Mysteries

Of the

Last Days

The Missing Link

By David Arthur Miller

Other Books by David Arthur Miller

Restoring the Holy of Holies - Revelation - A Seven-act Play

Omega Now - A Most Startling Heresy

Restoring Ta Hagia - Recreating the Image of God in His People

Tidings Out of the East - A Commentary on Daniel 10-12

Prophetic Secrets and the New World Order

(Print only)

Bible Prophecy and Globalism

(Kindle only)

Text copyright© 2013  David Arthur Miller

All rights reserved

This book is dedicated to those who would know the mysteries of the last days, not for any intellectual reward, but to understand how to receive the blessings of God, not for selfish purposes, but to give glory to God and to bless others by sharing.  Blessed are those who seek to know present truth and the mystery of God, which is soon to be finished.

Contents

Introduction -- The Missing Link

Chapter 1 -- The Mystery of God

Chapter 2 -- The New Covenant Promise

Chapter 3 -- The Sanctuary Cleansing

Chapter 4 -- The 1888 Mystery

Chapter 5 -- The Latter Rain

Chapter 6 -- The 144,000

Chapter 7 -- Satan's Last Deception

Chapter 8 -- The Omega Heresy

Chapter 9 -- Why Obedience?

Chapter 10 -- Sweet Love, Joy and Peace

Introduction

The Missing Link

One day in 1969 I was walking across the campus of my alma mater.  As I neared a parking lot, a friend drove up near the curb, obviously wanting to talk to me.  He went right to the point, "Dave, answer a question for me.  What did Ellen White say was the 1888 message, the third angel's message in verity?"

"That's easy," I replied, believing I had the sure-fire answer for a million-dollar question.  "It's righteousness by faith."

He looked away from me and appeared to be in deep thought.  Then he said, "That's what everyone says, but it's not what Sister White said."

I was now perplexed.  Surely, I gave him the right answer.  "What did she say?" I asked Bill.

He answered, "Justification by faith."

Ok, I thought to myself, justification by faith.  Big deal, what's the difference?  "That's the same thing, isn't it?" I said to Bill.

He paused for a few seconds, appearing to be in deep thought again and said, "I don't know."  Then he drove off.

I kept that thought in my mind for many years, hoping to find if there was a difference.  Today, I believe there is an important difference.  I call it the missing link.  Something must be missing, because we're still here 160 plus years beyond when we could have already entered the Promised Land.  It's time we understood more about 1888.1 After all, it's the 1888 message that was to produce the final generation, the message of justification by faith.  This message was to take us into the kingdom more that 120 years ago.

Even though the 1888 message is justification by faith, righteousness by faith is a valid concept.  Nevertheless, it's not the message of 1888.  I'm afraid it's still a mystery to many of us, and yet it shouldn't be.  Surely, it's the missing link.  This link in our understanding and practice is supposed to link us today to earth's last generation, making us the final generation.

The Third Angel's Message

"Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message, and I have answered, 'It is the third angel's message, in verity.'"-- The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890.  1 Selected Messages, 372.

Is this the missing link?  It was the missing link needed in the 1888 era, and it must be still today.  The proper understanding of this message was to "proclaim" the message "with a loud voice," expanding on the message that is to be heard around the world, the message that will bring on the latter rain, "the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure."  Sister White tells us,

"The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. [SEE APPENDIX.] This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel's message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure." Testimonies to Ministers, 91. Emphasis supplied.

If this is the missing link, it's not missing because God has hidden it from us.  If this is a mystery yet to be solved, it's not a mystery God has been keeping from us.  Instead, He has been working for many years to teach us this mystery.  It will be fulfilled during the sixth trumpet.  It's the finishing of the mystery of God, coming just before the seventh trumpet sounds,

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."  Revelation 10:7.

What mysteries do we yet need to know?  Answer: the mystery of God, the mystery of the new covenant promise, the mystery of the cleansing of the sanctuary, the mystery of 1888, the mystery of the latter rain, the mystery of the last deception of Satan, and lastly, the mystery of the Omega.  They are all different, and yet the same.

What!  It's the Third Angel's Message?

When we look at the third angel's message, we read this,

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"  revelation 14:9, 10.

What does the third angel's message have to do with justification by faith?  I read nothing here that even smells of justification by faith.  If we had ten thousand people read this passage, probably not even one would sum this up to mean justification by faith.  To many, this is a mystery.

As you read on, it's this author's hope that you will no longer see any of these as mysteries, for God has sent us His word.

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1 Of the ten or more books I've read on 1888, the best by far is Ron Duffield's book, The Return of the Latter Rain.

Chapter 1

The Mystery of God

When Jesus spoke in parables, his disciples wanted to know why.  Why didn't He speak clearly and directly?  In Matthew we read,

"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why do you speak to them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.  Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."  Matthew 13:10-13

In a parallel verse in Mark, Jesus said,

"And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:"  Mark 4:11.

Only to God's true followers is the mystery revealed. Those who don't believe will be kept in darkness.  The mystery of God is the promise to fill the believers to the full, totally having the mind of Christ, to restore man, to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

"To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"  Colossians 1:27,28.

The Mystery of God is Finished

When will this mystery be complete?  John tells us in Revelation 10:7, but before we go there, we need to see when the mystery is finished in respect to the time surrounding this fulfillment, the context of Revelation 10:7.

Christ receives the "kingdoms of this world," in Revelation 10:15, which occurs when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet.  However, we need to see that just before the seventh angel sounds, announcing Jesus as our king, the mystery of God is finished.

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."  Revelation 10:7.  KJV

A better translation than "begins to sound" is "about to sound."  The mystery of God is finished just as the seventh angel is "about to sound."  The KJV translates it, "begins to sound", but if we check other versions, we will find the finishing of the mystery of God is just immediately before the sounding of the seventh trumpet.  For example, the NIV says,

"But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." Revelation 10:7, NIV.

The mystery of God is "Christ in you." It's the presenting of "every man perfect in Christ Jesus."  Colossians 1:27.

Before the Mystery of God is Finished

Even though the finishing of the mystery of God is in Revelation 10:7 and comes just before the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, there are eighteen verses between the mystery being finished and the seventh trumpet sounding.

In these 18 verses of Revelation from 10:7 to 11:15, John is telling us where we are in world history, first with the "little book" and then with the French Revolution.  The "little book" is the book of Daniel, which was opened at the "time of the end" in 1798, at the end of the 1260 years.

The "little book" tells us of the upcoming cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14, the judgment that started in 1844.  This judgment will determine who will receive the seal of God and who the mark of the beast.

The French Revolution was very close to the same time.  In fact, the end of the 1260 years came about because the French took the pope captive in 1798, ending the 1260 years of papal supremacy.  The book of Revelation is introducing us to the king of the south of Daniel 11:40, "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt," Atheism. 1

The "Little Book"

"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:  And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth,"  Revelation 10:1, 2.

An angel is a messenger.  The little book is the little book of Daniel.  It's only 12 chapters, yet full of prophecies for the last days, the time of the end.   They're prophecies for the entire world, which is represented by the angel with one foot on the earth and one on the sea.

"And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roars: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.  And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."  Revelation 10:3, 4.

John was told not to write the seven thunders.  They concerned the message in the little book, in particular the message of the cleansing of the sanctuary, Daniel 8:14.  If he had written them, there would have been no mistake in understanding 1844.  The true meaning of the sanctuary would have been understood.  However, God wished them not written to hide the error. 2

"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,   And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:"  Revelation 10:5, 6.

The "time no longer" is prophetic time, not real time.  It wasn't the end of the world.  Instead, from this point on, no more would a prophecy be hung on time. 3

Next is the quotation concerning the mystery of God.  Notice the context.  It's at the time of the judgment, the end of the 2300 days, the cleansing of the sanctuary.  What happened on that day?  Daniel  tells us,

"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."  Daniel 8:14.

Moses wrote about the Day of Atonement and what was to happen,

"For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.  . . .and he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation."  Leviticus 16:30, 33.

This is the final atonement, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.  It was a day when all the sins of the people would be symbolically cleansed.  This was portrayed once a year in type, but once at the end of the world in antitype.  All the years of the acting out of this day pointed to the once-only event that started on October 22, 1844.

On this day, the event was no longer symbolic, but the actual event, once at the end of the world for all to see and participate in.  When finally concluded, this cleansing will bring about the finishing of the mystery of God, which is mentioned again in the following verse.

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."  Revelation 10:7.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen as simply as that. God planned that the people be disappointed, so He hid the true meaning of this cleansing from them.  It wasn't the second coming of Christ, but the Day of Atonement. The Millerites were to be disappointed,

"And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth.   And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey."  Revelation 10:8, 9.

As William Miller and others spoke the message of Daniel 8:14, it was sweet upon their lips.  Unfortunately, when the day came, they were sorely disappointed, their bellies soured.

"And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter."  Revelation 10:10.

The Mystery of 1844

What was Miller's mistake?  He didn't understand the meaning of the sanctuary.  He needed to go back to his studies on the sanctuary, the temple.  There was need of further prophesying.  This time, they would understand the true prophetic event that began on October 22, 1844.

"And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."  Revelation 10:11.

Measuring with a Reed

"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."  Revelation 11:1.

In Ezekiel 40:3 and Zechariah 2:1, the reed and measuring line were used to measure for judgment.  John was told to measure the temple, to understand its meaning.  It was time to measure the people, to judge them.  When the disappointed ones of 1844 studied more carefully the sanctuary and its services, they found Daniel 8:14 wasn't referring to the second coming, but to the judgment of the people, the cleansing of the temple and the people.  It was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when ". . .on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD."  Leviticus 16:30.

Why so much here in this chapter on the 2300 days?  All SDA's should know this story of Miller and the Great Disappointment of 1844.  Think on this; Miller and his friends thought they knew then what the cleansing of the sanctuary was about, but they were mistaken.  Is it possible that we, God's people today, can also think we're correct on the meaning of the sanctuary cleansing, Daniel 8:14, and yet be mistaken?  I believe it's not only possible, but it's indeed the case. That's why we're still here. The misunderstanding of the correct meaning of the Day of Atonement has greatly contributed to our not entering the Promised Land after more than 160 years after 1844.

The French Revolution

The rest of Revelation 11 deals with the Old and New Testaments (two witnesses) and how they were treated during the French Revolution.  Ellen White equates this conflict in France with spiritual Egypt, calling it Atheism.  Please read chapter 15 in Great Controversy, the chapter is called "The Bible and the French Revolution."

The point we need to remember here is that the "little book" of Revelation 10 and the French Revolution in Revelation 11, pinpoint the judgment, the time of the end and the cleansing of the sanctuary.  At this time the mystery of God will be finished, occurring just before the seventh angel sounds.  Here is the seventh angel,

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."  Revelation 11:15.

At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the Lord finishes his mediation and changes from being a priest to becoming a king.  Then He returns to this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

As we study more, we will see in the next chapter that the finishing of the mystery of God is the complete fulfillment of the new covenant promise.

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1  For a more detailed explanation of the king of the south, see Tidings Out of the East - A Commentary on Daniel 10-12.

2  See Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 971.

3 "This message announces the end of the prophetic periods." Selected Messages, Book 2, 108.

Chapter 2

The New Covenant Promise

If I promised you a million dollars provided you climbed to the top of Mount Everest wearing only your pajamas, and you promised to do so, would you keep your promise?  Without God somehow intervening, it would be impossible.  However, even if you managed to do it with God's help, I wouldn't keep my promise.  I can't because I don't have a million dollars.

Promises, promises, promises, Ellen White tells us our promises are like ropes of sand,

"You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you. . ." Steps to Christ, 47. Underlining supplied.

Our promises are greatly limited by our sinful, selfish natures.  Nevertheless, our faithful God made a promise to Abraham,

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.   And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.   And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,   As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. . .  And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. . . ."  Genesis 17:1-4;7-9.

Mount Sinai

After Abraham, Isaac came and then Jacob.  Jacob's name was changed to Israel.  The children of Israel spent four hundred years in bondage, yet God brought them out.  They failed in faith to move into the land God gave them, so they had to wait forty years.  As we well know, before entering the Promised Land, Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai and brought back the Ten Commandments, twice.  Upon returning the second time, the people made a promise to God.  It was their promise, not His, a promise they couldn't keep.  They said,

"And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.  And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD." Exodus 19:7, 8.

This promise of the people might seem fitting and correct, except for the fact they couldn't keep the commandments of God any more than we can today.  They, like us, need the power of God living within.  Only by the work of the Holy Spirit can we obey.

After so many miracles of God, delivering them from the Egyptians and the elements, the children of Israel still looked to themselves, believing they had the power within to obey, and when they didn't obey, they still wouldn't put their faith in God's promises.

Like Eve who thought she could be a god unto herself and live without God, like Abraham who tried to fulfill the promise of God by taking Hagar to wife, and like so many from that time to this,  we too, often think the power to obey is within us and our promises to obey are valid.  On the contrary, they are like ropes of sand.  We need the promise of God to be fulfilled in our lives.  We need God's New Covenant promise.

God's New Covenant Promise

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:  But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."  Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Through the ages, men have tried to obey on their own power, but have failed continuously.  Only with the Lord living in us can we obey.  The Holy Spirit is promised to those who are born again, those having turned their lives over to the working of the Spirit of God.  We can overcome sin in our lives as God lives within us, being partakers of the divine nature.

There will come a day when God will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.  He will perfect us through the power of His promise.  The messenger of the Lord tells us this day will be when the Investigative Judgment is complete.  In the chapter of Great Controversy titled "Facing Life's Record," she says,

"Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment of the new-covenant promise: "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." "In those days, and in that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20. "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem." Isaiah 4:2, 3.

"The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. But the apostle Peter distinctly states that the sins of believers will be blotted out "when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ." Acts 3:19, 20. When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be."  Great Controversy, 485.  Underlining supplied.

The finishing of the mystery of God and the fulfillment of the new covenant promise are one and the same.  What about the cleansing of the sanctuary?

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Chapter 3

The Sanctuary Cleansing

There's only one message, one doctrine that separates SDA's from all other Christian denominations.  It's not the state of the dead.  A few other denominations teach that.  It's also not the truth concerning the final, total destruction of the wicked or even the seventh-day Sabbath.  Some churches have those doctrines among their creeds.  The one teaching that no other church agrees with Seventh-day Adventists on is the one that is our "foundation and central pillar."  God's last day messenger tells us,

"The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: 'Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.'" Daniel 8:14."  The Great Controversy, 409.

This is the judgment, which is clearly taught to us from the three angel's messages.  Our moniker is found on much of our stationery, on the walls of our churches and on the books that we write.  It's often some sort of depiction of the three angels of Revelation 14.  These three angels bring the Gospel, the good news.  The judgment is the Gospel, so the judgment is good news.  The first of the three angels flies in the middle of heaven,

"And I saw another angel fly 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:"  Revelation 14:6,7.

As stated in the above verse, the judgment is the "everlasting gospel." It's good news.  But we need to ask ourselves if we truly believe the judgment to be good news.  If not, and we fear the judgment, could we possibly not understand it as we should?   Could we be on the wrong side?  It should seem like good news, shouldn't it?  Is there a missing link here?

Shouldn't we be excited and eager to receive the judgment, since it's good news, the gospel?  Shouldn't we have "sweet love, joy and peace"?1  What should we be expecting on the Day of Judgment that is such good news?  Moses wrote it to us many years ago in Leviticus 16, the chapter that tells us about the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.  He said,

"For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. . . And he shall make an atonement . . . all the people of the congregation."  Leviticus 16:30, 33.

This is a precious promise that all of God's children should be eagerly looking forward to.  But are we?  Do we desire all our sins forgiven and overcome?  Do we really want to be without sin?  Surely many do, but don't know how.  They have struggled for years, dissatisfied with their progress.  As a result, they've become discouraged and disappointed.  Nevertheless, there's much hope.  God will keep His promise of the new covenant to these struggling souls.  This will happen, as they understand the missing link, the proper understanding of justification by faith applied to the judgment hour message.  Understanding the mysteries in this book will facilitate the onset of the new covenant promise, which will take away discouragement and bring on "sweet love, joy and peace."

We Should Desire to Obey

We should desire to overcome sin, to give glory to God and witness to others the love and righteous power of God.  This should be our goal,

"Let every one of us seek to be Christlike. The world is in great need of representatives of Christ. They need lives like the divine life, in order that they may have some tangible proof of the power of Christianity to uplift humanity in this world of sin and corruption. As laborers together with God, we should make our plans daily with an eye single to the glory of God. We should appreciate the condescension and love of Jesus in giving us finite beings the great privilege of bearing the yoke of Christ. We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and work in his spirit, manifesting his grace, his love, his gentleness."  Review and Herald, June 4, 1895.

To represent Christ as we should, and to present Him to the world as a loving, forgiving, transforming Savior, we need to be as much like Him as we can.  The cleansing of the sanctuary is the final cleansing for the people of God.  It was typified in the Day of Atonement each year on the tenth day of the seventh month.  It's fulfilled in anti-type in the judgment that began in 1844, the cleansing of the sanctuary.

The Day of Atonement is more than the cleansing of an edifice in heaven; it reaches to the very hearts of those who yield themselves completely to God.  We are temples that need cleansing.  Paul tells us, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you. . .?"  1 Corinthians 6:19.

What happens after this cleansing is finished?  Probation closes, there's no more mercy, since all the faithful will have been forgiven and cleansed for eternity.

When Jesus Comes

Will we still have sin in our lives when Jesus comes?  What will change then?  To what degree are the people of God perfect during the time of trouble?  Why these questions?  Because there are far too many Adventists today who believe that sin won't be completely done away with until the second coming.  If you believe that, consider these quotes,

"Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative Judgment is going forward in Heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14."  Great Controversy,  425.

"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." Early Writings, 71.  Underlining supplied.

When Can We Claim Sinless Perfection?

Those that oppose the idea that the saints will be without sin before Jesus returns use the following quotations from the pen of inspiration to support their view.

"We cannot say, 'I am sinless,' till this vile body is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body. But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne of God without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; complete in Christ, robed in His righteousness and perfection.--Signs of the Times, March 23, 1888.  Selected Messages, Book 3, 355.

Ellen White also says that we cannot say, "I am saved," until "we enter in through the gates into the city of God."

"We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make advancement, saying, 'I am saved.' . . . No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God. . . . As long as man is full of weakness,--for of himself he cannot save his soul,--he should never dare to say, "I am saved."  Review and Herald,  June 17, 1890.

Nevertheless, below it is written that we are "saved" when the seal of God is placed on us.  At this time, we will be "complete in Christ."

"The Lord would teach man the lesson that, though united in church capacity, he is not saved until the seal of God is placed upon him, and he is made complete in Christ."  Manuscript Release 11, 367.  Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 969.  Underlining supplied.

Conclusion: we cannot say we are "saved" until Jesus comes, but we are saved before the second coming in the judgment, when the seal is placed on us, when we are "complete in Christ."  In the same way, we cannot say we are "sinless" until Jesus comes, but we are indeed without sin before Jesus comes, all the way through the time of trouble.  In addition, Ellen White tells us we're not changed morally at the second advent.  The prophet tells us what will not happen when Jesus comes; that is, our characters will not be changed.  She writes,

"We are now in the workshop of God, to be hewed, and squared, and chiseled, and polished for the heavenly building. All our preparation for heaven must be completed here. When Christ comes, our characters will not be changed. These vile bodies will be changed, and fashioned after the likeness of his glorious body; but there will not be a moral change wrought in us then. . . .  Review and Herald, August 7, 1888. See also, Great Controversy, 623.  Underlining supplied.

Restating the conclusion, we cannot say we are "saved" or "sinless" until Jesus comes.  However, we are "saved" earlier when we receive the seal of God, and we are "sinless" earlier, through the time of trouble, before Jesus comes.

To some, this is a mystery, but for the people of God, the subject of the sanctuary should be our constant study.  We're told this,

"We are in the great day of atonement, and the sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary should be our constant study. We should teach our children what the typical Day of Atonement signified and that it was a special season of great humiliation and confession of sins before God. The antitypical day of atonement is to be of the same character. Everyone who teaches the truth by precept and example will give the trumpet a certain sound. You need ever to cultivate spirituality, because it is not natural for you to be heavenly-minded. The great work is before us of leading the people away from worldly customs and practices, up higher and higher, to spirituality, piety, and earnest work for God. It is your work to proclaim the message of the third angel, to sound the last note of warning to the world. May the Lord bless you with spiritual eyesight. I write this in love, seeing your danger. Please consider these things carefully and prayerfully."  Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 520.  Underlining supplied.

The cleansing of the sanctuary is still a mystery to some, especially to those who fail to see that this cleansing reaches far into the human soul-temple, into the heart of mankind.  On the other hand, it's no mystery to those who see that Jesus will not deal with sin when He comes; the characters of His people will be without sin at His appearing.

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1  See Early Writings, 54, 5.  This vision will be covered in chapter 10 of this book.

Chapter 4

The 1888 Mystery

The message of 1888 seems to have been a mystery before the General Conference convened in 1888 in Minneapolis.  Yet, why should it have been so?  It was the message of justification by faith, a message that was known by the apostles.  It actually goes back to Adam and Eve and the promise God made to them.  There has never been, or ever will be, a single person who will be justified by any other means than by faith alone, without the deeds of the law.

However, we can put too much stress on the law.  Just two years after 1888, in response to those who would over-preach the law, Ellen White wrote,

"Brethren, shall we not all of us leave our loads there? and when we leave this meeting, may it be with the truth burning in our souls like fire shut up in our bones. You will meet with those who will say, "You are too much excited over this matter. You are too much in earnest. You should not be reaching for the righteousness of Christ, and making so much of that. You should preach the law." As a people, we have preached the law until we are as dry as the hills of Gilboa that had neither dew nor rain. We must preach Christ in the law, and there will be sap and nourishment in the preaching that will be as food to the famishing flock of God. We must not trust in our own merits at all, but in the merits of Jesus of Nazareth. Our eyes must be anointed with eye-salve. We must draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to us, if we come in his own appointed way. O that you may go forth as the disciples did after the day of Pentecost, and then your testimony will have a living ring, and souls will be converted to God."  Review and Herald, March 11, 1890.

The message of 1888 was discussed briefly earlier in this book, so we all should know that the message of 1888 is justification by faith, not righteousness by faith.  How do they differ?  Justification is how we are seen by God.  That is, are we with or without sin on our record?  With justification, we are considered righteous, even when we're not actually so.

On the other hand, righteousness is our actual state of being righteous, if we are indeed so.  If we are truly, completely righteous, we are completely sanctified, for sanctification is the act, the process, of being made righteous.  As usual, Ellen White has a very clear explanation.

"Righteousness within is testified to by righteousness without. He who is righteous within is not hard-hearted and unsympathetic, but day by day he grows into the image of Christ, going on from strength to strength. He who is being sanctified by the truth will be self-controlled, and will follow in the footsteps of Christ until grace is lost in glory. The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven. "  Review and Herald, June 4, 1895.

Notice the righteousness by which we are justified is imputed.  It's given to us; we're then accounted as though we were righteous.   Abraham believed God, and righteousness was imputed to him, "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."  Galatians 3:6.  Abraham was justified by faith.  After that, he lived close to God and received his fitness for heaven, sanctification, which is the production of righteous deeds within.

When we contrast justification by faith with righteousness by faith, we see the latter includes both justification and sanctification, and both are needed.  However, when we say that the third angel's message is righteousness by faith, we find it easy to fall into the works trap.  We apply this theology to the third angel's message and wonder who can stand before God in the judgment, unless he or she is without sin.  We tend to trust in righteousness within, trusting in sanctification as our justification.  Neither any righteous acts in and of ourselves nor the righteous work of the Holy Spirit within can justify us.

Are we Justified by Sanctification?

To many, what I just said is a mystery.  Why?  Because a wide-spread belief in the Seventh-day Adventist Church for far too many years has been that we can enter the judgment and receive the latter rain, only after we have become perfect.  Even worse, we have often believed that we can enter into the most holy with Jesus only after we have worked to become perfect.  This is a subtle form of legalism.  It was believed by many in the 1888 era, and it has been believed by many even today.

Those that believe this justification by sanctification are usually among the group that calls itself, Historic Adventism.  As a reaction to this subtle form of legalism, others have overreacted and now teach cheap grace.  The adherents of this form of faith are said by Historic Adventists to be of the New Theology.  However, the missing link is not with either side of this controversy.

Let me repeat, the message of the third angel, the judgment over the mark of the beast, is justification by faith not righteousness by faith.  What connection has justification by faith with the mark or the seal, the third angel's message?

The third angel's message is the judgment.  It's the judgment over the mark and the seal.  It's the cleansing of the sanctuary.  How we enter with Christ depends on a correct understanding of justification by faith.  If we try to enter the most holy by faith, believing we can do so only after sanctification justifies us, we subtly practice justification by works. On the other hand, we can enter the most holy today as those of 1888 also could have entered, if we're "living up to the light they [we] have."1 This connects the judgment with the doctrine of justification by faith.  Understanding this mystery will bring on "sweet love, joy and peace."2

To help in our understanding of the missing link to this mystery, we should think of what we might say, if we were to meet Jesus face to face today, and He asks us why He should let us pass the judgment, why He should pronounce us acceptable to Him, qualified for the latter rain.

Our answer should not be "I have overcome my sins."  No, this is trusting in works, justification by works.  Instead, we should answer, "By the justifying life and death of Jesus."  This is justification by faith, the third angel's message, the 1888 message.3

Why we obey will be taken up in chapter 9.

What can we expect from the latter rain; what must we do to get it?  That's in the next chapter.

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1  This phrase, "living up to the light they have," will be explained in a later chapter.

2  See Early Writings, 54, 55.

3  For an easy to understand, well-written, well-documented book on

1888, see Ron Duffield's book, The Return of the Latter Rain.

Chapter 5

The Latter Rain

The latter rain is another mystery that really shouldn't be a mystery or a missing link.  Of all the mysteries in this book, this one is the greatest, most important.  In fact, if I had to leave out all but one of the missing links, this would be the one that would remain.

I've read many books and listened to many videos on the latter rain; I've never found one that speaks completely to my satisfaction on this mystery, the missing link of the latter rain.

I suppose it's preconceived ideas.  Nevertheless, it need not be, since the mystery has been solved many years ago in the writings of the last-day prophet.  Here is what she says about the latter rain, what it does for the believer and what we need to do to obtain it.  This text comes from the book, Testimonies to Ministers.  This book was compiled as a result of the 1888 message and deals greatly with the Minneapolis Conference.  The title of the article is entitled, Pray for the Latter Rain.  Starting on page 506, Sister White wrote,

"Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain." "He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain." In the East the former rain falls at the sowing time. It is necessary in order that the seed may germinate. Under the influence of the fertilizing showers, the tender shoot springs up. The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain and prepares it for the sickle. "The Lord employs these operations of nature to represent the work of the Holy Spirit. As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth." Testimonies to Ministers, 506.  Emphasis supplied.

Let no one tell you there's no spiritual growth under the latter rain.  This point is being made and emphasized here because I've read and heard countless times that the latter rain doesn't change the character.

Those that say this are usually the Historic Adventists.  They have the idea they must be perfect before entering into the most holy with Jesus to receive the final atonement and the latter rain.  However, this is not as it truly is.  Ellen White tells us in the next sentence just what the latter rain does; it perfects God's people.  In fact, to emphasize it, she says it in three different ways, as if she were aware of contrary claims.  Please notice the key words: "completion", "perfected" and "wholly transformed,"

"The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ."  Testimonies to Ministers, 506.

Again, The Latter Rain Will Bring About:

1.  The "completion of the work of God's grace in the soul."

2. The "moral image of God is to be perfected in the character."

3. God's people will be "wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ."

She continues,

"The latter rain, ripening earth's harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man." Testimonies to Ministers, 507.

What can be clearer?  It's the "perfecting latter rain."  In fact, this phrase is found later in the same chapter.    Before we go there, in the next sentence, we need to understand that we first need the former rain, then the latter rain will bring the "seed to perfection."

"But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.

"There is to be "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." There must be a constant development of Christian virtue, a constant advancement in Christian experience. This we should seek with intensity of desire, that we may adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour. "  Testimonies to Ministers, 506. Underlining supplied.

We Need the Former Rain

It's a long chapter but deserves our careful study.  However, for now, let's just look at the main points.  We need the former rain first; otherwise, the latter rain will not take effect in our lives.  Notice also in the next paragraph that the latter rain is the "richest abundance of grace."  Quoting from the same chapter in Testimonies to Ministers, we read,

"Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible mistake. The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ."  Testimonies to Ministers, 507.  Underlining supplied.

In the next quotation, we find that we must be "living up to the light" that we have before we can receive the latter rain.  We must be "daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues."  That is to say, we must be actively advancing Christians, not without sin, but headed in that direction, not perfect, but seeking the outpouring of the perfecting latter rain.

"But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.  Testimonies to Ministers, 507.  Underlining supplied.

Without the Latter Rain

"At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. Yet these alone will not suffice. While we cherish the blessing of the early rain, we must not, on the other hand, lose sight of the fact that without the latter rain, to fill out the ears and ripen the grain, the harvest will not be ready for the sickle, and the labor of the sower will have been in vain. Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. . . .

"Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain." Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it. The growth and perfection of the seed rests not with the husbandman. God alone can ripen the harvest. But man's co-operation is required. God's work for us demands the action of our mind, the exercise of our faith. We must seek His favors with the whole heart if the showers of grace are to come to us. . . .Let us, with contrite hearts, pray most earnestly that now, in the time of the latter rain, the showers of grace may fall upon us. At every meeting we attend our prayers should ascend, that at this very time God will impart warmth and moisture to our souls. As we seek God for the Holy Spirit, it will work in us meekness, humbleness of mind, a conscious dependence upon God for the perfecting latter rain. If we pray for the blessing in faith, we shall receive it as God has promised."  Testimonies to Ministers, 507.  Underlining supplied.

What is the missing link here concerning the latter rain?  What is the mystery?  The link is not missing nor is there a mystery, not if we see that the latter rain is to finish the work of perfecting God's children, and that,

"The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ."  Testimonies to Ministers, 506.  Underlining supplied.

The question often asked is, "Are you ready for Jesus to come?"  The answer should be a resounding, "No! I'm not ready for heaven, I need the latter rain."   To the question, "Are you ready for the latter rain?" the answer should be a trusting, "Yes, I am living up to the light I have and I am ready for the latter rain.  I'm not worthy, so I'm not asking for justice; I need mercy.  The message for today is justification by faith, so I can enter into the judgment being justified by faith alone.  I plead for acceptance, trusting only in justification by faith, the third angels' message, the message of 1888."

Although we must work and cooperate with God to overcome our sins, we're never justified by that cooperation or overcoming, but by faith alone in the life and death of Jesus.  Remember what Paul said about the finishing of the work,

"For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth."  Romans 9:28.

This righteousness that God uses to finish the work will be played out in the latter rain, the "perfecting latter rain."

The 144,000 who are followed by the Great Multitude are demystified in the next chapter.

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Chapter 6

The 144,000

Quite an interesting number, 144,000. This number has been argued over and discussed for many years.  Why is it such a mystery?  Is it also a missing link?  How does this group differ from the group that follows, the Great Multitude?  It's really no secret; and as the other mysteries of this book, it's no mystery.  We can know who they are, not in name but in characteristics.  Otherwise, why did God tell John to write about them?

We can be among that number, otherwise why would we be told to "strive to be among the 144,000?"  Along with the fact that we are to strive, the quotation below tells us what striving means,

”We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory.

"Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand (Review and Herald, March 9, 1905).  Underling supplied.

The 144,000 are found in number only twice in the Bible, both are in Revelation, once in chapter 7 and the other in chapter 14.  The 144,000 and the Great Multitude appear in history just before the seventh seal is opened.  When it's opened, there's silence in heaven for half an hour.  It's silent because Jesus is coming to earth with all the angels.  There's nobody left in heaven to make any noise.

Here's what the Scriptures say about the sealing and the 144,000.

"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

Why are the four angels holding the four winds?  They are waiting for God's people to be sealed from the sealing angel that comes out of the east.1  The seal is what God's people receive as a result of the judgment, in opposition to the mark of the beast, the fate of all others.

"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."  Revelation 7:2, 3.

In this ancient cosmology, the earth and the trees represent the verdure of the earth, the people of God.  The greenness, the people of God, the 144,000 are waiting to be sealed.

"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."  Revelation  7:4.

Who are the children of Israel?  They're the people of God, the children of Abraham, but not the literal children of Abraham of the flesh now living in modern-day Israel.  No, they have rejected their Messiah; consequently, they were rejected by God as a nation at the end of their 490 years of probation.2  To be in Israel now, we must accept Christ.  Only those that do are the children of Abraham, "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  Galatians 3:29.

It's not within the scope of this book to show the reader why the Israel of the Middle East today is not the Israel of Revelation 7.  However, this is covered more extensively in Tidings Out of the East - A Commentary on Daniel 10-12.

The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

The sealing of the twelve tribes, the 144,000, comes first, followed by the sealing of the Great Multitude, which are sealed just after the 144,000.   See verse 9 below,

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  7:9

There are some important differences between the 144,000 and the Great Multitude.  We must deal with this issue, because some people say both are the same group, but they don't become the same group until Jesus comes.  They say the 144,000 are all those alive when probation closes, both the church and the world, and the Great Multitude are the dead in Christ, those which are the resurrected saints when Jesus comes.

The Bible shows two groups.  The 144,000 are of Israel and are numbered.  The Great Multitude come from every nation tribe and people, but are not numbered.  The 144,000 come first, while the Great Multitude came later.  Please notice, there is no mention of a resurrection anywhere in the context regarding either group.  In fact, the resurrection comes when Jesus comes at the opening of the seventh seal, when there is silence in heaven.  Both of these groups appear in the context of the sixth seal.  The resurrection and the second coming occur at the opening of the seventh seal.

There should be no mystery here, no missing link.  I see it like this, modern Israel is the end-time church, "the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17.

The remnant 144,000 are numbered first and sealed from within God's visible church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Then, those sealed in the church take the message of the third angel to the rest of the world, the Great Multitude. They are then sealed and added to the 144,000.

At this time, the two groups are different only because of the time involved.  The 144,000 come first from God's people, followed by the Great Multitude from all the rest of the world.  This sequence is clearly shown in Revelation.  The Great Multitude come after the 144,000 are sealed.  Read again what John writes,

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"  Revelation 7:9.

After both are sealed, they give glory to God as recorded in the next verse.  It's the time that Michael stands up to take His kingdom once again.  While on earth, Jesus was first a prophet.  Now He is in heaven in the sanctuary as our high priest.  After the sealing, He soon comes as a king with ten thousands of His saints to collect his sealed children. 3

"And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, [be] unto our God forever and ever. Amen.  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?  And I said unto him, Sir, you know. 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. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."  Revelation 7:10-17.

Will you be among the 144,000?  Do you want to be in that number?  As the old Negro spiritual goes, "Lord, I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in."

Beware; Satan's last deception will come at the end of time.  We deal with it in the next chapter.

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1  See Tidings Out of the East for an explanation of the angel out of the east and another look at the last days in Daniel 10-12.

2  Daniel 9:24-27.

3 To understand this sequence more completely, see Restoring the Holy of Holies - Revelation - A Seven-Act Play.

Chapter 7

Satan's Last Deception

God's people might be half asleep, but Satan is not.  He has a deception for the Israel of God, the remnant people.  Sister White tells us,

"Satan is . . . constantly pressing in the spurious--to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. 'Where there is no vision, the people perish' (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony. -- Letter 12, 1890." Underlining supplied.

"There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded.-- Letter 40, 1890."  Selected Messages, Book 1, 48.

When I was in college back in the late 1960's, the above quotation would occasionally be spoken.  In those days, people believed Ellen White was a prophet and we would do well to pay attention to what she wrote.  I remember thinking that Jesus' coming must be a ways off, since there was nobody making the prophet's messages of none effect at that time.  However, in the 1980's things started to change.

Those who were born after the change might wonder why some of us put so much emphasis and trust in the writings of Ellen White.  Some believe it has always been the way it is now, but I personally know that's not the case.

The second semester of my freshman year I took a course called, Spiritual Gifts.  The textbook was called A Prophet Among You.  The course was almost entirely on the life of Ellen White and her history with the church.  No one doubted she was a full-fledged prophet, or if they did, they didn't say so.

So, how are we to deal with the "prophet" today?  I've had many people say to me that she herself said she was a lesser light leading to a greater light.  I would expect a prophet to say that.  It’s not good for a prophet to go around saying he or she is a prophet.  The phrase, "A lesser light leading to a greater light" works great.

What Else She Said

Let the doubters of the writings of Ellen White repeat the quote of her being a lesser light, but let them quote the following ones as well,

"Men may get up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days.--Letter 50, 1906."  Selected Messages, Book 3, 83.

"It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction."  Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 211.

"Yet now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You have thereby insulted the Spirit of God. You know how the Lord has manifested Himself through the Spirit of prophecy." Selected Messages, Book 1, 27.

God's Messenger

"Some have stumbled over the fact that I said I did not claim to be a prophet; [REFERENCE IS HERE MADE TO A DISCOURSE GIVEN AT BATTLE CREEK, OCTOBER 2, 1904, IN WHICH SHE SAID, "I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A PROPHETESS."--COMPILERS.] and they have asked, Why is this?

"I have had no claims to make, only that I am  instructed that I am the Lord's messenger; that He called me in my youth to be His messenger, to receive His word, and to give a clear and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus.

"Early in my youth I was asked several times, Are you a prophet? I have ever responded, I am the Lord's messenger. I know that many have called me a prophet, but I have made no claim to this title. My Saviour declared me to be His messenger. 'Your work,' He instructed me, 'is to bear My word. Strange things will arise, and in your youth I set you apart to bear the message to the erring ones, to carry the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove from the Word actions that are not right. Exhort from the Word. I will make My Word open to you. It shall not be as a strange language. In the true eloquence of simplicity, with voice and pen, the messages that I give shall be heard from one who has never learned in the schools. My Spirit and My power shall be with you.'" Selected Messages, Book 1, 32.

The Lesser Light,

"Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light.--The Review and Herald, Jan. 20, 1903."  Selected Messages, Book 3, 30.

John the Baptist is called a lesser light, yet Jesus said there was no greater prophet than John. 1

". . . John was the lesser light, which was to be followed by a greater light. He was to shake the confidence of the people in their traditions, and call their sins to their remembrance, and lead them to repentance; that they might be prepared to appreciate the work of Christ. God communicated to John by inspiration, illuminating the prophet that he might remove the superstition and darkness from the minds of the honest Jews, which had been, through false teachings for generations, gathering upon them."  Review and Herald, April 8, 1873.

Elijah Will Come

Before Jesus came, He sent the prophet Elijah to the people, to do the work of preparing the way for the Lord.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5,6.

When Jesus walked this earth, the disciples failed to see who the Elijah of Malachi referred to.

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias [Elijah in Hebrew] must first come?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist."  Matthew 17:10-13.

Another Elijah, like John the Baptist, is to come at the end of the world.  We know this by Revelation, where in chapter 12 we read about two characteristics that point out God's last church on the earth, the "remnant of her seed."  We have called ourselves the remnant church for many years, and we use this verse to support our claims.  We "keep the commandments of God" and "have the testimony of Jesus Christ," which is the Spirit of Prophecy.

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."  Revelation 12:17.

The next verse tells us the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy.

"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10.

The testimony of Jesus is the inspired words that testify of Jesus and His work for and in us.  The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are both the testimony from God to His people today and forever.

In addition to Revelation 19:10, in Revelation 22:8, 9 we have a parallel verse that shows the testimony of Jesus is the word of God that comes to us through the prophets. Notice the similarities.  In both texts, John falls down to worship the angel and is told not to.  In both cases, the angel says he's a fellow servant.  In Revelation 19:10 John writes the "spirit of prophecy." In Revelation 22:8, 9 the angel reveals he's a prophet as John is a prophet.

"And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.  Then said he unto me, See [you do it] not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."  Revelation 22:8, 9.

In summary, the remnant have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy, and the angel says to John that he is a fellow servant.  When we put all three together, we find that since A = B, and B = C, then A = C.  That is, the remnant church has a prophet.

Elijah Must Come.

No prophet has come to the remnant church at the end of time other than the prophet for the last days, Ellen White.  If she's not a prophet, as we have long believed, then another must come.  Is Ellen White the Elijah that is to come?

Ellen White on Elijah

Please read the following, which will help determine whether Ellen White considers herself the Elijah for the last days.

"Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, [SEE APPENDIX.] and when he appears, men may say: "You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message."

"There are many who cannot distinguish between the work of God and that of man. I shall tell the truth as God gives it to me, and I say now, If you continue to find fault, to have a spirit of variance, you will never know the truth. Jesus said to His disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." They were not in a condition to appreciate sacred and eternal things; but Jesus promised to send the Comforter, who would teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever He had said unto them.  Testimonies to Ministers, 475.

Appendix to the Above Quotation

Page 475. Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah: these words have been mistakenly applied by some to some individual who it was thought would appear with a prophetic message subsequent to Mrs. White's life and work.  The three paragraphs comprising this article titled "let heaven guide" are only a small portion of a talk given by Ellen White in Battle Creek, Michigan, the morning of January 29, 1890.  As this was published in the Review and Herald of February 18, 1890, it carried the title of "how to meet a controverted point of doctrine."  Other excerpts drawn from this article and used largely to fill out certain pages of this volume, may be found on pages 23, 104, 111, 119, 158, 278, and 386. [Testimonies to Ministers] The article has been reproduced in its entirety in Selected Messages, Book 1, pages 406-416, with the portion comprising the excerpt entitled "Let Heaven Guide" appearing on pages 412 and 413. When the article is read in its entirety it becomes apparent that Ellen White, in this statement made just a little more than a year after the Minneapolis Conference to a group in Battle Creek, was speaking of her own ministry. Some had grown critical of her work. Note that in the paragraph preceding that which appears in this volume on page 475, Ellen White states:

"We should come into a position where every difference will be melted away.  If I think I have light, I shall do my duty in presenting it.  Suppose I consulted others concerning the message the lord would have me give to the people, the door might be closed so that the light might not reach the ones to whom God had sent it.  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, `the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, master, rebuke thy disciples.  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out' (Luke 19:37-40).

"The Jews tried to stop the proclamation of the message that had been predicted in the word of God."

"Then she makes reference again to her own experience:

"Prophecy must be fulfilled. The lord says, `behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the lord' (Malachi 4:5). Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say, `you are too earnest, you do not interpret the scriptures in the proper way."-- Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 412.

"That she was referring to her own experience is also made clear from the paragraph which follows, in which she declares:  "I shall tell the truth as God gives it to me. . . ." Testimonies to Ministers, 534.

Voices Against the Messenger

Today, the voices are against the messenger of the Lord, Ellen White.  However, it's not new.  She was opposed in her day as well.  If we want to know the Word of the Lord for these last days, we must heed the messages He has sent us.

John was the "Elijah" to come to prepare the way for Jesus' first coming.  Ellen White is the "Elijah" that has come to prepare the way for Christ's second coming.

All mystery will melt away, if we heed the spirit of prophecy, both the Bible and the messages given to us by the Lord, through the writings of Sister White.

"Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2 Chronicles, 20:20

Satan wants to destroy us.  He will try to do so with the Omega of deadly heresies.  We'll study the Omega in the next chapter.

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1  Luke 7:28.

Chapter 8

The Omega Heresy

Most are aware that Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet.  We also need to know that God has attached this letter to the final heresy that is to come into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Knowing this, it's natural to ask, has it already come?  Is it here with us today?  If we believe the second coming is near, we should conclude that the Omega is either here already, or extremely close.

Before we study the Omega, we should know what came ahead of it.  Around the turn of the twentieth century, we had what Ellen White called the Alpha.

"Be not deceived; many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have now before us the alpha of this danger. The Omega will be of a most startling nature."  Selected Messages, Book 1, 197.

The alpha was contained in the book and teachings of John Harvey Kellogg.  In his book, The Living Temple, Kellogg taught the error of Pantheism.  He claimed that God is in everything, and we only have to breathe in God in the air, or drink Him from a stream.  This seriously altered the location and nature of God.  If God's location is in the air and the water, then He can't be in heaven in the sanctuary, working for our salvation.  If God's nature is such that we can simple breathe Him or drink Him into our bodies, then we have the power over God to use Him as we need Him; we are not dependent on asking for Him or praying for Him to live in us, we merely have to breathe.  In this way, we have the power over Him, not He over us.1

Books on the Omega

There are books that deal with the Omega.  Lewis Walton came out with Omega in the early 80's.  In it, he describes very well the history behind the Alpha, Kellogg's apostasy, as he writes about it in The Living Temple.   However, I believe he supports the Omega more than exposes it.  You can read a more complete explanation in Omega Now.

Rick Howard in his book, The Omega Rebellion also deals with the Omega, but puts forth the idea the Omega is the mature form of the Alpha.  He points to the metamorphosed New Age Movement as an apostasy the church must be aware of.  I agree Oriental thought has permeated the minds of many Christians, however, contrary to Howard's thought, I believe the Omega to be a separate heresy and not a fully developed Alpha.

The New Age oriental religion is something we must be careful of.  It actually goes back to Adam and Eve when Eve was tempted to believe she could be a god.  We can't spend time on this now, but for a better view, see the book, Restoring the Holy of Holies.

The Alpha apostasy was introduced into the SDA Church in the early 1900's, an apostasy within our church.  I propose that the Omega is also an apostasy within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and I don't believe they're the same.

The Alpha and Omega

If they were the same apostasy, why would they be given two letters, one at the beginning of the alphabet and one at the end?  In addition, the Omega is said to be of a most starling nature.  If the Alpha and the Omega are the same, they both would be most startling, yet nothing was said about the Alpha as being startling.  No, these are two apostasies as they are two letters of the Greek alphabet, on opposite ends.

The question that needs to be asked is this; did the prophet give us a hint about the Omega?  Yes, she did.  It's in the next paragraph after she wrote about the Alpha and Omega.

A Most Starling Nature

First, let's read again the part about the Omega and its startling nature.  This is the most often quoted section.

"Be not deceived; many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have now before us the alpha of this danger. The omega will be of a most startling nature."  Selected Messages,, Book 1, 197.

The next paragraph gives us a clue about the Omega.  It's not usually quoted.

"We need to study the words that Christ uttered in the prayer that He offered just before His trial and crucifixion. "These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with your own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave me out of the world: yours they were, and thou gave them me; and they have kept thy word" (John 17:1-6).  Selected Messages, Book 1, 197.

Jesus came to this earth to be our Savior and our Example.  As our Savior, he died for us, making it possible for us to be justified and sanctified.  Just as important, He's our Example.  He did the work that His Father sent Him to do; he lived a perfect life and became Our Perfect Example.  That's what we read in John 17, His success in becoming one with His Father.  Now, He wants us to become one with Him.  We can only become one with Him as we obey as He obeyed and overcome as He overcame.  When this happens, God will have brought about the complete fulfillment of the new covenant promise.  Here is that promise again,

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: . . .But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah, 31, 31, 33, 34.

The mystery of God will have been fulfilled, the soul temple will have been cleansed, the latter rain will have fallen, and we will then reflect the image of Jesus fully.

"Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully."  Early Writings, 71.

Becoming one with Jesus and the Father as Jesus was one with His Father while on this earth is the same for the people of God.  God's triumphant people will be finally restored to the moral condition Adam and Eve knew before they sinned.  As Adam and Eve did at that time, they also will ". . . reflect the image of Jesus fully."

What is the Omega?

Then what is the Omega?  The Omega is the denial of this teaching of sinless perfection during the time of trouble.  It's the denial of the third angel's message; it's the belittling of the cleansing of the soul-temple sanctuary, limiting this to the cleansing of record books in heaven.  It's the denial of the fulfillment of the mystery of God, Christ in you.  The Omega is the rejection of the very teaching the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been given to preach to the world, the perfecting of God's people to stand before Him during the time of trouble without a mediator.

The Omega is the rejection of the latter rain in that it denies the perfecting work of the latter rain, placing this work before the judgment, not teaching it as the result of the judgment.  The Omega is the teaching that the third angel's message, the 1888 message, is righteousness by faith, not justification by faith.  Saying the 1888 message is righteousness by faith is a subtle form of works.

Again, here is what the latter rain does in the life of the believer,

"The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ.

"The latter rain, ripening earth's harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man."  Testimonies to Minister, 506.

Since sin came into the world, it has been God's plan to forgive, change, and eventually re-create to perfection.  He plans to return His people to the place where Adam and Eve were before their fall.  It's Satan's plan to thwart this. To do this, he works overtime to destroy Adventism, to mask over what it really means to be in the most holy.  So, we must ask ourselves, is the Omega alive and well in the church today?

If the Omega is what these pages say it is, then we need to awaken and give the trumpet a clear and certain sound.

"There are many who do not understand the prophecies relating to these days, and they must be enlightened. It is the duty of both watchmen and laymen to give the trumpet a certain sound. Be in earnest, 'cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.' "--Letter 1, 1875.  Evangelism, 194.

What could be more startling than to give up the peculiar truth God has sent to His church in the last days, the cleansing of the sanctuary of Daniel 8:14?

Next, we deal with our motivation for obedience.  Why do we go to church?  Why do we follow Jesus?   Why do we obey?

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1  Read more about the alpha and omega in the book, Omega Now.  Available on Amazon or at www.Latter-Rain-Project.com

Chapter 9

Why Obedience?

Is being righteous good or bad? Of course, it's good, if it's for the sake of being righteous.  It's bad, if we think this righteousness can save us, if we try to use it for justification.

Why should we obey?  Do we obey for the sake of getting something in return?  Do we go to church, change our eating habits and give tithe to God, because we want something in return?  Do we think all such "obedience" is obligating God to give us what we deserve?  What do we deserve?  All Christians should know the answer.  Paul tells us, "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Wages are what we get for working; they're what we deserve.  Since, ". . . all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23), all are deserving of death.  However, even though ". . . the wages of sin [is] death. . .the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23.  The wages are our justice, but justification is the gift of mercy through the grace of God.  When we talk to God in our prayers, we must not ask for justice; we must plead only for mercy.

Even though we know we're saved by faith and not by works, in fact, we often live a life practicing justification by works rather than by faith.  In the next chapter, you will find a simple question that should tell you if you are practicing justification by faith or by works.

Why Should We Obey?

"Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel think of it in relation to themselves and to the world.  Few think of its relation to God.  Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator.  All heaven suffered in Christ's agony; but that suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity.  The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him." Education, 263.

To relieve Jesus of the pain our sins cause Him should be high on our list of reasons to obey.  To relieve Him of this suffering and return Him to His normal state, should be constantly on our minds.  The sanctuary represents both Jesus and us.  We are the soul-temples that need to be cleansed.1

Jesus is the sanctuary to be cleansed in that the burden of our sins needs to be removed from Him, from Him as a temple.  After that, He will be released from the burden of our sins.

Likewise, the sins that are still within us when the latter rain falls will be cleansed from our soul-temples.   All sin will be gone forever, and remembered no more.  Such an event is a part of the new covenant promise,

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."  Jeremiah 31, 34.

As we have read earlier in this book, the new covenant promise is completed at the end of the Investigative Judgment.  You will find this promise earlier in this book, but since it's such an important promise, a wonderful blessing, here it is again,

"Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment of the new-covenant promise: 'I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.' 'In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.' Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20. 'In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem.'  Isaiah 4:2, 3."  Great Controversy, 485.

If Ye Love Me. . .

Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15.  There's no love in forced obedience.  It goes without saying, we would rather our friends, relatives and especially our children love us because they truly love us and not because they want something from us in exchange.  God is no different.

We need not obey God to find love, forgiveness and acceptance with Him.  He already loves us, so He sent His son to suffer and die in our stead.  We have justification because of His life and death, so anything we do, before or after being born again, cannot improve on the grace that makes us acceptable to God, that is, justification.

We are justified by grace through faith.  It's God's gift to us.  Then, because of our love and gratitude for His work for us, we love Him more.  The more we are forgiven and the more we realize that no matter how often we sin, He still loves us, and the more we see that we cannot make ourselves righteous, the more we love Him.  The more we understand justification by faith, we love God even more. As a result, keeping the commandments are no more a chore, but a privilege and an honor.  We do good works to give God the glory, not to justify ourselves, for we are justified by faith in the life and death of Jesus.  The more we love Him, all the more we desire to keep His commandments.

His divine nature comes to live in us and we love as He loved.  We obey as He obeyed.  We learn to be a giver, not a taker.  This love creates in us a concern about others, so that we, as does Christ, love them unconditionally. This is especially true with our love toward Jesus, as He continues to suffer for us, as He is burdened, and as He continues to be pained by our sins.

The First Duty of Man

After the destruction of the World Trade Center, people started to refer to a quotation in Testimonies showing how Ellen White foresaw this catastrophe.  While reading this quote, I saw in it an important point that’s the crux of the entire problem with the construction of high buildings.  It’s self-pride.  I also found there the correct motivation for obedience.  Here is what she said:

“On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven.  These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify the owners and builders.  Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used.  Those to whom these buildings belonged were not asking themselves: ‘How can we best glorify God?’ The Lord was not in their thoughts.

“I thought: ‘Oh, that those who are thus investing their means could see their course as God sees it!  They are piling up magnificent buildings, but how foolish in the sight of the Ruler of the universe is their planning and devising. They are not studying with all the powers of heart and mind how they may glorify God.  They have lost sight of this, the first duty of man.’”  Testimonies, Vol. 9, 12. Emphasis supplied.

The purpose the builders had in mind was to glorify themselves.  We see this is exactly the case when men so often give their names to the buildings.  They have lost sight of “the first duty of man” which is to glorify God.

Yet, how many understand this is our main duty toward God?  Or, are we more interested in just having a good time, an abundance of material diversions, and a pride which attempts to accelerate us to the top?  Are we merely satisfied to be saved for eternity, thinking only of our own salvation?

Seventh-day Adventists are the people of the three angel’s messages.  The first angel declared, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.”  Revelation 14:7.  We are called to glorify God in the judgment hour message of the first angel.  Ellen White tells us just how those who have passed through the judgment hour will feel toward evil and why they will have sought pardon for all their sins.  The prophet writes:

“Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise: I ‘will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.’ Revelation 3:10. If they could have the assurance of pardon they would not shrink from torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects of character, then God’s holy name would be reproached.”  Great Controversy, 619.  Emphasis supplied.

God’s honor, glory and reputation are at stake in the battle for their hearts.  They would rather die than sin against Him and bring reproach on His name.  They want forgiveness for the sake of the glory of God, not for themselves.  They would prefer death to any sin remaining in their lives.  They have learned the lesson of the indwelling divine nature.  Their minds are perfectly in accord with the mind of Christ, unselfishly thinking of others, preferring others to self.

Not Pain, Not Eternal Loss, But Love

God’s true people are jealous for His name and His honor.  To bring reproach of any kind to the character of the One they love so much would bring pain to their hearts with death preferred to life.  God’s true people are lovers, not just doers.  It’s their desire to keep the law and honor God, not for selfish reasons or self-exaltation or pride, not even for salvation.  Obedience is their life, not just some outside requirement.  When God’s people partake of the divine nature, they are transformed into the likeness of God and have the desires and intentions of God.

It’s truly extraordinary that Jesus would give up His heavenly home to come and die for mankind, yet it’s quite consistent with His character.  He wouldn’t have been happy in heaven, knowing there was a way for Him to save us from destruction.  Even angels volunteered to die for man simply because it’s also their nature to give all for others.  Likewise, it will be with God’s people as they completely partake of the divine nature.  God’s love in the heart produces unselfishness.  It lifts up others and prefers others to self.

To God’s people, righteousness is its own reward.  Serving God is its own reward.  Giving glory to God is its own reward.  God is our "exceeding great reward,"

"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward."  Genesis 15:1.

Not in Name Only

True conversion with truly honorable principles comes from God.  It’s more than knowledge.  The prophet writes,

“. . . To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soul hunger and living faith, avails nothing.  A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul.  The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth.  He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God.  It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him.  The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves.  Many hold faith as an opinion.  Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God.  Genuine faith is life.  A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.” Desire of Ages, 347.

God is Watching

What then should we conclude?  Should we be good because God is watching?  Should we warn our children to always be aware that God is watching, and therefore, they should obey?  Should God’s watching matter?

The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no, but yes and no.  We shouldn’t obey merely because God is watching or because we are afraid of punishment.  This is a selfish motive where we are only thinking of ourselves.  How much better it would be for us to know that God is watching and that we desire to please Him, knowing also that He’s happy when we obey.  In addition, there's the on-looking universe that sees God glorified in our good behavior.  Isn’t this a most honorable of motivations?

As we experience more and more of the love of God, we should see that to serve Him is a privilege, an honor, and our greatest pleasure.  God wants us to rid our lives of the selfish motives that first brought us to Him.  It’s far better to see that God is Love.  To know Him is to love Him.  Contemplate this: the true reward of the righteous is not heaven or eternal life but our loving God Himself.

If we love Him and are sure of our acceptance with Him, we should have "sweet love, joy and peace."  That's next.

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1  For more on the soul temple, see Restoring Ta Hagia - Recreating the Image of God in His People.

Chapter 10

Sweet Love, Joy and Peace

God has a plan for the time of the end.  At the end of the Jewish ceremonial year, we find the yearly Day of Atonement.  At the end of the world, we find the antitypical Day of Atonement.  This one-time-only event was prefigured by all the yearly feasts of Yom Kippur.  This is the judgment, a blessing of God.  It's the good news, the gospel.  Many fear this event and wish it would just go away, but their fear should be joy instead.  Such people have no peace.  As they look to the judgment, they despair rather than rejoice.

Sweet Love, Joy and Peace

Are you practicing justification by faith or by works? When you look at the judgment, do you have sweet love, joy and peace?  Let's study the vision below by Ellen White.  Forty-five years ago when I first read this vision, I didn't have sweet love, joy and peace nor did I understand the final condition of those depicted in the vision.  This vision was first written in Early Writings with the title, End of the 2300 Days.  We know that at the end of these days the judgment began, and those who were in the right place at the right time should have had "sweet love, joy and peace."  Here is that vision,

"I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. . . . Before the throne I saw the Advent people--the church and the world. I saw two companies, one bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the other stood uninterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then He would look to His Father, and appear to be pleading with Him. A light would come from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them. Some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light and rejoiced in it, and their countenances shone with its glory.

"I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, "Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself." Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, "My Father, give us Thy Spirit." Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.

"I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, "Father, give us Thy Spirit." Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan's object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God's children."  Early Writings, 54, 55.  Emphasis supplied.

No sweet love joy and peace for those who are still in the holy place, but what could that mean?  Could it be that we think we only have to know that Jesus went into the most holy, thinking it’s an intellectual understanding alone?  Do we fail to understand that being in either apartment is an experience?  Have we failed to see the blessing God has for us?  Being in the most holy with Jesus is not actually being there, nor is it simply knowing He’s there.  The two apartment experiences take active participation along with knowledge.  These experiences are applications of the knowledge of what it means to be there.

In the Holy Place

Since the time Jesus went into the first apartment in A.D.31, there has been forgiveness of sin with confession and repentance.  The Holy Spirit comes into the life, and the sinner is changed daily into the likeness of Christ, being given the mind of Christ.  This didn’t happen simply by knowing He was there; it was an experience in cooperating with God, an active attempt to overcome sin.  This is the proper experience for a converted believer.

There are some today who intellectually know Jesus has moved into the most holy.  Unfortunately, this is only an intellectual understanding that He's there.  Since they don't actually know what He is doing there, they can't participate in the blessing.  In this sense, it's possible to know Jesus is in the most holy, yet still be in the holy place in understanding and experience.  Since we can't actually be there in person, we are there by faith, in our understanding of what He's doing there.

If our experience and understanding don’t match, then we're still practicing the first apartment experience.  Those who appear to be praying to Satan and still in the first apartment are there with him in spirit because they have been subtly deceived by his doctrine.  This false doctrine lies near the track of truth, but is a track that’s indeed separate.  These deceived souls are, in experience, still in the first apartment and lack the true knowledge.  In practice and understanding, they are doing the same thing that was done before 1844.  They see that the sanctuary is to be cleansed, but fail to see this cleansing is for them as well; they are deceived.  They believe the cleansing of the sanctuary is for a temple in heaven alone.  They don’t extend it to the temple of man, the living temples.  They don't understand the true blessing of the latter rain, the finishing of the mystery of God in them, the true New Covenant experience.

Said Once Again

If we miss this point, we miss the reason for this book, so I will repeat it.  What’s being said here is that it’s possible for Seventh-day Adventists to know intellectually that Jesus Christ entered the most holy place in 1844, yet still be in the first apartment because of a failure to partake of the true experience.  We know He's there, but we lack the complete knowledge of the experience.  We don’t really understand His work there.

Unless we know what experience Jesus has there for His people, we’re still in the holy place.  This is because we fail to see the real difference between the two experiences, the two different blessings.  The blessings of the first and second apartments are as different as the former rain is from the latter rain.  The holy place experience is a daily process of sanctification.  The most holy experience is the "completion of the work of God's grace in the soul." 1

Too many SDA’s believe we must be perfect (totally sanctified) before we can have our names reviewed and be eternally judged, then to receive the latter rain.  This puts us in the first apartment by experience, even though we think we’re in the second.

While in the first apartment, before 1844, we believed we needed to be living up to the light we have, ever progressing toward God’s ideal for us.  Now, in the second apartment, we think we need to be perfect before we can be judged; at the same time, we believe those before 1844 didn’t necessarily have to be perfect.  We fail to see we simply need to enter by faith, believing we are justified by faith alone.  That's the 1888 message, the third angel's message, justification by faith.

We need to be converted and living the active Christian life. Unfortunately, instead, we’re often trusting in the works of the Holy Spirit within us and ultimately trusting in sanctification as our justification.  We need to remember and beat it into our heads; we are never justified by sanctification.  That's justification by works.

We fail to see that Jesus is there making it possible for us to receive the final atonement and be perfected for the trials ahead.  We are still in the first apartment, trying to find enough good works to justify ourselves before God.  We have no confidence in our situation, no assurance of justification, so we have no sweet love, joy, and peace.

Joy and peace come from knowing we are accepted at every step of the way, as long as we are converted and making the steady, upward movement to the restoration of the image of God, we're partaking of the divine nature.

Faith and Sweet Love, Joy and Peace

Adventists should be looking forward to the judgment, but what confidence do we have that we can enter with Jesus into the most holy today?  Do we have sweet love, joy and peace as we join Christ by faith in the second apartment?  Oh, how many church members there are who would like to believe they are ready for the judgment; instead, they're fearful and lack confidence.  I've seen many, who, when the light finally comes on concerning the true teaching of justification by faith, have received this sweet love, joy and peace.

However, too often, when we do hear a sermon on the final atonement, we have no peace, and we do all in our power to squelch it.  We're still in the first apartment, and feel better about our acceptance there.  Total perfection of character scares us, so we usually reject the final atonement with some convoluted argument.

Oh, if we only knew what a blessing God has for us, we would enter the most holy with peace and confidence.

It’s Time to Come to the Marriage

It’s time to see the third angel’s message as justification by faith alone and not a combination of faith and works.  Salvation includes being saved from the condemnation of sin, which we call justification.  Salvation also importantly includes being saved from sin itself, the existence of sin in the life.  This part of salvation is sanctification.  Justification is imputed and our title to heaven.  Sanctification is imparted and our fitness for heaven.  We mustn’t get them confused.

Sanctification is never the cause of salvation, but part of it.  We need both justification and sanctification.  Justification is by faith alone, without the deeds of the law. Complete sanctification comes with having the Holy Spirit within to the full, living a sinless life, keeping the law of God.  Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, God’s people will know that their justification is by the works of Jesus alone, outside of themselves.  Justification is by faith alone.

We must work to overcome sin today.  God’s true people will do this, without making excuses or constantly taxing God’s forgiving heart from which He continues to forgive sins.  It’s the hope of God’s true people to follow Jesus wherever He leads and overcome all sin in their lives.  By this, the faithful will give glory to Him.

God's people don't obey to gain acceptance, justification.  They already are justified, daily, today and forever by the life and death of Jesus.  They put their faith in His forgiveness; they're justified by faith alone.  Obedience comes as a result of justification, not the cause of it.

Time for the Latter Rain

It’s time for the latter rain.  Under the former rain, we need to cooperate with Jesus in the daily experience of confessing our sins, while receiving the power from God to obey.  Beyond that, we must see that the latter rain will perfect the character to the full by restoring the image of God in His people.  It will complete the work already started.  The latter rain is the “completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul.”3  The latter rain is called the “perfecting latter rain”4  We must seek it in prayer.  In order to receive the blessings of the third angel, we need to know what the holy of holies is all about.

There's a time when God will "finish the work and cut it short in righteousness."  He will end the sanctification process by pouring out the latter rain, “when the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed.”5 In the latter rain, “By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ.”6

Let us pray and seek the latter rain while living daily in Christ, moving daily, step-by-step, closer to the perfection we desire to have for His sake.  Let us know that God is going to judge us in the Judgment Day according to the righteousness of Christ and justify us by faith alone through and because of the perfect obedience of Jesus.

The Sabbath in the judgment represents trusting in the perfect works of Jesus, resting from our own works and trusting in His.  The keeping of the Sabbath in Eden gave total credit to God for His perfect work of creation.  In the last days, the Sabbath is again the indicator of God’s creation, more correctly, His re-creation.  God’s people keep the Sabbath as a sign of His work in them.  In both cases, God gets the credit.  Man has no works of his own in which to boast or to find acceptance with God.  He has works, and in the end, perfect works., but not justifying works.

Paul tells us, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness.” Romans 9:28.  This righteousness will be poured out in the form of the latter rain.  If we are converted, we are eligible for the final atonement.  If we are in Christ, we are eligible.  If we are living up to the light we have, we are eligible.  All things are ready, come to the marriage.

Faithful Caleb and Joshua

God entreated the Israelites to enter the land of Canaan, but they refused, bemoaning the giants in the land.  Since the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan is an example to us, what would these giants be in terms of our experience today?

If we understand the giants were preventing the people from entering, can we conclude that these giants are our sins remaining within us?  Today we look at ourselves and see we aren’t yet able to enter, due to our yet sinful lives, our giants.  But God promised the Israelites that He would make it possible for them to enter the Promised Land.  Unfortunately, their faith failed them.  Today, it’s possible to enter by faith.  This faith is in God’s ability to take all remaining sinfulness from our lives.  Yet, will we believe?  We haven’t for more than 160 years.  Our faith has failed us.  We have too often put ourselves under the faulty old covenant of trying to justify ourselves through our works.  We need the New Covenant promise.  Sadly, we have failed God, and we're still here.

God said He would fight for the Israelites of old; it was through His power that they would defeat the giants in the land.  Yet they looked within themselves and found too little of what they thought was needed.  Today, do we see far too little of the sanctification that’s needed?  We look at ourselves and declare we aren’t able to stand in the final atonement because we are still very much too sinful, too many giants.

If we will only let Him, God will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.  We need to enter by faith into the judgment and stand before the throne asking for total salvation from the penalty of sin as well as the curse of sin.  We have the right to do so, only because of what Jesus did 2000 years ago, not on any merits on our part, not even on the work of the Holy Spirit working in us today.  Remember, we are never justified by sanctification.

Let’s not hold back because of the giants in the land.  All things are ready, come to the marriage.  Let’s cross over Jordan into the Promised Land.

Do You Have Peace?

Do you have "sweet love, joy and peace" as you look to Christ in the most holy?  When you have it, your greatest joy will be to work for God and others.  If you don't, maybe the idea of being justified by faith alone is only an intellectual activity, not a living principle in your experience, in your heart.  If you still don't feel free in Jesus and have the love toward others and God as you should, don't despair.  God loves you, and He'll never give up on you, pray.  He wants us to have this sweet love, joy and peace, pray.  We must never give up.  If we know what we need and ask Him for it, He'll give it to us.  What we need is the spiritual nature of God, His divine nature, living in us so that we can give Him the glory for His working in and for us.  God is Love.  May God bless.

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1   Testimonies to Ministers, 506.

2  Romans 9:28.

3  Testimonies to Ministers, 506.

4  Testimonies to Ministers, 508.

5  Testimonies to Ministers, 507.

6  Testimonies to Ministers, 506.

The Latter Rain Project

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Table of Contents

Other Books by the Author

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction The Missing Link

Chapter 1 The Mystery of God

Chapter 2 The New Covenant Promise

Chapter 3 The Sanctuary Cleansing

Chapter 4 The 1888 Mystery

Chapter 5 The Latter Rain

Chapter 6 The 144,000

Chapter 7 Satan's Last Deception

Chapter 8 The Omega Heresy

Chapter 9 Why Obedience?

Chapter 10 Sweet Love, Joy and Peace