My Vision on Last Day Events
Versus
The Sealing of the Saints and the
Finishing of the Work
“And
after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth,
nor on the sea, nor on any tree.”—Revelation 7:1
“Then
another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid them hold, until the servants of God were sealed with the seal
of the living God in their foreheads.” E. G.
White, Early Writings, p. 38.
“The
Lord is soon to come. The angels are
holding the four winds, in order that God's people may do their long‑neglected work.
We are not half awake to what might be
done in our world. . . .” E. G. White, Review and Herald, October 7, 1902.
“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... He will come
to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.1
Many,
including myself, have wondered what is more responsible for Jesus not coming--certain
events of Scripture that apparently must transpire first, or the sealing of the
saints. I supplicated the Lord on these issues, and early this a.m. He showed
me in vision the answer to these matters.
I was
shown that the primary issue precluding the second coming of Jesus Christ to
claim His own, is the neglect of His bride to make herself ready by overcoming
sin and being sealed so that she cannot be moved. I was also shown that as soon
as the bride has developed the necessary character and is sealed, the final
events will follow in very rapid succession. The prime requisite is the bride
making herself ready, for then she will do her duty in
finishing the work.
I was
shown that Lucifer/Satan and his agents who possess the spirit of power and
bloodshed, are salivating and gnawing at the bit to slaughter not only God’s
saints, the remnant, the 144,000, but all who pay tribute to any other than
Satan, and that they will attempt to depopulate the earth of about five billion
people to leave a population of about two billion. However, even though Satan
has been given a large measure of domain over this earth, God is holding the
winds of strife back until his saints, His faithful remnant 144,000 saints are
sealed, to wit:
“I saw
four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to
accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the remnant, then
raised His hands, and with a voice of deep pity cried, "My blood, Father,
My blood, My blood, My blood!" Then I saw an exceeding bright light come
from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus.
Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four
angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in
his hand, and crying with a loud voice, ‘Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the
servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.’
I
asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard, and what the four
angels were about to do. He said to me that it
was God that restrained the powers, and that He gave His angels charge over
things on the earth; that the four angels had power from God to hold the four
winds, and that they were about to let them go; but while their hands were
loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful eye of Jesus
gazed on the remnant that were not sealed,
and He raised His hands to the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled
His blood for them. Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the
four angels and bid them hold, until the
servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.” E. G. White, Early
Writings, p. 38.
The
Lord led me to the following evidence in support of my vision:
Events That Follow After the Four Winds Are
Released
John
beheld four angels standing on the corners of the earth, holding the four winds
of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor
on any tree. These symbols are illustrative
of the troubles that will come upon the earth, but that the angels of God have
been mercifully holding back until the servants of God should be sealed in
their foreheads. E. G. White Manuscript Releases, 3:342.
“We
are amid the perils of the last days, and trying times are before us.
Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things that cannot be
shaken may remain. Drought, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, casualties by sea
and land, will multiply. Life will be unsafe anywhere, only as the life is hid
with Christ in God. Now, while the angels are holding the four winds, is our
opportunity to seek the Lord most earnestly. Ibid., 20:285.
“We
feel depressed, greatly depressed, as we see the world and its wickedness. The
professed Christian world is enveloped in the darkness that covers the earth.
We sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in the land. Why is it that all this wickedness does not break forth
in decided violence against righteousness and truth? It is because the four
angels are holding the four winds, that they shall not blow upon the earth. But human
passions are reaching a high pass, and the Spirit of the Lord is being
withdrawn from the earth. Were it not that God has commanded angelic
agencies to control the satanic agencies that are seeking to break loose and to
destroy, there would be no hope. But the
winds are to be held until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. E. G. White, In
Heavenly Places, p. 96.
Controversies of the Past Will Spring Up
Again
“Old
controversies which have apparently been hushed for a long time will be
revived, and new controversies will spring up; new and old will commingle, and
this will take place right early. The angels are holding the four winds, that
they shall not blow, until the specified work of warning is given to the world;
but the storm is gathering, the clouds are loading, ready to burst upon the world,
and to many it will be as a thief in the night.” E. G. White, Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 1b,
p. 38.
Terrible Destructive Judgments
“The
time is right upon us when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm
can heal. Even before the last great
destruction comes upon the world, the flattering monuments of man's greatness
will be crumbled in the dust. God's retributive judgments will fall on those who in the
face of great light have continued in sin. Costly
buildings, supposed to be fireproof, are erected. But as Sodom perished in the
flames of God's vengeance, so will these proud structures become ashes. I have
seen vessels which cost immense sums of money wrestling with the mighty ocean,
seeking to breast the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and
silver, and with all their human freight, they sank into a watery grave. . . .
But amid the tumult of excitement, with confusion in every place, there is a
work to be done for God in the world.” E. G. White, Maranatha, p. 175.
Religious Freedom Removed
“The
time is fast approaching when we shall be made to feel the hand of oppression,
because we demand our religious rights. Shall we then dishonor God by keeping silent,
when his holy commandments are being trampled under foot?
We
have been looking many years for a Sunday law to be enacted in our land; and
now that the movement is right upon us, we ask, What are our people going to do
in the matter? Do you realize that the night will soon come, when no man can
work? Have you that intensity of zeal, that piety and devotion, which will
enable you to stand when opposition is brought upon you?” E. G. White, Review and Herald, December 11, 1888.
Our
Duty
“We as
a people have not accomplished the work which God has committed to us. We are
not ready for the issue to which the enforcement of the Sunday law will bring
us. It is our duty, as we see the signs of approaching peril, to arouse to
action. Let none sit in calm expectation of the evil, comforting themselves
with the belief that this work must go on because prophecy has foretold it, and
that the Lord will shelter His people. We are not doing the will of God if we
sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent,
effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be
deferred until we can accomplish the work which has so long been neglected. Let
there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony with our prayers.
. . . Man's necessity is God's opportunity. It may be that a respite may yet be
granted for God's people to awake and let their light shine.
If our
people continue in the listless attitude in which they have been, God cannot
pour upon them His Spirit. They are unprepared to co‑operate with Him. They are not awake to the situation and
do not realize the threatened danger. They should feel now, as never before,
their need of vigilance and concerted action.” E. G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, pp.
713, 714.
“While
the Protestant world is by her attitude making concessions to Rome, let us
arouse to comprehend the situation and view the contest before us in its true
bearings. Let the watchmen now lift up their voice and give the message which
is present truth for this time. Let us show the people where we are in
prophetic history and seek to arouse the spirit of true Protestantism, awaking
the world to a sense of the value of the privileges of religious liberty so
long enjoyed. . . .
Especially
should we, with unwavering faith, seek God for grace and power to be given to
His people now. We do not believe that the time has fully come when He would
have our liberties restricted. The prophet saw "four angels standing on
the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the
wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree."
Another angel, ascending from the east, cried to them, saying: ‘Hurt not the
earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our
God in their foreheads.’ This points out the work we have now to do. A vast
responsibility is devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land to
petition that God will sweep back the cloud of evil and give a few more years
of grace in which to work for the Master. Let
us cry to God that the angels may hold the four winds until missionaries shall
be sent to all parts of the world and shall proclaim the warning against
disobeying the law of Jehovah.” E. G. White,
Ibid., pp. 716-718.
Get Ready, Get Ready! Work Now!
“Now
is the time to work, just now. There is not a moment to lose. All national,
denominational, and sectarian distinctions between rank and rank, between caste
and caste, are lost. The message is to be proclaimed in the highways and byways
and hedges. Every human agent is merging his character under one of two heads‑‑the Prince of Life and the prince of darkness. To those
who receive Christ He gives power to become loyal sons of God. They keep His
commandments. The benediction rests upon them, ‘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). The commandment breakers are
left outside with the false shepherds whom they believed, and with
"whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Rev. 22:15).” E. G. White, Manuscript Releases,
15:222, 223.
“The
angel of God was to pass over the houses of the Hebrews with the blood
sprinkled on the lintels and doorposts. This sign was to be respected.
But
suppose that the inmates of the house were careless and did not gather their
children with them in the house? Or suppose the children who had been born and
brought up in Egypt thought this only a whim, and altogether unnecessary, and
should refuse the entreaties of their parents, making some excuse as did those
called to the marriage supper? Then the judgment of God would not spare, but
the stroke would as surely come upon the firstborn of the Hebrews as the
firstborn of the Egyptians.
What
is the condition of those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith
of Jesus? If in families there are those who
are refusing obedience to the Lord in keeping His Sabbath, then the seal cannot
be placed upon them. The sealing is a pledge from God of perfect security to
His chosen ones (Ex. 31:13‑17). Sealing indicates you are God's chosen. He has
appropriated you to Himself. As the sealed of God we are Christ's purchased
possession, and no one shall pluck us out of His hands.” E. G. White,
Manuscript Releases, 15, p. 225.
Don’t Imbibe Perverted Values
“The
Lord has shown me the danger of letting our minds be filled with worldly
thoughts and cares. I saw that some minds are led away from present truth and a
love of the Holy Bible by reading other exciting books; others are filled with
perplexity and care for what they shall eat, drink, and wear. Some are looking too far off for the coming
of the Lord. Time has continued a few years longer than they expected;
therefore they think it may continue a few years more, and in this way their
minds are being led from present truth, out after the world. In these things I saw great danger; for if the mind is
filled with other things, present truth is shut out, and there is no place in
our foreheads for the seal of the living God.
I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place was nearly finished
and that time can last but a very little longer. What leisure time we have
should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day.
“My
dear brethren and sisters, let the
commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ be in your minds
continually and let them crowd out worldly thoughts and cares. When you lie down and when you rise up, let them be your
meditation. Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man.
The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while
the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election
sure.” E. G. White, Early Writings,
p. 58.
Prepare by Studying the Bible as Never
Before
“My
brethren, do you realize that your own salvation, as well as the destiny of
other souls, depends upon the preparation you now make for the trial before us?
Have you that intensity of zeal, that piety and devotion, which will enable you
to stand when opposition shall be brought against you? If God has ever spoken by me, the time will come when you
will be brought before councils, and every position of truth which you hold
will be severely criticized. The time that so many are now allowing to go to
waste should be devoted to the charge that God has given us of preparing for
the approaching crisis. . . .
Study your Bible as you have never studied
it before. Unless you arise to a higher, holier state in your
religious life, you will not be ready for the appearing of our Lord. As great light has been given, God expects corresponding
zeal, faithfulness, and devotion on the part of His people. There must be more spirituality,
a deeper consecration to God, and a zeal in His work that has never yet been
reached. Much
time should be spent in prayer, that our garments of character may be washed
and made white in the blood of the Lamb.”
E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 5, pp.
716, 717.
“The time is not far off when the people of God will be
called upon to give their testimony before the rulers of the earth. Not one in
twenty has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great
crisis in our history. The angels of God are
holding the four winds, and this leads many to cry, Peace and safety; but there
is no time for vanity, for trifling, for engaging the mind in unimportant
matters. We must empty the soul temple
of every defilement, and let the Spirit of God take full possession of the
heart, that the character may be transformed.”
E. G. White, Review and Herald, April
26, 1892.
Overcome Through Dependence on the Holy
Spirit of Christ
“We
must hang our whole weight on the world's Redeemer; he must be our dependence
for strength. Without this, all our efforts will be unavailing. Even now the
time has come when we must recognize this fully, or we shall be outgeneraled by
a powerful, cunning foe. We must connect more closely with God; and all our
plans and arrangements must be in harmony with his plans, or they will not
prove effectual.
The Holy Spirit is grieved and driven away
by the self‑sufficiency and
rude traits of character which are cherished. These unhallowed elements must be
burned out by the Spirit of God.
In
dealing with our brethren, we must remember that they are children of God, and
that he will teach one of his faithful workers as readily as he will teach
another. There is no respect of persons with him. He would not have any man
receive the idea that God will teach him only, and that all must come to his
light. Brethren, go to Jesus, fast and pray,
and wrestle with God. Let every one know for himself what the will of the Lord
is; then he will not move blindly.
Yet brethren should esteem one another,
counsel together, and pray together until there is unity among them. God wants us to work with an eye single to his glory. .
. . May God make his servants wise through the divine illumination, that the
mold of man may not be seen on any of the great and important enterprises
before us.” E. G. White, Review and
Herald, December 15, 1885.
“Four
mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible
destruction is forbidden to come in full. The
accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily increasing, by storm,
by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible floods, the
earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one deadly
combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of
Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their
foreheads. Get ready, get ready, I
beseech you, get ready before it shall be forever too late! The ministers of vengeance will pour all the terrible
judgments upon a God‑forsaken
people. The way of obedience is the only path of life. May the Lord help you to
see it in time to open your ears, that you may hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches.
What
is my duty? What shall I do to save my children and to save many souls from the
coming tempest of wrath unmixed with mercy? God claims every power, every
capability of action to be invested in the doing of his work. Talents,
possessions, everything that is great and noble in man he calls to be exercised
in his work. Duty admits no rival, enters into no compromise with any opposing
powers. The most precious friends and relatives must not step in between your
duty and your God. The voice of duty is the voice of God in our souls.
Obedience to its claims brings us into living personal agreement with the
highest law in the universe‑‑brings man into alliance with God.
Let
the churches be aroused. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches." This message concerns all our churches.
You can never employ your faculty of hearing better than in hearkening to hear
what the voice of God speaks to you in his word. There is a rich and abundant promise to
those who overcome. It is not enough to
enter upon this warfare, we must pursue it to the end. We must know nothing of
yielding. We must fight the good fight
of faith to the very end. To the overcomer is promised the triumphal victory.
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God." . . .
It is
our work to know our special failings and sins, which cause darkness and
spiritual feebleness, and quenched our first love. Is it worldliness? Is it
selfishness? Is it the love of self‑esteem? Is it striving to be first? Is it the sin of
sensuality that is intensely active? Is it the sin of the Nicolaitans, turning
the grace of God into lasciviousness? Is it the misuse and abuse of great light
and opportunities and privileges, making boasted claims to wisdom and religious
knowledge, while the life and character are inconsistent and immoral? Whatever it is that has been petted and cultivated until
it has become strong and overmastering, make
determined efforts to overcome, else you will be lost. It is these
cherished sins, abhorrent to God, that make enfeebled moral courage, and leave
you to choose to walk apart from God, while you retain a miserable, heartless,
outward form.” E. G. White, Review and
Herald, June 7, 1887.
“As
the olive trees empty themselves into the golden pipes, so the heavenly
messengers seek to communicate all that they receive from God. The whole
heavenly treasure awaits our demand and reception; and as we receive the
blessing, we in our turn are to impart it. Thus it is that the holy lamps are
fed, and the church becomes a light bearer in the world.
This
is the work that the Lord would have every soul prepared to do at this time,
when the four angels are holding the four winds, that they shall not blow until
the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. There is no time now for self‑pleasing. The lamps of the soul must be trimmed. They
must be supplied with the oil of grace. Every precaution must be taken to
prevent spiritual declension, lest the great day of the Lord overtake us as a
thief in the night. Every witness for God is now to work intelligently in the
lines which God has appointed. We should daily obtain a deep and living
experience in the work of perfecting Christian character. We should daily
receive the holy oil, that we may impart to others. All may be light bearers to
the world if they will. We are to sink self out of sight in Jesus. We are to
receive the word of the Lord in counsel and instruction, and gladly communicate
it. There is now need of much prayer. Christ commands, "Pray without
ceasing;" that is, keep the mind uplifted to God, the source of all power
and efficiency. . . . Those who do not cultivate the spirit and habit of prayer
cannot expect to receive the golden oil of goodness, patience, long‑suffering, gentleness, love.
Everyone
is to keep himself separate from the world, which is full of iniquity. We are
not to walk with God for a time, and then part from His company and walk in the
sparks of our own kindling. There must be a firm continuance, a perseverance in
acts of faith. We are to praise God; to show forth His glory in a righteous
character. No one of us will gain the victory without persevering, untiring
effort, proportionate to the value of the object which we seek, even eternal
life.
The
dispensation in which we are now living is to be, to those that ask, the
dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Ask for His blessing. It is time we were more
intense in our devotion. To us is committed the arduous, but happy, glorious
work of revealing Christ to those who are in darkness. We are called to
proclaim the special truths for this time. For all this the outpouring of the
Spirit is essential. We should pray for it. The Lord expects us to ask Him. We
have not been wholehearted in this work.” E. G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 510-512.
“What
are you doing . . . 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. Now is the time
to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure
man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the
ambitious, world‑loving man
or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false
tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot
before God‑‑candidates
for heaven.
Every
individual soul, if he would receive the seal of the living God, must hear the
Word of the Lord, and do it with exactitude. There must be no such thing as
haphazard religion if men would have a place in the family of God.
Now is
the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling
and election sure.” Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 288.
“However
black the clouds that roll upon the world at the present time, there is light beyond.
Ignorance, superstition, darkness, unbelief strong and masterful, will meet us
at every step we advance. But our faith must soar above all and see the bow of
promise encircling the throne. We must reflect the light with pen and voice,
praising God before the world.” E. G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 96.
We Need the Whole Armor of God
“It is
not safe for us, when going into battle, to cast away our weapons. It is then
that we need to be equipped with the whole armor of God. Every piece is essential.”
Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7,
p. 190.
“While
Satan is constantly seeking to blind their minds to the fact, let Christians
never forget that they "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against wicked spirits in high places." Ephesians 6:12, margin. The
inspired warning is sounding down the centuries to our time: "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8. "Put on the whole armor of
God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
Ephesians 6:11.” E. G. White, The Great
Controversy, p. 510.
“When temptations
and trials rush in upon us, let us go to God and agonize with Him in prayer. He
will not turn us away empty, but will give us grace and strength to overcome,
and to break the power of the enemy. Oh, that all could see these things in
their true light and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus! Then would
Israel move forward, strong in God, and in the power of His might.” Early Writings, p. 46.
A Moment of Respite
“Everything in this world is in an unsettled state. The
nations are angry, and preparations for war are being made. But though there is
among the nations an increasing unrest, though they are mustering their forces,
they
are as if held back from action by an unseen power. The angels are holding the
four winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. . . .
A moment of
respite has been graciously given us of God.
Every power lent us of Heaven is now to
be used in working for those perishing in ignorance. There must be no
delay. The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth. Obstacles
must be met and surmounted. A great work is
to be done, and to those who know the truth for this time, this work has been
entrusted.” E. G. White, Review and Herald, November 17, 1910.
“Angels
are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its
coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when
God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife
as no pen can picture.” E. G. White, Maranatha, p. 266.
“The
Lord is soon to come. The angels are
holding the four winds, in order that God's people may do their long‑neglected work.
We are not half awake to what might be
done in our world. . . .
House‑to‑house work is
one very successful way of reaching souls. But
it is not the only way that God has provided for the advancement of his work.
Decided proclamations of truth are to be made. But in regard to this work, I am
instructed to say to our people, Be guarded. In
bearing the message, make no personal thrusts at other churches. Speak the truth in
tones and words of love. Let Christ be exalted. Keep to the affirmative of
truth. Never leave the straight path God has
marked out, for the purpose of giving some one a thrust. That thrust may do
much harm, and no good. It may quench conviction in many minds. Let the truth
tell the story of the inconsistency of error.
People cannot be expected to see at once
the advantage of the truth over the error they have cherished. The best way to
expose the fallacy of error is to present truth. This is the greatest rebuke
that can be given to error. Dispel the cloud
of darkness resting on minds by reflecting the bright light of the Sun of
righteousness.” E. G. White, Review and
Herald, October 7, 1902.
“We
all need to be wide awake, that, as the way opens, we may advance the work in
the large cities. We are far behind in following the light given us to enter
the cities and erect memorials for God. Step by step we are to lead souls into
the full light of truth. Many are longing for spiritual food. We are to
continue working until a church is organized and a humble house of worship
built. I am greatly encouraged to believe that many persons not of our faith
will help considerably by their means. The light given me is that in many
places, especially in the great cities . . . , help will be given by such
persons.” E. G. White, Reflecting Christ,
p. 241.
“The
message must go, notwithstanding the hard times. We must make special efforts
in this direction now, while the angels are holding the four winds. Soon the
time to labor will be past. Who does not want to have a part in this closing
work? All can do something. Those who cannot give themselves can give of their
means, and all can pray that the Lord will not only raise up laborers, but that
the treasury, now empty, may be supplied with the necessary funds to extend the
work. Pray, brethren, pray earnestly, that the hearts of some who are doing
very little, and of others who have as yet done nothing, may be opened, and
that the means that God has intrusted to them may be used to his glory. The
truth must go to all nations, tongues, and people, and that speedily.” E. G.
White, Review and Herald, November 3,
1885.
“The
Lord has revealed to us that the Laodicean message applies to the church at
this time, and yet how few make a practical application of it to themselves.
God has wrought for us; we have no complaint to make of heaven, for the richest
blessings have been proffered us, but our people have been very reluctant to
accept them. Those who have been so stubborn and rebellious that they would not
humble themselves to receive the light God sent in mercy to their souls, became
so destitute of the Holy Spirit that the Lord could not use them. Unless they
are converted these men will never enter the mansions of the blest.
Some
have been preaching the Word whose labors are tainted with impurity and
licentiousness. They have done far more harm than good. Unless they shall turn from
their evil ways, they will perish with the wicked. Others have carried the
truth in a very indifferent manner; they have had no real burden of the work;
they have gone backward rather than forward. It is high time for these to
retrace their steps, for they have lost their first love. The Lord's injunction
to them is, ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.’” E. G. White Manuscript Releases, 15:306.
“We
should not work to the point where we exhaust our powers and cut short our
days, but work in accordance with the laws of life and health, and do no more
than we can do intelligently and with thoroughness. We have thought too much
depended on what we could do, and have not depended enough on the Lord God of
Israel to work for His people. God does not require any one of us to preach
long discourses and offer long prayers, and raise the voice to a high pitch,
and hold so many meetings that the physical and mental powers are nearly
wrecked.” Ibid., pp. 353, 354.
Material Possessions--Live
Sacrificially--Use Your Money to Save Souls
“The
necessities of the work now demand a far greater outlay than ever before. The
Lord calls upon His people to make every effort to curtail their expenses. . .
. Let the money that has been devoted to the gratification of self flow into
the Lord's treasury to sustain those who are working to save perishing souls.
Let those who have houses and lands give heed to the message, "Sell that
ye have, and give alms." "Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse; that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it"
[Mal. 3:10].
The
Lord is soon to come. We must work while the day lasts; for the night is
coming, in which no man can work. Oh, many, many have lost the spirit of self‑denial and sacrifice. They have been burying their money
in temporal possessions. There are men whom God has blessed, whom He is testing
to see what response they will make to His benefits. They have withheld their
tithes and offerings until their debt to the Lord God of hosts has become so
great that they grow pale at the thought of rendering unto the Lord His own‑‑a just tithe. Make haste, brethren, you have now [the]
opportunity to be honest with God; delay not. For your soul's sake, no longer
rob God in tithes and offerings.
The
Lord calls for every talent of means and ability to be put to use. When the
reproach of indolence and slothfulness shall have been wiped away from the
church, the Spirit of the Lord will be graciously manifested; divine power will
combine with human effort, the church will see the providential interpositions
of the Lord God of hosts, the light of truth will be diffused, the knowledge of
God and of Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. As in the apostles' time, many souls
will turn unto the Lord. The earth will be lightened with the glory of the
angel from heaven. . . .
At the
same time there will be a power stirring everything from beneath. The working
of evil angels will be manifest in deceptions, delusions, in calamities, and in
casualties and crimes of no ordinary character. While God employs the angels of
mercy to work through His human agents, Satan sets his agencies in operation,
laying under tribute all the powers that submit to his control. . . .
Work,
oh, work, keeping eternity in view. Bear in mind that every power must be
sanctified. In yourselves you are powerless to do anything good. Christ
declares, "Without Me ye can do nothing." Becoming partakers of the
divine nature, you can do all things. Through Christ you can have power with
God and with men.” The Ellen G. White
1888 Materials, pp. 1132-1134.
Don’t Store Away Provisions For the Time of
Trouble
“The
Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any
provision for our temporal wants in the time
of trouble. I saw that if the saints had
food laid up by them or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword,
famine, and pestilence are in the land, it
would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap their
fields. Then
will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our
bread and water will be sure at that time, and that we shall not lack or suffer
hunger; for God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness. If
necessary He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Elijah,
or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the Israelites.” Early Writings, p. 56.
Note:
The above counsel is for the time of trouble and does not mean that we should
not have reserves in case of emergencies.
Put Property on Altar and God Will Reveal
When to Sell
“Houses
and lands will be of no use to the saints in
the time of trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs,
and at that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause
of present truth. I was shown that it is the
will of God that the saints should cut loose from every encumbrance before the time of trouble comes, and
make a covenant with God through sacrifice. If they have their property on the altar and earnestly inquire of God
for duty, He will teach them when to dispose of these things. Then they
will be free in the time of trouble and have no clogs to weigh them down.
I saw
that if any held on to their property and did not inquire of the Lord as to
their duty, He would not make duty known, and they would be permitted to keep
their property, and in the time of trouble it would come up before them like a
mountain to crush them, and they would try to dispose of it, but would not be
able. I heard some mourn like this: "The cause was languishing, God's
people were starving for the truth, and we made no effort to supply the lack;
now our property is useless. Oh, that we had let it go, and laid up treasure in
heaven!" I saw that a sacrifice did not increase, but it decreased and
was consumed. I also saw that God had not
required all of His people to dispose of their property at the same time; but
if they desired to be taught, He would teach them, in a time of need, when to
sell and how much to sell. Some have been required to dispose of their property
in times past to sustain the Advent cause, while others have been permitted to
keep theirs until a time of need. Then, as the cause needs it, their duty is to
sell.” E. G. White, Early Writings, pp. 56, 57.
Don’t Bring on a Time of Trouble
Unnecessarily
“It is very strange that some of our
brethren should feel that it is their duty to bring about a condition of things
that would bind up the means that God would have set free. God has not laid upon them the responsibility of coming
in conflict with the authorities and powers of the world in this matter. The
withstraining hand of God has not yet been withdrawn from the earth. Let the
leaders in the work bide their time, hide in Christ, and move and work with
great wisdom. Let them be as wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves. I have
repeatedly been shown that we might receive far more favors than we do in many
ways if we would approach men in wisdom, acquaint them with our work, and give
them an opportunity of doing those things which it is our privilege to induce them
to do for the advancement of the work of God.” E. G. White, Testimonies to Ministers,
p. 203.
As Probation Closes and The Great Time of
Trouble Ensues
“I was
pointed down to the time when the third angel's message was closing. The power
of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the
latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living
testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and
it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not
receive the message.
I saw
angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer's inkhorn by his
side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and
the saints were numbered and sealed. Then
I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer. He raised His hands,
and with a loud voice said, ‘It is done.’" E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 279.
Note:
There are three sealings.
1.
There is a settling
into the truth by the saints at the time the shaking ensues so that they cannot
be moved.
2.
At the commencement
of the time of trouble the saints receive the Holy Spirit. This is similar to
the Day of Pentecost, after which the disciples bound (sealed) faithful
Christians for the heavenly garner. But the disciples
of Christ were “gathered out” before that day in order to be groomed for it. Desire of Ages, 232.
3.
Then there is the no
buy/sell/death decree test and all who meet that test receive a final seal of
God.
“I
also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high
priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who
receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble
must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
I saw
that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the
time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to
stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in
the time of trouble without a shelter!” E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 71.
“When
Jesus leaves the sanctuary, then they who are holy and righteous will be
holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out, and they
will be sealed with the seal of the living God. But those that
are unjust and filthy will be unjust and filthy still; for then there will be
no Priest in the sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and
their prayers before the Father's throne.
Therefore what is done to rescue souls from the coming storm of wrath must be
done before Jesus leaves the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.” E. G.
White, Early Writings, p. 48.
Don’t
Let the Warning Go Unheeded
“When
the Saviour saw in the Jewish people a nation divorced from God, He saw also a
professed Christian Church united to the world and the papacy. And as He stood
upon Olivet, weeping over Jerusalem till the sun sank behind the western hills,
so He is weeping over and pleading with sinners in these last moments of time. Soon He will say to the angels who are holding the four
winds, ‘Let the plagues loose; let darkness, destruction, and death come upon
the transgressors of my law.’ Will He be obliged to say to those who have had great
light and knowledge, as He said to the Jews, “If thou hadst known, even thou at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes”? E. G. White, Review
and Herald, October 8, 1901.
The
answer to the above question is as follows:
PROLEPSIS PROPHETIC STATEMENT:
Here
is the Spirit of Prophecy prophesied prolepsis statement regarding the final
fate of that once Noble Ship. This is a major LYNCHPIN to my warning message.
Can you explain it away? Are you a passenger on this once NOBLE SHIP, that is
about to sink to rise no more? NOTICE WHO SEPARATES FROM WHOM:
"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.].
The 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].
The watchmen upon the walls of Zion 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, 199, 200].
Note these important delineations in
the above statement:
·
Ellen
White is addressing HIS PEOPLE.
·
Ellen
White is addressing those to whom God committed the EVERLASTING GOSPEL of
Revelation 14.
·
Ellen
White is defining the angel represented in prophecy as symbolizing a class of
faithful men.
·
Ellen
White is saying emphatically that the final Loud Cry message is delivered NOT
BY THE LEADERS OF THE SDA CHURCH, but by a class of faithful men, because
the leaders had failed to preserve their connection with God and had refused
light from heaven!
·
Ellen
White is addressing "watchmen upon the walls of Zion," NOT FALLEN
BABYLON!
·
Twice
Ellen White mentions HIS CHURCH, NOT FALLEN BABYLON.
·
It is the MEMBERS of
said church that SEPARATE FROM GOD, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO SEPARATE FROM
THEM OR BE CORPORATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR APOSTASY.
·
The above reasons
are why there is another coming out of a faithful remnant FROM APOSTATE
JERUSALEM AS WELL AS FALLEN BABYLON.
·
Isa 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house
of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
·
Isa 37:32 For out of
Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the
zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.
Ellen White is addressing a BACKSLIDING CHURCH
whose leaders and laity alike failed and rejected light from heaven and
who refused to comply with the conditions so that God's promises are not
fulfilled to them. Consider the following commentary on the 1884 Great
Controversy that the above statement is quoted from:
“Consider for a few moments the chapter in the
first edition of Great Controversy, Volume IV, published by Pacific Press
in 1884. In Chapter XXVII, ‘The Snares of Satan,’ you find that about four
pages in the latter part of the chapter were omitted from the later editions of
Great Controversy. These four pages are to be found in Testimonies to
Ministers, pages 472 to 475. The information contained in these four pages is
very valuable to Seventh-day Adventists and was very appropriately included in
the first edition of Great Controversy, Volume IV, which when it was published
was like the other volumes considered to be A MESSAGE ESPECIALLY TO SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTISTS, and to [all] Christian people sympathizing with them in beliefs and
aims.” W. C. White, Selected Messages, Appendix
C, pp. 452, 453.
The SDA COUNTERPART FACTOR to the Jews
COUNTERPART:
"The Lord commanded one of his ancient servants, 'Pray not thou for this people [Jer. 7:16 and
11:14], neither
lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not
hear thee.' The prophet thus describes the sins which had called forth this
fearful denunciation: 'The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule
by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end
thereof?' 'From the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness and from the prophet
even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt
of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace,
peace, when there is no peace.' The apostles declare that this
state of things will find its COUNTERPART in the last days. Many have a form of
godliness, but in their daily life deny the power thereof. They have ceased to
be convicted of their sins or alarmed at their state. They say in their hearts,
'The church is flourishing. Peace and spiritual prosperity are within her
borders.' The words of the prophet may well apply to these self-deceivers,
'They have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their
abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears
upon them." E. G. White, Second
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 11-07-82.
The
“daughter of my people” refers to all God’s chosen people other than the bride.
The bride ZION has sons and daughters, Isaiah 62. The sons and daughters are
“guests” at the wedding and if guests, they cannot be the bride. Great Controversy, pp. 426, 427.
"Study
the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled yet the
time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls
and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the
people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who
refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time is
short. God is calling will YOU hear? Will YOU receive His message? Will YOU be
converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be decided
for eternity. Letter 106, 1909, pp. 2, 3, 5, 7. (To "The churches in Oakland and Berkeley, September 26,
1909.)"
E. G. White Manuscript Releases Volume
One, p. 260.
“The time will soon come
when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be
carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.”— Ellen
G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.
When Will the Ezekiel 9 Destruction
Occur?
The Ezekiel 9
destruction BEGINS at His church, His Sanctuary, to wit:
"Here
we see that the church the Lord's
sanctuary
was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom
God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people,
had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for
miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times
have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord
will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too
merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus "Peace and safety’ is the
cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show
God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb
dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an
offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." E.G.
White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 211.
The
chapter the above statement is quoted from begins on page 207, quoting Ezekiel
9.
God
will not destroy His people until they have had the Sunday Law test. The last
literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 occurred in A.D. 27-70. Ellen White parallels
the Romans ascending upon Jewish soil in A.D. 66, with the National Sunday Law
test/sign, which was the Abomination of Desolation warned of in Matthew 24:15,
16.
Jesus’
words to His disciples concerning the woes to come upon Jerusalem because of
its apostasies, had a twofold meaning, GC, p. 25:
1.
The destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.
2.
The great terror to befall Babylon and the world at the end-time.
The
fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 as depicted in Great Controversy, pp. 653-656,
applies to its application to Babylon and the world as per the last paragraph
on page 653:
“Such
are the judgments that fall UPON BABYLON in the day of the visitation of
God’s wrath. She has filled up the measure of her iniquity; her time has come;
she is ripe for destruction.” GC, p. 653.
The
entire context of the above quote is BABYLON. So ironically, for SDA’s to
conclude that GC p. 656 refers to the time Ezekiel 9 applies to the SDA church, is to conclude that the SDA church is BABYLON, which
is not true. Ezekiel 9 BEGINS AT APOSTATE JERUSALEM, 5T 211.
Ezekiel
9 begins at the SDA apostate church on day 1290 (Daniel 12) after a thirty day
warning is given on day 1260 that all who will not take the mark will be
killed. Probation will then end, and God will not permit the destruction of His
people until they have had this test, just as He did not permit the destruction
of apostate Israel until after they had had a similar test, namely the
abomination of desolation arriving upon Jewish soil in A.D. 66. It was then
that every true Christian fled to Pella and was saved.
Does Apostate Jerusalem Have
any Virtue to Seal Anyone?
A lot
of Adventists make the great mistake of thinking you have to be in the apostate
SDA church in order to receive the seal of the angel in Ezekiel 9. James
Tierney, who claims to be a prophet, makes that great mistake, proving by yet
another sign that he is a false prophet. In effect, he is teaching: “Stay for the slay.”
The
mark or seal by the angel of Ezekiel 9 is placed upon the forehead of all who
are SEPARATED FROM SIN AND SINNERS.
"The angel [of Ezekiel 9] is to place a mark upon the
forehead of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the
destroying angel will follow, to slay utterly both old and young." Testimonies, vol 5, p 505.
The SDA church is full of
abominable sins (abominations) for which we are to sigh and cry, and for which
Ezekiel 9 slaughter is the penalty. So how could that church be the JERUSALEM
wherein the faithful are sealed, when the seal of God is placed upon all who
are SEPARATED FROM SIN AND SINNERS?
In the last literal fulfillment
of Ezekiel 9, the dross (tares and thorns) were gathered into the midst’s of
Jerusalem for burning and melting, Ezekiel 22:17-31. So it will be in the next
literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. Any person with all his/her faculties should
be able to see that Ezekiel 9 would not BEGIN at His Sanctuary, His church, if
all the bad left that church!
There were two Jerusalem church
HEADQUARTERS in the days of the disciples--the Home Churches the disciples organized,
and the apostate Jerusalem Temple headquarters. It was in the disciples
JERUSALEM HOME CHURCHES, that true Christians were bound (sealed) by the
disciples, for Christ told them that whomever they bound (sealed) on earth,
would be bound (sealed) in heaven. The apostate Synagogue of Satan had no
virtue to seal anyone but to seal the errant for the throes of hell.
In
the Name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Ronald
William Beaulieu