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Since we have been admonished to strive
with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and
forty-four thousand, one should have a natural interest to know all that
is available on the subject. There is much that we do not know regarding
that issue, but there is important data that we should be cognizant of if
we are to properly strive to be among that number.
Some of the more pointed questions, some of
which can be answered others cannot—are: Is the 144,000 a literal or a
symbolic number? Which of the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 is
indicative of the 144,000? When are the 144,000 sealed, before or after
the latter rain? What is the purpose of the 144,000 during the
millennium? Are they Zion, the 144,000, the bride of Christ, while the
guests are the members of the church? Do they awaken all ten of the
virgins during the Loud Cry? Will the 144,000 convert a great multitude
to God’s truth? Why will the 144,000 be translated without dying? What
are the character attributes that are necessary to become a part of the 144,000?
How do they differ from the great numberless multitude? Will only Jews
constitute the 144,000? We will explore the answer to these questions in
this document.
But
first let us pray for the Lord’s guidance and understanding as we study
this all important subject: Dear Lord Jesus, God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, hear our prayer as we supplicate the presence and indwelling of
your Holy Spirit to quicken our understanding of this important issue and
our retention of the knowledge presented. Help us to be receptive to all
truth and to put it to practice in our daily lives. Thank you Lord Jesus
for your help. Amen.
Bible on the
144,000 Revelation, Chapter 14
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on
the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his
Father’s name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard
the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man
could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four
thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled
with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among
men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile:
for they are without fault before the throne of God.
·
They have the Father’s name written in their foreheads.
·
They sing a new song that no man can learn but they which
are redeemed from the earth.
·
They follow Jesus wherever He goes. He is the head and
they are His body. He is the High Priest in the Temple and as the earthly
Temple had lesser priests, they are the lesser.
·
They are not defiled with women (fallen churches) and all
formally organized churches are fallen at the end-time Isaiah 4:1-4,
seven being God’s perfect number designating all inclusiveness.
·
They are virgins in the strictest sense of the word. In
Isaiah 62:1-5, Zion, the bride, is married (Hebrew for virgin is bethulah in Isaiah 62:5). She is
separated from defiled women and any who are so defiled. Ecumenical
liaison with Babylon is an example of harlotry that would not qualify as
being a pure virgin, unspotted from the world and churches that cannot be
distinguished from the world. (For the meaning of bethulah see this link:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H1330
·
The 144,000 are the firstfruits or barley wave offering to
Christ. Barley was the first crop in Israel and was offered as the wave
offering. Likewise, the bride of Christ is the first of those who are
prepared for His coming. She makes herself ready:
·
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to
him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
·
No guile (deception/duplicity is found in her mouth.
·
She is without fault before the throne of God. She is thus
equate-able with Philadelphia who has the name of God, New Jerusalem and
is made pillars in His Temple, Revelation 3:10-12. Philadelphia is not
faulted for one thing. She is an overcomer.
Is the number of
the 144,000 Literal or Symbolic?
Some believe that it is impossible to
know whether the number 144,000 is literal or symbolic. That seems
strange when one considers that God specified 12,000 from each of the 12
tribes which equals 144,000 in number. Then Ellen White said 144,000 in number:
"The living saints, 144,000, in number,
know and understand the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder an
earthquake. When God spake the time, he poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our
faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses did when
he came down from Mount Sinai, (Ex. 34:30-34.) By this time the 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On
their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star
containing Jesus' new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were
enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us in
prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and
the wicked would fall helpless to the ground." The Day Star,
January 24, 1846 par. 1.
Only the 144,000 Enter the
Temple on Mt. Zion
"And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised
His lovely voice and said, 'Only the 144,000 enter this place," and
we shouted, 'Alleluia." E. G. White, Early Writings, 19.
God’s Message to Philadelphia
(Rev. 3:1-12)
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou
hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will
I make a pillar in the temple
of my God, and he shall go no more out: and
I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh
down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches. Rev. 3:10-12.
Now compare Revelation
14:1-4 with Rev. 3:10-12 above:
1 And I looked, and,
lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father’s name
written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I
heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man
could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which
were redeemed from the earth. 4
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were
redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the
Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was
found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
So it is
Philadelphia, the New Jerusalem, who is made a pillar in the temple, who
is blameless (having kept the word of His
patience—the patience of the saints—those who keep His commandments, Rev.
14:12), that constitutes the 144,000. Only the 144,000 enter the
Temple on Mt. Zion, and Philadelphia is made pillars (leaders) in that
Temple.
When are the
144,000 Sealed, Before or After the Latter Rain?
The
144,000 are sealed with the Holy Spirit on the antitypical Day of
Pentecost, just before the Latter Rain, as for preparation for giving the
Loud Cry.
We
read of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:2-4, 13, 14 and Revelation 14:1-5.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he
cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt
the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor
the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there
were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of
the children of Israel.
“And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.”
(Repeated
for contextual/articulation purposes)
“And
I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an
hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in
their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man
could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which
were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with
women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no
guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
Are the 144,000
Different From Any Other Generation?
There
are various liberal members of our faith who are declaring that the 144,000
are no different from any other generation of God’s people. They say God
does not have two different standards, one for the 144,000 and one for
all other generations. They believe this to be absurd! They are adamant
that the 144,000 will be different only in that they will be alive when
Jesus comes.
Is
this really true, or will the 144,000 be in some respect different? And
if so, what will make them different? It is true that God does not have a
different standard of salvation for the translated living and another for
the resurrected, dead saints. Those who die must, at death, be right with
God. They must be both justified and sanctified. As individuals they must
stop committing known sin, and invite Christ to dwell in their heart by
faith, and to give them the needed power to willingly obey their Lord.
They will have been washing their robes of character and making them
white in the blood of the Lamb.
But
what about the original church of Philadelphia circa the days of the
disciples? Were they not without fault? Christ faulted them for nothing
but being weak. They were not faulted for sinning. So what is the
difference between them and the Philadelphians at the end-time? Nothing!
What?! I said NOTHING! How so you ask?! They are one and the same people
because God said He would keep them through the time of trouble that is
to come on the entire earth! Did that time of trouble come upon the first
century A.D. Philadelphians? Nay! So God is going to regenerate them all
and the Philadelphian overcomers of every generation to be tried and
tested at the greatest time of trouble the earth has ever known! Does
that make them different from other generations. Yes indeed it does, for
never before in history will men have needed the character they will need
during the worst time of man’s history and that without a mediator to
cover their sins should they fall!
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
That means that the great tribulation
will be worse than the trial of Christians in the Dark Ages! And did
those persons have to remain faithful without an intercessor? No, they
did not. These differences certainly demand a superior character at the
end-time, for no man will have ever been tested as severely by trials as
the final generation will be. This will prove to Satan that even when
tested under his greatest perfection of his cunning arts, God’s bride
will be able to obey Him and remain fidel to His commandments. And that,
my friend, is what the entire experiment—the great controversy between
Christ and Satan has been all about—whether or not it is possible to keep
God’s commandments. The 144,000 will reach a character maturity that will
reveal that they have won the battle over evil. See Great Controversy p. 415 for further detail.
Here
is an excerpt from a sermon by Elder Lawrence Nelson on the 144,000 that
is informative:
So
intense will become their hatred of sin that they would rather die than
sin. The difference will not be in the standard of salvation but in the
degree of character development to which they will attain. God has given
us some Bible examples for this very purpose so that we can clarify and
better understand this difference.
Let
us begin with the example of Moses. I am going to read from Prophets and Kings p. 174, “Moses,
wearied with forty years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his
hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised
Land.”
Now,
I like the way Leola Rosenvold expresses the personal lesson we should
learn from the experience of Moses, when he sinned by taking the glory
from Christ in producing water from the rock. I am quoting from her book,
The Remedy p. 98: “Christ uses
the life of Moses as an object lesson to help us understand that there
will be a difference in the experience between those who die and are
resurrected, and those who are translated. Just one sin, which was
immediately repented of, kept Moses from being translated, but it did not
keep him from being resurrected.
“‘Satan
had been trying to find something wherewith to accuse Moses before the
angels. He exulted at his success in leading him to displease God, and he
told the angels that he could overcome the Saviour of the world when He
should come to redeem man. For his transgression, Moses came under the
power of Satan – the dominion of death. Had he remained steadfast, the
Lord would have brought him to the Promised Land, and would then have
translated him to heaven without his seeing death.’ Early Writings p. 164.
“‘Had
not the life of Moses been marred with that one sin, in failing to give
God the glory of bringing water from the rock at Kadesh, he would have
entered the Promised Land, and would have been translated to heaven
without seeing death.’ Patriarchs
and Prophets p. 478.”
Now
we know that in the lifetime of Moses he committed more than one sin. In
fact, he even murdered a man; he killed an Egyptian. Though he had
confessed and forsaken his sins, God uses this one sin which he knowingly
committed on the banks of the Jordan River just before crossing into the
Promised Land, to teach or impress us with the fact that the living
saints must make an end of sin in their lives before they enter heavenly
Canaan.
Now
nothing could be more plainly stated. Though God had planned on
translating Moses to heaven without seeing death, he was not then ready
to be a type of those who would be ready to be translated. He must die.
Soon after this Moses did die, but after a few days God resurrected him.
He was taken to heaven to become a type of the resurrected saints of God;
a type of those repentant ones who will not be required to go through the
special end-time circumstances and great tribulations.
Now
on the other hand, Enoch was a type of the living saints. Of the 144,000
listen to his record: The Bible says that he walked with God for 300 years
before he was translated. Genesis 5:21,22. In the book, Reflecting Christ p. 307 we read,
“Enoch was a marked character, and many look upon his life as something
far above what the generality of mortals can ever reach. But Enoch’s life
and character, which were so holy that he was translated to heaven
without seeing death, represent the lives and characters of all who will
be translated when Christ comes.”
In
Gospel Workers p. 54 we read,
“‘By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death;…for before
his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ To such
communion God is calling us. As was Enoch’s so must be their holiness of
character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second
coming.” This is such an important, provoking statement I must repeat
that last sentence again. “As was Enoch’s, so must be their holiness of
character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second
coming.”
Elijah
was also a type of the 144,000. He was a man of strong faith. He
demonstrated this in the happenings of Mount Carmel that are recorded in
1 Kings 18. However, after his lofty experience I read in Prophets and Kings p. 161,
“Depression seized him…. While under the inspiration of the Almighty, he
had stood the severest trial of faith; but in this trial of
discouragement, with Jezebel’s threat sounding in his ears,…he lost his
hold on God.”
“Elijah
should not have fled from his post of duty.” Prophets and Kings p. 160. The inspired Word says,
“Despondency is sinful and unreasonable.” Ibid. p.164. So Elijah sinned
for “in a moment of weariness [he] allowed the fear of death to overcome
his faith in God.” Ibid. p. 174.
Let’s
think this through. What was the difference between the sin of Moses and
that of Elijah? While Moses committed sin just before he was to pass over
into the Promised Land, not so in the experience of Elijah. As did Moses,
he repented immediately but he did not die soon thereafter. He lived on
and demonstrated his strong faith in the Lord, which he quickly regained
and maintained. God sent him back to Israel to finish bringing about a
religious revival and a transformation in the land. When God finally
asked him to call Elisha, a farm laborer to replace himself, he spent
some time teaching Elisha. He went from place to place with him, and from
school to school teaching him how to give the help that each needed.
Therefore
Elijah spent a number of years demonstrating that he was a loyal, holy
servant of the Lord before he was translated. This is why God could
declare, “Elijah was a type of the saints who will be living on the earth
at the time of the second advent of Christ and who will be ‘changed, in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,’ without tasting
of death. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.” Prophets
and Kings p. 227.
Why
is it necessary for the living saints who will be translated to be
different in respect to their character developments? To have characters
so mature that they will never again sin? What will make this maturity an
absolute necessity? – First, they will be forced to meet the supreme test
– that of a papal image of the beast. Secondly, after probation closes,
they must be prepared to live sinlessly without a mediator in the
sanctuary in heaven.
Now
let us consider the first test – the image of the beast. Some church
members may have wondered, why is the Sunday sabbath, brought about by
the image of the beast, to be the great test for the people of God by
which their eternal destiny will be decided? Wouldn’t we naturally assume
that this crisis would be a test for the world, for the unbelievers and
the undecided?
The
truth is that when God’s people are faced with this great test they will
be forced to make an immediate choice between life or death, as it were.
Between obedience or disobedience. If their characters were not already
developed to the point to where they would rather die than sin, they
would undoubtedly choose to sin and thus come under Satan’s black banner.
When brought to the test, God’s people will either receive the seal of
God or the mark of the papal beast. Thus their eternal destiny will be
forever decided.
I
want to read to you from Bible
Commentaries, Volume 7, p. 976: “The Lord has shown me clearly that
the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is
to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal
destiny will be decided. . . . [Rev. 13:11-17 quoted.] . . . This is the
test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who
proved their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept
a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah,
and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of
heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of
the beast.” Letter 11 , 1890.
Now, concerning the second reason, the close of probation.
The saints who are to be translated must live through the final time of
trouble, referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble, without a mediator
in the heavenly sanctuary. Probation will have closed for this wicked,
old world. Are we aware of just
what this means? It means that
if a saint were to sin after probation closes there would be no
forgiveness available. I don’t believe any of us now living fully
realize what it will mean to live on this earth in such a chaotic
condition and under such pressure of a death sentence without an
intercessor.
In
Great Controversy p. 425 are
these words, “Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession
of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of
a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their
character must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through
the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must conquer in the
battle with evil.”
Christ
is our only example of a man who lived on earth without an intercessor;
and what was the experience of Christ while he was on this earth? – Great Controversy p. 623 says,
“Christ declared of Himself, ‘The prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in me.’ John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God
that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s
commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his
advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall
stand in the time of trouble.”
Now
I trust that this is causing you and me to do some very serious thinking.
In order for anyone to live on this earth without a mediator, such a one must
attain to the same sinless condition lived my Christ while He was on this
earth.
Let’s
consider for a moment Christ in Gethsemane. In Desire of Ages p. 686,687 we are told, “Christ was now
standing in a different attitude from that in which he had ever stood
before….Hitherto He had been an intercessor for others; now He longed to
have an intercessor for Himself. As Christ felt His unity with the Father
broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to
endure the coming conflict with the power of darkness….With the issues of
the conflict before Him Christ’s soul was filled with dread of separation
from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world,
that the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan’s
kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God.” So likewise, when
probation closes, the saints will find themselves in a different position
than they have ever been before.
How
will they be enabled? – Actually it will be by following Christ’s earthly
example. “Christ left his heavenly home, and came to this world, to show
that only by being connected with divinity can man keep the law of God.
In itself humanity is tainted and corrupted; but Christ brought moral
power to man, and those who live in communion with him overcome as he
overcame. We are not left in this world as orphans.” Signs of the Times, December 3, 1896. Praise God! I like
that!
Unless
the saints follow the example of Christ in joining their humanity with
divinity they would be among the lost who will be consumed at Christ’s
coming. It is absolutely imperative that they have this special
preparation for God’s glory destroys all sin and sinners. Sin cannot
exist in the visible presence of God for God’s glory is a consuming fire.
The
Bible is very clear in stating that the very presence of God will consume
all who are found clinging to sin. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us, “And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming.” As Christ nears this earth, his very presence will consume the
sinner while consuming their sins.
Therefore
it is evident that all sin must be removed from the 144,000 in the days
of preparation before they are sealed. That is this time in which we are
living. For we are living in the preparation time. Times are tense. There
is still opportunity, praise God, for us to prepare. Would to God that
the ministers in God’s pulpits today would preach soul-stirring messages
filled with divine conviction that would move the listener to sense the
enormity of the sin problem, causing them to fall on their knees pleading
with God for victory. Believe me, friend, this is no time for
“Celebration” with tame messages to satisfy the sinful nature, such as
teaching congregations that they can continue sinning until Jesus comes.
Rather
than representing so-called “attractive errors” ministers should listen
to and heed the council of Joel found in Joel 2:1,16,17, “Blow ye the
trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it
is nigh at hand; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble
the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the
bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let
the priests and the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the
altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord.”
My
beloved fellow ministers, this is the weeping time; a time for us to weep
between the porch and the altar for all the sins that are being committed
in the church. Certainly this is not a time for Celebration, and for
entertainment, or for preaching frivolous or smooth sermons to tickle the
ear of the flocks. Rather, we ministers should sound such an alarming
message that will awaken the members of our churches from their Laodicean
slumber to their need to sigh and cry for their own sins, as well as
those of their fellow church members.
Ellen
White informs us, “The abominations for which the faithful ones were
sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but
by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and
holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher of the hearts knoweth every
sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquities.” Testimonies for the Church, Volume
5, p. 211.
So
God admonishes us to, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob
their sins.” Isaiah 58:1. Ellen White asks, “What are you doing,
brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with
the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of
the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves
before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth – these are
receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their
foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their
character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.” Testimonies for
the Church, Volume 5, p. 216. This, dear friends, is God’s last-day
preparation message. It is urgent, for time is short.
Before
I close I will relate a true story. An Adventist lady, whom I will call
Rachel, lived in Oregon. She was studying God’s Word with a very godly
woman. Now Rachel had a certain problem, in so far as our health reform
message is concerned. Her teacher pointed out to her that the Spirit of
Prophecy clearly reveals that no one will be among the living translated
saints who was indulging in this certain vice. Now this shook Rachel up
and for two weeks she abstained. But then, forgetting her reform, she
went back to the old practice with this comment, “I decided that I would
go ahead and indulge myself and prepare to be among the resurrected dead
rather than striving to be among the living who will be translated.”
What
a dangerous reasoning! We are living in the end time, and God calls us to
make preparation appropriate for the time in which we live. Surely we do
not have the option of making such a choice as did Rachel. Rachel failed
to realize that the standard of salvation is exactly the same for the
dead as for the living. All known sins must be repented of and put away
before death or before translation. If a certain practice is a sin for a
living saint, one that would keep him from being translated, after one
recognizes its sinfulness if he should continue in this practice would he
be eligible to be among the resurrected saints? This would be very
questionable.
In
this end time we are admonished, “Let us strive with all the power that
God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.
In
closing I will reaffirm the words of Ezekiel the prophet as he appeals to
ministers and laymen alike. To everyone, both the saints who will be
among the living, and those who will die in the Lord, Ezekiel’s message
from the Lord has the same urgency, as do the messages of Joel and
Isaiah. Ezekiel 18:30-32 says, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of
Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and
turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be
your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have
transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye
die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that
dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
Let
us pray. Oh God, our Father, we tremble as we sense the coming battle
just before us. We see ourselves as hopeless without Thy divine help. So
Father, awaken us to fully comprehend how we can daily join our humanity
with Thine divinity so that we may experience complete victory over sin
through Christ our Righteousness. We must have the assurance, as Enoch,
that he pleased God. And we ask this in the name of Jesus, Thy dear Son,
Amen. End excerpt from Elder Nelson’s sermon on the 144,000.
Will the 144,000
Convert a Great Multitude to God’s Truth?
The
Spirit of Prophecy tells us that the 144,000 will convert many of God’s
children who are in Babylon, and that they will obey the Loud Cry call to
come out of Babylon, Revelation 18, and join the true church of Christ.
The 144,000 are described as those who shake the rebels out of God’s
Kingdom, Ezekiel 20:34-38. This is the true meaning of sinners shaken out
of Zion, by Zion, the bride of Christ, Isaiah 62:1-5. In the prefigure of
Christ’s example, from A.D. 27-70, sinners were shaken out of God’s
kingdom (Matthew 13) by the disciples of Christ. Sinners were not shaken
out of the apostate Jewish Temple to leave it purged and purified. They
were shaken out of true Zion, true Jerusalem, who had separated from the apostate
Temple. That same scenario is occurring at the end-time.
A Prefigure for
What to do at the End-time
In
Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, pp.
4-9, Ellen White reapplies Matthew 22:1-10 to our time. That means that the two calls of those
verses will be repeated and with the same results. That means that the
example of Christ and His disciples from A.D. 27 and on is a prefigure
(type) for us to follow. Matthew 22:7 is the same event of Ezekiel 9.
Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9 will have another literal fulfillment.
Any future literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 must follow the literal
fulfillment of the last literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, and the only
historic literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 was the destruction of
Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Ellen White called that destruction a prefigure as
well. Where was the dross (tares) gathered in that prefigure type? Into
the midst’s of apostate Jerusalem, Ezekiel 22:17-31. And so it will be in
the next literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 BEGINNING at His Sanctuary,
modern-day Jerusalem, the professing Seventh-day Adventist church. See Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211. The
chapter begins on p. 207, quoting Ezekiel 9. So we have three prefigure
types to follow at the end-time:
·
Matthew 22:1-10.
·
Ezekiel 9.
·
Ezekiel 22:17-31.
Any
literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 at the end-time, would have to follow
the literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 in its last A.D. 70 fulfillment,
which is well described in Chapter 1 of The Great Controversy. Ellen White says on page 25 of that
chapter that the words of Christ were twofold: that they foreshadowed the
destruction of Jerusalem and prefigured the terrors of the last great
day. That destruction prefigured the destruction of the world at the
end-time, but it BEGINS AT HIS SANCTUARY, modern-day apostate Jerusalem,
Ezekiel 9:6 and 5T 211. SDA’s are trigger ready as to how it applies to
the world, but blind to the words that it BEGINS AT HIS SANCTUARY,
Jerusalem.
Actually,
every chapter of Ezekiel up to and including 22:17-31, includes all the
reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem. It is of astounding fact to
note that Matthew 22:7 is the same event as Ezekiel 9:6, and that
according to God’s Word, it occurs just before the final call to the
guests in the highways and byways of the world. The Great Controversy 653-656 mention of Ezekiel 9, is the
final application of Ezekiel 9 as applied to Babylon (this is qualified
at the bottom of p. 653). First, it BEGINS at His Sanctuary, apostate
Jerusalem, the SDA church. Babylonians do the slaughtering right after the
death decree is added to violation of the National Sunday Law. This is
when there will be many faithful martyrs as well as many who will be
judged unfaithful. They will die for the wrong reasons just as the Jews
did in the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70.
This
is a most startling warning message to most Adventists, but it is true
and it is based on something as solid as prefigure type. As much as this
truth is hated by most Adventists, it is irrefutable. All who truly know
their Bibles and the Spirit of Prophecy will not try to gainsay this
truth.
What is the
Purpose of the 144,000 and Their Temple Duties During the Millennium
The
Lord has shown this writer that the 144,000 will nurture 11th
hour converts into the full stature of Christ. Like the thief on the
cross, they will not have matured into Christ’s full stature when they
are converted here on earth just before Christ’s coming. The 144,000 will
be priests unto them during the millennium.
Does the 144,000
Bride Awaken all Ten of the Virgins With the Loud Cry?
Many
SDA’s make no distinction between the bride, the 144,000 and the great
numberless multitude. Here is another astounding difference that
Adventists have failed to notice. The voice of God AND THE VOICE OF THE
BRIDE awaken all ten virgins, for Matthew 25 tells us that they all
slumbered and slept. The Midnight Cry is the Loud Cry to go out of
Babylon. Obviously, the bride is sealed so that she cannot be moved before she makes the Midnight Cry,
just as the disciples were sealed before they made their calls to
apostate Jerusalem.
“Lingering near the
bride's house are ten young women robed in white. Each carries a lighted
lamp and a small flagon for oil. All are anxiously watching for the
appearance of the bridegroom. But there is a delay. Hour after hour
passes; the watchers become weary and fall asleep. At midnight the cry is heard, "Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him." The sleepers, suddenly awaking,
spring to their feet. They see the procession moving on, bright with
torches and glad with music. They hear the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.
The ten maidens seize their lamps and begin to trim them, in haste to go
forth. But five have neglected to fill their flasks with oil. They did
not anticipate so long a delay, and they have not prepared for the
emergency. In distress they appeal to their wiser companions saying,
"Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out." (Margin.)
But the waiting five, with their freshly trimmed lamps, have emptied
their flagons. They have no oil to spare, and they answer, "Not so;
lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves." Christ’s
Object Lessons, pp. 405-6.
Matthew
25
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5
While the bridegroom tarried, they
all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a
cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
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