Errors of The Last Countdown

Ministry

“But the day and the hour of His coming Christ has not revealed. He stated plainly to His disciples that He Himself could not make known the day or the hour of His second appearing. Had He been at liberty to reveal this, why need He have exhorted them to maintain an attitude of constant expectancy? There are those who claim to know the very day and hour of our Lord's appearing. Very earnest are they in mapping out the future. But the Lord has warned them off the ground they occupy. The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God's mystery.” {DA 632.4}

 

 

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There is some excitement being generated by a ministry in South America that is predicting a lot of things and giving credence to the SDA (German) Reform Movement Church.

 

 

http://www.lastcountdown.org/

 

 

There are serious errors to The Last Countdown ministry (hereafter referred to as Last Countdown) that must be pointed out. The errors involve two statements by Ellen White which are purported by Last Countdown to be contradictory and which they “uncontradict” by their erroneous interpretation. The Ellen White statements at issue by Last Countdown are two different statements concerning Jesus announcing the day and hour of His coming. One statement is from Early Writings, p. 15, and the other is from page 34. The emboldened parts concern what is especially at issue. Here are the two statements. The first statement below is interpreted by Last Countdown to mean that the saints, the 144,000, hear the voice of God just before the Loud Cry is given. This is deduced from the statement that the Holy Ghost is poured upon the saints.

 

“Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus' coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spoke the time, He poured upon 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. {EW 14.1}

     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 into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another's feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet. {EW 15.1}

     Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man's hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels,

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singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, "Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?" Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: "Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you." At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. {EW 15.2}

 

     Then Jesus' silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, "Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise." Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, "Alleluia!" as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. {EW 16.1}

 

     We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all

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clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, "You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in." We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city.”{EW 16.2} End quote.

 

The writer of Last Countdown says: “And just now the wicked will start to persecute us, still not with the death decree but with imprisonment (little time of trouble), and in the second part the wicked will be helpless (time of great trouble and the plagues)”

 

Ron’s Commentary: There are two death decrees. The first occurs when the Abomination of Desolation is seated. The Loud Cry really swells at this time. The Holy Spirit is poured out in its greatest portion. And there will be many martyrs and folk thrown into prison (Scroll down for statement). We have no resistance to our enemies at that time. The only time we stretch forth our hands to restrain the wicked is AFTER the close of probation. That is the only time we hear the voice of God.

 

Then the same writer says: “Now this is also the case (two visions of Ellen White “appear” to contradict one another....”

 

The same writer continues: “Now this is also the case with the first and second vision of Ellen White. We are dealing here with two different events. First God announces day and hour at the outpouring of the Latter Rain to prepare His people for the Loud Cry and later the second time after the work has been finished to deliver His covenant to His people and confirm what was promised before.”

 

Same writer—next frame: “Indeed there are two different announcements of the day and the hour and the first one is taking place at the outpouring of the Latter Rain that we are expecting right in our days.”

 

Same writer—next frame: “Therefore the Latter Rain is connected with a message which announces the day and the hour of the second coming of Jesus. And the voice which proclaims this message comes from Orion.”

 

Ron’s Commentary: "We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. . . . Why has not God given us this knowledge?--Because we would not make a right use of it if He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live upon time excitement. . . ." {LDE 33.1}   

 

Ellen White in no way even “appears” to contradict herself. There are not two different announcements of the day and the hour of Christ’s coming. Both visions involved deal with the time AFTER the close of probation. This is clear from the context which is defined by the events described.

 

Clearly the context of the first Early Writing’s, pp. 14, 15, vision is after the close of probation. How do we know this?

 

·       If the first vision (EW 14 and on) is when the voice of God is heard, and when the Holy Spirit is poured out so that no one will be able to touch the 144,000, then how is it that some of them are imprisoned and then released from imprisonment by the great earthquake that is the final plague?

·       The 144,000 don’t receive the final seal of God and the New Name until they experience the test of going through the great time of Jacob’s trouble without an intercessor. This is their final test before they receive the final seal.

·       The Loud Cry will be in force when the abomination of desolation is seated. In the little time of Jacob’s trouble, the wicked will lay hands on some of God’s people and will thrust them into prison. It is after the great time of Jacob’s trouble that the wicked will fall prostrate at the feet of the 144,000 and they will be able to hold forth their hands against the wicked.

·       Ellen White speaks of the weary days that some of God’s people will spend in prison. And how do we know they include the 144,000? Because it is at the final great earthquake, after the close of probation, that these prisoners are released by the action of the earthquake.

·       The last plague is the great earthquake and the wicked think that the voice of God is the noise from the earthquake rather than the actual voice of God.

·       The time the faces of the 144,000 light up is the same in both visions—at the very end of all things.

 

 

Now here is the statement from Early Writings, p. 34:

 

  The Sealing

     “At the commencement of the holy Sabbath, January 5, 1849, we engaged in prayer with Brother Belden's family at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and the Holy Ghost fell upon us. I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. On the bottom of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate. Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no longer, but pour out His wrath on those who have rejected His truth. I saw that the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct, one following the other, also that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry, but when our High Priest has finished His work in the sanctuary, He will stand up, put on the garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out. {EW 36.1}

 

     I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay
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the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God.
The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God. Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, "Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting." I asked who this company were. The angel said, "These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up." I heard them cry with a loud voice, "We have believed in Thy coming, and taught it with energy." And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw that they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet--trodden the Sabbath underfoot-- and that was why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting. {EW 36.2}

 

Ron’s Commentary: Compare the words: “Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God,” in the second Early Writings quote, with these words in the first Early Writings, p. 15 quote: “When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God...”

 

If their faces were already lighted up with the glory of God before the giving of the loud cry, then why would they “begin” to be lighted up and shine with the glory of God at the very end—just after their deliverance—after the Jacob’s great time of trouble? End Ron’s note.

 

     “Then my attending angel directed me to the city again, where I saw four angels winging their way to the gate of the city. They were just presenting the golden card to the angel at the gate when I saw another angel flying swiftly from the direction of the most excellent glory, and crying with a loud voice to the other angels, and waving something up and down in his hand. I asked my attending angel for an explanation of what I saw. He told me that I could see no more then, but he would shortly show me what those things that I then saw meant.” {EW 37.1}

 

A Third Quote to Consider

 

Chap. 363 - God Remembers His Own

 

     Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Rev. 12:12. {CC 369.1}

 

     In all ages God's appointed witnesses have exposed themselves to reproach and persecution for the truth's sake. Joseph was maligned and persecuted. . . . David, the chosen messenger of God, was hunted like a beast of prey by his enemies. . . . Stephen was stoned because he preached Christ and Him crucified. Paul was imprisoned, beaten with rods, stoned, and finally put to death. . . . John was banished to the Isle of Patmos "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." {CC 369.2}

 

     These examples of human steadfastness bear witness to the faithfulness of God's promises--of His abiding presence and sustaining grace. They testify to the power of faith to withstand the powers of the world. {CC 369.3}

 

     The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger--a faith that will not faint though severely tried. {CC 369.4}

 

     Many of all nations and of all classes, high and low, rich and poor, black and white, will be cast into the most unjust and cruel bondage. The beloved of God pass weary days, bound in chains, shut in by prison bars, sentenced to be slain, some apparently left to die of starvation in dark and loathsome dungeons. . . . No human hand is ready to lend them help. {CC 369.5}

 

     Will the Lord forget His people in this trying hour? Did He forget faithful Noah when judgments were visited upon the antediluvian world? Did He forget Lot when the fire came down from heaven to consume the cities of the plain? . . . Did He forget Elijah when the oath of Jezebel threatened him with the fate of the prophets of Baal? Did He forget Jeremiah in the dark and dismal pit of his prison house? Did He forget the three worthies in the fiery furnace? or Daniel in the den of lions? . . . {CC 369.6}

 

     Though enemies may thrust them into prison, yet dungeon walls cannot cut off the communication between their souls and Christ. One who sees their every weakness, who is acquainted with every trial, is above all earthly powers; and angels will come to them in lonely cells, bringing light and peace from heaven. {CC 369.7}

 

Isaiah 4:1-4 indicts all formally organized churches and the SDA German Reform Movement has been formally organized for decades, and its leadership has been involved in much licentiousness. Go to Vance Ferrell’s Website and research the SDA (German) Reform Movement. http://www.sdadefend.com/index.htm

 

 

If Satan can’t get us into the corrupt SDA new movement church, he will attempt to get us into the corrupt German Reform SDA movement. That church has split many ways and has been rife with dissension and corruption.

 

     "We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. . . . Why has not God given us this knowledge?--Because we would not make a right use of it if He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live upon time excitement. . . ." {LDE 33.1}   

 

 "The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory." {GC 640.2}

 

    "This was the document I came upon last Monday in searching over my writings, and here is another which was written in regard to a man who was setting time in 1884, and sending broadcast his arguments to prove his theories. The report of what he was doing was brought to me at the Jackson, Mich., camp-meeting, and I told the people they need not take heed to this man's theory; for the event he predicted would not take place. The times and the seasons God has put in his own power, and why has not God given us this knowledge?--Because we would not make a right use of it if he did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live upon time excitement. We are not to be engrossed with speculations in regard to the times and the seasons which God has not revealed. Jesus has told his disciples to "watch," but not for definite time. His followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their Captain; they are to watch, wait, pray, and work, as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord; but no one will be able to predict just when that time will come; for "of that day and hour knoweth no man." You will not be able to say that he will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off his coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years." {RH, March 22, 1892 par. 10}

 

Chap. 3. - "When Shall These Things Be?"

                 The Disciples Ask Christ About His Return

 

     Christ's words [Matt. 24:2] had been spoken in the hearing of a large number of people, but when He was alone, Peter, John, James, and Andrew came to Him as He sat upon the Mount of Olives. "Tell us," they said, "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" {LDE 32.1}

 

     Jesus did not answer His disciples by taking up separately the destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming. He mingled the description of these two events. Had He opened to His disciples future events as He beheld them, they would have been unable to endure the sight. In mercy to them He blended the description of the two great crises, leaving the disciples to study out the meaning for themselves.--DA 628 (1898). {LDE 32.2}

 

                    Time of Christ's Return Not Known

 

     Many who have called themselves Adventists have been time-setters. Time after time has been set for

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Christ to come, but repeated failures have been the result. The definite time of our Lord's coming is declared to be beyond the ken of mortals. Even the angels, who minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation, know not the day nor the hour. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."--4T 307 (1879). {LDE 32.3}

 

     We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. . . . Why has not God given us this knowledge?--Because we would not make a right use of it if He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live upon time excitement. . . . {LDE 33.1}

 

     You will not be able to say that He will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.--RH March 22, 1892. {LDE 33.2}

 

     We are nearing the great day of God. The signs are fulfilling. And yet we have no message to tell us of the day and hour of Christ's appearing. The Lord has wisely concealed this from us that we may always be in a state of expectancy and preparation for the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven.--Letter 28, 1897. {LDE 33.3}

 

     The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God's mystery.--DA 633 (1898). {LDE 33.4}

 

                   Ours Is Not a Time-setting Message

 

     We are not of that class who define the exact period of time that shall elapse before the coming of Jesus the second time with power and great glory. Some have set a time, and when that has passed, their presumptuous spirits have not accepted rebuke, but they have set another and another time. But many successive failures have stamped them as false prophets.--FE 335 (1895). {LDE 34.1}

 

     God gives no man a message that it will be five years or ten years or twenty years before this earth's history shall close. He would not give any living being an excuse for delaying the preparation for His appearing. He would have no one say, as did the unfaithful servant, "My lord delayeth his coming," for this leads to reckless neglect of the opportunities and privileges given to prepare us for that great day.--RH Nov. 27, 1900. {LDE 34.2}

 

                     Time-setting Leads to Unbelief

 

     Because the times repeatedly set have passed, the world is in a more decided state of unbelief than before in regard to the near advent of Christ. They look upon the failures of the time-setters with disgust, and because men have been so deceived, they turn from the truth substantiated by the Word of God that the end of all things is at hand.--4T 307 (1879). {LDE 34.3}

 

     I understand that Brother [E. P.] Daniels has, as it were, set time, stating that the Lord will come

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within five years. Now I hope the impression will not go abroad that we are time-setters. Let no such remarks be made. They do no good. Seek not to obtain a revival upon any such grounds, but let due caution be used in every word uttered, that fanatical ones will not seize anything they can get to create an excitement and the Spirit of the Lord be grieved. {LDE 34.4}

 

     We want not to move the people's passions to get up a stir, where feelings are moved and principle does not control. I feel that we need to be guarded on every side, because Satan is at work to do his uttermost to insinuate his arts and devices that shall be a power to do harm. Anything that will make a stir, create an excitement on a wrong basis, is to be dreaded, for the reaction will surely come.--Letter 34, 1887. {LDE 35.1}

 

     There will always be false and fanatical movements made by persons in the church who claim to be led of God--those who will run before they are sent and will give day and date for the occurrence of unfulfilled prophecy. The enemy is pleased to have them do this, for their successive failures and leading into false lines cause confusion and unbelief.--2SM 84 (1897). {LDE 35.2}

 

 

                       No Time Prophecy Beyond 1844

 

     I plainly stated at the Jackson camp meeting to these fanatical parties that they were doing the work of the adversary of souls; they were in darkness. They claimed to have great light that probation would close in October, 1884. I there stated in public that the Lord had been pleased to show me that there would be no

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definite time in the message given of God since 1844.--2SM 73 (1885). {LDE 35.2}

 

     Our position has been one of waiting and watching, with no time-proclamation to intervene between the close of the prophetic periods in 1844 and the time of our Lord's coming.--10MR 270 (1888). {LDE 36.1}

 

     The people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time [Rev. 10:4-6], reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844.--7BC 971 (1900). {LDE 36.2}

 

 

                         Ellen White Expected

                          Christ's Return in Her Day

 

 

     I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: "Some food for worms, some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus."--1T 131, 132 (1856). {LDE 36.3}

 

     Because time is short, we should work with diligence and double energy. Our children may never enter college.--3T 159 (1872). {LDE 36.4}

 

     It is really not wise to have children now. Time is short, the perils of the last days are upon us, and the little children will be largely swept off before this.--Letter 48, 1876. {LDE 36.5}

 

     In this age of the world, as the scenes of earth's history are soon to close and we are about to enter upon the time of trouble such as never was, the fewer the marriages contracted the better for all, both men and women.--5T 366 (1885). {LDE 37.1}

 

     The hour will come; it is not far distant, and some of us who now believe will be alive upon the earth, and shall see the prediction verified, and hear the voice of the archangel and the trump of God echo from mountain and plain and sea to the uttermost parts of the earth.--RH July 31, 1888. {LDE 37.2}

 

     The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer.--1SM 363 (1892). {LDE 37.3}

 

                           The Delay Explained

 

     The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come so many would be found unready.--2T 194 (1868). {LDE 37.4}

 

     Had Adventists after the great disappointment in 1844 held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been

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completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward. . . . It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. . . . {LDE 37.5}

 

     For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.--Ev 695, 696 (1883). {LDE 38.1}

 

     Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.--DA 633, 634 (1898). {LDE 38.2}

 

 

                     God's Promises Are Conditional

 

     The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. [SEE ROMANS 13:11, 12; 1 CORINTHIANS 7:29; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:15, 17; HEBREWS 10:25; JAMES 5:8, 9; 1 PETER 4:7; REVELATION 22:6, 7.] Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the Word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional. [SEE JEREMIAH 18:7-10; JONAH 3:4-10.]. . . {LDE 38.3}

 

     We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel, but for Christ's sake His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong course of action.--Ev 695, 696 (1901). {LDE 39.1}

 

 

                        What Christ Is Waiting For

 

     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. {LDE 39.2}

 

     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.--COL 69 (1900). {LDE 39.3}

 

     By giving the gospel to the world it is in our power to hasten our Lord's return. We are not only to look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God (2 Pet. 3:12, margin).--DA 633 (1898). {LDE 39.4}

 

     He has put it in our power, through cooperation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end.--Ed 264 (1903). {LDE 39.5}

 

                      A Limit to God's Forbearance

 

     With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is

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tendered with calls to repentance this account will remain open, but when the figures reach a certain amount, which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences.--5T 208 (1882). {LDE 39.6}

 

     God keeps a record with the nations. The figures are swelling against them in the books of heaven, and when it shall have become a law that the transgression of the first day of the week shall be met with punishment, then their cup will be full.--7BC 910 (1886). {LDE 40.1}

 

     God keeps a reckoning with the nations. . . . When the time fully comes that iniquity shall have reached the stated boundary of God's mercy, His forbearance will cease. When the accumulated figures in heaven's record books shall mark the sum of transgression complete, wrath will come.--5T 524 (1889). {LDE 40.2}

 

     While God's mercy bears long with the transgressor, there is a limit beyond which men may not go on in sin. When that limit is reached, then the offers of mercy are withdrawn, and the ministration of judgment begins.--PP 162, 165 (1890). {LDE 40.3}

 

     The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass and they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah.--9T 13 (1909). {LDE 40.4}

 

     There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed.--PK 417 (c. 1914). {LDE 40.5}

 

               Transgression Has Almost Reached Its Limit

 

     Time will last a little longer until the inhabitants of the earth have filled up the cup of their iniquity, and then the wrath of God, which has so long slumbered, will awake, and this land of light will drink the cup of His unmingled wrath.--1T 363 (1863). {LDE 41.1}

 

     The cup of iniquity is nearly filled, and the retributive justice of God is about to descend upon the guilty.--4T 489 (1880). {LDE 41.2}

 

     The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it.--7T 141 (1902). {LDE 41.3}

 

     Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.--8T 28 (1904). {LDE 41.4}

 

                         We Should Keep the

                      Great Day of God Before Our Minds

 

 

     We must educate ourselves to be thinking and dwelling upon the great scenes of the judgment just before us and then, as we keep the scenes of the great day of God before us when everything will be revealed, it will have an effect upon our character. One brother said to me, "Sister White, do you think the Lord will come in ten

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years?" "What difference does it make to you whether He shall come in two, four, or ten years?" "Why," said he, "I think I would do differently in some things than I now do if I knew the Lord was to come in ten years." {LDE 41.5}

 

     "What would you do?" said I. {LDE 42.1}

 

     "Why," said he, "I would sell my property and begin to search the Word of God and try to warn the people and get them to prepare for His coming, and I would plead with God that I might be ready to meet Him." {LDE 42.2}

 

     Then said I, "If you knew that the Lord was not coming for twenty years, you would live differently?" {LDE 42.3}

 

     Said he, "I think I would.". . . {LDE 42.4}

 

     How selfish was the expression that he would live a different life if he knew his Lord was to come in ten years! Why, Enoch walked with God 300 years. This is a lesson for us that we shall walk with God every day, and we are not safe unless we are waiting and watching.--Ms 10, 1886. {LDE 42.5}

 

 

                         The Shortness of Time

 

     May the Lord give no rest, day nor night, to those who are now careless and indolent in the cause and work of God. The end is near. This is that which Jesus would have us keep ever before us--the shortness of time.--Letter 97, 1886. {LDE 42.6}

 

     When we shall stand with the redeemed upon the sea of glass with harps of gold and crowns of glory and before us the unmeasured eternity, we shall then see how short was the waiting period of probation.--10MR 266 (1886). {LDE 42.7}

 

—rb

 

 

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