as those who worship therein are people, they must be measured by numbering. Hence, from 1844 to the time of this prophetic “reformation and organization,” is the measuring, or numbering time—the gathering of the 144,000, the first fruits, the twelve tribes, or those who worship inside the temple—whereas, “the porch that is without” is to be filled with the Gentiles—the second fruits, a great multitude which no man can number—who are to be gathered after the aforesaid reformation and reorganization is effected, just as it is stated in the Revelation. The revelator saw the 144,000 sealed and after that the great multitude. (Rev. 7:3 through 9.)

The Spirit of Prophecy declares that “only those who have withstood and overcome temptation in the strength of the Mighty One, will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming this message when it shall have swelled into the Loud Cry.” (R. & H., Nov. 19, 1908.) This excerpt bears plain evidence that we are not now in the time of the Loud Cry, neither have we ever been, for the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have overcome temptation, whereas, the message has been, and is now proclaimed by both sanctified and unsanctified ministers. Therefore, if the message in the time of the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have overcome temptation, there must necessarily be a reformation, and it shall sift out all the unsanctified ministers. (5T p. 80; G.C. 424, 5.)

The more sure word of prophecy through the “gospel prophet” throws great light on the subject. We read:

“For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. And I will 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.” (Isa. 66:16, 19, 20.

The slaughter of the Lord here brought to view must take place in His church, for those

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who escape must be Christians, well acquainted with the Lord, otherwise they could not proclaim His fame and His glory. Moreover, as the Gentile nations will remain after the slaying takes place, and as they will be privileged to hear the Gospel, it proves that this slaughter of the Lord shall take place before the close of probation.

Still further, the Spirit of Prophecy writes that when the sealing of the 144,000 and the slaying of Ezekiel Nine is about to take place, the ministers will have betrayed their trust (5T 211), and as the message must be preached by a pure ministry, it again proves that this purification must take place just before the commencement of the Loud Cry, thus making possible the closing of the Gospel work by a reformed and reorganized movement, commissioned to go to all the nations rather than to “many.”

Although we have merely touched the prophecies concerning the church of today, we already see that they are just as thorough as the prophecies concerning the church of the past, and that the three angels’ messages will go through, but both, this system of organization and those who do not take heed now to overcome temptation, will perish in “the slain of the Lord.”

There are many who do not see the necessity of reorganizing, though they see the need of a reformation. For this reason we shall add a few words of explanation.

As there would have been no need of a reformation had the church remained true, there would have been no need of reorganization had the church organized right and stayed right. But as the spirit of the world conquered the church, so the spirit of the world conquered the organization, which is unmistakably evidenced by the fact that both the medical and the educational departments of the denomination are now governed by the standards of the world.

Therefore, rather than the church leading the world, the world is now leading the church; or, in other words, rather than the church being the head, as God designed, she has now become the tail; and instead of the world partaking of the spirit of the church, the church is partaking of the spirit of the world, thus cheating the world from receiving the heavenly light, and causing herself to go into darkness, dishonoring God and honoring mammon. Hence, the need of both reformation and reorganization, for how can God finish His work, bless His people, and save the world with a church organization that itself is seeking help from the world?

The Lord’s having seen the course the church would pursue, has, for her benefit, so shaped the prophecies in an endeavor to awaken the church and to save her people. Hence, let us take heed to the sure Word of prophecy as it says: “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Heb. 4:7.) (SC, vol. 4, no. 10-12, p. 2-5)

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WHEN DOES THE HEBREW YEAR BEGIN?

September 16, 2023



“Question No. 50:

Can you tell us the Hebrew New Year’s day, and the days of their sacred feasts, in terms of our Roman calendar?

Answer:

While leading the Hebrew host from bondage to freedom, the Lord was firmly establishing them in the truth of all things, including the truth of the day on which the year begins, of the day on which the month begins, and of the day on which the week begins. Obviously, the Hebrew religion had largely to do with the days of the week, of the month, and of the year.

The Hebrews were forever to keep holy, (1) not a seventh, but the seventh, day of each week, the Sabbath; (2) the days from the fifteenth to the twenty-first day of the first month, the Passover week; (3) the fiftieth day after the sheaf of the first fruits was offered, the Pentecost; (4) the tenth day of the seventh month, the Atonement; (5) the days from the fifteenth to the twenty-first day of the same month, the Feast of Tabernacles; and (6) the feasts of the new moons. Thus the All-knowing One, He who created the heavenly bodies and knows the very moment He set them in motion to govern the day, the month, and the year, decreed that the holy feasts

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be observed in the very month and on the very day on which they were first ordained.

And He appointed the “lights in the firmament… for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Gen. 1:14), by the movements of which He fixed each solar and each lunar date, so that it could never be lost sight of. Then to make doubly secure against such a loss. He “spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Ex. 12:1, 2.

Thus we see that His great and never erring timepiece for earth, the earth’s own invariable movements, fix the day and the year; whereas the moon’s revolving round the earth makes the months.

But the Roman New Year, January 1, finds its establishment, not in the movements of the solar system, but in the notions of mythology. Consequently, as the date does not coincide with either the vernal or the autumnal equinox, or with either the summer or the winter solstice, then should earth’s inhabitants ever lose count of the day, and need to recover it, they would be helpless to do so.

To prevent His people from bringing upon themselves such a catastrophe, and to have them intelligent as to the time the year begins, the Lord gave to Moses the sacred yearly calendar, which cannot be lost or miscalculated

Answerer Book 3, page 10

so long as the earth remains. He told him that the day which preceded the exodus was the fourteenth day of the first month; and that forever thereafter, they were to commemorate the Passover on that very night each year, the night following the fourteenth day. Thus was the Lord re-stablishing the creation calendar, reaffirming that the year begins on the day of the vernal equinox, on which spring, the first season of the year, commences, and on which the sun and the moon were created (the fourth day from the beginning of creation)–the only point in time at which, in the very nature of things, the year could begin. And so it is that the Passover, the Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (the three most important feasts in the year), besides other feasts, are controlled by the solar year and by the lunar month; the weekly Sabbath by the day on which creation began; and the year itself by the vernal equinox, the immovable sign-post.

Beginning its first month of the year with the first new moon, at, or after, the vernal equinox, March 20-21, it puts the fourteenth day, that on which the Passover lamb was to be slain, on April 3. Once for all, is seen the utter impossibility of the Roman month’s having the slightest thing to do with fixing the time of either the Passover or the sheaf offering, and thus not the slightest thing to do with reckoning the time of either the crucifixion or the resurrection of Christ.

Answerer Book 3, page 11

This is more graphically seen from the corre- spondence of the sacred events which came in the spring of the year A.D. 31, the year Christ was crucified, with the sacred events which came in the fall of the year A.D. 27, the year in which He was baptized, as viewed diagrammatically:

Image of the Sacred year and its main feasts

Answerer Book 3, page 12

This chart enables us to see that just as one solar season matches another (the vernal eguinox matches the autumnal equinox, and the summer solstice, the winter solstice), in like fashion the sacred feasts of one season match the sacred feasts of another season: the tenth day of the first month, the separation of the unblemished lamb from the flock (Ex. 12:3), corresponding to the tenth day of the seventh month, the work of Atonement, the separation of the righteous from the unrighteous, signifying in both events a day of judgment, a day of separating the holy from the unholy; the sixteenth of the first month, the day Christ was crucified, corresponding to the sixteenth of the seventh month, the day He was baptized, showing that His watery grave foreshadowed His grave in the tomb; the eighteenth day of the first month, the resurrection, corresponding to the eighteenth day of the seventh month, the first day of the wilderness temptation; His forty days of victorious ministry to His disciples, corresponding to His forty days of victorious conflict with Satan; and His disciples’ preaching the gospel after the Pentecost, corresponding to His preaching the gospel after the wilderness temptation.

To establish the date of His baptism as the sixteenth day of the seventh month, we need only to consider, aside from the coincidences the fact that the “more sure word of prophecy’ certifies that He was to

Answerer Book 3, page 13

preach three and a half years, and then be “cut off.” Dan. 9:26. And as He was crucified on the sixteenth of the first month, he must have been baptized for the ministry just three and a half years before, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month.” (3 Answerer Book, p. 9-14)

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, God's signs, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

THE GREAT PARADOX OF THE AGES

September 3, 2023

 

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, JANUARY 10, 1948
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

TEXT FOR PRAYER

Break Up The Fallow Ground

I shall read from page 56 of “Christ’s Object Lessons”:

“Throughout the parable of the sower, Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the soil. In every case the sower and the seed are the same. Thus He teaches that if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the reason is to be found in ourselves. But the result is not beyond our control. True, we can not change ourselves; but the power of choice is ours, and it rests with us to determine what we will become. The wayside, the stony-ground, the thorny-ground hearers need not remain such…. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural hear can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus. The Lord bids us by His prophet, ‘Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.’ ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy.’ This work He desires to accomplish for us, and He asks us to cooperate with Him.”

We shall now kneel and pray that we may ever be awake to the Voice of the Spirit of God; to know that although we cannot change ourselves, yet the power of choice is ours; to ever remember that God has created us free moral agents, that we ourselves are responsible for our hardness of heart; to let Him break up our fallow ground so that we may sow to ourselves righteousness; to know that through prayer and study we can keep awake our desire for spiritual things.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 16

THE GREAT PARADOX OF THE AGES

Zech. 6:1-8 — “And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my Lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four Spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and He said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried He upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the noth country have quieted My Spirit in the north country.”

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 17

 

(Picture above)

 

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 18

The paradox in this prophetic symbolism is with the fourth chariot, you see: It is hitched to two teams, the grisled and the bay, one team trying to take it in one direction (south), and the other in another direction (to and fro through the earth)! What is to become of the chariot, and which of the teams is likely to take it? That is the paradox, for they cannot both have it unless they walk together. As this is a paradoxical symbolism, it has been a mystery ever since the prophet wrote it, and as it is now disclosed for the first time, Inspiration obviously is forewarning someone of something very serious that is taking place at this particular time. What can it be?–

The prophet Zechariah was as anxious to know as we are, for he asked, “What are these, my Lord”? And to his question came the answer, “These are the four Spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth.”

The angel’s answer is positive. The chariots, He declared, are the Spirits of the heavens, Who stand before the Lord, and Who are sent to go to and fro through the earth. Plainly, then, these four teams and chariots symbolize four messages (four Spirits) sent from God’s presence. And since all the messages from God are carried to and fro through the earth by the Ministry and the Church, the chariots and their teams, therefore, are seen to symbolize the church at work in four different periods.

The next question is, Where in the stream of time shall we look for this message-laden and trouble-burden church? in our time, in the past or what? The brass mountains give the clue, for the chariots came from between them. We should, therefore, first find out what the mountains symbolize, and

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 19

where they stand in time. And as the chariots came from between the mountains, one standing to their left (in the future) and the other to their right (in the past), it is necessary to locate them first. The Biblical interpretation of a symbolical mountain is as follows: “Jerusalem shall be called a city of Truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.” Zech. 8:3. The mountains in Zechariah’s prophecy, therefore, as elsewhere in the Bible, are seen to symbolize two governments, churches, very similar in nature (both of brass) and at two different times (one to the chariot’s right and one to their left). Being of brass, a metal that has everlasting qualities, that does not deteriorate, shows that they represent something eternal. Moreover the mountains being of the same symbolical material as that which the feet of Christ (Rev. 1:15) were shown to be (brass), it locates the mountains in the Christian era.

The only such holy governments of God in the Christian era, one in the past and one in the future between which the path of the chariots lies, are the church of the Pentecost with the 120 Spirit-filled disciples, symbolized by the mountain to the chariots’ right, and the church at the second Pentecost (Joel 2:28, 29, yet future) with the 144,000 Spirit-filled disciples standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1), symbolized by the mountain to the chariots’ left.

It is well understood that the church of today is made up of all kinds of materials, not of solid brass — not of true Christians only, but commingled with good and bad — wheat and tares. The truth is therefore obvious: There is to be another such sin-destroying and sinner-sifting Theocracy as the one in the day of Ananias and Sapphira who for sinning gave up the

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 20

ghost as they fell at the apostle’s feet (Acts 5:1-11).

Plainly, the chariots symbolize the church militant at work between the two Pentecosts.

The fourth chariot being the last, it is to be found operating just before the second Pentecost.

Since the chariots are led by horses, the horses themselves must symbolize the chariot’s (church’s) leadership, and the passengers in the chariots must symbolize the laity.

The symbolism, though, is to disclose the paradoxical situation that exists with the fourth chariot, the last, and hence the Laodicean church with the Judgment message, as her name itself indicates.

The first chariot, you remember, is led by red horses; the second by black horses; the third by white; and the fourth by two kinds — grisled and bay horses. The color of each horse being a mark of species, it must be indicative of their natural and consequential circumstances. And as afore-noted, they are symbolical of the ministry in each segment of church history. The red evidently signifies martyrdom; the black signifies captivity; the white signifies freedom; grisled (an indefinite color, neither black nor white) symbolizes ministers that are neither true Christians nor true Gentiles — hypocrites. The bay, however, denote strength, as the marginal reference points out.

This symbolical prophecy is seen to corroborate history. It points out that the Christian Church at first suffered martyrdom, shown by the color, red. Then followed the Dark Ages of religion when the church

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 21

was in captivity (black). Following these came the Protestant period, the period of religious freedom (white team). And at last comes the fourth chariot with its bay and grisled teams. The teams are seen to have a controversial struggle over the chariot. Grisled being an indefinite color — neither black nor white, denotes hypocrisy, the kind of which is heretofore unknown, whereas the color, bay, denotes spiritual strength (margin) the kind heretofore unknown.

Since the Church originated in Asia, Jerusalem in particular, the first chariot is seen to have remained there, for it went nowhere. The “north country,” geographically north of Palestine is where the other chariots went; that is, the countries which the Christian nations are now inhabiting. The fourth chariot, though, is supposed to go to and fro through the earth — to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. But contrary to this, the grisled horses “go forth toward the south country” which, figuratively speaking, would be spiritual Egypt — worldliness.

God’s Spirit having been silenced in the north country, must denote that the messages of God in the north country were generally rejected, especially the one of the forth chariot, which caused the Spirit of Truth to turn away and to bring Truth no more through them — to be silent there — and that, therefore, there is not to be expected any Truth through them.

The double team of horses, and their two kinds of colors, pulling in two different directions are immediately seen to symbolize a double set of church leaders (the Seventh-day Adventist leaders and the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist leaders) unlike in character and aim. Symbolically speaking, the grisled horses, those that appeared first on the

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 22

prophetic scene, are leading the chariot into Egypt — the worldliness from which they ought to come out rather than go back into. The bay horses, though, are endeavoring to pull away from it and go to and fro through the earth as commanded — to finish the gospel work in accordance with God’s plan. But this cannot take place so long as both teams are hitched to the chariot, for the chariot cannot possibly move in either direction while one team pulls in one direction and the other in another direction.

The immediate necessity, therefore, is to unhitch (discharge) the one, so that the other can be free to go to and fro through the earth as soon as they are told to “Go.” When this happens the paradox will be a paradox no longer.

What put two different kinds of leaders working at cross purposes? — I shall let the Spirit of Prophecy give the answer. Here follows the description of one set of church leaders:

“…Those who have rendered supreme homage to ‘science falsely so-called,’ will not be the leaders then. Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent, will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock…” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 80.

Obviously, these self-important leaders, who love to slumber in a lukewarm country, are represented by the grisled horses.

We shall now read of the leaders whom the bay

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 23

horses depict, the ones that come on the scene last:

“…The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But, it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven, but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine lustre.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pp. 80-81.

This is exactly what is happening right now: Those who are rejecting the message that is announcing the Judgment for the Living; those who “did not keep pace with the light,” and are satisfied to stay in antitypical Egypt; the Seventh-day Adventists’ ministry are to be discharged (unhitched); and the “hidden” ones, those represented by the bay horses, the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists’ ministry, are coming to the front. They are now being “disclosed to view,” and are getting ready to take the chariot! Then as soon as they are told to “Go,” they will unhesitatingly and speedily move on “to and fro through the earth” with the message of the hour, the Judgment for the Living.

Now let the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination concretely explain what and where the south country is:

“I am filled with sadness when I think of our condition as a people…. The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader, and is steadily

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 24

retreating toward Egypt. Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power. Doubt and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus. The testimonies are unread and unappreciated. God has spoken to you. Light has been shining from his world and from the testimonies, and both have been slighted and disregarded. The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 217. (Underscored words ours.)

What will unhitch the grisled horses from the chariot? — Isaiah the prophet has the answer:

Isa. 66:16, 19, 20 — “For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many…. And I will 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.”

Here is projected a slaughter, taking place among those who have been instructed to abstain from unclean meats, but among whom many are violating God’s command. The disobedient, those whose bellies are their gods, including those who sanctify

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 25

and purify themselves, (the self-righteous) in the gardens behind one tree (behind their Truth-hating minister, Isa. 66:17, margin), are by the Lord Himself removed from among His Truth-seeking ones.

After the transgressors are thus removed, then those who are left, the “remnant,” the escaped ones, become the servants of God and are sent to all the nations, especially to those who have not as yet heard either of God’s fame or the good news of His Kingdom. These escaped ones are to bring to the house of the Lord all their brethren, all that will be converted to Christ — “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.” They shall stand “before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” Rev. 7:9.

Thus will the Gospel be finished by those who escape from the Lord’s slaying (Isa. 66:15,16) and God’s people be quickly gathered from the four corners of the earth, happily brought as an offering to the house of the Lord (Isa. 66:19, 20).

Now is everyone’s chance to decide to be either on the one side or on the other, either to reform and be led by the faithful bay horses, or to cling to the self-important grisled horses and stay by them in the south country, there to perish. Here is indeed a momentous decision to be made by every member of the Denomination. It calls for action that will decide the future destiny of the laity as well as of the ministry.

Now is your opportunity to act, and it is my wish and prayer that you, and every member of the Denomination,

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 26

chooses to be on the side which this unveiled paradox of the ages plainly and definitely instructs you to be on. Do not let the grisled horses deceive you any longer. Meet their fair speeches with “Thus saith the Lord.” You take them to task on this strictly Biblical Truth.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 22, page 27

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Present Truth | Leave a Comment »

Our Ministry Convocation

September 2, 2023

In Hebrews 10:23-25, we read —

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

So in keeping with this counsel, our Ministry is holding its second convocation this Sabbath (Sept. 2, 2023). We would like to invite everyone to attend via our Zoom platform. We shall have songs, Sabbath School, testimonies, health discussion and the sermon. As the  Lord has blessed us we wish to worship and praise Him. Some may be curious to know how we worship as Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, and as such you are welcome to join our service. Be Blessed.

Time: 7:30 Western, 9:30 Central, and 10:30 Eastern (USA time)
Length: All day event (closing at 6:30 pm Central)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82670730631?pwd=SDJaRlRRemswYlMvbDAzNk9kK0g0Zz09

Meeting ID: 826 7073 0631
Passcode: 060086

Ministry info —

Address

P.O. Box 237,
Montalba, TX 75853.

Mail

pre11thhour@gmail.com

 WEBSITE —

https://pre-11thhourministry.org/

Posted in Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, Present Truth, Prophecy study | Leave a Comment »

What we can learn from our Catholic Friends

August 19, 2023

Raised as a Catholic, yours truly learned firsthand many things concerning the Catholic Church. In this post, we will look at some customs of this Church and compare that to my current faith –Seventh-day Adventist.

First before we begin, I would like to point out that although the Catholic Church has many benevolent qualities, it is still mired in many ways. Among the most profound errors that come from it, are the idolization of humans (Pope, Mary, and the Saints for example), false doctrines, and the changing of the Commandments. 

“It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving God according to the best light they have. They are not allowed access to His word, and therefore they do not discern the truth. They have never seen the contrast between a living heart service and a round of mere forms and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth as it is in Jesus, and many will yet take their position with His people.”(Great Controversy, p.565)

This being said, we shall look at her more admiring qualities that we as SDA can learn from and hopefully come in line with.

1) Head covering

When you attend Catholic services, you will often see the women covered with head coverings. Although the new generations aren’t as faithful in this custom as times past, it still is a practice observed by many of the Catholic women (especially the older women). Within the SDA Church this custom is practically non-existent. Only a rare few can be seen doing it. However, the “advanced” SDA, meaning those who have kept pace with the unrolling of the scroll DO WEAR THEM. What do we mean by advanced SDA?

Briefly explained, this means those within the SDA Church who strictly and literally believe in God’s word  and His prophecies, called Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. They believe that a “final” prophet was sent to our SDA Church, and that promise is found in Malachi 4:5-6. The SDA, for the most part, either says it is symbolic or that Ellen White fulfilled that promise. Although that is mocking God’s word despite what EGW herself prophesied —

“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)

To say the prophetess meant “she” when she said “he” is nothing short of gaslighting and mockery of the plain English language. Now,  once the DSDA study and learn the writings of a man named Victor Houteff, who DSDA believe is that prophesied prophet to come, they soon learn that this final message of Elijah makes clear the issue of head coverings.

SHALL THE WOMAN LEAVE HER HAT ON WHEN THE MAN TAKES HIS OFF?

Question No. 119:

   What does Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 11  concerning the woman covering her head? Does not verse 15 show that the hair is her covering?

Answer:

   “But I would,” says the Holy Spirit, “have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Cor. 11:3.

   Note the order in which divinity and humanity are linked: God, Christ, the man, the woman. Thus it is that “every man praying or prophesying,  having his head covered, dishonoureth his head [God]. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth  her head [the man]: for that is even all one as if she where shaven.

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn [that is, if a woman will not wear a hat, then let her cut off her hair]: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered [let her wear a hat]. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” 1 Cor. 11:4-8.

   This scripture plainly teaches that a man ought to take his hat off when praying or prophesying (teaching the Scriptures), while the woman should put hers on. One could not logically conclude from 1 Cor. 11:15  that the woman’s hair is the covering referred to.  If such were the case, then logically the man should shave his head in order to make the distinction between the two.

   Moreover, if the woman’s hair is the covering required, then why would the Scriptures say she is to wear it when “praying or prophesying”? What else could she do? And could she take off her hair (covering) when not praying, unless she wore a wig?

   The Scriptures therefore make it clear that any religious occasion which requires the man to take his hat off, requires the woman to put hers on. (Answerer, vol. 5, Q-119)


2) Modesty in dress

For the most part in a Catholic Church service, you will see modest dressing, both males and females. This custom has stood firm for many decades. Again, the newer generations can be seen to not reflect this custom as much, but overall this seems still the custom. The SDA church is not so concerned with this. In fact, in our local Churches, lazy street clothes by the men and women’s short skirts are often in plain view within the sanctuary.

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”(1 Tim. 2:9-10)


The Bible clearly says modest dressing is reflective of the Christian life. There are just too many references, both in Ellen White’s writings and Victor Houteff’s, to plead ignorance of this injunction.

3) Reverance in the Sanctuary 

“Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord.” (Lev. 19:30)

“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13)

Let us not forget that God’s house, His place of worship, is to have holy reverence in it. This custom is another one found within the Catholic Church that is commendable. You rarely see people shaking hands, laughing, talking, playing with their cell phones, etc within that Church. I remember as a kid that holy reverence and it gave the sense of God’s presence within her. Contrast that to the SDA Church, and you will see all of the lack of reverence aforementioned and more. Nearly NO HOLY REVERANCE is noticed within her.

Now because of these dire shortcomings within our Church, inspiration has given several warnings.

“There is a lack of moral and spiritual power throughout our Conferences. Many churches do not have light in themselves. The members do not give evidence that they are branches of the True Vine, by bearing much fruit to the glory of God, but appear to be withering away…They understand not the true application of the Scriptures, nor the power of God. They have eyes, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; they continue in their evil ways, yet regard themselves as the privileged, obedient people who are doers of the word.

A carnal security and ease in Zion prevail. Peace, peace, is sounded in her borders, when God has not spoken peace. They have forfeited the terms of peace; there is reason for an alarm to be sounded in all “my holy mountain.” The sinners in Zion should be afraid, in a time when they do not expect it, sudden destruction will surely come upon all who are at ease.” (RH December 23, 1890)


So we see that we as Adventists can indeed learn from our Catholic friends the above-said issues. Sadly, not only has the SDA fallen into such abominations but she has also, to a large degree, rejected the Lord’s final message of Elijah. A very sad situation indeed!

In closing, despite the Catholic shortcomings, many of our Catholic friends, who walk in all the light they have now, will indeed one day see the light and come into His kingdom, praise His holy name.




Posted in Christian faith, General thoughts | Leave a Comment »

The Seven Trumpets

August 5, 2023



Rev. 8:7. “The first angelsounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”

We know that literal “fire,” “hail,” and “blood” would, if commingled, result in the fire’s melting the hail and burning up the blood. This result did not, however, follow the mingling of these three elements, the “hail” and “fire” and “blood” at the sounding of the first trumpet. Inescapably, therefore, they must be symbolically interpreted. And this conclusion is reenforced by the fact that the fire burnt all the “green grass,” and only a “third part” of the “trees.” This unnatural circumstance makes unavoidable the inference that the dry grass, which is more easily burned was unharmed; otherwise no mention would have been made as to the kind of grass consumed by the fire. But as it is contrary to nature for dry grass not to be consumed in the burning of green grass, the “green grass” and the “trees” are hence symbolical of something living, and vulnerable to injury, whereas the dry is not.

And finally, as proof in “good measure, pressed down…, and running over” (Luke 6:38), that the trumpets are symbolical, we call attention to the main events to take place in connection with some of the other trumpets.

At the sounding of the second trumpet, a great “mountain,” as it were burning with fire, “was cast into the sea.” Had not the “mountain” been symbolical, then after it had been cast into the “sea,” either the waves would have extinguished the fire or the fire would have transformed the water into steam. Instead, though, a part of the sea became “blood” — a condition utterly illogical, also unhistorical.

Obviously, then, the “mountain,” the “fire,” the “ships,” the “creatures,” and the “life” which they had, are each figurative. Likewise must be the sea, for only those “creatures” which are in the “sea,” and which “had life,” “died,” showing that there were others which did not have life but which yet lived on. If the creatures are not symbolical, it would be superfluous to say that those which “had life,” “died.” For unless they had life, how could they have died? A natural sea, furthermore, is never motionless, but ever undulating. Accordingly, were this “sea” literal, it would be impossible to confine the “blood” within the limits of the “third part of the sea.”

Were the “star” which, at the sounding of the third trumpet, “fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters,” not symbolical, but literal, it would jar the earth off its course and annihilate it!

At the sounding of the fourth angel, the “third part” of the “sun,” the “moon,” and the “stars” were “smitten.” Its being impossible, though, to smite the heavenly luminaries, then those here recorded as “smitten” are manifestly symbolical. This is made doubly plain in the light of the knowledge that even were they literal, and one part of them actually was smitten, the two parts of them remaining unsmitten would still emit more than enough light to prevent darkness.

Out of the “smoke” which, at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, rose from the “bottomless pit,” came fabulous “locusts” the like of which do not exist. The locusts, the “smoke,” and the “pit,” therefore, must also stand for something else. And furthermore as the personal pronoun “he” applies to the “star,” the star, consequently, is figurative of a male person.

That a horse, as in the sixth trumpet, should have a tail of serpents, a lion’s head, and a mouth belching fire, smoke, and brimstone — how utterly and fantastically impossible! These unnatural and grotesque combinations therefore reveal that the truth of the seven trumpets is to be unlocked only by the key of symbolical interpretation, and that hence the Bible Itself must explain

The Nature of the Trumpets.

That singular parallelism exists between the several effects of the seven trumpets and the several effects of the seven last plagues, is clearly to be seen in the following collocations:

(1) Both the elements of the first trumpet (“hail and fire mingled with blood”) and the contents of the vial of the first plague are cast upon the “earth” (Rev. 8:7; 16:2).

(2) The “mountain” at the sounding of the second trumpet and the contents of the “vial” at the pouring out of the second plague find their point of coincidence in falling alike into the “sea” (Rev. 8:8; 16:3).

(3) “Upon the rivers and fountains of waters” (Rev. 8:10; 16:4) fall both the “star” of the third trumpet and the contents of the “vial” of the third plague.

(4) Just as at the sounding of the fourth trumpet, so likewise at the pouring out of the “vial” of the fourth plague, the sun is affected (Rev. 8:12; 16:8).

(5) Darkness (Rev. 9:2; 16:10) ensues in common at the sounding of the fifth trumpet and at the pouring out of the fifth plague.

(6) As with the sixth trumpet just so with the sixth plague, the “river Euphrates” is the focal point (Rev. 9:14; 16:12).

(7) And bringing up the seventh parallel, the seventh trumpet and the seventh plague exhibit the identical components: the temple in heaven the voices and thunderings and lightnings therefrom, the earthquake and the hail (Rev. 11:15; 16:17-21) — the second coming of Christ.

These coincidences demonstrate beyond the slightest peradventure that the nature and the purpose of the seven trumpets are the same in kind as the nature and the purpose of the seven last plagues: destructive; and that of the wicked after their probation has closed.

Let it not, however, be understood that the respective destructions revealed in the subject of the seven trumpets must be one and the same in time and event with the corresponding destructions of the seven last plagues, for such a conclusion is made impossible by the fact that the voice which spoke to the angel at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, saying, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates,” came “from the four horns of the golden altar.” Rev. 9:13, 14. The altar’s being in the holy apartment of the sanctuary at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, proves that the trumpet sounded before the Most Holy apartment was opened for use. For had it been in use, the “voice” would necessarily have come from therein, where the throne is. Hence, the sounding of this trumpet had to take place before the door of the Most Holy was opened and the throne occupied.

Just as the seven plagues, therefore, reveal the judgments to be visited upon the wicked living after they reject the message in the closing period of this world’s history, so the seven trumpets reveal, as will be seen, the sequent destructions of the successive generations of the wicked, each of whose probation closed consequent to their rejecting God’s respective message to them. Thus the trumpets culminate with those who reject His message to them today.

This basic truth that each period of destruction follows only after a corresponding period of sealing, is corroborated by the fact that the symbolical locusts, which came up at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, hurt only those men which had “not the seal of God in their foreheads.” All this shows not only that each trumpet follows its sealing period, but also that the nature of the trumpets reveals the punishment of those who failed to receive the seal in their particular periods. (Final Warning Tract, p.26-32)

 

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THE END OF HUMAN IDOLS AND THEIR WORSHIPERS

July 23, 2023


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

A GEM FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER

I shall read from Mount of Blessing, page 171, beginning with the second paragraph. This reading is a continuation of our last Sabbath’s reading, based on the Lord’s prayer.

M.B., pg. 171 — “It is not safe for us to linger to contemplate the advantages to be reaped through yielding to Satan’s suggestions. Sin means dishonor and disaster to every soul that indulges in it; but it is blinding and deceiving in its nature, and it will entice us with flattering presentations. If we venture on Satan’s ground, we have no assurance of protection from his power. So far as in us lies, we should close every avenue by which the tempter may find access to us.

“The prayer, ‘Bring us not into temptation,’ is itself a promise. If we commit ourselves to God, we have the assurance, ‘He will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.'”

We shall now kneel and pray that we may realize that sin is blinding and deceiving in its nature; that it leads to dishonor and disaster; and that to be on the safe side, we must not even so much as contemplate yielding to Satan’s suggestions, for once we venture onto his ground we cannot expect God’s protection. Let us also thank the Lord for the comforting assurance that if we fully commit ourselves to him, He will not allow us to be tempted above that we are able.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 18, page 12

THE END OF HUMAN IDOLS AND THEIR WORSHIPERS

This afternoon we shall study Zechariah, chapter 13. Let us begin with the first verse.

Zech. 13:1 — “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

The phrase “in that day” points back to preceding events, back to the twelfth chapter. There we find that the event is the great mourning in Jerusalem (chapter 12, verses 12- 14). So “in that day,” in the day of that great mourning, this fountain is to be opened.

To find the time in which the mourning takes place, it is necessary that we go further back into the twelfth chapter. Better still, we should review the chapter from the first verse on, because there are brought to view seven groups of separate and distinct events, one following the other.

The outstanding events of each group are these: (1) Jerusalem is to be made “a cup of trembling” and the nations of the earth are to be “in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” (2) “In that day” the nations are to gather together against them. (3) “In that day” the Lord is to “smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness,” and He is also to open His “eyes upon the house of Judah.” The governors of Judah are then to say in their hearts, “The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.” (4) “In that day” Jerusalem is to be inhabited

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again. (5) “In that day he that is feeble among them” is to be as David; and the house of David is to be as God. (6) “In that day” the Lord is to seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. He will then pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications. (7) “In that day” there is to be a great mourning in Jerusalem.

Thus one event is contingent upon another, the last of which is the great mourning in Jerusalem. In the day of these events, therefore, the fountain for sin and for uncleanness is opened. Let us now connect Zechariah 13:1 with verse 2.

Zech. 13:1, 2 — “In that day [in the day the great mourning takes place] there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.”

Two things stand out clearly in these verses: (1) that the house of David must come into existence before the cleansing fountain is opened; (2) that the cleansing begins with cutting off the names of the idols, and throwing out of the land the false prophets and the unclean spirits.

In our previous study of the tenth chapter of Zechariah, we learned that these idols are the kind that speak; that they are men. There is no doubt, therefore, that these are ministering brethren who the laity are idolizing. As a result, the laity are blindly following them, and whatever decisions their “idols” make concerning what is truth and what is error, what is sin and what is righteousness, those are the decisions which the laity does carry out. These “idols,” therefore are creating a situation similar to that which the priests, scribes, and

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Pharisees created in the days of Christ’s first advent. Consequently, the idol-worshipers are not troubling themselves to personally investigate fresh messages, and they are thereby ignorantly following men rather than Christ and His advancing Truth. These, along with the prophets and the unclean spirits, shall pass out of the land.

Zech. 13:3-5 — “And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.”

The name of the idols (the flattering titles of men) shall forever be forgotten: Men shall never again be known by such titles. Thereafter neither a false prophet nor an unclean spirit shall be tolerated in the land. In fact, not even a father or a mother will then tolerate their own son to pose as such, but they shall deliver him to the executioners. It shall come to pass that the men who even now are exalting themselves, and, worst of all, are preaching without having been “sent,” shall be ashamed as they see their foolish teachings, predictions, and private interpretations of the Scriptures. No longer will they wear deceitful garments. Rather, they will say, “I am no prophet, not even a pastor, I am only a herdsman, a common farmer.”

The prophet Ezekiel also was given glimpses of this situation: “Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye

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have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. And Mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.

“Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it.” Ezek. 13:3-15.

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What a fearful responsibility rests upon those who carelessly handle the Word of God, who pose as soul guardians over the people! Both they and their abominations will fall in the ditch. Indeed, if any reform is needed in Christendom, this one is.

Having now learned better, let us no longer make idols of men; let us no longer give place within us to unclean spirits. Let us rather give the Spirit of God a chance to lead us into His ever-advancing Truth with personal understanding.

Let us be followers of Christ, never again of Paul, of Apollos, or of Cephas.

Zech. 13:6, 7 — “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.”

I have no special comments to make on verses 6 and 7, other than what is commonly understood among Christians. It is plain to see, though, that after the Lord’s shepherd is smitten, then it is that the Lord will separate His people.

Zech. 13:8 — “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.”

In this separation, according to verse 8, the people are divided in three parts: Evidently they are the saints, the hypocrites, and the heathen. The two latter parts are to be cut off (separated from the saints), and they are to die. Concerning the future of the former third, let us read–

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Zech. 13:9 — “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”

In this connection, the gospel prophet was instructed to write: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.” Isa. 13:9-15.

To this warning the prophet Zephaniah adds: “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth

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greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

“That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zeph. 1:12-18.

These scriptures are self-explanatory, and they make our subject as clear as crystal: As soon as the house of David is set up, as soon as the first fruits reach Mt. Zion and there stand with the Lamb, the cleansing fountain will be opened. Then it is that the great harvest will begin during which every grain of “wheat” shall be put into the “barn,” but every noxious seed burned (Matt. 13:30). Then it is that every good “fish” shall be put into vessels, whereas every bad one shall be cast out (Matt. 13:48). Then it is that everyone having on the “wedding garment” shall be served the wedding supper, but everyone having not the garment on shall be cast into outer darkness (Matt. 22:11- 13).

In the terms of the parables all this can be summed as follows: Those who successfully aim to be spared as “wheat,” as good “fish,” and to put on the wedding garment, are those who have found the field of great treasure and the pearl of great price and have done all to purchase them.

“So shall it be at the end of the world, the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked

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from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13:49, 50.

Solemn times we have come to, Brother and Sister. Now is the time to put on the white garment. Now is the time to buy the field with the great treasure, and the pearl of great price. “Shall you? Shall I?” is the great question that we must quickly settle without other people’s influence or interference.

We should now be able to see how the gospel work is to be finished, and that the idea which we have had about it is merely a human fabrication. It is now clearly seen how sinners are made saints, how God’s great fountain is capable of cleansing all of us, of making us as white as snow if we let Him. So it matters not what we were yesterday, the important thing is what we are to be from today on.

We should not be among that class of people who quarrel over trivial matters, but who do not care to discuss weighty subjects such as this. If we do not come to the knowledge of the Truth, if we do not let it do its intended work in us, how can we ever be fitted to live in the presence of a holy God? You see, believing or not believing in truths such as this, really means something. But to argue, as some do, over a point such as “the three days and the three nights” (Matt. 12:40) with nothing to do about it even if the argument be won, is worse than Pharisaism. The Devil would have us busy ourselves with unimportant matters and with things that we do not understand.

Well, let me tell you something: In 1931, after The Shepherd’s Rod, Vol. 1, came off the press, we published a two-page article in which we said that what God has led us into is either all truth or no truth. Since that time we have published another book and over twenty tracts besides the series of the “Timely Greetings,”

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all containing doctrinal matter. These publications have been scattered far and wide throughout the Denomination, but to this day the Denomination has not once officially attempted to refute any subject in its entirety. They ever try to take away what we have on these scriptures, but never give us something better. All we have heard or seen is garbling, or some such procedure as followed by first-day keepers while debating with Sabbath keepers.

I know that it is not a Bulgarian from the Rhodope Mountains who has made scholarly Americans scratch their heads. It is not possible that such a one could have shaken the Denomination from center to circumference. If you do not know Who it actually is, then you had better find out without delay.

* * *

These little Weeklies, which cost you nothing, are of priceless worth to you. Read and keep them in your library, for the time will surely come when you will be thankful that you have preserved your copies.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 18, page 21

Posted in Elijah Interpretations, Idol worship | Leave a Comment »

A WORLD WIDE STIR, AND ITS RESULTS

July 9, 2023


TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, FEBRUARY 1, 1947
MT. CARMEL CHAPEL
WACO, TEXAS

OPENING PRAYER THOUGHT

I shall read from “The Mount of Blessing,” beginning on page 183, the last paragraph.

M.B., pg. 183 — “If Christ is in you ‘the hope of glory,’ you will have no disposition to watch others, to expose their errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn, it will be your object to help, to bless, and to save. In dealing with those who are in error, you will heed the injunction, Consider ‘thyself, lest thou also be tempted.’ You will call to mind the many times you have erred, and how hard it was to find the right way when you had once left it. You will not push your brother into greater darkness, but with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger.

“He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary, remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there, will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary’s cross.”

From this we see that our need is to pray for Christ to abide in us, so that instead of watching for opportunities to accuse or to condemn others, and to expose their errors, we shall seek every occasion to help them, to bless them, to save them. We should pray for a deep realization of our own sins; pray that the spirit of criticism and self-exaltation be forever banished from us. Then we shall not feel free to mount the judgment seat and accuse anyone.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, page 14

A WORLD WIDE STIR, AND ITS RESULTS

This afternoon we shall continue our study of the book of Micah. Let us turn to the fifth chapter, and begin with the first verse.

Micah 5:1 — “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: He hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.”

You will notice that besides introducing a number of pronouns — he, us, they, this verse also introduces several different topics: first a “daughter of troops,” then “the judge of Israel” and a “rod.” Other subjects are introduced further along in the chapter.

Now to gain the vision and the lesson that Inspiration is anxious that we should from this scripture, it is necessary that we study one subject at a time. And in order to do this, we must group the verses according to subjects. Since the subject of verse one is the same as of verses 10-15, we shall quote them connectively:

Mic. 5:1, 10-15 — “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops:…and it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down

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all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.”

These verses present a group of people — good and bad commingled — whom God is to cleanse. Then the scripture closes with God’s promise to execute vengeance upon the heathen. The mixed group of people, “wheat” and “tares,” very obviously constitute the church that is approaching “the time of the harvest” (Matt. 13:30), the time in which all idolators are to perish. “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just…. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt. 13:49, 43.

We now come to the last part of Micah 5:1. The antecedent of the pronoun “He” is found in the preceding verse — chapter 4, verse 13. There quickly we see that it is the Lord Himself. Plainly, then, by the pronoun “us” Micah means himself and his people — Judah and Israel, the church.

Clear it is that while the Lord with His message of warning and reproofs makes a siege against His people the adversaries gather together in groups to oppose. Such has been the case at the introduction of each newly-revealed Truth.

The church is logically called “daughter of troops,” because her mother the Jewish church at the time of

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the introduction of the gospel of Christ, gathered together in troops, to oppose the Lord.

Moreover being smitten in the face rather than in the back, the Judge of Israel (Christ) must have been squarely facing them — speaking to them, — the reason for which the Jews’ crucified Him. The verses that follow verse one again confirm the fact that “the Judge” is Christ. They that smite Him are, of course, His adversaries, His enemies. Concerning them Inspiration says:

Mic. 5:9 — “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon Thine adversaries, and all Thine enemies shall be cut off.”

According to Christ’s parables, the time His “adversaries,” His enemies of progressive Truth, are cut off is at the commencement of the purification of the church, at the harvest time. Then, according to Ezekiel’s prophecy, the Lord commissions the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands, saying, “Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezek. 9:5, 6. The Spirit of Prophecy confirms this by saying:

“Here we see that the church — the Lord’s sanctuary — was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light, and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say, The

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Lord will not do good neither will he do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs, that would not bark, are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children, all perish together.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 211. And through the apostle Peter, Inspiration declares:

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

Mic. 5:2 — “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

There is no doubt that this verse predicts the birth of Christ, “the Judge of Israel,” “Whose goings forth” have been from everlasting.

Mic. 5:3 — “Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”

Crucifying Christ and their refusing to return to the Lord, there was nothing that could have been done for the Jews at that time but to give them up “until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth.”

The pronoun “she” points to the daughter of Zion

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(Mic. 4:10). She is to bring forth her children while in the field; while in the Gentile lands. Then the time of her sojourning is to end and she is to be delivered. “In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth,…and I will make her that halted a remnant…and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” Mic. 4:6, 7.

Mic. 5:4, 5 — “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.”

When the children of the daughter of Zion return to Mount Zion, they are to abide forever. Never again are they to be cast out among the Gentile nations. Never are they to be given up. The Lord is thus to make Himself “great unto the ends of the earth.” When she that travaileth shall have brought forth, then the saints are to raise against the Assyrian “seven shepherds, and eight principal men”; that is, all God’s shepherds and all His principal men, including Christ, the eighth.

Mic. 5:6 — “And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.”

The kingdom of Israel that was destroyed by Assyria, and also the kingdom of Judah that was destroyed by Babylon, even all the twelve tribes of

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Israel are to be delivered.

“And I will,” declares the Lord, “make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God. And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.” Ezek. 37:22-24.

Mic. 5:7 — “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.”

After the Judgment in the house of God takes place, then it is that “the remnant,” those that are left, are to finish the work of the gospel.

“Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent, will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and he cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 80.

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Then it is that they, the remnant of Jacob, are to be gathered into their homeland, after which they are sent as missionaries to the Gentiles that have not heard of God’s name and of His fame. Thus it is that those who escape alive from the Judgment of the Lord, the remnant, shall be as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass. They shall wait for none in their missionary work. They shall bring all their brethren out of all nations “for an offering unto the Lord.” Isa. 66:15, 16, 20.

Mic. 5:8 — “And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.”

While God’s people are as dew and as showers to the righteous (Mic. 5:7), they are to the wicked as lions among beasts and flocks of sheep. In other words, their gospel will save the penitent, but destroy the impenitent.

Mic. 5:9-14 — “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.”

These verses can mean only one thing, and that is, that God will thoroughly purge His floor. He will take the fan in His hand and blow out the chaff, He

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, page 21

will destroy the sinners that are among His people. In thus purifying His church, He will create a clean people, a united and zeal-filled ministry. “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice;” He declares, “with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Isa. 52:8.

Mic. 5:15 — “And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.”

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:17, 18.

That we miss no part of the lesson in this study, let us recapitulate the main points.

To begin with, a group of people — good and bad commingled — are brought to view. They, as we have seen, constitute the church that is approaching the time of harvest in which the wicked are to be severed from among the just. (Matt. 13:49).

While the Lord with a message of warnings and reproofs makes a siege against His people, the adversaries gather together in groups (“troops”) to oppose. Then they are to be cut off. The horses (leaders) shall be cut off (discharged) and the chariots (gathering places) destroyed. God’s people are to be thoroughly purged of sin and sinners and only the penitent are to be left. They are the remnant of Jacob who “shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for

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they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Zeph. 3:13. They are to be gathered into their homeland, from thence to go as missionaries to the Gentiles. To the penitent they are to be as dew and as showers, but to the impenitent, as lions among beasts and flocks.

So the stir caused by Truth’s siege of the church and It’s adversaries warring against It, that is already beginning to arrest the attention of the world, is to result in the cleansing of the church, “temple.” Mal. 3:1-3.

Thus is the Lord to finish His work on earth, gather His people, destroy the sinners and the heathen alike. Necessarily, “…the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true.” — “Testimonies,” Vol. 5, pg. 80.

Depth Of Mercy

Depth of mercy! can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

There for me the Saviour stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands,
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 26, page 23

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