Washed In Blood.

Rev_1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood

Rev_7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to 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.

Washed in blood.

Most people have seen television shows, movies, and the like where people have had to deal with blood. There have been various crime shows that have even dealt with people cleaning up after they've committed crimes involving blood. Those shows revealed just how hard it is to do away with all traces of blood. Chlorine bleach at a potential crime scene is a clear indicator of someone doing their best to clean up blood. Chlorine Bleach will destroy all traces of blood, and we know that bleach is a very potent substance.

'Chlorine, a powerful oxidizer, is the active agent in many household bleaches. Since pure chlorine is a toxic corrosive gas, these products usually contain hypochlorite which releases chlorine when needed.'

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach>

Toxic, yes, chlorine bleach is indeed toxic and it can clean blood stains.

Why am I going on and on about this? Because, Christ followers are washed in the blood of the Lamb and made white.  It's contrary to the reality of blood and its staining, and staying power. Blood can't make anything white in our tangible reality. Yet, the SUPERNATURAL POWER of Christ's blood can and does make us clean from the filth of sin- a stain unlike any other in existence. There is NOTHING we can do to rid ourselves of sin's stain, not a single thing. There does not exist anything that can get rid of sin and its filth except the blood of our Savior.

We need to be washed in the spiritual blood of Christ.  Is it any wonder we are given the communion example to follow- where figuratively we are given a constant reminder of our need to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. That blood signifying the DEATH of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't just bleed a little bit, he bled profusely. The whipping alone that he was given was enough to drain a lot of His precious blood. The thorns shoved onto His head piercing the flesh, most likely right to the very bone of His skull, they bled terribly. Our Lord was covered in His own blood as He was placed on that cross and even more blood was spilled as the spikes went into His hands and feet. A horrific bloody mess of torn flesh, our Savior suffered so tremendously- this is what we need to remember all the time.

When our Savior gave that example to the apostles in the upper room He had not yet bleed for any of them, He had not yet given His body but He would, and He did not want any of His followers to forget the greatest sacrifice ever given. He wanted us to use this example from then on until His return, always remembering it is His blood, His sacrifice which cleanses us from sin's insidious stains.

We are washed in blood, our sins are washed in the blood of Christ, our filthy robes are washed in the blood of Christ and made white!

Satan would have us believe sin's stain can never leave us, that it will forever taint our existence. Satan will hold up our sins and taunt us with them trying to lead us to despair of ever being rid of their filthiness. Our Savior wants us to KNOW that our sins are washed, constantly washed in His blood and we are made clean through HIM and HIM alone.  Praise Him! Praise His holy name! Thank you, Lord, thank you eternally, thank you!

Luk 22:14  And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 

Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 

Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 

Luk 22:17  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 

Luk 22:18  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 

Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 

Luk 22:20  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 

Law and Grace.

LAW and GRACE  - Watchman What of the Night XXXIII -  8(00)

Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)

The obvious meaning of what Paul wrote here in the book of Romans is that to be under law (no article in the Greek text) is to be under the dominion of sin, and that to be under grace is to be free from the dominion of sin. To the Church at Corinth, he had written that "the strength of sin is the law" (I Cor. 15:56). Yet twice in the context of this verse in Romans, he asked, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (6:1); and "shall we sin, because we are not under law (again no article in Greek text), but under grace?" (6:15). To both questions, he replied, "God forbid."

Law has a specific purpose: "For by law (no article) is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). It cannot save us, but grace does. "For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Faith is involved both with grace and with sin and thus with law. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). In the classical Biblical definition of sin as "the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4), there is a single word which is too frequently overlooked, and that word is "also." Observe the whole verse:

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

In the commission of sin, there is something which precedes the act. Simply stated, it is the failure to exercise faith. This can be illustrated in the experience of Eve, Adam's response, and all that has followed in human history.

In the very heart of the garden, the home of our first parents, were placed two trees, designated as "the tree of life" and "the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:9). Of this latter tree, man was forbidden to eat (2:16-17). It was not a part of the Ten Commandments, because that code had not been codified at that time. (This we shall discuss further on.) The issue revolved around one thing and one thing only - faith, belief in God's word. This failure to exercise faith led to the act of transgression, which in turn was followed by the reign of sin and death. For "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). It was God's word that our first parents rejected, but it was the same God whose word provided grace through "the redemption in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24-26).

God is the author of both law and grace, and that is why they cannot be separated but are linked in the exercise of faith. Without faith, I sin; without faith, I cannot please God; without faith, I cannot have victory. Without faith, I live under law; but by faith, I live under grace. "Do we then make void the law through faith?" Paul asks; and responds: "God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Rom. 3:31).

Faith accepts the Word of God in law and/or commandment. But in the experiences of life, we soon recognize "another law in (our) members, warring against the law of (our) mind, and bringing (us) into captivity to the law of sin which is in (our) members" (Rom. 7:23). Overwhelmed by the power of the law of sin, we by faith reach out to accept the justification freely given "by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). And he who is justified must continue to live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17), so that the dominion of sin strengthened by the law shall not reign over him.

We need to consider the use of the term, law, in the New Testament and the continuing provision of grace. First -

The Use of "Law" (νομοζ) in the NT

The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into three sections - the Torah (torah), the Prophets (nebi'im), and the Writings (kethavim). The Torah consisted of the five books of Moses and was called the Law. This needs to be kept in mind when considering the use of νομοζ in the New Testament. Jesus even used the term "law" to cover the entire Old Testament. He asked the Jews, "Is it not written in your law (νομοζ), I said, Ye are gods?" and quoted from Psalms 82:6, the first book of the third section of the Hebrew canon. Then Luke in recording the conversation which Jesus had with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus wrote that Jesus, "beginning at Moses (Torah) and all the

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prophets, expounded unto them in all the Scriptures γραφαιζ - writings) the things concerning Himself" (24:27). In a report of what Jesus said to the disciples when He appeared to them, where they had assembled after the resurrection, Luke records Jesus as saying, "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses (Torah), and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me" (24:44). The conclusion is obvious that the term, "law" can not be used to mean exclusively, "the Ten Commandments," nor can the phrase, "law of Moses" be limited to the ceremonial code in Exodus and Leviticus. It is used in the New Testament to mean the first section of the Hebrew Scriptures - the Torah.

Paul's use of the term, "law,” is even broader in its scope than is found in the Gospels. While he uses the term in conjunction with "prophets" - "the law and the prophets" - to refer to the Old Testament (Rom. 3:21); he also uses the single expression - "law" to designate the entire Old Testament (I Cor. 14:21). He definitely uses "law" to refer to the Ten Commandments. He wrote, "I had not known sin, but by the law," and then quotes one of the Ten (Rom. 7:7).

However, in this Epistle to the Romans is to be found Paul's broader application of the term, "law." He perceives of "another law in (his) members, warring against the law of (his)mind" (7:23). He designates this law as "the law of sin" in distinct contrast to "the Law of God" (v.25). He then points to another law, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which frees him "from the law of sin and death" (8:2). In his previous epistle to the Galatians, he had written:

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Gal. 5:17).

Then he added - "But if ye are led of the Spirit, ye are not under law" (v. 19; no article). Paul here presents a higher jurisdiction for the Christian than the letter of the Law, and thus he could write in his letter to the Romans:

We are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).

This brings us to the critical point: for what purpose does the law serve? In the letter to the Galatians, Paul had asked - "Wherefore serveth the law?" - and answered - "It was added because of transgressions" (3:19). He also in this same context set the time when it was added - "four hundred and thirty years after" the promise made to Abraham (3:16-17), or at Mt. Sinai.

It is this Pauline concept, that Adventism has had difficulty accepting. To avoid the inevitable conclusion which Paul drew, we have said that the "law" in Galatians is the ceremonial law. This was echoed in the debate which marked the 1888 General Conference Session over righteousness by faith. Paul was just as specific on this point in Romans as he was to the Galatians. He wrote, "Until the law, sin was in the world" (5:13), and he noted the time of the law as the time of Moses (v.14). This demands that we take a very careful look at the inception of sin, and the record of sin that followed.

The test given in Eden was verily as much a law as the Ten Commandments proclaimed from Mt. Sinai. God told Adam - "thou shalt not eat of it" - the tree which came to be designated as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17). There is no such law in the Ten. Yet the principle of that Edenic Law is stated in the Ten Commandments - "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3). There is no record of any other "Thou-shalt-not" commandments given to our first Parents. They could not have understood the meanings of stealing, murder, or adultery; neither lying nor covetousness. All of this was foreign to Eden; there was no need for such prohibitions.

With the coming of sin, the scene abruptly changes. There is the first murder. With this murder, God confronted Cain in judgment (Gen. 4:9-15). But what was its cause? Cain was "very wroth" (4:5); he hated his brother. Well could Paul write - "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Gal. 5:14). But how could man hidden from the face of God (Gen. 4:14) know love? He couldn't, hence the protecting wall of' law - "thou shalt not" and in so doing, the letter of the law would be kept. "Before (righteousness by) faith came, they were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed" (Gal. 3:23). But now Jesus has come, and

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we have become "the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ" (v.26). In Him was revealed the love that man needs to be freed from the law of sin and death. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). This constraining love of Christ frees us from the law of sin and death, so that we are no longer under the law but under grace. At Mt. Sinai, the negatives against sin were codified; at Mt. Calvary was manifest the love to which all law and the prophets pointed (Matt. 22:40).

Paul also had something else to say about the Law. In his first letter to Timothy (1:5-11), he wrote:

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law was not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

As Paul is nearing the end of his ministry, and soon to seal his life's testimony with his own blood, he summarized his convictions in regard to the law and the gospel. The law is good if a man use it lawfully, but that law was not made for a righteous man, but for those who are walking contrary to the gospel.

Justified by Faith

The very heart of the gospel proclaimed by Paul was that a man was "justified freely by (God's) grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). Therefore he could conclude "that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (3:28). Being declared righteous - justified - a man is no longer under the law of works, but under the "law of faith" (3:27). He no longer concentrates on the negatives, but on "the purpose of the commandment" which "is love" (αγαπη) (I Tim. 1:5 NKJV). Being no longer under the constraints of the law, there is a higher constraint - "the love of Christ" constrains him (I Cor. 5:14). From a selfish motivation to keep the law to be saved, he beholds a selflessness in the death of the Lamb of God which causes him "to love not (his) life unto the death" (Rev. 12:11).

This "treasure" of the agape love of Christ, the "righteous man" still carries in an "earthen" vessel. And this for a purpose, that he might ever recognize that "the excellency of the power may be of God and not of himself” (II Cor. 4:7). The failures and missteps along the way does not drive him to penitential "works" but to deep repentance at the throne of the divine Advocate (Heb. 4:16; I John 2:1). There he finds the renewed experience of that leper who came to Jesus in faith saying - "If thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." He, too, wilI hear that voice, "I will; be thou clean" (Mark 1:40-41). He finds that the excellency of the power of deliverance is of God.

The grace of God is not a one time gift, but a continual endowment. Again in one of his final pastoral letters, Paul tells Titus that "the grace of God that brings salvation" (2:11, NKJV) ("For by grace you have been saved through faith ... it is the gift of God" Eph. 2:8 NKJV) is only the beginning of the outpouring of that grace. There is a teaching ministry which follows –

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (2:12-14)

Not only is the Lamb "as it had been slain" (Rev. 5:6) pleading His merits that we might be accounted righteous and thus freed from the curse of the law, but there is sent the Spirit of truth to "redeem us from all iniquity" - from the very bondage of sin itself. "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Not only constrained by the love of Christ "who gave Himself for us," but we will bear "about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (II Cor. 4:10).

"If Any Man Worship the Beast and His Image"

"Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." (Jer. 17:5) Joh 5:44  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?  THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE    "If Any Man Worship the Beast and His Image" From WWN7(83) In studying or presenting the Third Angel's Message, we often dwell on the results - the reception of "his mark" - rather than on what the message is really warning us about. Because of this we have difficulty in understanding the counsel which came to the Church regarding the 1888 Message of Righteousness by Faith through Elders A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner. Ellen G. White answered an inquiry concerning the message by stating - "the message of justification by faith ... is the third angel's message in verity." (SM, bk i, p. 372) The "testimony" of these brethren was declared to be "the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the third angel's message, in clear, distinct lines." (TM, p. 93) How do we get the Mark of the Beast into a positive presentation of Justification by Faith? We don't! It is the result which will follow a rejection of the warning of the Third Angel. The cry of the Third Angel is against the "worship of the beast and his image." What does this mean? Who is the beast? "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man." (Rev. 13: 18) Thus to worship the beast is to worship a man, and the image is merely the image of a man. The outcome or results lead to a "number" - and a "mark." In this essay, these results will only be incidental to the general theme. We want to go to the heart of the warning as given in the Third Angel's Message. True worship constitutes the reverence and respect we pay to the God of Heaven. A blasphemous worship is reverence and respect we pay to a human being as a god, or to one we place between ourselves and God. Such worship is clearly a violation of the First Commandment - "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." (Ex. 20:3) In meeting the temptation suggested by Satan to violate this commandment, Jesus resolutely declared - "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." (Matt. 4:10) We may fellowship together as brothers and sisters in Christ; we may enter into the intimate fellowship that marks the home; we may work together in fulfilling the great commission; but in all of these relationships, we are to worship and serve only God.  When we in any of these relationships of life, honor a fellow man before duty to God and truth, we become a candidate for the mark of the beast. There is much more to the first great line prophecy of Daniel than we have perceived. The story of the nations from Daniel's day to the final hour of human history is all enfolded in one image - the image of a man. All that man devises and accomplishes ultimately becomes dust "like the chaff of the summer threshing floors." (Dan. 2:35) All the kingdoms - represented by the gold, silver, brass, and iron - were built by the prowess of men. To accomplish their objectives, the men who established these kingdoms of earth demanded of their subjects - fellow man - devotion, loyalty, and worship. Being themselves formed from the dust of the ground, they and all with them have or will return to dust. Thus the lesson of Daniel 2 is but an illustration of the words of the Lord to Jeremiah - "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." (Jer. 17:5) The only thing that will stand forever is the stone cut out "without hands" - not of human prowess. This is the stone which the builders rejected, and upon whomever it falls, it will grind to powder. (Matt. 22:44) But whoever falls upon this rock and is "broken" the same shall find life. This is justification by faith as portrayed in the symbolism of parable and prophecy the Third Angel's Message in verity. As the prophetic messages of Daniel continue to unfold, there is pictured the beasts of Daniel 7. But "the saints of the most High" ultimately possess the kingdom. It is given to them. (Dan. 7: 22, 27) They have declared their citizenship in harmony with the One who justifies them in Judgment before the Ancient of Days. Theirs and His kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36).  Not only are the "saints" other worldly in their attitude toward material things, but they are other worldly in their belief and worship. They worship only God - not man.  They possess the truth as it is in Jesus. This truth was emphatically stated in a question Jesus asked - "How can ye believe (The basis of Justification by Faith) which receive honor one from another, and seek not that honor that cometh from God only." (John 5:44) We miss the First Angel's Message - "Fear God and give glory to Him" - we condition ourselves to reject the Third. So long as we are looking to men, to seek their guidance, follow their leadership, instead of seeking to glorify God, believe and follow His truth, we cannot perceive nor believe in righteousness by faith. The prophet declared - "Cease ye from men, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (Isa. 2:22) When we are willing to do this, then we are ready to turn to our only source of help - God alone. How is all this related to Justification by Faith? I recognize my need. I am a sinner. Neither the works of my hands the deeds I do - will justify me before God for "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight." (Rom. 3:20) Thus I cannot rely upon myself - a man. To believe that there are things which I can do which will merit me the favor of God and heaven, is to receive the mark of the beast. To trust in some man to get me through is equally disastrous. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that is the Man, Christ Jesus. (I Tim. 2:5) Those who are justified by faith wherein the glory of man is laid in the dust, and God does for him what he cannot do for himself - receive from God His seal, not the mark of a man. That seal is "the sign of the cross of Calvary." (Letter 26, 1898: 7BC:978) It means simply that we have fallen on the Rock and have been "broken." A man with his "bones" broken can do little. He is totally dependent. It is at the Cross, and over the Cross that the great struggle concerning justification is centered. In the Cross is gathered all aspects of travail resultant from sin. To refuse to follow the enemy of God brings stigma and reproach - the Cross. To surrender to the call of the Cross, means death to self, and all that self desires to do - even to merit salvation. To behold the Cross is to see God's wrath against sin. But to take our cross is to find life. Jesus said - "If any man will come after Me - [not the beast] - let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life shall find it." (Matt. 16:24-25) What has been the story of the Church in its rejection of the message of Justification by Faith? What is the story today? "Now it has been Satan's determined purpose to eclipse the view of Jesus, and lead men to look to man, and trust to man, and be educated to expect help from man. For years the church has been looking to man, and expecting much from man, but not looking to Jesus, in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. Therefore God gave to His servants (Jones and Waggoner] a testimony that presented the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the third angel's message, in clear, distinct lines. " (TM, p. 93) The present crisis in the Church has produced two distinct groups. One is identified by their advocacy of neo-Adventism. These can best be described by a paraphrase on the words of a well-known hymn: Nothing in my hands I bring, But to Thy Cross, I shun to cling Tho' in many songs, I of it sing. These still want the world and all that the world offers. They seek to preach Paul, but forget that Paul confessed "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Gal., 6:14) Due to the emphasis on what is termed, "cheap grace" - a reactionary group has galvanized which also sing the same tune, but with different words: Very much in my hands I bring For Lord wherein else could I sing Of all the works I do for Thee; But the Cross, from it, excuse Thou, me. In between stands "the bleeding Lamb, our Saviour" - with hands outstretched, still pleading: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Matt. 11:28-30) Here is the essence of the Third Angel's Message. Our faith and our confidence is not in the "beast" - man - but in God manifest in the flesh, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised for our justification." (Rom. 4:25) We today who are willing to take up our cross will follow Him to where His cross was placed. "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." (Heb. 13:12-13) (Bold emphasis added.)

Shall We Be Found Wanting?

Shall We Be Found Wanting? Our position in the world is not what it should be. We are far from where we should have been had our Christian experience been in harmony with the light and the opportunities given us, had we from the beginning constantly pressed onward and upward. Had we walked in the light that has been given us, had we followed on to know the Lord, our path would have grown brighter and brighter. But many of those who have had special light are so conformed to the world that they can scarcely be distinguished from worldlings. They not stand forth as God's peculiar people, chosen and precious. It is difficult to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings conferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced the sentence: "Found wanting." By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be judged. St. Helena, California, April 21, 1903. God's Purpose For His People God has in store love, joy, peace, and glorious triumph for all who serve Him in spirit and in truth. His commandment-keeping people are to stand constantly in readiness for service. They are to receive increased grace and power, and increased knowledge of the Holy Spirit's working. But many are not ready to receive the precious gifts of the Spirit which God is waiting to bestow on them. They are not reaching higher and still higher for power from above that through the gifts bestowed, they may be recognized as God's peculiar people, zealous of good works. "Repent, and Do the First Works" Solemn admonitions of warning, manifest in the destruction of dearly cherished facilities for service, say to us: "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." Revelation 2:5. Why is there so dim a perception of the true spiritual condition of the church? Has not blindness fallen upon the watchmen standing on the walls of Zion? Are not many of God's servants unconcerned and well satisfied, as if the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night rested upon the sanctuary? Are there not those in positions of responsibility, professing to know God, who in life and character deny Him? Are not many of those who count themselves as His chosen, peculiar people satisfied to live without the evidence that of a truth God is among them to save them from Satan's snares and attacks? Would we not now have much greater light if, in the past, we had received the Lord's admonitions, acknowledged His presence, and turned away from all practices contrary to His will? Had we done this, the light of heaven would have shone into the soul-temple, enabling us to comprehend the truth and to love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves. Oh, how greatly Christ is dishonored by those who, professing to be Christians, disgrace the name they bear by failing to make their lives correspond to their profession, by failing to treat one another with the love and respect that God expects them to reveal in kind words and courteous acts! The powers from beneath are stirred with deep intensity. War and bloodshed are the result. The moral atmosphere is poisoned with cruel, horrible doings. The spirit of strife is spreading; it abounds in every place. Many souls are being taken possession of by the spirit of fraud, or underhand dealing. Many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. They do not discern what spirit has taken possession of them. A Failure To Honor God One who sees beneath the surface, who reads the hearts of all men, says of those who have had great light: "They are not afflicted and astonished because of their moral and spiritual condition." Yea, 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; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not." "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie," because "they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved," "but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Isaiah 66:3, 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 10, 12. The heavenly Teacher inquired: "What stronger delusion can beguile the mind than the pretense that you are building on the right foundation and that God accepts your works, when in reality you are working out many things according to worldly policy and are sinning against Jehovah? Oh, it is a great deception, a fascinating delusion, that takes possession of minds when men who have once known the truth, mistake the form of godliness for the spirit and power thereof; when they suppose that they are rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, while in reality they are in need of everything." Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked God has not changed toward His faithful servants who are keeping their garments spotless. But many are crying, "Peace and safety," while sudden destruction is coming upon them. Unless there is thorough repentance, unless men humble their hearts by confession and receive the truth as it is in Jesus, they will never enter heaven. When purification shall take place in our ranks, we shall no longer rest at ease, boasting of being rich and increased with goods, in need of nothing. Who can truthfully say: "Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world"? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: "Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? 'How is the faithful city become an harlot!' My Father's house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking." A Call For Reformation Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself. When she resists the evil and chooses the good, when she seeks God with all humility and reaches her high calling in Christ, standing on the platform of eternal truth and by faith laying hold upon the attainments prepared for her, she will be healed. She will appear in her God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, showing that the truth has made her free indeed. Then her members will indeed be the chosen of God, His representatives. The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. When this reformation begins, the spirit of prayer will actuate every believer and will banish from the church the spirit of discord and strife. Those who have not been living in Christian fellowship will draw close to one another. One member working in right lines will lead other members to unite with him in making intercession for the revelation of the Holy Spirit. There will be no confusion, because all will be in harmony with the mind of the Spirit. The barriers separating believer from believer will be broken down, and God's servants will speak the same things. The Lord will co-operate with His servants. All will pray understandingly the prayer that Christ taught His servants: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, Page 247

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Take Heed.

The Sign of the End Of Time(Excerpt from wwn12/00) +++++ Page 2 In August of this year a publication of questionable reliability issued its own interpretation on a prophecy of Jesus, ignoring completely what Jesus Himself had said. The defiant dictum read - "The Jews will not have regained control of Jerusalemuntil they have supreme control over the Temple Mount." This is a devious and deceptive statement. The State of Israel does have control of the temple mount, but Muslims have jurisdiction over their religious rites on the Temple mount. The play is on the word, "supreme." This dictum is a very obvious attempt to blunt the force of the fulfilment of Jesus' prophecy as stated in Luke 21:24. Jesus Himself had stood on the Temple mount a few hours prior to the giving of His eschatological discourse as recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. There, in confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees, He had declared, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 24:38). Then "He went out, and departed from the temple" (24:1). No longer was the temple, His "Father's house." It was removed from further consideration. But not so the city. He warned the disciples: When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (Luke 21:20) What if the early Christians who dwelt in Jerusalem at the time of its siege in AD 66 had reasoned that it was the "temple mount" that was to be surrounded, not just the city encompassed. Would they have left the city when the Roman armies withdrew? No, they believed Jesus meant what He said, and at the first opportunity fled the city. Though no longer the city of God, and the people of Israel no longer the people of God, Jerusalem served as a sign in the fulfilment of prophecy. It is still a sign and will continue to be so until "Michael shall stand up." (See Dan. 11:45; 12:1) In the same Biblical paragraph in which Jesus gave the sign by which the Christians of Jerusalem would know to flee the city, He also stated that "Jerusalemshall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Ver. 24). In this verse (24) and the one following (25), the word, ta eqnh is used four times. Twice it is translated "nations" and twice "Gentiles." This word with the article is used for the Hebrew word, hagoyim, the pagan nations apart from Israel. (See Thayer, p. 168, #4 under eqnoV) Consistency of translation would dictate that in each instance of its use in Luke 21:24, 25, it should be translated, "the nations." In other words, the second designation of Jerusalem as a sign, would involve the probation of the nations as corporate bodies. This sign is unique and was given by Jesus to answer a specific part of the question asked by the disciples. The disciples were concerned about the destruction of the temple, and had asked, "When shall these things be?" (Matt. 24:3). But they, thinking that such an event would involve the end of the world, asked further - "What shall be the sign (singular) of thy coming and of the end of the world?" They asked not what would be the signs of the time of the end, but the sign of the end of time. Thus the answer of Jesus, in which Jerusalem is given as a sign marking both the hour for the destruction ofJerusalem, "the days of vengeance" (Luke 21:22), and "the (probationary) (kairoV not cronoV is used) times of the nations" (ver. 24), is of major importance. In its first use, the sign would be the surrounding of the city by alien armies, and its second use as a sign would be the city's restoration once again to the control of the nation of Israel. The first was fulfilled in AD 66, and the second in 1967 and finalized in 1980. Some History of the Interpretation of Luke 21:24 In 1898, James Edson White published The Coming King . It went through several editions. It was printed in the United States by the Review & Herald Publishing Association, and in Australia by the Echo Publishing Company. In the first edition and the 1900 edition, the chapter on the "Destruction of Jerusalem" closed with the following paragraph: We also read that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:24. Jerusalem has never again come into the possession of the Jews, and will not until "the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." This will be when the work of the gospel is finished. (p. 98) Page 3 When the Australian edition was printed in 1904, this paragraph was enlarged and modified. The last sentence was omitted, and previous sentence was made to read: Jerusalem has never again come into the possession of the Jews, but when the "times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled, and Christ comes to gather the faithful of all ages, then all who are Israelites indeed, all the household of faith, will have a home in that city of which the old Jerusalem was but a type, - the city for which Abraham looked, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10. (p.98) When an enlarged edition was published by the Review & Herald in 1906, the final paragraph of the chapter was abbreviated to state: We also read that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:24. This will be when the work of the gospel is finished. (p.109) Whether the above interpretation of Luke 21:24 is James Edson White's is open to question. Inserted in the 1906 edition following the "Introduction" is this brief sentence: "The author gratefully acknowledges contributions on special subjects treated in this book, from the pens of J. O. Corliss, M. E. Kellogg, and G. C. Tenny." (p. viii) Does this apply to all previous editions as well as to the 1906 edition? During the time of the publication of the various editions of Edson White's book, his mother wrote in a letter to Dr. J. H. Kellogg the following insight: In the twenty-first chapter of Luke, Christ foretold what was to come upon Jerusalem; with it He connected the scenes which were to take place in the history of the world just prior to the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Letter 20,1901) Two factors need to be carefully considered from this statement: 1) Luke 21 is singled out from the other two parallel chapters of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 in the Synoptic Gospels. It is Luke alone who recorded Jesus' prophecy - "And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the nations until the times of the nations be fulfilled." 2) It was what "was to come upon Jerusalem," not the Temple Mount, which was connected to the final scenes "just prior to the coming of the Son of man." While this statement was written in 1901, it was not until 1946 that this particular section of the letter to Dr. Kellogg became available to the Church in the compilation, Counsels to Writers and Editors, pp.23-25. By this time the publications coming from the Church's presses were negating any possibility of a State of Israel which would thus preclude the possibility of Jerusalem coming under Israeli control. In 1944, the Voice of Prophecy published for their Book of the Month offer, Palestine in Prophecy by J. C. Stevens. He concluded his treatise with this paragraph: The apostle Paul speaks of old Jerusalem as being "in bondage with her children." Galatians 4:25. Had the Jews been faithful, Jerusalem would have been enlarged and beautified to become the center of the whole earth, beautiful for situation. But throughout the generations [since] the fall of that city in AD 70, Jerusalem has been "a burdensome stone" and "a cup of trembling unto all the people" (Zechariah 12:2, 3); and it will be so to the end of time. Palestine and Jerusalem do not have a bright future in this present world, and those who are holding out the hope of national restoration for the Jews are following a theological will-o'-the-wisp. (p.95) In 1947, another book appeared, The Jews and Palestine. It was published by the Pacific Press and authored by Roy F. Cottrell. In a chapter on "Modern Zionism," the author after quoting Jeremiah 19:10,11 - "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that it cannot be made whole again" - wrote: The God of heaven who overthrew the city and nation and who because of their apostasy dispersed the inhabitants to the ends of the earth forever settles the question of a complete return and restitution in old Canaan by asserting that it "cannot be." (p.61). Yet within a year, the State of Israel became a fact. This should teach the Church and its writers on prophecy to be very cautious, recognizing that some positions held may be faulty, and need to be carefully restudied. "God and heaven alone are infallible." The Church at the first opportunity rectified its position and returned in principle to the understanding suggested by Edson White in 1898. In 1952 a Bible Conference was held in the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland. Elder Arthur S. Maxwell, Editor of the Signs of the Times, was assigned the topic, "The Imminence of Christ's Page 4 Second Coming." One section of his presentation was devoted to "Areas of Unfulfilled Prophecy." He cited three, one of which was "Developments in Palestine." He noted that the "recent dramatic restoration of the nation of Israel" in 1948 has once more focused the attention of the world on Palestine. Then he stated: There is one prophecy concerning Palestine that we should all be watching with special care. Said Jesus, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Citing "the amazing prowess of the Israeli troops" in every other part of Palestine, he noted that they "failed to take the most dazzling objective of all." Jerusalem remained in Arab hands. Then he asked the question - "What could be the reason?" His answer -"Only that the times of the Gentles are not yet fulfilled." Noting God's dealings in times past that Israelwas not permitted to enter Palestine because "the iniquity of the Amorites" was "not yet full," he stated: It may well be that the same principle applies today, on a wider scale. If so, then Jerusalem is to remain trodden down by the Gentiles till the probationary time of all Gentiles has run out. If this be correct, how much hinges upon the fate of this ancient city and the power that occupies it! (Our Firm Foundation, Vol.2, pp.230-231) One means used in Adventist evangelistic outreach has been Bible Correspondence courses. Among them was one called the "20th Century Bible Course." Lesson 5 of this course - "Time Running Out" - cited the prophecy of Luke 21. Question #2 asked - "What sign did Jesus give that would indicate when the destruction of the city was at hand?" The text given for the answer was Luke 21:20. Question #3 continued - "How long did Christ say that Jerusalem would be trodden down?" The answer, "verse 24" was followed by this note: Old Jerusalem and the temple site has been occupied largely by the Gentile nations until 1967 when the Jews took possession of it in a "lightening victory." This portion of Christ's prophecy was fulfilled in our day! In reflection it would seem that providentially, the Adult Sabbath School Lessons for the second quarter of 1980 were devoted to "The Witness of Jesus." The month following the conclusion of these lessons, the Knesset of Israel on July 30, voted that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capitol of Israel," thus culminating the fulfilment of the prophecy of Jesus. The author of these lessons, Dr. Jean Zurcher, wrote as a guide to accompany them the book, Christ of the Revelation. In it he stated, noting Christ's prophetic discourse: We shall not linger long over the numerous signs given by Jesus in this discourse. Only one will occupy our attention, the one that deals especially with time. Even in our day it constitutes a critical point in the political world: Jerusalem. In fact, Jerusalem is both the beginning and the culmination of Jesus' prophecy. ... So having predicted the destruction of Jerusalemand the dispersion of the Jews "into all nations," Jesus declared, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Emphasis his)... This prophecy of Jesus was a sign for the Christians of the Apostolic Church, who lived at the beginning of the times of the Gentiles, and it remains a sign for us who live at the end of the times of the Gentiles. Again we must know how to discern its meaning. It is not a matter of seeing in the return of the Jews to Palestine and in the Israeli conquest of Jerusalem a sign of the approaching conversion of the Jews, as so many Christians think. Nothing in Jesus' prophecy allows such an interpretation. However, if we cannot see that Jerusalem is an exceptional sign of the times, then might we not be placing ourselves in the same position as the religious leaders who knew how to "discern the face of the sky" but could not discern the obvious "signs of the times"? As I understand the Biblical language, the times of the Gentiles is the period set aside by God for the evangelization of the heathen nations. It is not the time needed for them to be converted to Christianity, as some think but for them to hear the gospel. It is in this sense that Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). I believe that the times of the Gentiles began in AD 34, when the prophetic seventy weeks that God set aside for the people of Israel ended. ... And if I have understood the prediction of Jesus properly, this time will be "fulfilled" when Jerusalem will cease to "be trodden down of the Gentiles." The fact that since 1967 Gentiles no longer have occupied [controlled] Jerusalemmeans, therefore, that we are now living at the end of "the times of the Gentiles." Jerusalem here constitutes the last sign of the times by which the Lord shows us that the history of this world is coming to its climax and that the restoration of all things is at hand. (pp.71-72). Page 5 What is the Fulfilled Prophecy of Jesus Saying? The very least that this fulfilled prophecy of Jesus is saying is that God is no longer restraining the power of Satan in his control of the nations of earth. Even though Satan declared that he possessed such power and could delegate it to whomever he chose (Luke 4:6), the book of Daniel draws the curtain aside and reveals that God "ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will" (Dan. 4:17). When kings and rulers resisted His purposes, Michael, to whom all earthly authority is given (I Cor. 15:27), comes Himself to influence the outcome of human events (Dan. 10:13). That time is now past, and God has stepped aside and Satan is working his will in the nations of earth. We have not been left in doubt as to what Satan is seeking to accomplish. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the picture is drawn. "The spirits of devils go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). But you respond, that is the sixth plague after the close of probation. No, it is the cause for the sixth plague, not the plague. Consider the first plague: a "grievous sore" on those who had received the mark of the beast (16:2). Was not the mark of the beast received prior to the close of probation? Just so, the sixth plague. Verse 12 describes the plague - the drying up of the great river Euphrates, and verses 13-14 give the cause in probationary time. Note the use of this text in The Great Controversy, pp.561-62. Observe the context - "the last remnant of time." The location of this gathering is given as a place in the Hebrew tongue, called "Har-Magedon" (16:16 ARV). This transliterates back into the Hebrew as Har-Mo'ed - Mount of the Congregation. Here Satan will seek to realize his objective - "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north," or Jerusalem (Isa. 14:13; Ps. 48:2). Even as the sanctuary "was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment" in 1844 (See, Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 268), so also it gives a further understanding as to the significance of Jesus' prophecy as recorded in Luke 21:24. During the daily ministration, confession of sin, both individual and corporate was made in the court of the sanctuary. The distinct difference between these two ceremonies was where the blood of confession was placed. For the individual, the blood of his sacrifice was placed upon the horns of the Brazen Altar of the Court, while for a corporate sin, the blood of the sacrifice was placed on the horns of the Golden Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. (See Leviticus 4). In the yearly service on the Day of Atonement, the ministration of the High Priest involved all three sections of the sanctuary. He moved from the Most Holy to the Holy, and then to the Court to complete the atonement at the Brazen Altar where the individual confessions were recorded. (See Leviticus 16). Thus the prophecy of Jesus would indicate in its fulfilment that the corporate bodies of earth have been weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. The time of judgment has passed to the very last act of the Final Atonement - the cleansing of the living. What Warning Has God Given? -- When God told Moses, the nature of the Coming One, that He would be a Prophet raised up in the midst of the Children of Israel like unto himself, and that He would put words into His mouth, He also sounded a warning: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deut. 18:19) It was that Prophet who declared that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the nations until the times of the nations be fulfilled." Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:34-36)