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Matthew 22 – Ellen White’s Reapplication to our Time

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In the following treatise, Ellen White reapplies Matthew 22 to our day. It is of profound importance to note that she mentions verse 7 specifically.

 

Called to the Wedding Feast

 

(Sermon by Ellen G. White In Washington, Township, Iowa, Cir. 1874.)

 

     The words which I have selected as a foundation for a few remarks you will find in the 22nd chapter of Matthew, beginning at the first verse. [Verses 1-10, quoted.] {1SAT 4.1}

 

     The portion of Scripture presented before us, which I have referred to and have presented before your minds, is of intense meaning--much more than I am able to explain. It is of great interest to us, and we should consider it, and let it have due weight upon our minds. We find by perusing God's sacred Word of inspiration that when the promised Messiah, the Son of God, came into the world His own people, even His own nation--the Jews--would not and did not receive Him. As we are told in the first chapter of St. John, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). {1SAT 4.2}

 

Ron’s Commentary: Why did Ellen White say Matthew 22:1-10 is of INTENSE MEANING, much more than she was able to explain? I will tell you the rest of the story at this time in history. Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9 would be literally fulfilled. Ezekiel 9:6 is exactly the precise event of Matthew 22:7. The historic fulfillment was the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Chapter 1, The Great Controversy.  

 

Any literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 would demand a literal fulfillment of Matthew 22:1-10, and Ellen White is applying those very verses to our time in this treatise. End note by Ron.

 

     The provision was made, but they would not receive it. The Father Himself provided a ransom, even a sacrifice. His own dear Son submitted Himself to His Father's requirements, came into this sinful world, became a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. He went about doing good, speaking in tones of tenderness, saying in the deepest and most fervent and sweetest accents ever uttered, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart"; and He assures us we shall find rest to our souls. {1SAT 4.3}

 

     "Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise."

 

 

                                      -5- {1SAT 4.4}

 

     The great King Himself hath made a marriage for His Son. He hath sent forth His servants for many hundreds of years, saying, "Come, for all things are ready." But how little do they [His people]  heed the invitation! They make light of it and go their ways to their worldly pursuits and worldly pleasures, the same as they have done for centuries. But the King sendeth forth His armies and destroys those murders and burns up their city [church], and we are told in the ninth chapter of Daniel, the 26th verse, that "the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city...; and the end thereof shall be with a flood." {1SAT 5.1}

 

     "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden [His chosen people—the Jews and SDA’s] were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage." {1SAT 5.2}

 

     In the 14th chapter of Luke, verse 16, we find that there was made a great supper and many were bidden. Servants were sent forth to say to those that were bidden, "Come; for all things are now ready" [verse 17]. But they made excuses. {1SAT 5.3}

 

     The King of the kingdom hath made a marriage supper for His Son. He hath sent forth His servants to say to those which are bidden, "Come to the marriage." The Lord is sending His servants, saying unto all who will hear, "Come, make ready for the great marriage supper of the Lamb; He is soon coming to receive all the faithful to the mansions prepared by Him, to partake of the feast which He hath prepared." He is sending, and hath been sending His servants for some thirty years past to say unto His people, "Come, make ready, put on your wedding garments; clothe yourselves with meekness, humility, and truth, and have yourselves clad in the righteousness of Christ, that you may be

 

Note by Ron: The date of the statement is 1874, so Ellen White is saying that since 1844, God is sending (present tense) and has been sending His servants unto HIS PEOPLE, professing Seventh-day Adventists. End note.

                                      -6-

 

able to appear before Him, and enter into the guest chamber with those who shall sit with Me at the wedding of My Son." {1SAT 5.4}

 

     All must be clothed with the wedding garment in order to be accepted, lest we be found speechless. {1SAT 6.1}

 

     Is it not of the greatest importance that we be found having on the robe of righteousness, that we be ready when the Bridegroom cometh to enter in to the marriage supper? May we heed the invitation given and make ourselves ready that we may have admittance into the Master's house, that He say not unto us that none which were bidden shall taste of His supper. In the parable, those who were bidden heeded not its invitation, but continued excusing themselves, feasting upon the pleasures of this world as the masses do at the present time. {1SAT 6.2}

 

     The servants of God are inviting [present tense] and entreating them to come away from the alluring scenes of this vain and fleeting world, to make ready for the marriage supper, but they will not come. We hear them saying, There's no danger; tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant; no need of being disturbed. We must needs attend to farms and merchandise and the things of this life, lest we lose worldly interests, and become poor and suffer want. They forget that He who careth for the little sparrows and clotheth the lilies of the field, careth for the humble, trusting soul, and will guide and direct all those who are ready to do His will, and bestow upon His dear children such things as they need. To all who through patience and perseverance overcome, He hath promised to give a crown of never fading glory, a robe of righteousness, and an entrance into the beautiful city of our God. {1SAT 6.3}

 

     This same King is sending forth His servants today. He is inviting His guests, saying, "Come, for all things are now ready." The Lord of the marriage

 

 

                                      -7-

 

is soon coming: behold, He is at the door. Delay not to open the door, lest He turn away from receiving you and you enter not into the marriage feast. Open the door and receive the Master, that you may enter into the mansions of everlasting rest and never fading glory prepared for all those that love Him. Who will make ready for the coming of Him who hath said, "Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be" [Rev. 22:12]. {1SAT 6.4}

 

     If we neglect our spiritual interests, neglect to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable duty, we become entangled with the trifling cares of this life. If we even once omit our daily duty of calling upon God for His divine aid, His care and protection, we lose one day's enjoyment. We have not the sweet, melting influence of God's Holy Spirit attending us through the day, but we feel cast down and easily discouraged. The enemy of souls is ready to take advantage [of us] and often does, bringing us into captivity and sin. {1SAT 7.1}

 

     We may sometimes be cumbered about much serving, like Martha; but how much more commendable was the act of Mary, who sat and listened to the teachings of Jesus. He says, "Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but . . . . Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41, 42). {1SAT 7.2}

 

     How many times the things of this vain, deceitful world come between us and our eternal interests! Temporal things spring up within our hearts and choke those things which are spiritual. We permit the enemy of righteousness to persuade us that we should attend to the things of this life. We now and then neglect greater duties lest we suffer want. If we faithfully entreat God to

 

 

                                      -8-

 

give us strength and to perform temporal duties, and at the same time to give us grace and wisdom to overcome evil; if we have our hopes centered above and our conversation in heaven, whence we look for the Son of man who has bidden to the marriage all who will come: who has gone up on high to prepare mansions for all those who love and keep His sayings, and has told us He is coming to receive us, we may enter in to the wedding feast with Him, that where He is there we may be also. If we turn away from those calls and invitations, what will be the consequence? {1SAT 7.3}

 

     In the 13th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, 46th verse, we find that if we put God's work from us, and judge ourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we have no reason to expect an entrance into the kingdom. The 24th verse of the 14th chapter of Luke informs us that "none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." {1SAT 8.1}

 

     The great eternal Father has prepared a marriage feast for His Son. Will we give heed to His servants who have been and are being sent forth to proclaim unto us the solemn invitation? Or shall we make light of it? Oh, why refuse to make ready for the marriage of the Son of God? There is room for all who will accept the invitation. None can say [that] those things were not duly represented. Remember, when the good man returns, those who are ready will go in to the feast and the door will be shut, and there will be no further entrance, for we read that when "the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door" (Luke 13:25), then those who would find admittance will hear the answer, "I know you not. . . ; depart from Me." {1SAT 8.2}

 

     May we heed well the solemn warning and make ready to enter into the wedding, that His house may be filled. God's Word informs us, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14). May we be found faithful, and give diligence to our calling, and possess the promised reward of the faithful, is my prayer.--Ms 8, 1874. (MR 900.56) {1SAT 8.3}

 

End Matthew 22 Parable from Sermon and Talks

 

Will the professing SDA church heed the above call of Matthew 22? We have read God’s answer above. Now, here is Ellen White’s answer:

 

The Prophesied Fall of The Professing Seventh-day Adventist Church 

 

"Jesus sends  HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. To the prophet John was made known the closing work in the great plan of man's redemption. He beheld an angel flying 'in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is come and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters [Rev. 14:6, 7.].

 

Note: Who was the commission of the Everlasting Gospel given to? End note.

 

The [Third] angel represented in prophecy as delivering this message,  symbolizes a class of faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of God's Spirit and the teachings of his word, proclaim this warning to the inhabitants of earth. This message was not to be committed to the religious leaders of the people. They had failed to preserve their connection with God, and had REFUSED THE LIGHT FROM HEAVEN therefore they WERE NOT of the number described by the apostle Paul: 'But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness' [1 Thess. 5:4, 5].

 

Note: The context of the entire statement involves the Three angel’s messages which were commissioned to Seventh-day Adventists to give to all the world. But SDA leaders will not be the ones to give that message. It will be given by faithful men. Ellen White is speaking of HIS PEOPLE, God’s people, SDA’s. End note.

 

The watchmen upon the walls of Zion [NOT BABYLON] should be the first to catch the tidings of the Saviour's advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim him near, the first to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But they were at ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep in their sins. Jesus saw HIS CHURCH, like the barren fig-tree, covered with pretentious leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful observance of the forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility, penitence and faith--which alone could render the service acceptable to God--was lacking. Instead of the graces of the Spirit, there were manifested pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A BACKSLIDING CHURCH closed their eyes to the signs of the times. God did nor forsake them, or suffer his faithfulness to fail but they departed from him, and SEPARATED THEMSELVES from his love. As they  REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS, his promises were NOT FULFILLED to them."  E.G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy,  vol. 4, pp. 199-200 [The 1884 edition of The Great Controversy].

 

Babylon is a fallen church. Evidently, a backsliding church is no better than a fallen church for neither comply with the conditions so that His promises are not fulfilled to either.

 

May God’s true and faithful SDA’s awake is my every prayer.

 

—rwb