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The Trinity – Where is the vision to back it up?
Very prominent within the institutions of professed Christianity is the concept of the Trinity which declares that God is One, yet three Persons. Belief in the Trinity is a pre-requisite for membership in the World Council of Churches (WCC), as stated on their official website as the Basis of the WCC. The Basis of the WCC, adopted by the Third Assembly (New Delhi 1961), states that the WCC is: “a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
(https://www.oikoumene.org/en/about-us/self-understanding-vision/basis” retrieved July 21, 2019 – the official website of the World Council of Churches).
The concept of the Trinity is not merely that there is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but that the three make up the one God of Scripture. So, the question arises, is there a clear statement of this concept of God in Scripture? Is this concept backed by clear Divine revelation?
Revelation through visions and dreams
The Bible indicates that God uses direct revelation through visions and dreams to His chosen servants, the prophets, as a primary means of revealing truth – “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6).
True Christianity boils down to a choice between Roman Catholicism which gives primacy to tradition and historic Seventh-day Adventism which gives primacy to prophecy. It’s one or the other. No Sunday-keeping church, for example, has any credibility outside of Roman Catholicism because there is no basis for Sunday observance except the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. There are only eight references to the first day of the week in the New Testament and none of those references even suggest a change of the Sabbath from the Seventh day of the week to the first; neither is there any indication that the first day of the week (Sunday) has any special regard from the Divine perspective. The Roman Catholic Church was responsible for replacing the Bible Sabbath with Sunday and Rome has openly declared Sunday Observance to be the mark of her authority:
“Sunday is our mark of authority. . . The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact” (The Catholic Record, London, Ontario, Sept. 1, 1923).
Rome has even challenged Protestants as to their basis for keeping Sunday and they have not been able to give any rational response (Catholic Mirror, Sept. 2-23, 1893, – series of four editorials published Sept. 2, 9,16,23).
Historic Seventh-day Adventism, however, regards prophecy as the primary identifier of truth and the true God. The movement was founded on an interpretation of Dan. 8:14, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”, which, based on other supporting specifications, is understood to mean that God would raise up a movement in 1844 to restore truth (See article “If Jesus, Why not Sanctuary Cleansing?”). This movement is understood to be the Seventh-day Adventist movement. It is their understanding that God has cited the certainty of His prophetic utterances as proof that He, Yahweh, is the true God:
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand” (Isa. 46:9-10).
See also Num. 12:6; Isa. 41:21-23; 42:8,9.
They keep the Sabbath as a sign of their submission to the true God who created the world in six days and set aside the seventh day of the week as a sign and reminder that He is the Creator:
“And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” (Eze. 20:20).
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20:8, 11.
Roman Catholic tradition versus Divine revelation
Roman Catholics, in keeping with the primacy that they give to tradition, have also formulated the doctrine of the Trinity. This they regard as the central doctrine of Catholic faith even although they acknowledge that it is not precisely taught in the Bible. They say:
“The mystery of the trinity is the central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are based all the other teachings of the church” (Handbook for Today’s Catholic, p. 12).
Also:
“Our opponents sometimes claim that no belief should be held dogmatically which is not explicitly stated in the Scripture . . . . . But the Protestant Churches have themselves accepted such dogmas as the Trinity for which there is no such precise authority in the Gospels.” (Life Magazine, Oct. 30, 1950).
They identify the doctrine as a mystery and one that they have developed and embraced based on their reliance on tradition. This doctrine along with the change of the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first, are cited as evidence of their claim that they have the authority to make prescriptions beyond what is contained in the Bible.
Historic Seventh-day Adventism, however, rejected the Trinity as being unscriptural and pagan in origin. A sample of the view that was taken by the historic Seventh-day Adventists is seen in the following answer that was given in a Review article by J. N. Loughborough to the question, “What serious objection is there to the doctrine of the Trinity?” The answer was:
“There are many objections which we might urge, but on account of our limited space we shall reduce them to the three following: 1. It is contrary to common sense. 2. It is contrary to scripture. 3. Its origin is pagan and fabulous.” (J. N. Loughborough, Review and Herald, Nov. 5, 1861).
Formal definition of the Trinity contrasted with Scripture
The Trinity doctrine asserts that there is one God who is made up of three persons. Some persons prefer to use the term Godhead, but in essence hold to the same concept as is held by those who use the term Trinity. Standard definitions of Trinity are as follows:
“Trinity n Christianity the union of three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in one God”. (Collins Student’s Dictionary).
“(the Trinity) (in Christian belief) the three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) that make up God.” (Little Oxford Dictionary).
“Trinity noun in Christianity, the union of Father, Son and Holy Ghost in one God.” (Chambers English Dictionary).
In contrast, the Bible clearly teaches that there is one Supreme Being, God, the Father and that His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, is the “express image” of Him, is of the same God-nature and is similarly worshipped, though subject to Him. There is no other Being who is of God-status. A few scripture references below illustrate the consistent Biblical position:
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Cor. 8:6).
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).
“One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6).
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” ( Heb. 1: 1-3).
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
It is clear that the Son has been given all authority and power by the Father, so that the Son’s authority should be regarded as the authority of the Father Himself, notwithstanding the Father being the ultimate and supreme authority. It is very similar to what happened in Egypt when Pharaoh exalted Joseph. Describing it, the Bible says that Pharaoh said to Joseph:
“Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (Gen. 41:40-44).
Position revealed in Great Controversy vision
This Biblical position was held by the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist movement and confirmed by the Great Controversy vision that Ellen G. White received more than once and was specifically instructed to write it out. This she did in 1858 under the most forbidding circumstances of partial paralysis after Satan tried to kill her specifically to prevent her writing it.
The Great Controversy vision is undoubtedly one of the pivotal revelations given to the Seventh-day Adventist Movement, in accordance with Scripture, that provides a glimpse of heaven and the origin of sin before sin even started on earth with Adam and Eve. A background to the Great Controversy vision, and consideration of its contents, reveal that it is one of the most significant revelations that helps to provide context for us to understand God, Christ, Satan, sin and the plan of salvation.
In relating the vision, Ellen G. White said:
“The Lord has shown me that Satan was an honored angel in heaven, next to JESUS CHRIST. His countenance was mild, expressive of happiness like the other angels. His forehead was high and broad, and showed great intelligence. His form was perfect. He had a noble, majestic bearing. And I saw that when God said to his SON, Let us make man in our image, Satan was jealous of JESUS. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man. He was filled with envy, jealousy and hatred. He wished to be the highest in heaven, next to GOD, and receive the highest honors. Until this time all heaven was in order, harmony and perfect subjection to the government of God.
It was the highest sin to rebel against the order and will of God. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels were marshaled in companies with a commanding angel at their head. All the angels were astir. Satan was insinuating against the government of God, ambitious to exalt himself, and unwilling to submit to the authority of JESUS. Some of the angels sympathized with Satan in his rebellion, and others strongly contended for the honor and wisdom of God in giving authority to his Son. And there was contention with the angels. Satan and his affected ones, who were striving to reform the government of God, wished to look into his unsearchable wisdom to ascertain his purpose in exalting JESUS, and endowing him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the SON of GOD, and all the angels were summoned to appear before the FATHER, to have their cases decided. And it was decided that Satan should be expelled from heaven, and that the angels, all who joined with Satan in the rebellion, should be turned out with him. Then there was war in heaven. Angels were engaged in the battle; Satan wished to conquer the SON of GOD, and those who were submissive to his will. But the good and true angels prevailed, and Satan, with his followers, was driven from heaven.” (E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, pp. 17, 18.
She also said:
“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate – a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes”.
“Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God , was one with the eternal Father – one in nature , in character, in purpose – the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.”(E. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34).
Speaking of the creation, she said:
“His Son would carry out His will and His purposes, but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.” (E. G. White, Signs of the Times, Jan. 9, 1879, pr. 2).
One of the Most Pivotal Revelations Ever
The Great Controversy vision could be likened, in terms of its impact on spiritual understanding, to Einstein’s Mass-Energy equation and the impact it has had on scientific understanding and development.
The year 1905 has been labelled the “Miracle Year” on account of four publications that were put out by Albert Einstein during that year that changed the world forever. One of those papers presented to the world the famous equation E=mc2 that showed for the first time how mass could be converted to enormous amounts of nuclear energy. Since then, on account of the use of that discovery, the balance of power in the world has been changed, with those countries that were first in utilizing the knowledge becoming nuclear powers and becoming the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, having veto power over all security matters in the world that come to the United Nations. Of course, the economic benefits are also enormous, affecting access to nuclear power as a source of alternative energy and the understanding of the source of the sun’s energy among other things. Like the truth contained in E=mc2, some truths always existed but was not generally known until it was revealed; and when revealed, it opens a whole new world of understanding. A truth like that was the Great Controversy vision that was first written out in 1858.
The circumstances surrounding the revelation of the Great Controversy vision shows that heaven itself regards it as most significant – a major game changer, and that Satan himself and the powers of darkness sought relentlessly to prevent it from being revealed because it is one of the greatest bulwarks against the last-days deceptions of the devil. It will be seen that a whole new world of understanding of truth is opened to the world and some of the satanic confusion and deception that it exposes will also be seen. This revelation of truth has stood like a bulwark to protect us from delusion. To appreciate the significance of what we are speaking about here, we should be reminded of 2 Thess. 2:9-12 that warns us of Satan’s last-days efforts to deceive people so that they might be damned. Jesus also warned that Satan’s delusions in the last days will be so overpowering that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect (Matt. 24:24).
How the revelation was given
Before one even starts to contemplate the enormous significance of what was revealed, here’s a little background, in the words of the prophet to whom this revelation was given, explaining that this vision was given ten years earlier, now repeated with specific instructions given to write it out and a warning given that Satan would try to prevent it being written out. And she further related how Satan tried to kill her in order to prevent her from writing it. Here’s the account:
“In the spring of 1858, we visited Ohio, and attended conferences at Green Springs, Gilboa and Lovett’s Grove. Bro. Tillotson took us from Green Springs in his carriage to the places of meeting. At Lovett’s Grove the Lord met with us, and his blessing rested upon us. First-day afternoon there was to be a funeral at the school-house where our meetings were held. My husband was invited to give a discourse on the occasion. The people could not all get into the house. My husband was blessed with freedom, and the power of truth seemed to affect the hearers.
When he closed his remarks, I felt urged by the Spirit of the Lord to bear my testimony. As I was led to speak upon the coming of Christ and the resurrection and the cheering hope of the Christian, my soul triumphed in God. I drank in rich draughts of salvation. Heaven, sweet heaven, was the magnet to draw my soul upward, and I was wrapt in a vision of God’s glory. Many important things were there revealed to me for the church.” (E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 265).
She continues:
“In this vision at Lovett’s Grove, most of the matter of the Great Controversy which I had seen ten years before, was repeated, and I was shown that I must write it out. That I should have to contend with the powers of darkness, for Satan would make strong efforts to hinder me, but angels of God would not leave me in the conflict, that in God must I put my trust.
Monday we commenced our journey homeward with Bro. and Sr. Tillotson. The next day we took the cars at Freemont for Jackson, Mich. While riding in the cars we arranged our plans for writing and publishing the book called the Great Controversy, immediately on our return home. I was then as well as usual. On the arrival of the train at Jackson, we went to Bro. Palmer’s. We had been in the house but a short time, when, as I was conversing with Sr. P., my tongue refused to utter what I wished to say, and seemed large and numb. A strange, cold sensation struck my heart, passed over my head, and down my right side. For a while I was insensible; but was aroused by the voice of earnest prayer. I tried to use my left arm and limb, but they were perfectly useless. For a short time I did not expect to live. It was the third shock I had received of paralysis, and although within fifty miles of home, I did not expect to see my children again. I called to mind the triumphant season I had enjoyed at Lovett’s Grove, and thought it was my last testimony, and felt reconciled to die.
Still the earnest prayers of my friends were ascending to heaven for me, and soon a prickling sensation was felt in my arm and limb, and I praised the Lord that I could use them a little. The Lord heard and answered the faithful prayers of his children, and the power of Satan was broken. That night I suffered much, yet the next day was strengthened to return home. For several weeks I could not feel the pressure of the hand, nor the coldest water poured upon my head. In rising to walk, I often staggered, and sometimes fell to the floor. In this condition I commenced to write the Great Controversy. I could write at first but one page a day, then rest three; but as I progressed, my strength increased. The numbness in my head did not seem to becloud my mind, and before I closed that work, the effect of the shock had entirely left me.
At the time of the conference at Battle Creek, June, 1858, Sr. Hutchins, who now sleeps in Jesus, was greatly afflicted with sickness, and we all felt that she would then go down into the grave unless the Lord raised her up. While praying for her the power of God rested upon us all, and as it came upon me, I was taken off in vision. In that vision I was shown that in the sudden attack at Jackson, Satan designed to take my life to hinder the work I was about to write; but angels of God were sent to my rescue, to raise me above the effects of Satan’s attack. I saw, among other things, that I should be blest with better health than before the attack at Jackson.”
(E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 270-272).
The Great Controversy
In the account given above, references to the Great Controversy being published are not references to the popular book that now carries that name. The book that she started to write, which she was only able to write one page a day then rest three, is a little book that she published later that year, 1858, entitled: “SPIRITUAL GIFTS – The Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels”.
This book, that Satan tried to kill her to prevent her from writing, which she endured much suffering to write, being able to write hardly more than one page every four days, she began with the words quoted above, the first part of which is repeated below:
“The Lord has shown me that Satan was an honored angel in heaven, next to JESUS CHRIST. His countenance was mild, expressive of happiness like the other angels. His forehead was high and broad, and showed great intelligence. His form was perfect. He had a noble, majestic bearing. And I saw that when God said to his SON, Let us make man in our image, Satan was jealous of JESUS. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man. He was filled with envy, jealousy and hatred. He wished to be the highest in heaven, next to GOD, and receive the highest honors.” (E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, pp. 17).
You’ll notice, in her account of her experience while writing the vision, that after the first few pages were written, the affliction gradually diminished. The damage to Satan’s disguise and the true framework for understanding everything else would have already been laid out. Among the things revealed in that framework were the following: (i) the position of the Father as the One Supreme Being who was called God; (ii) that Jesus was the genuine Son of God, having the same God-nature; (iii) that it was the Father who exalted Jesus and that that was the root of Satan’s rebellion; (iv) that Satan was next in honour to God’s Son, Jesus; (v) that there was no third God-being but that Satan wanted to be the third worshipful being; (vi) that when God said “Let us make man in our image”, it was God, the Father speaking and it was Jesus He was speaking to and to nobody else; (vii) that God and Christ were individual persons with shape and form and not ethereal entities that were diffused inside of the angels. If one understands the significance of this revelation and the fact that it is the distortions of these very facts that form the basis of Satan’s last-days ammunition to deceive the world, one will understand why Satan tried to prevent that information getting out.
Hierarchy in heaven – a direct revelation
It is clear, from the report of the vision, as given by Ellen G. White that there was a hierarchy in heaven in which God, the Father was supreme and regarded as the Sovereign, His Son, Jesus Christ was next and then Lucifer was third. Lucifer was a created being while Jesus Christ was Divine, being of the same nature as God, the Father. One might query whether the omission of any mention of a third divine being necessarily precludes the existence of such a person. In this case, it is more than mere omission that is evident in the report, it is a definite exclusion. When Christ, for example is referred to as the “only being” that could enter into the counsels and purposes of God, there is a definite exclusion of any other being.
In other places where the same vision was reported, the idea is the same, for example, in the Story of Redemption it is reported as follows:
“Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son…. Christ, God’s dear Son, had the preeminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone.
The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son…. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host.” (Ellen G. White, the Story of Redemption, p.13.)
New belief in the Trinity rejects the most notable pioneers
The SDA church has since embraced the Trinity, citing statements by Ellen G. White concerning a three-person Godhead as a primary basis for doing so. In that view, the Father is not inherently the Supreme Being; He is simply a co-equal among three Persons. The representation of the Father as Supreme, by that view, should only be understood as an arrangement based on assumed roles. Jesus is represented as Sovereign who obeys no one. And the Holy Spirit is represented as a co-equal Divine Being who is as much entitled to be worshipped as the Father Himself. That perspective is contrary to Scripture and contrary to direct revelations in the Spirit of Prophecy. The question is now being asked, where is the vision to back up the change? Further, by what authority has a view of God, that was backed up by vision given more than once, been changed to a concept that was once labelled as pagan and unscriptural by the founders of a movement that God raised up, as attested to by prophecy (Dan. 8:14)?
There is nowhere in the Bible that says God is three-in-one or triune. This concept is at best an assumption, yet it is stated in most church creeds as a required belief, even while many of the churches claim sola scriptura – the Bible, and the Bible alone. Where did that belief come from? – From Paganism, and brought into Christianity by Rome through a series of deliberations starting at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The Jews had no such concept of God but the pagans around them did. The early Apostles had no such concept, but the pagans around them did. The early Adventist pioneers had no such concept but the churches around them did. I have already quoted J. N. Loughborough, a notable pioneer, expressing the rejection of the Trinity that was common to the other early Seventh-day Adventist pioneers. Two other notable Adventist pioneers expressed similar views as follows:
“The greatest fault we find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward, till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church would now be free from her unscriptural errors.” (James White, Review & Herald, Feb. 7, 1856).
“The doctrine of the Trinity was established in the church by the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325. This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (J. N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855).
Some scholars today question the scholastic acumen of the early pioneers. But I would challenge them to show me a scholar today who was as gifted as J. N. Andrews, who also clearly rejected the Trinity. James White was not only the husband of the prophet Ellen G. White, but the one who above all others could have been viewed as “the Apostle Paul” of early Seventh-day Adventism. Ellen G. White herself never once used that expression to describe God; and she remained a faithful member of the church during her entire lifetime during which the SDA Church held a non-trinitarian view of God, as was upheld by the other SDA Pioneers and as was reflected in “The Fundamental Principles of Seventh Day Adventists”, published in the 1889 Year Book of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Roman Edict to persecute those who reject the Trinity
In contrast to the Jews, the early Apostles and the Seventh-day Adventist Pioneers who did not hold a Trinity concept of God, the Roman emperors, who had a tradition of persecuting Christians, made the Trinity their basis for continuing to persecute God’s people. These pagan emperors, who claimed to have accepted Christianity, showed their lack of conversion by continuing to persecute those who did not accept the form of Christianity that they claimed to have embraced. The form of Christianity that they embraced was identified by belief in the Trinity – and this they made a standard requirement for all who fell within their dominion. As declared in the Edict of Thessalonica, all who rejected the Trinity were to be persecuted; and history bears record of the fact that faithful Christians were driven into the wilderness and into the desolate parts of the world, fleeing from persecution, because they refused to accept the Trinity.
The Edict of Thessalonica was issued in 380 AD by the three reigning emperors of Rome, and gave the formal declaration that belief in the Trinity defines who is Catholic and authorized persecution of all those who did not believe in the Trinity. The Edict was as follows:
“EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS AUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our Clemency and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the apostolic teaching and the doctrine of the Gospel, let us believe in the one deity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity. We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of Heaven we shall decide to inflict.
GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTH CONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS
CODEX THEODOSIANUS, XVI.1.2”
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Thessalonica, retrieved July 21, 2019).
If for no other reason, certainly the history of the Trinity doctrine, as an instrument of persecution of God’s faithful people who had to flee into the wilderness and remain there for 1260 years, as was prophesied (Rev. 12:6, 14), should be enough reason to cause any sincere Christian to reconsider whether the Trinity concept is of God. Instead, we are hearing such superficial queries as to whether everything that is practiced or believed by Rome is wrong; and whether the pioneers were beyond being in error. At the very minimum, it is hardly likely that the persecutors of God’s people would have been more enlightened to the truth about God than the people that God Himself had raised up.
This leads to the matter of a present question that has agitated many persons. How does one treat with a situation where a direct revelation like the Great Controversy vision of a hierarchy in heaven, appears to be conflicting with some later utterances of the prophet regarding a three-person Godhead? To answer this question, one might start by referring to the Biblical statement that explains how Divine revelations are given – “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6).
Though we, or an angel say otherwise . . . .
Seventh-day Adventists must ask themselves whether they give primacy to prophecy and direct revelation from God or whether they have been converted to the Roman Catholic position of giving heavier weight to tradition. This question is raised against the background that Seventh-day Adventists claim, as a strong reason for belief in the Trinity, the fact that Ellen G. White has made statements regarding the Godhead comprising Three Persons – even though she did not say that the Three Persons are co-equal, or that they make up the one God of scripture, as the Trinity asserts; neither did she describe God as a Trinity. Have the utterances of Ellen White, when not substantiated by direct revelation in visions and dreams, now become the standard measurement of truth? The Bible clearly places direct revelation through visions and dreams on a different plain from ordinary human utterances, even if such utterances are from persons who have themselves received visions and dreams otherwise. In relation to direct revelations that were given to him, the apostle Paul said:
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed”.
“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ”
Gal. 1:8, 12.
The apostle Paul said: “though we, or an angel from heaven . . .”, thus including even himself. Not even the apostle Paul himself had the authority to speak anything contrary to what was directly revealed to him. Ellen G. White has openly declared that at one point, when not in vision, she could not even understand basic Bible discussions that her brethren were having, and they fully saw a difference between her personal views and the things that were specifically revealed to her in visions. She said:
“My mind was locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend the meaning of the scriptures we were studying. This was one of the greatest sorrows of my life. I was in this condition of mind until all the principal points of our faith were made clear to our minds, in harmony with the Word of God. The brethren knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these matters, and they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given.” (Ellen G. White, Selected Messages Book 1, p. 207).
The thoughts expressed by both the apostle Paul and Ellen G. White accord fully with a pronouncement that was made by God Himself. God said:
“If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Num. 12:6).
The big question
So, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has now embraced the Trinity (some persons say, three-person Godhead – semantics aside, it’s the same thing, based on the way they define it), which was once rejected by the founders of the movement as pagan and unscriptural. They have now embraced a position that is at variance with the great controversy vision given to Ellen G. White that excludes all possibility of a third God-being. So, the big question is: where is the vision to back up the change? Where is the vision to back it up?
We continue to hear that the Godhead is a mystery, contrary to the Apostle Paul’s words that the Godhead is one of the invisible things of God that is clearly seen by the things that are made – “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). The mystery argument is used to evade answering questions about certain clearly unscriptural assumptions and suppositions concerning the Trinity concept.
Like the Sunday issue that has only eight references to it in the New Testament, none of which justify ascribing holiness to Sunday, the Godhead concept is referred to in the New Testament only three times, of which none of the three references justify attaching to it a three-in-one concept of God. Quite to the contrary, two of those references speak of the Godhead as being clearly revealed in creation. One of those references is the one quoted above (Rom. 1:20).
Another of the three references says that the Godhead should not be thought of as gold, silver or anything graven by man, since we are the offspring of God – “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (Acts 17:29). In this reference, yet again, it is evident that the Godhead is clearly seen, being revealed in the make-up of humans, who are God’s offspring, made in the image of God, after His likeness, in much the same way that Seth was in the likeness of Adam, his father – “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth” (Gen. 5:1-3).
The third reference to Godhead says that Jesus had the fullness of the Godhead (the divine nature) dwelling in Him – “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). There is no mystery in understanding that Jesus had the nature of His Father, being the only begotten Son of God – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16); Jesus is the “brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3).
So, where is the mystery? Where did that idea come from, that the Godhead (the divine nature) is three persons in one? That is indeed a mystery – a man-made mystery, however, and certainly not a divine mystery! The Bible teaches no such thing. Therefore, the question is being asked again, where is the vision or divine revelation to back up the change from the view of God that the Israelites, the Apostles and later the early Adventist pioneers had, to the present view that God is three-in-one?
Heavenly hierarchy backed up again by direct revelation
Another vision that also excludes all possibility of a third God-being was given to John the Revelator. The vision is given in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. In describing what he saw, John said that “one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2). Of this Person seated on the throne, John said that the living creatures in heaven “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 4:8). And “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:11). Clearly, this Person is the Supreme Being – the Creator. Further, John said that He had a book in His hand that no one in heaven or earth was found worthy to open or look upon except Christ, the Lamb. He said:
“And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever”. (Rev. 5:2-14).
Apart from the one Supreme Being who sat on the throne who is called the Almighty and is clearly described as the one that “liveth for ever and ever” and who “created all things”, no other being “in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon” except Christ, the Lamb of whom it was said: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.” Who else in the entire universe is worthy? The angel said that there was nobody else. So, the heavenly host ascribe blessing and honour and glory and power “unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:13) and to nobody else, because they only are worthy. Who else in the entire universe is worthy and what is their claim to such ‘worth-ship’? Let anyone who has the answer speak.
Where is the vision?
Ellen G. White saw in vision that there was an angel in heaven who was “next in honor to God’s dear Son” (Ellen G.White, The Story of Redemption, p. 13). This angel envied Christ’s position and wanted to be worshipped. Isaiah, speaking of this angel said that he wanted to be “like the most high” (Isa. 14:14). John, the Revelator saw in vision that he will get the entire world to worship him except for those whose names are “written in the book of life of the Lamb slain” (Rev. 13:4, 8). Through visions and dreams, God has made himself known, so that none should be deceived. So, the question remains, for those who want to include someone else as being worthy of worship apart from “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22): Where is the vision to back it up?
Persons might try to make an argument that, because the Holy Spirit is a person, that person must be of worshipful status and use that as a basis for denying the obvious implications of what was directly revealed. However, in keeping with the direct revelations from Jesus Himself, the Comforter is a messenger – someone who was sent to do God’s will, on Jesus’s request of the Father – “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16,17); “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13). It could be that the Comforter is one of God’s holy spirits or angels – a personal being who represents God but is not of worshipful status. The word ‘pneuma’ translated ‘Spirit’ or ‘Ghost’ is just as properly translated ‘spirits’, of which angels are “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:7, 14). The Holy Spirit or Comforter is sent by Jesus, of whom Jesus said: “he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13). This does not suggest that the person being referred to is a God-being who carries out His own will. The historic Seventh-day Adventist pioneers referred to the Holy Spirit, in their Statements of Faith as God’s “Representative” – not as God (Signs of the Times, June 4, 1874).
Now, let me make it clear that regardless of whether one accepts the suggestion that the third person may be an angel, that should in no way affect one’s acceptance of the clear revelation that the Father was first, Christ was next, and Lucifer was third in the line of heavenly authority. This framework allows for an understanding of all aspects of the story of redemption and the controversy between good and evil. It also safeguards against persons giving worship to the devil unwittingly and opening themselves to be possessed by the spirits of devils. For those who insist that there is a third God-being, the question still stands, where is the vision to back it up?
“If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6).
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed” (2 Pet. 1:16-19).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15)
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Why we should worship Jesus
As Christians, we worship Jesus and so we should. But why should we worship Jesus? The answer might seem obvious, but it is not as obvious as one might be inclined to think. We should worship Jesus for the right reason. If we worship Jesus for the wrong reason, we may also give worship where it does not belong, for that same reason, and make ourselves idolaters. So, we will now consider why we should worship Jesus.
The most obvious reason that Christians would tend to give is that Jesus is God. But what does that mean? Is it intended to be understood that Jesus is the Supreme Being? The Bible says otherwise. In all four phases of Jesus’s existence, there is One that is greater than He.
The four phases
In the first phase, before Jesus came to earth, He was “appointed heir of all things” (Heb. 1:2) by His Father. In highlighting His superiority above the angels, it was said to Him by God, His Father, that “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Heb. 1:9). So, clearly, before Jesus came to earth, He had a God who appointed and anointed Him. Therefore, Jesus was not the Supreme Being before He came to earth.
In the second phase, when Jesus was on earth, He said: “my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). He further indicated that He was totally dependent on His Father. He said: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30). Therefore, Jesus was not the Supreme Being while He was on earth.
Now, in the third phase, after Jesus ascended to heaven, He “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). Clearly, if Jesus is seated at the right hand of “the Majesty on high”, He is not himself, the Majesty on high. The Majesty on high is not a plurality of persons as some would have us believe. In vision, John the Revelator was taken to heaven and he said “a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2). Jesus afterwards came and took a book “out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.” (Rev. 5:7). So, Jesus is one person and the Majesty on high is a different person.
As an aside, it should be noted that it is this person who sits on the throne who is the Creator. To this person who sat on the throne, the heavenly beings said: “thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:11). Jesus was active in the creation as an agent of the Creator but not as the Creator Himself. Jesus is the one “by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:2). The Creator is quite distinct from Jesus. He who made the worlds is distinct from the One by whom He made the worlds.
Finally, in the fourth phase, when evil is eliminated from the universe, “then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:28). It was one person who gave Jesus authority and power, “him that put all things under him”, and it is to that one person Jesus will remain subject throughout eternity. It is that person, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 11:31), who is the Supreme Being, and not Jesus or a plurality of persons.
Back to the question
So, back to our original question: if we say that we worship Jesus because Jesus is God, what do we mean? Clearly, it cannot mean that we worship Him because He is the Supreme Being, because there is one greater than He at all phases of His existence. In what sense, therefore, can it be said that Jesus is God?
Jesus is God in the sense that He is divine, that is, He has a divine nature – ‘Godness’, a God-nature – because He is the Son of God. Is that a good enough reason to worship Him? Do we worship God – the Person, or ‘Godness’ – the God-nature? If we worship the God-nature then we are in trouble because there are others who have a God-nature as well – maybe not to the same extent as Jesus, but they do have it. Angels have a God-nature and even humans are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). So, do we then worship angels and humans? Certainly not!
Why, then, should we worship Jesus? The answer is simple: God, the Father, the Supreme Being commands us to worship Him! Not only humans but angels and the entire universe are commanded by God to worship His only begotten Son – “when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” (Heb. 1:6). We worship Jesus in obedience to and out of respect for God, the Father – “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” (John 5:22, 23). So, there we have it. We worship Jesus because the Father says so!
Whose authority?
We do not worship Jesus because we think that He is so high and exalted that He should be worshipped, even though He is indeed high and exalted. To do that would be relying on the authority of our own assessment, rather than on the authority of God. That is the mistake that the angels who followed Lucifer made. Lucifer was high and exalted. He thought he should be “like the most High” (Isa. 14:14). Other angels agreed with him and rebelled against the Most High. What was the result? God cast Lucifer out of heaven (Isa. 14:12) “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6).
People are making a similar mistake today. They place Jesus where the Father should be. When some people speak of Jesus, it is as though the Father does not exist. For them, Jesus is the Creator; Jesus is the One true God; and Jesus is the God of the Old Testament who said, “for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isa. 46:9). But Jesus Himself has made it clear over and over that He is an obedient Son who always does the will of His Father – His Father sent Him into the world, and He obeyed – “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38); He was obedient even to the point of death – “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil.2:8). His earthly experience taught Him to be even more obedient – “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb. 5:8).
This obedience relates not only to Jesus’s earthly sojourn, because after He was raised from the dead by His Father (Gal.1:1), Jesus would not allow Mary Magdalene to touch Him until He had reported back to His Father in heaven – “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17). Having learned obedience as a man on earth, that additional knowledge equips Him to be a merciful and faithful High Priest who is able to intercede for us, now that He is back in heaven – “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Heb. 2:19).
Even after the sin problem is finished, will “the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:28). It is not a small thing to put Jesus where the Father should be. In doing so, we are dishonouring the Father, and we are also dishonouring Jesus by making Him out to be like Lucifer, who wanted to take the Father’s place. Many persons who are calling upon Jesus today, will find Jesus disowning them in the last day – “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:23).
Some persons are going even further to add another person, the Holy Spirit, as co-equal with the Father and worshipping the Holy Spirit as they would worship the Father. They reason that the Holy Spirit is divine and therefore should be worshipped. Did God give any such permission to worship the Holy Spirit? No! On what authority do people then pray to the Holy Spirit and worship the Holy Spirit? Is it based on their own imagination and assessment? Let us beware and heed the words of Jesus: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4). And, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (Prov. 30:6).
Apollos
We should worship Jesus because the Father commands it, and we should obey. Many persons are worshipping Jesus for the wrong reason and for similar reasons extend their worship beyond where God commands. What do we do? We should not shun them or fight against them but enlighten them. This is what Aquila and Priscilla did when Apollos came into town.
Apollos was “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures”. “This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” (Acts 18:24-26). Being further enlightened, Apollos was able to do an even greater work – “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” (Acts 18:28).
So, for those who are doing a good work in leading men and women to Christ, but who do not have it perfectly together, pray for them and seek to enlighten them to the truth that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). By God’s grace, like Apollos, they will be humble enough to receive further enlightenment from ordinary saints like Aquila and Priscilla and further fine-tune their message so that they can be of even greater service in leading others to the true and living God, to whom Jesus Himself seeks to lead us, as Jesus prayed: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Opening of the Seven Seals
Following on our earlier presentation, “Seals opened in context of the judgement”, in which we showed that the Seven Seals are opened after the judgement is convened, and we considered the opening of the first seal, we now consider the opening of the remaining seals. Before we do, just a word as to why study and present this matter currently. The reason is this: based on Bible prophesy, the world is on the cusp of major changes that will see a tremendous crisis that will affect everyone and challenge our very survival; the world should not face such a crisis without being alerted and warned about what is coming.
As we discussed previously, the first seal, when opened, brought to view a white horse which represented the raising up of the Sabbath-keeping Advent Movement after the passing of time, at the end of 2300 prophetic days, in 1844. This started the restoration of truth that had been trampled underfoot during the Dark Ages. The rider, “went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:2).
World Wars I and II prophesied
The opening of the second seal sees a red horse and “and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (Rev. 6:4). After the initial period of the raising up of the Advent Movement, the world went into a period when peace was taken from the earth. This is the period of World Wars I and II. There is hardly another period in the history of the world when it would have been true to say that peace was taken from the earth and power was given to people to kill one another. For the first time, in 1914, there was a war that was so extensive as to be described as a World War. Then followed the second World War, beginning on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. This is considered the deadliest conflict in human history, that involved over 30 countries and saw an estimate of 50 to 85 million people being killed.
The opening of the third seal sees a black horse, “and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” (Rev. 6:5, 6). The imagery of trading is inescapable. After the world war era, the world saw an era that was dominated by trade. We were still in that era up to the beginning of 2019. That is where we have been in the prophetic unfolding of events. There was never an era before when there were global trade agreements, economic sanctions, and a market-driven determination of global affairs as the period after the Second World War, continuing up to the beginning of 2020. But things have begun to change.
Extensive loss of life imminent
The fourth seal opens with a pale horse being seen, “and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Rev. 6:8). At any time now, the world will be plunged into a period of extensive loss of life, to the extent of one-fourth or a quarter of the world’s population. Are you ready for it? Whether or not we like it, it is coming. Jesus also predicted it in Matthew chapter 24.
In Matthew 24, Jesus gives a sequence of events that would lead up to the second coming of Christ. He tells us that there would be wars and rumours of wars, but we should not be troubled when we see those things, because “the end is not yet” (Matt. 24:6). He went on to say that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, that there would be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes and that such would be the “beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:7, 8). Note what comes next: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matt. 24:9). That is the sequence of events. The last part has not yet taken place. It is the same sequence as depicted in the opening of the seals. There would be wars, as in World wars I and II, but it would not be the end just yet. Afterward they are going to deliver up God’s people to be killed. But others are going to be killed as well.
We have seen increasing pestilences and earthquakes, so do we think that the part to follow, wherein God’s true people will be hated by all nations and will be persecuted and killed will not happen, or that it is far away? Think again! It is within that context, that Jesus continues by saying that the gospel will be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come (Matt. 24:14). That is the Loud Cry of the Angel of Rev. 18 being described there, wherein there will be a second more extensive outpouring of the Holy Spirit than at Pentecost, in what the Biblical prophet Joel calls the Latter Rain. You’ll get the sequence quite easily if you read in order, verses 4 to 14 of Matthew 24.
Pre-advent judgement
The fifth seal opens and “I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Rev. 6:9-11). This depicts a time when many would have been killed already and, as it were, their souls were crying out to God for Him to intervene. It is further confirmed that this takes place during the pre-advent judgement because white robes were given to them at that point, even though they were told to wait a little longer. Others of their brethren would be killed, as the judgement passes from the dead to the living.
The opening of the sixth seal sees massive natural upheavals, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17).
The end
The events, as described here, are in quick succession. Obviously, these have not happened yet, since every mountain and island have not yet been moved out of their places and the heavens have not yet departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. Even though there have been historical events that reflect partial fulfilment of this prophecy, the full unfolding of the prophecy will take place in its entirety, with all the elements occurring in quick succession. This is a description of the end, and the question is asked, “who shall be able to stand?”
The scene then shifts, in the next verses continuing in Revelation chapter 7, to show those who will be able to stand. “The living saints, 144,000 in number”, will be able to stand (Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 14) . They would have gone through the great tribulation and would have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). The context shows that these are faithful end-time survivors who will be alive to see Christ’s second coming.
The seventh seal opens, and “there was silence in heaven” (Rev. 8:1). Christ and His retinue of angels would have left heaven to come to earth to receive His faithful children – those who would have overcome the tribulation of the last days, and those who would have died in faith, whom He would raise from the dead.
The opening of the Seven Seals marks the events that would transpire from the start of the judgement through to the second coming of Christ. When all the seals are opened, there is nothing left to be seen. It is not at that time that the book is now ready to be opened, as though all the seals must be opened before the book can be read. One scroll at a time is opened and read as its seal is opened and its contents brought to view. We are now moving out of the third seal, the black horse period. Are we ready for what is coming next?
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Seals opened in context of the judgement
There is an inescapable parallel between the setting of Revelation chapters 4 and 5, in which the seals are opened, and the judgement scene of Daniel chapter 7. We’ll consider some of the parallel elements and the implications for the present time, but before we do so, the following word of admonition is most instructive: “Study Revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated” – White, Ellen G., Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 116. Here are some of the parallels:
- Thrones were set – Daniel says, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down [set]” (Dan. 7:9; Revelation says, “a throne was set in heaven” (Rev. 4:2) and “round about the throne were four and twenty seats” (Rev. 4:4). Note that the persons who were seated on the twenty-four seats “had on their heads crowns of gold” (Rev. 4:4), so these twenty-four seats are really thrones, but obviously not as impressive as the one on which God sat. That explains why Daniel says “thrones”, while Revelation says, “a throne” and “four and twenty seats”.
- God sat on a throne – Daniel says, “the Ancient of days did sit” (Dan. 7:9); Revelation says, “one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2).
- Millions of angels gathered around God’s throne – Daniel says, “thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him” (Dan. 7:10); Revelation says, “many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Rev. 5:11).
- Christ comes to the Father – Daniel says, “one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days” (Dan. 7:13); Revelation says, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6).
- Christ receives glory, honour and power – Daniel says, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (Dan. 7:14); Revelation says, “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).
- Books were opened – Daniel says, “the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:10); Revelation says, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof” (Rev. 5:2) and “he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne” (Rev. 5:7), also, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals” (Rev. 6:1). Daniel says “books” (Dan. 7:10), while Revelation says, “a book” (Rev. 5:1). A comment from Uriah Smith, an early Adventist pioneer, explains the seeming discrepancy. In the comment, he quoted John Wesley as follows: “The usual books of the ancients were not like ours, but were volumes, or long pieces of parchment, rolled upon a long stick, as we frequently roll silks. Such was this represented, which was sealed with seven seals. Not as if the apostle saw all the seals at once; for there were seven volumes wrapped up one within another, each of which was sealed; so that upon opening and unrolling the first, the second appeared to be sealed up till that was opened, and so on to the seventh.” – Smith, Uriah, Daniel and the Revelation, p. 420 (1909).
Daniel declares that the setting is the judgement. This judgement takes place before the second coming of Christ. The result of the judgement is that Christ receives “a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:14). It was further explained to Daniel that “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Dan. 7:27). Thus, Christ receives the title deed to this earth along with the list of all those who will be His faithful subjects. He then returns to earth to claim the dominion. At that time, it will be declared, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15).
The opening of the seals within the context of the judgement means that although there may be a historic interpretation of the seals, there is undoubtedly, an end-time fulfillment that began in 1844, when the judgement commenced (For an explanation of why 1844, please see article “If Jesus, Why Not Sanctuary Cleansing?”). The opening of the first seal sees events unfolding that are depicted as a white horse, whose rider “went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Rev. 6:2). This coincides with what is described as the Church of Philadelphia, to which was presented “an open door” that no man could shut (Rev. 3:8). This is a church for which there was no rebuke but only commendation. This opening of the first seal also coincides with the appearance of the Third Angel of Rev. 14 – indeed, a period of the gospel going forth with renewed power and direction from God. This is the period of the early Adventist pioneers (For an explanation of the identification of the early Adventist pioneers with the Philadelphia Church of Revelation, please see article “The Three Angels’ Messages and the Seven Churches”).
Back in the day, it was popular for the Advent people to sing, “Have you heard of the Advent Church, how she is moving according to prophecy?” Today, many of the Advent people, while being convinced of the Sabbath, are not so sure that the Advent Movement has any special significance, more than any other religious movement. But God sees otherwise. This Movement was raised up for a purpose, to preach the final message to the world. While we win the hearts of people with our health message, we should not stop there. People must be taught the mission for which the Movement was raised up, so that we can fulfill our God-ordained purpose.
By God’s grace, we will look, in another presentation, at the events associated with the opening of the remaining seals and consider where we are now in the unfolding fulfillment of prophecy.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
The Three Angels’ Messages and the Seven Churches
While it is true that the Three Angels’ Messages contain truth of a general nature – for example, “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” – it is also important to note that the vision of three angels flying one after the other, represents a sequence of prophesied events. These events were fulfilled at specific times, in a similar way as the four Beasts of Daniel 7 arose sequentially and represented four successive kingdoms. Likewise, the Seven Churches are sequential in their prophetic fulfilment and represent God’s Church at specific times, some of which overlap with the periods represented by the three angels.
The first angel represents the initial stages of the Advent Movement, before the disappointment of 1844, as they preached a message of the second coming of Christ and the hour of God’s judgement approaching. The second angel represents a later stage of the same Movement, starting in the summer of 1844, when the focus of the message was a call for people to leave Babylon, the churches that had rejected the message of the soon return of Jesus Christ. The third angel represents the later Advent Movement that has been preaching the Sabbath and warning people against the Mark of the Beast, from shortly after the disappointment in 1844.
There is an overlap between the time period covered by the three angels and the time period covered under the last three of the seven churches, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. It was said to Sardis that “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”; to Philadelphia, “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it”; and to Laodicea, “because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:1-17). Unlike Sardis and Laodicea, there was no rebuke for Philadelphia.
Many persons view Philadelphia as the period covering what is known as the Great Awakening or the Evangelical Revival, extending up to the disappointment in 1844; and Laodicea, they see as the period from 1844 onward. In this, they give God’s commendations of Philadelphia to a brand of Christianity that was considered by men to be alive, but which God’s message declared was dead. The testimony concerning the churches that rejected the Advent Message before the disappointment was as follows:
“But the churches generally did not accept the warning . . . . . . The message which God had sent for the testing and purification of the church revealed all to surely how great was the number who had set their affections on this world rather than upon Christ. The ties which bound them to earth were stronger than the attractions heavenward. They chose to listen to the voice of worldly wisdom and turned away from the heart-searching message of truth.
“In refusing the warning of the first angel, they rejected the means which Heaven had provided for their restoration. They spurned the gracious messenger that would have corrected the evils which separated them from God, and with greater eagerness they turned to seek the friendship of the world. Here was the cause of that fearful condition of worldliness, backsliding, and spiritual death which existed in the churches in 1844.”
– White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, p. 379, 380.
The churches were dead, even though they were thought to be alive. This was the period leading up to the disappointment in 1844.
Where then would Philadelphia fall? Philadelphia comes immediately after the dead Sardis. Consider what was said of Philadelphia: “I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it” and “thou hast a little strength”, “hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” and “hast kept the word of my patience” (Rev. 3:8-10). This is an apt description of the early Pioneers of the Adventist Movement just after the disappointment of 1844. The testimony concerning the Pioneers was as follows:
“I was pointed back, and saw the condition of God’s people in 1844. Then God was pleased with them, and his love rested upon them.” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 279.
“I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, and would give no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps—one, two and three—the first, second and third angels’ messages. Said the angel, Woe to him who shall move a block, or stir a pin in these messages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital importance. The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in which they are received. I was again brought down through these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased their experience. It had been obtained through much suffering and severe conflict. Step by step had God brought them along, until he had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform.” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 168, 169.
How long did this period of Divine approval last? It did not last more than a few years. The transition to Laodicea took place by 1857. In that year, the situation was described as follows:
“In the spring of 1857, I accompanied my husband on a tour East. His principal business was to purchase the Power Press. We held conferences on our way to Boston, and on our return. This was a discouraging tour. The testimony to the Laodicean church was generally received; but some in the East were making bad use of it. Instead of applying it to their own hearts, so as to be benefited by it themselves, they were using the testimony to oppress others . . . . . .”
“I saw that the testimony to the Laodiceans applied to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work, is because of the hardness of their hearts.” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 222, 223.
It is significant, what a main cause for this condition was. We are told:
“And I saw what God marked above everything else was their contented state. They have the truth. None can successfully oppose, and they enjoy it, as if the Saviour had no work for them to do in the salvation of souls.” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 279.
This point in time was not immediately after the disappointment when they were struggling to hammer out the truth by tireless study of the scriptures. They were now at a point when they had the truth and were contented that nobody could oppose them. This was even before the organization was established. By 1857, much of the severe hardship had already passed. The account was:
“Could some be placed back ten or twelve years, and labor through the discouragements that then existed, they would find a great change in the labor now, compared with what it was then. Then the friends of the cause were few, their means limited, and it was a constant battle against error and fanaticism. Privation and want were then endured by God’s servants without murmuring.” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, p. 286.
The Church of Philadelphia was the Post-Disappointment, Pre-Organization Movement that had a short span from the end of the 2300 days in 1844, as was prophesied by Daniel, when the “open door” became applicable, to around 1856 when the Church of the Laodiceans started. Daniel prophesied that at the end of the 2300 days God would start a work of restoring the truth that had been trampled underfoot. Sure enough, on the very next day, after the disappointment at the end of the 2300 days on October 22, 1844, God started to reveal new light to those who had just “a little strength”, who had “kept” His word, and had “not denied” His “name”. Starting with Hiram Edson’s vision, of Christ moving through the “open door” from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven, to the first vision of Ellen White (nee Harmon) later that same year, God restored the major truths that would keep His people grounded until the second coming of Christ. By 1858 God had already revealed that “Step by step had God brought them along, until he had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform” and that “God looked upon them with approbation” – White, Ellen G., Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 168, 169.
Establishing clearly the period that God in His wisdom described as Philadelphia, as distinct from the Sardis and Laodicean periods might seem like a small point, but it is very important. It saves us from looking for inspiration from the wrong period. Many Adventists today glorify the period of the so-called Great Awakening among Evangelicals, while speaking with derision of the early Adventist pioneers, not reckoning that, in God’s eyes, the first group was dead, while it was upon the latter group that God looked with approbation.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Intolerance Rearing Its Ugly Head
The world is going through unprecedented times that call for wisdom, courage and most importantly righteousness. Unfortunately, in seeking to address the present scourge that the world is experiencing, a growing spirit of intolerance is rearing its ugly head, resulting in actions that are not only unwise but unrighteous.
Let it be understood at the outset that this presentation is not intended to question the science or efficacy of the popular solutions that are being promoted to address the present health challenges that the world is now experiencing. The view that is taken here is that persons should avail themselves of the best advice and solutions that they can access but they should not be forced.
This presentation is also raising two issues: firstly, is it consistent with our moral values, our concepts of liberty of conscience and freedom from slavery to force people to have substances put in their bodies, that they are not fully persuaded of as being in their best interest, with the threat of them losing their livelihoods and being denied normal access to their rights as citizens if they do not submit to such coercion?
Secondly, is the global drive to deny people the freedom to buy or sell unless they submit to receiving specified substances in their bodies possibly linked to an end-time system of enforcement that the Bible has warned against?
Fundamental issue of freedom from slavery
Regarding the first issue, a firm view is taken that if one cannot exercise the right to refuse a substance being put in their body without facing sanction or punishment, then all our vaunted talk about freedom from slavery and liberty of conscience is meaningless. Sam Sharpe and all our ancestors who sacrificed their lives to secure our freedoms would have died in vain. In an age of supposed enlightenment, human rights, and democracy, we would be no better than the evil society that tolerated slavery in the dark distant past. We would be no better than the slave-master who branded his slaves and punished them if they resisted.
Let it be clear, that the position taken here is not against the value of the solution that scientists, health experts and governments are so fully persuaded of. Rather, what is firmly rejected is the notion that it is the only solution. There are persons who have used natural remedies and other healing modalities effectively and they should have a right to do so.
The notion that someone is a threat to society simply because they refuse certain substances being put in their bodies, even though they are not sick, is spurious, evil and sets a framework for persecution of innocent people. Christians who claim to serve a loving God, do their Creator and Saviour great dishonour in accepting such notions.
Further, it is wicked and intolerant to consider a law-abiding citizen who has been paying their taxes faithfully as forfeiting their right to the services of the State simply because they refuse certain substances being put in their bodies. This matter is of fundamental significance.
Sunday law and subtle persecution
This leads me to another related issue. In seeking to address the present scourge, the Government has announced that Sundays are now no-movement days. If the Government had just announced, under normal circumstances, that no work would be allowed on Sundays, many Sabbath-keepers would have protested it as a move towards a certain end-time prophetic fulfilment that the Bible has warned against. However, the announcement of Sundays as no-movement days, in the context of a relaxation of the earlier inclusion of Mondays and Tuesdays, seem to have been met with wide acceptance. But there is no reason why normal work cannot be allowed on Sundays.
Prohibiting normal work on Sundays is a move in the wrong direction as it encourages the populace to break the Sabbath by making the seventh day Sabbath more attractive as a workday preceding the no-movement day. But one might say that it is not the business of Government to concern itself with whether citizens wish to rest or work on the Sabbath. The more fundamental issue, however, that Government ought to concern itself with is the fact that such an arrangement initiates subtle persecution of Sabbath-keepers who are now deprived of the only day that many of them would normally have to do some of their personal business.
Many Sabbath-keepers are at work Mondays to Fridays, they rest on the Sabbath, Saturdays, and would only have Sundays to go to Coronation Market or fulfil other personal necessities. Now they are deprived. This is subtle persecution. The law should allow normal work and movement on both Saturdays and Sundays so that those who wish to work on Saturday and rest on Sunday can do so, and likewise allow those who rest on Saturday and work on Sunday to do so.
The Mark of his Name
My second substantive issue is the mysterious Biblical concept of the Mark of the Beast. Many will immediately say that the present scourge and the global response to it has nothing to do with the Mark of the Beast. And maybe they are right. Let it be understood clearly that it is not being suggested here that a substance being injected in people’s bodies for health reasons is the Mark of the Beast. However, there are some issues.
The concept of the Mark of the beast, a Biblical concept, is well known, even though, many persons will admit that it is a mystery to them as to what that mark is. What is less considered is that the Bible, in speaking of this mysterious mark, mentions not only the Mark of the Beast but also the Name of the Beast and the Number of his Name – “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Rev. 13:17).
The Bible further speaks of the Mark of the Beast as being the Mark of his Name – “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:11).
It should therefore be evident that both the “number of his name” and “the mark of his name” are proxies for the Name of the Beast. Name signifies identity and character, as evident, for example, when God proclaimed His Name to Moses – “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:5, 6).
In contrast to God, who is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, the Beast is the opposite – intolerant, unkind, impatient, wicked, and untruthful. It should therefore be recognized that it is the Name or character of the Beast that is most anti-Christ in nature, and that elicits God’s most stern warning against the Beast and his Image. It is the Name or character of the Beast that ultimately undergirds the system that will prevent persons from being able to buy or sell. God is love (1 John 4:8) and all God’s commandments are summarized as love to God and love to our fellowmen (Matt. 22:36-40). The Beast and his Image represent the opposite.
God warns against worshipping or giving homage to the Beast and his Image in the Third Angel’s Message as follows:
“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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev.14:9-11).
It is interesting that the warning does not include condemnation of those who receive the Number of his Name. This is understandable because numbers are often hidden in codes and persons might receive the Number in a hidden code without realizing it. In fact, the mention of the number includes a hint that it will not be “in your face”, so to speak – “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Rev. 13:18). For those who can exercise wisdom and understanding, they may be able to recognize the number 666 – “Six hundred threescore and six”, though possibly hidden, and thus identify the footprints of the Beast.
The key is to make sure, that even if one takes the Number inadvertently, they do not embrace the Name (or character) of the Beast by becoming intolerant of those who would not have received it, so that they give homage to the Beast, supporting a system whereby innocent people are victimized and prevented from being able to buy or sell. If that happens, one would have already been sucked in, so that receiving the Mark of the Beast (whatever it is) would only be a matter of time.
What is worship?
Finally, what is worship? The Bible warns against worshipping the Beast and his Image. Does worship mean bowing down and saying, “I worship you”? Worship may include that, but it is much more than that. Worship comes from the concept of worth – “worth-ship”. It is about who you trust and obey. The Bible is clear that children of God should be subject to the authority of their respective governments – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same” (Rom. 13:1-3). From this, it is also evident that governments are expected to act righteously and be a terror to evil and not to the good.
What happens, however, if government acts unrighteously, and demands of its citizens obedience to dictates that conflict with the law of God? The Bible is clear that God comes first. Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matt. 22:21). Caesar represented the government of the day. From this it is evident that there are some things that belong to and pertain to Caesar and there are other things that belong to and pertain to God. One such thing that belongs to God is worship and supreme authority.
In this regard, where there is a conflict, the Bible is clear that God is the supreme authority – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29). Further, Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
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The Mark of his Name
The concept of the Mark of the beast, a biblical concept, is well known, even though, many persons will admit that it is a mystery to them as to what that mark is. What is less considered is that the Bible, in speaking of this mysterious mark, mentions not only the Mark of the Beast but also the Name of the Beast and the Number of his Name – “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Rev. 13:17).
The Bible further speaks of the Mark of the Beast as being the Mark of his Name – “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:11).
It should therefore be evident that both the “number of his name” and “the mark of his name” are proxies for the Name of the Beast. Name signifies identity and character, as evident, for example, when God proclaimed His Name to Moses – “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:5, 6).
In contrast to God, who is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, the Beast is the opposite – intolerant, unkind, impatient, wicked, and untruthful. It should therefore be recognized that it is the Name or character of the Beast that is most anti-Christ in nature, and that elicits God’s most stern warning against the Beast and his Image. It is the Name or character of the Beast that ultimately undergirds the system that will prevent persons from being able to buy or sell. God is love (1 John 4:8) and all God’s commandments are summarized as love to God and love to our fellowmen (Matt. 22:36-40). The Beast and his Image represent the opposite.
God warns against worshipping or giving homage to the Beast and his Image in the Third Angel’s Message as follows:
“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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev.14:9-11).
It is interesting that the warning does not include condemnation of those who receive the Number of his Name. This is understandable because numbers are often hidden in codes and persons might receive the Number in a hidden code without realizing it. In fact, the mention of the number includes a hint that it will not be “in your face”, so to speak – “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Rev. 13:18). For those who can exercise wisdom and understanding, they may be able to recognize the number 666 – “Six hundred threescore and six”, though possibly hidden, and thus identify the footprints of the Beast.
The key is to make sure, that even if one takes the Number inadvertently, they do not embrace the Name (or character) of the Beast by becoming intolerant of those who would not have received it, so that they give homage to the Beast, supporting a system whereby innocent people are victimized and prevented from being able to buy or sell. If that happens, one would have already been sucked in, so that receiving the Mark of the Beast (whatever it is) would only be a matter of time.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15)
Religious Liberty and Church Unity
The most fundamental principle of the New Covenant is religious liberty or freedom of conscience. Under the Old Covenant, God’s Moral Law as contained in the Ten Commandments, along with the Statutes and Judgements that amplified and clarified the finer principles contained in the Law, were administered externally by the Mosaic System. Under the New Covenant, the Law is written, not on tables of stone to be externally administered, but on the tables of people’s hearts, to be self-administered. This is the essence of religious liberty. Regarding the New Covenant, the Bible says:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” – Heb. 8:10, 11.
God intended that ancient Israel should have been a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6) but, while there was external conformity to the commandments in many instances, there was no genuineness of heart. As a result, Jesus repeatedly told the Pharisees that they were hypocrites and pointed them to the spirit of the law by which God would judge their sincerity. Accordingly, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews pointed out that “finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Heb. 8:8). Under the New Covenant, both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled in one body, the Church (Eph. 3:6; 1:22, 23), and within this body, God’s original intention would be fulfilled, so that the Church would be a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9).
Dark Ages
God’s intention for the Church, however, has been perverted in many instances as church leaders have repeatedly sought to make of the Church another theocracy like ancient Israel in which the priesthood of believers is supplanted and liberty of conscience is suppressed. Starting with the Roman Catholic Church, true believers were persecuted simply because they sought to serve God according to the dictates of their own conscience. They were called heretics, they were tortured, burnt to the stake, had millstones put around their necks and drowned, cast out of society, and had other atrocities committed against them.
Many churches today claim to believe in religious liberty but to them, this liberty only extends to those who embrace their faith and subscribe to their creeds. Differences of views are tolerated only within the bounds of their established creeds or Statements of Beliefs. Dissent is frowned upon and while many do not label those who have different views as “Heretics”, possibly because of the historical baggage of persecution that the label carries, they have modern equivalents such as “Cult” and “Offshoot” that is used for the same purpose of social exclusion and suppression of independent thought. Even some very prominent churches with excellent track record of social responsibility and good citizenship, such as Mormon, Jehovah’s Witnesses and even Seventh-day Adventist, in some circles, must struggle against being labelled as Cults by certain traditional churches, because their views on some religious matters are different.
What is the result? – The same as in the Dark Ages – ignorance and suppression of truth. Free thought in religious matters is discouraged and uniformity is promoted. This situation, as in the days of ancient Israel, makes hypocrites of those who profess things that they often do not understand or lead many to join in ostracizing persons that God has raised up to help in advancing His work. This is the reason that the prophets and messengers of God have been seldom embraced during their lifetimes. The New Covenant was intended to change that.
Popular Error Embraced
God accepts only genuine belief, not mere profession; and He is not fooled. Only the New Covenant principle of liberty of conscience allows truth to thrive. In an atmosphere of intolerance error finds fertile ground. People will embrace popular error and avoid listening to anything that would show them otherwise. Such is the case, even now, where popular Christianity has embraced a concept of God that is not taught in the Bible – that God is three-in-one.
There is nowhere in the Bible that says God is three-in-one or triune. This concept is at best an assumption, yet it is stated in most church creeds as a required belief, even while many of the churches claim sola scriptura – the Bible, and the Bible alone. Where did that belief come from? – From Paganism, and brought into Christianity by Rome through a series of deliberations starting at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The Jews had no such concept of God but the pagans around them did. The early Apostles had no such concept, but the pagans around them did. The early Adventist pioneers had no such concept but the churches around them did. Two notable Adventist pioneers expressed the view that was generally taken by early Adventists as follows:
“The greatest fault we find in the Reformation is, the Reformers stopped reforming. Had they gone on, and onward, till they had left the last vestige of Papacy behind, such as natural immortality, sprinkling, the trinity, and Sunday-keeping, the church would now be free from her unscriptural errors.” (James White, Review & Herald, Feb. 7, 1856).
“The doctrine of the Trinity was established in the church by the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325. This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (J. N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855).
Today, modern Adventism has moved away from its pioneer roots and embraced the Trinity as its second Statement of Belief. Would this have had anything to do with the struggle it has had over the years to shrug off the “Cult” label that is associated with non-belief in the Trinity? Early Adventist pioneers expressed belief in Father, Son and Holy Ghost but not belief in a Trinity, which says that the Three make up the One God of Scripture. Rather, they believed that the One Supreme Being of Scripture is the Father; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit is Christ’s Representative on earth.
Most Fundamental Truth
The most fundamental truth is the truth about God. The Biblical teaching regarding God is that there is “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5); “One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6); “But to us there is but one God, the Father” (1 Cor. 8:6); “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:3). Jesus is the Son of God – fully Divine and of the same nature as God, His Father (Heb. 1); He is the Mediator between us and God and is the only way to the Father (John 14:6); He was sent into the world by God, his Father and went back to the Father (John 16:28; 17:8), of whom He said: “If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). Before Jesus returned, He said “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:6). Regarding the Comforter, Christ said: “when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father” (John 15:26), “he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13).
The Scriptures speak in clear and unambiguous language that there is one God who is above all, who sent His Son into the world and His Son left and sent the Comforter to represent Him until He returns at His second coming. God is one and not three-in-one. Any confusion and mystery as to the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit are brought about because people are speculating and stretching the Scriptures to accommodate a pagan concept of three-in one that was brought from paganism into Christianity by Roman Catholicism, in a similar way that some persons try to stretch the references in the New Testament regarding the first day of the week, of which there are only eight places that it is mentioned, to teach Sunday-sacredness, which the Bible clearly does not teach.
New Covenant Rejected
How have these unscriptural pagan teachings come to be so widespread among professed Christians who claim to be guided by sola scriptura? The answer is simple – they have rejected the New Covenant principle of liberty of conscience, even while claiming to embrace the New Covenant. Almost without exception, the churches have sought to re-create an Old Covenant theocracy where belief is externally controlled and enforced. Hence, the Devil only needs to have the false doctrines infiltrated among the leaders and eventually it would filter down through every congregation and the entire body would be led astray.
Among the few churches that have been able to maintain some diversity of beliefs are the Baptists. They were persecuted in their early beginnings in seventeenth century England and came to the United States of America. Roger Williams, who was forced out of the Massachusetts colony because he maintained that individuals should be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, fled from Boston and founded the Rhode Island colony on the principles of civil and religious liberty. He established the first Baptist Church in America and Rhode Island became a haven for believers of all faiths, including Sabbath-keepers, the Seventh-day Baptists, who passed on the Sabbath truth to Adventist pioneers who became Seventh-day Adventists. The principle of religious liberty was eventually embraced by the framers of the United States Constitution and is represented as the First Amendment to the Constitution.
But while religious liberty is promoted to protect the Church from imposition by the State, there seems to be no protection of the believer from imposition by the Church. Hence, the truth is not advancing. Even the Baptists, generally are not free from unscriptural errors, because many have embraced the idea of human beings having natural immortality, which is clearly rejected in Scripture – the righteous receive immortality at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:51-54) – the Bible is noticeably clear on that.
True Church and Religious Liberty
There is a concept that is popularly held that the true church of the Bible is a human organization that has a corporate structure like a business establishment and offers membership based on a set of doctrinal beliefs. Is this the Biblical concept of the true church and do such organizations have control over whether an individual can be saved in God’s kingdom? In both instances, the answer is no. The truth is that The Church is much greater than that. The Church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23), the collective body of all who have the spirit of Christ in them (Rom. 8:9); that which Jesus gave His life for – “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27). The songwriter, Samuel J. Stone, expressed it eloquently:
“The church has one foundation, ‘Tis Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation, By water and the word; From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died”. – Samuel J. Stone.
The Bible speaks of differences of administrations but the same Lord – “And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.” (1 Cor. 12:5). Could it be that persons are mistakenly elevating their administration of preference to the level of the one true church, thereby placing in human hands the determination of whether people are saved or lost and hence causing needless divisions among people who are sincerely seeking to do God’s will?
Unity of the faith is the endpoint; spiritual gifts were given to the church to bring God’s people to that point – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13). Care must be taken not to pre-emptively declare that what is accepted represents the ultimate of what should be understood or needs to be understood.
Let us not forget that the equivalent of what would be considered church leadership, collectively agreed, and declared that Jesus was in error – and considered it so serious a matter as to request of the authorities that He be killed (John 11:47-50). Repeated warnings have been given that deception would be rife in the last days to the point that, “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24); and he that “killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).
Religious liberty is the most fundamental principle of the New Covenant, yet most churches do not even have it as one of their stated Fundamental Beliefs. The New Covenant provides the basis for religious liberty and is the single greatest provision that facilitates the spread of the truth. The truth needs only to be given a fair opportunity to be heard for it to prevail. The Devil knows this and so his greatest weapon against truth is suppression. Those who suppress the expression of other views may think that they are protecting others from error, but they are doing the cause of truth a disservice and they are acting contrary to the principles of the New Covenant. May the Lord help us to recognize the truth and allow it to flourish on its own and under God’s direction.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
If Jesus, Why not Sanctuary Cleansing?
The exact year when Jesus was anointed as the Messiah was foretold by the prophet Daniel – “Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks” (Dan. 9:25). That is, seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks, which is sixty-nine (69) weeks. The command to restore and build Jerusalem was issued in 457 BC by the king Artaxerxes. This is recorded in Ezra 7:7 as the seventh year of the king, in the fifth month (verse 8).
From that date (457 BC), counting 69 weeks, taking a day for a year, we have 483 years from the decree of Artaxerxes unto Messiah the Prince – that is, 69 weeks times 7 days per week, which equals 483 days, where one day in the prophecy equals one literal year (a principle mentioned in Numbers 13:34). Did Messiah come at the time predicted? Yes, He did!
Exactly 483 years from the time that King Artaxerxes issued the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (that is, from the year 457 BC), Jesus Christ was anointed Messiah at His baptism, in the year AD 27. This prophecy of Daniel is the only prophecy in the Bible that tells the exact time when Messiah would appear, and it was fulfilled just as predicted.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was anointed at His baptism – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38). The word Messiah means anointed. So, Jesus appeared as Messiah at His baptism in AD 27. Accordingly, He began to preach, saying: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mark 1:15). The time being fulfilled was obviously the time spoken of by Daniel the prophet as there is no other time prophecy that identifies the time when Messiah would come.
The rest of the prophecy
But the time of Messiah’s appearance was only a part of Daniel’s prophecy. The prophecy pointed to Messiah appearing after 69 weeks (obviously, based on a day in the prophecy being equal to a literal year – otherwise, it would not have pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, but by that reckoning, it fits exactly). So, 69 weeks takes us to Messiah, but Daniel said that something else would happen at the end of 2300 days. We are told what would happen in the answer to a question that was asked in Dan. 8:13. The question was: “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?” The answer is given as follows: “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (Dan. 8:14).
The angel, Gabriel, was explaining the meaning of a vision to Daniel. Daniel did not fully understand the explanation that was being given and he fainted (Dan. 8:27). But some time after, the same angel Gabriel that had appeared to Daniel and was explaining the vision to him, but was unable to finish because Daniel fainted, came back to him. The account says: “Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore, understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Dan. 9:21-23).
The angel Gabriel picked up from where he left off and started to explain the time period by telling Daniel when it would start. He said: “Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks” (Dan. 9:25). 69 weeks is 483 days. The remaining days to the end of 2300 days would be 2300 minus 483, which gives 1817 days. So, if 483 days (a day being taken as one year) takes us to AD 27, then an additional 1817 days (a day for a year) will be 27 plus 1817, which takes us to 1844.
There is no escaping it. Daniel’s 2300 days ends in 1844. This is based on the same prophecy that identified AD 27 as the time when Messiah would arrive. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, arrived just as Daniel prophesied and Jesus confirmed that Daniel was a prophet. Jesus said, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.” – Mark 13:14. This was a reference to the Roman power that would destroy Jerusalem in the year AD 70. The same warning is given in Matt. 24:15 and Luke 21:20. In Luke, the warning is given even more explicitly. It says: “when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” (Luke 21:20).
Some people confuse themselves with Daniel’s prophecy regarding the “abomination of desolation” by saying that it referred to some obscure Syrian king called Antiochus Epiphanes who lived way back, many centuries before the time of Christ. But it is obvious that the “abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet” was not something of the past when Jesus spoke as Jesus said that it had not happened yet. It was something in the future to Jesus’s time and people in His time would live to see it. So, there is no need for any confusion. Now, you will see that this same prophecy that foretold the destruction of Jerusalem also identified the exact time that Messiah would have come, and it also identifies 1844 as the time when the cleansing of the sanctuary would begin.
Sanctuary message since 1844
Since 1844, persons have studied the matter from the Bible and saw that the sanctuary that would be cleansed was the sanctuary in heaven where Christ ministers. The Bible is clear that Christ is in heaven as “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Heb. 8:2). So, one might ask: What is the cleansing of the sanctuary? It is what the Bible calls the blotting out of sins.
Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost and said to the people: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19). So, at a specific time that was yet future to Peter’s time, that Peter called the times of refreshing, the sins of people who have repented of their sins would be blotted out. Blotted out from where? Obviously, the sins would be blotted out from the record in heaven and from the lives of the people. That is what the cleansing of the ancient Israelite sanctuary on earth was all about, which was a representation of the one in heaven. On the Day of Atonement, the record of confessed sins was removed from the sanctuary and there would remain no basis for anyone who had repented of those sins to be reminded of them or be accused. This is fully described in Leviticus 16.
In the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary, which took place on the Day of Atonement, the people were also cleansed – “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.” (Lev. 16:30). So, likewise, in the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the repentant sinner is also cleansed. When you repent and confess your sins to Christ and Christ, as your Advocate and Intercessor, takes up your case, He must convince the angels in heaven in the presence of God, the Father, that you are sincere. Jesus says: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev. 3:5). From this, a part of the work of cleansing the sanctuary is also purging its records of the names of insincere or fake believers.
If you keep repeating the same sinful behaviour and do not accept the help Christ offers to you to do better, then your sins will not be blotted out and your name, instead, will be blotted out. That is clear from Peter’s message: repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. That is what the cleansing of the sanctuary is all about – cleansing it of the record of confessed sins and cleansing it of the names of insincere or fake Christians.
So, for example, Peter denied Christ and repented. Judas betrayed Christ and then confessed, “Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” (Matt. 27:4). Peter was sincere, Judas was not – he was only disappointed because of the consequence of his sin. Both were disciples. Both professed to be followers of Christ. But during the cleansing of the sanctuary, Christ will demonstrate before the Father and the holy angels Peter’s sincerity. The record of Peter’s sin will be blotted out and his name retained in the Book of Life. Judas, on the other hand will have his name blotted out of the Book of Life.
The commandments of God
Those who studied the matter saw that the characteristics of God’s people in the last days would be that they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The Bible says: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12). Obviously, our sins will not be blotted out if we are breaking the commandments of God. So, the final message pointed to a need for repentance so that our sins might be blotted out.
It was this understanding, since 1844, that led those who embraced the message regarding the cleansing of the sanctuary, to the seventh-day Sabbath. In calling people to repentance, it became obvious that almost the entire world was breaking one of the commandments of God – the fourth of the Ten Commandments that require us to keep the seventh-day Sabbath. Since then, the Third Angel’s Message of Revelation 14:9-12 has been going out to the world pointing people to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and calling people to repentance, especially in relation to the fourth commandment.
So, the question is: If you accept Jesus, what is your basis for rejecting 1844 and the cleansing of the sanctuary? The message of the cleansing of the sanctuary is a message of repentance. It is the same message as that which Jesus preached – “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). It was John the Baptist’s message – “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). It was Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost – “Repent ye therefore, and be converted” (Acts 3:19).
If Jesus, why not 1844 and the sanctuary cleansing – since Jesus points to Daniel and Daniel points to 1844 and the cleansing of the sanctuary? God raised up a people in 1844 to call the world’s attention to this especially important work. The same prophecy that identified AD 27 as the time when Messiah would arrive also speaks of 2300 prophetic days ending in 1844. Jesus Christ, the Messiah arrived just as Daniel prophesied and Jesus confirmed that Daniel was a prophet. The question raised is a matter of Bible truth and it is intended for the entire world.
The call is to repent and join in the proclamation of the final message for this time. Will you repent and believe the message for this time so that your sins can be blotted out or will you refuse to repent and have your name blotted out from the Book of Life? Whether or not we repent, the sanctuary will be cleansed. It is a question of where we will be. In the last days, a command is given to “measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” (Rev. 11:1, 2). Will you be one of the worshippers in God’s temple or will you remain in the outer court with the Gentiles? The choice is yours. Repent and be saved.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
The Great Controversy An Information War
Most people are aware that there is a controversy between good and evil in the world. But who are the contending parties? What are the issues? And how will it end?
The contenders
It is generally accepted that God is good and that the enemy who is behind evil is Satan. The Bible describes a part of the conflict in the following words:
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:7-9)
At the outset, it must be established that there is no issue of Satan matching power with God. God is the Creator. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Ps. 33:6). He who created the angels and brought the heavens and the earth into existence can just as easily remove them and take them out of existence. Devils tremble at the very thought of God because they are aware of His awesome power – “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19).
So, there is no contest between God and Satan on terms having to do with the exercise of power. People speak broadly about a conflict between good and evil. But what is good and what is evil? How are these defined? To those, like Satan, who feel that they have a cause to pursue, they may well think that it is their side that is good and the other side evil. In fact, the serpent’s accusation against God, to Adam and Eve, represented God as being the evil one and he, Satan (the serpent), as the one that was good and sought good for Adam and Eve.
The issues of the conflict
The real issue of the controversy is about the character of God. And the controversy is not between God and Satan per se; it is between Christ and Satan over the character of God. “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels” (Rev. 12:7). Further, the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons. As we are told:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-6).
The knowledge of the truth about God will lead us to love Him and submit to Him. Lucifer, who was an exalted angel in heaven, by taking his eyes off God and focusing on himself, developed an overblown concept of himself and a diminished or warped perception of God. The result was that he rebelled against God and became Satan and was cast out of heaven. The prophet Isaiah described the fall of Lucifer as follows:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa. 14:12-15).
His wisdom was corrupted because of his focus on and concept of himself – “thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” (Eze. 28:17). “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28).
If we have a wrong concept of God and end up, like Lucifer, rebelling against God, it is we who are the losers, not God. Through Christ, God seeks to save us by extending His grace to us in the form of a revelation of Himself to us, through Christ, who looks like Him and behaves like Him. It is an information war. It is all about what we choose to believe about God. The conflict between Christ and Satan is a battle for the hearts and minds of intelligent beings. Those who believe Christ, believe the truth, and will be saved, while those who believe otherwise, as promulgated by Satan, believe a lie, and will end up as losers. Satan cannot give life. So, there is no future in buying into his deceptions and false representations of God.
Having usurped the dominion that God originally gave to Adam, Satan is now described as the “god of this world” and his purpose to deceive is described as follows: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:4).
Sifting truth from error
Establishing the truth is like fitting up a jig-saw puzzle where many extraneous pieces are mixed up on the table with the genuine pieces. These pieces that do not belong, are deliberately placed there to throw us off to prevent us from being able to fit the puzzle together. Such is the nature of the many erroneous ideas that Satan places before us. We must sift out the truth from the error, diligently. That is what will determine the outcome for us – whether belief in the truth that aligns us with God so that we can receive eternal life from Him or belief in a lie that places us with Satan, with the result that we will die like him and with him. The choice is ours. The appeal is to choose life by seeking and believing the truth and joining the fight as an ambassador for the truth, preaching the gospel of truth whereby souls can be saved.
How do we sift out the puzzle pieces that do not belong to the picture and retain those pieces that belong? By having an idea of what the overall picture looks like. If, for example, you are fitting up a puzzle that forms a picture of green trees and the blue sky in the background, then you can remove from the table the red and purple pieces that clearly do not belong. Of course, the closer the erroneous pieces look like the correct pieces, the more effort and diligence must be applied to differentiate.
The overall picture
The overall picture is provided by the following sequence of activities: first, the fall of Lucifer from heaven; then, his enticing Adam and Eve to sin against God; next, God’s Son coming to earth to win back the hearts and minds of human beings by revealing the truth about God to us; after that, Satan being exposed by his stirring up the multitude to kill the innocent Son of God; subsequently, Christ being raised from the dead by His Father and, as our Advocate, pleading our case before God and the angels, by His own merits as the Faithful Witness and by virtue of our repentance, making the case for the repentant sinner that we were only deceived and not genuinely rebellious. Christ will then return to earth to reclaim this territory from Satan and resurrect those who died in a state of acceptance of the truth, changing to immortality those who are alive and faithful and taking all the faithful to heaven for a thousand years. God will then re-create the earth, making it a paradise again for all the faithful to live forever. This is the framework that allows us to sift out the erroneous ideas that Satan throws in our way to deceive us.
Words and deception
Words are sometimes used as an effective tool of deception by distorting Biblical reality. Words change in meaning over time; and there are differences in the translation of words. The form of words, therefore, represents a margin of error. The most accurate determination of the actual truth is based on seven (7) elements of the reality that make up the context, namely: who; what; where; when; how; what was happening at the time; what was being addressed. To focus on the form of words is to dwell in the plus or minus range surrounding the actual truth and reality of a matter. Beyond information, we should seek understanding; that is, we should seek to know why. This is best known from the seven (7) elements of reality that make up the context.
In the information war between truth and error, we must be vigilant, in assessing people’s use of words (Biblical and otherwise), lest the form of words be used to change meaning and cause deception. Jesus, for example, was crucified because He was accused of plotting to destroy the temple in Jerusalem, with false witnesses testifying against Him, saying, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.” (Mark 14:58). “But he spake of the temple of his body” (John 2:21). Jesus said that deception will be so strong in the last days that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24:24).
The final conflict
The final conflict will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men – “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8). We are told the characteristics of those who will be on God’s side – “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12). The commandments of men represent Satan’s formula for governing people’s behaviour. Nothing is wrong with trying to govern the world in an orderly way, except that men try to put themselves where God should be. This condemns their efforts to fail, since the wisdom and power of God that created and keeps the universe cannot be replaced. Only God has what it takes to run the world in a sustainable way, but men fail to recognize this, and try to govern in ways that are directly contrary to God’s instructions. Hence, the current mess the world is in.
The commandments of men are an imitation of the commandments of God, except in one main point. God says: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Ex. 20:8). This is God’s sign that, if embraced, will signal to the universe that we have aligned ourselves on God’s side – “And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” (Eze. 20:20). Further, the Sabbath provides us with special time with God that He uses to sanctify us and make us holy – “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” (Eze. 20:12).
Whereas the commandments of God require that we rest from our labours on the seventh day Sabbath as a sign that we believe in and give allegiance to the Creator, the commandments of men, as are almost universally embraced, regard another day. This point of difference will identify those who Christ will claim as His. We might not be there yet, but this is where the controversy is heading. As with Adam and Eve who got one simple instruction from God that, if followed, would have protected them from Satan, we today have one simple instruction that sets God’s people apart as those who give their primary allegiance to Him – “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Ex. 20:8). The other instructions such as, “Thou shalt not steal” (Ex. 20:15), are common to both the commandments of God and the commandments of men.
Many sincere and genuine Christians are misled into disregarding the Sabbath because the issues are not clear to them at this time. However, the Bible indicates that the Devil will lead the world into denying God’s sovereignty by enforcing the commandments of men and denying freedom to those who would keep the commandments of God. The issues will then be made clear, before Christ returns, and everyone will have to make a choice. The choice we make will have eternal consequences.
Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21). Further, He says: “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:9). And again: “If ye love me keep my commandments.” (Matt. 14:15).
Today, many professed Christians are saying that all we need to do is just accept Jesus. You do not have to consider anything else. To them, keeping the commandments of God is legalism. But that is contrary to what Jesus said. Remember, it is an information war, and we must be vigilant so that we might not be deceived. May the Lord help us to align ourselves under His banner so that when Christ returns, we will be among those who would have accepted Christ and His revelation of the truth about God, and be faithfully keeping His commandments.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
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The real Jesus and how He conquered
To ask the question, “Who is Jesus and what has He done?” might evoke an answer such as, “Jesus is Lord and He saved us from our sins”. But what do these things really mean? When asked by Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). To this response, Jesus said, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:17). Jesus spoke of the great achievement that He would make, and indicated how his Father would respond, in the following words: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” (John 10:17). It is not that the Father did not love His Son before His Son laid down His life, but the Father loves Him even more, on account of this great achievement. The result was that the Father not only “raised Him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1) but has “highly exalted Him” (Phil. 2:9) – so, Jesus is indeed Lord. We will elaborate a little more on the great achievement of Christ and His present position.
Everyone likes to identify with winners. So, it is easy to identify with Christ when we are told that Jesus is Lord. But have we stopped and thought of the real conquering achievement of Christ? Apart from the fact that He is the Son of God and before He came to earth He had, “by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they”, the angels, (Heb. 1:4), have we thought of the main reason why He is now exalted in heaven? Let us hear the inhabitants of heaven speak.
How Jesus conquered
John was weeping when he saw that no man “in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth” was worthy to take a book from the hand of “him that sat on the throne” (Rev. 5:1-4) and open it. But then, John was told: “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book” (Rev. 5:5). When John looked, this conquering “Lion” was really “a Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6). The Lamb came to “him that sat on the throne” and took the book. Immediately, the inhabitants of heaven burst out in rejoicing, saying:
“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:9-13).
The conquering Lion had prevailed and was therefore, worthy. But what was the great achievement that qualified Him? The answer was that He died – He yielded His life to the powers of earth and the powers of darkness, allowing himself to be killed, when He could have delivered himself (Matt. 26:53). By doing so, Jesus provided the one irrefutable argument that discredits Satan’s rule on this earth, since there was absolutely no justifiable reason for the Son of God to have been killed. It all happened under Satan’s watch, as the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan must answer to God the Father, who “sits on the throne” as the Creator and King of the universe.
Role in creation
It should be noted that “one sat on the throne” (Rev. 4:2) who is the Creator – in reality, and not by mere designation or as an assumed role. This is evident as the angels in heaven worshiped Him saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:11). The Creator is described as the One “who liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 4:9), distinct from Christ, the Lamb, who came and took the book out of His hand, and is described, in another context, as the one who “was dead, and is alive” (Rev. 2:8).
It is important to know who the Creator is, as the final message to the world includes a call to “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:7). This is a reference to God the Father, the “Ancient of Days”, who presides over the Judgement (Dan. 7:9, 10). When God spoke to Job, God demanded of him, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding…..When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7). From this, it is evident that the sons of God and the morning stars were present at the creation.
Christ was also present but unlike the other beings who were present, Christ was actively involved in carrying out His Father’s will in the work of creation – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1, 2); “The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:2, 3). Christ was therefore the agent by whom the Creator carried out His work of creation.
Many persons have cited the Hebrew word “Elohim”, translated “God”, in the Genesis creation account to suggest that God is not one person, but more than one person. In support of that view, reference is further made to God’s statement, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). But the Bible clearly states that God, who “made the worlds” (Heb. 1:2), did so by His Son who is “the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3). Therefore, God – the One who has a Son in His “express image”, said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image”. How does the idea that God is not an individual Being enter the picture? It is clearly one person speaking to another person – God speaking to His Son.
Thus, it should be clear that when the Bible says that there is one God (“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord – Deut. 6:4), it is a statement indicating that there is one Supreme Being – one individual being – not a number of beings in unison that make up God. The Jews who coined the word “Elohim” and used it to refer to God, did not hold a concept of God as more than one person or as a composite of several persons. So, how do those who have embraced the word come to interpret it to mean more than one person? Is ancient idolatry and polytheism alive and well in Christianity, under different branding? Care should be taken to avoid changing the meaning of words and using them to distort the intended meaning.
Behind the scenes
Remember, when “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” (Job 1:6, 7). Satan presented himself before the Lord as the one who represented this territory called earth, when the sons of God presented themselves before God, as though he (Satan) was in charge on earth, of course, subject to God’s authority. In the wilderness of temptation also, Satan took Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain and “sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” – (Matt. 4:8, 9). Satan had usurped the dominion that God had originally given to Adam and was exercising that dominion contrary to God’s will.
By Jesus allowing himself to be killed by Satan and his evil host, Satan has been discredited. Hence, in the judgement, the dominion over this earth will be taken away from Satan (Dan. 7:26). Christ appears before the Father – the “Ancient of Days” – and, as the Son of Man, Christ receives the kingdom or entitlement to rule on this earth (Dan. 7:13, 14). Although Satan had usurped the authority that God originally gave to Adam, Christ came as the second Adam, the new head of the human race, to claim back the dominion and be our King (Heb. 2:6-9). So, we will be kings and priests, and Jesus will be our King – King of kings and Lord of lords – subject to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
Conclusion
In conclusion, let us know the real Jesus and how He conquered. He came from heaven where He was the Son of the Sovereign God who is King of the universe. He came to earth as a human being, where He conquered through a life of humility and ultimate death as a Lamb to the slaughter. He was raised from the dead by His Father (Gal. 1:1) and has now been “highly exalted” at the right hand of His Father where He intercedes for us. He will soon be given the kingdoms of this world and He will return to claim it.
At the second coming of Christ, the dead in Christ will be raised and with the living saints, who will be changed from mortal to immortality, be taken to heaven to spend a thousand years. After the thousand years, we will come back to earth with Him. Satan and all evil will then be destroyed, and the earth will be restored to perfection (1 Cor. 15:22, 23; Rev. 20:1-21:5; Rev. 15:2, 3; Rev. 4:2-6). We will live with God and Christ forever, in the newly restored earth – “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev. 21:22).
Christ himself will also be subject to His Father – “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
May the Lord help us to know the real Jesus and how He has conquered; and further, grant that we might overcome with Him and share in the glories of the earth made new – “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Jesus Christ, now Mediator, soon to be King
The Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the Son of God – a true offspring, like a prince, dearly beloved by God, His Father. God sent Him into the world, that through Him, we might be saved – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16); “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). Although God’s only begotten Son died, in fulfilling His mission, it was “God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1).
Jesus’s mission to save humanity has three distinct phases: 1. Prophet; 2. Priest; 3. King. When He came to earth as Prophet, He came to a sinful territory dominated by the enemy and was therefore like a “lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7). He was not a Priest at that time. Now, He is Priest (High Priest). He is not yet King but soon to be. He will be given a kingdom – this earth, where He will reign as King. These points will now be established from the scriptures.
Prophet
When God spoke from Mount Sinai, in the days of ancient Israel, the people were afraid and begged Moses to ask God to speak to them through a mediator. God agreed, but Moses could not be that mediator, notwithstanding the fact that God spoke through Moses to them. Moses was an imperfect mouthpiece. God said, He would raise up a Prophet like unto Moses, and would put His words into His mouth – “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deut. 18:18).
That Prophet was His only begotten Son, the only one who is just like Him – “the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3). When His Son came into the world, God spoke from heaven again, this time to Jesus’s disciples, in the presence of Moses and Elijah, telling them to listen to Jesus – “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matt. 17:5).
While Jesus was on earth, as Prophet, He was not a priest – “For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” (Heb. 7:13, 14); “For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law” (Heb. 8:4).
Priest
After completing the phase of His work as Prophet, Jesus took up the next phase of His mission as High Priest. In order to do this, He died, and His Father raised Him from the dead – “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death” (Acts 2:23, 24).
He then ascended to heaven to the right hand of God, His Father, where He serves as our Advocate who intercedes for us before God and the angels of heaven – “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” (Acts 2:32, 33); “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1); “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).
This work of representing our case before God so that we may obtain forgiveness for our sins and to obtain from God the spiritual gifts to enable us to live above sin and be empowered to minister to others is entailed in Jesus’s role as High Priest. This is what Jesus ascended to heaven to do – “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Heb. 9:11-15).
We can come boldly before the throne of God because we have an Advocate in the courts of heaven, provided for us by God Himself because of His great love for us – “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:14-16).
King
In the latter days of earth’s history, Jesus, still in His capacity as High Priest, will appear before the Father to receive a kingdom – “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” (Dan. 7:9, 10); “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:13, 14).
Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and have accepted the testimony of His life concerning His Father, that God is love, and will be fully reconciled to God, will be the citizens of Christ’s kingdom – “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (Dan. 7:21, 22); “the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Dan. 7:26, 27).
When the list of subjects of Christ’s kingdom (in the Book of Life) is made up and the names that do not belong are blotted out and He receives the authority to take the kingdom, Jesus Christ will return to claim it – “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 for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15); “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” (Rev. 19:11-16).
Time to repent
It is now time to repent of and put away our sins, while Christ still intercedes on our behalf. The time will come when He will lay aside His priestly garments and put on His kingly robes. At that time, it will be declared: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Rev. 22:11, 12). At that time, human probation would have closed and the time to repent would have passed.
The Bible predicted that Christ’s ministration would be taken away (from the minds of people) and an abomination would be set up in its place – “Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.” (Dan. 8:11); “they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” (Dan. 11:31). This activity was future to Jesus’s day, since Jesus said: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” (Matt. 24:15). An earthly priesthood would be set up to divert people’s attention from the priesthood of Christ and other mediators would be set up in place of Christ, so that people would look to men rather than look directly to Christ as the only true Mediator – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
As a part of this taking away of the daily ministration of Christ, Jesus Christ is represented as being other than our High Priest at this time. The focus is either on the role that He has already fulfilled or on the role that He is yet to fulfil in the future.
Regarding the role that He has already fulfilled, people are made to believe that the death of Christ is all there is to salvation; that no other work is necessary, thereby removing the need for Him to be seen in His present capacity as High Priest. But we are told that, if Christ is not risen, not only is our faith vain, but our sins would remain – “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” (1 Cor. 15:17, 18). If all our sins have been cancelled only by the death of Christ, then we would be saved regardless of whether He rose from the dead. But that is not the case. He had to be raised from the dead to function as High Priest; and it is only by the ministration of a Priest that our sins are removed from us. This was typified in the ancient sanctuary ministration. In every case, where a sacrifice was offered for sin, it was said: “and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Lev. 4:20, 26, 31). Without the ministration of the Priest, the sacrifice is meaningless and achieves nothing.
Regarding His future role, various titles are given to Christ, many of which seem to be giving homage to Him but distracting our minds from His real role at this time. An extremely popular one is to laud Jesus as King. Sounds good. But there is only one King of the Universe – God, the Father. Jesus never pointed to himself as the King of the Universe or as the Most High; rather, as the Son of the Most High, giving supreme honour to His Father, who sent Him into the world to save us.
During the judgement, which takes place before the second coming of Christ to earth, Christ receives the kingdom of this earth from God, His Father. It is after He receives the kingdom that He is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords over His earthly subjects. God, His Father, remains Sovereign of the Universe. The message is therefore, to beware a false representation of Christ as the one true God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, pointed to His Father as “the only true God” (John 17:3), whose will He came to fulfil – not to point to Himself as that only true God. We worship Jesus Christ on the instructions of the Father (John 5:22, 23; Heb. 1:6). In heaven, as it will be in the new earth, God and Christ alone are worshipped – “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev. 21:22).
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Love of religious establishment above truth
One of the saddest and most awful occurrences in human history occurred nearly two thousand years ago when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was brutally and mercilessly killed by those who professed to be the chosen people of God. Every well-thinking person would do well to seek an explanation for such an awful paradox, lest ignorance and lack of understanding should break down possible safeguards against the repetition of similar anomalies in their own experience.
An explanation of such an awful paradox can be found in the phenomenon of misplaced affection; and specifically, love of religious establishment above love of truth. On the one hand was Jesus Christ who was the embodiment of truth, righteousness, justice, love and mercy. On the other hand, was Caiaphas, the designated spiritual leader of God’s professed people – the chief representative of the religious establishment. In between were the people, many of whom had seen the righteousness, innocence and blameless life of Christ but were also fully persuaded of the legitimacy of the religious institution to which they were committed.
Sometimes we must choose
What an awful choice for one to be called upon to make. Indeed, it would have been preferable if both were on the same side. But unfortunately, as it was then, so it has been on so many other occasions, not excluding the present, that institutionalized religion is not always aligned with truth. Thus, individuals, at times, are faced with a choice. The decision which prevailed on that fateful day, which culminated in the ignominious death of Christ on Calvary’s cross reveals the little appreciated truth that the majority is not always right.
Some persons, to avoid the unpleasant task of making such choices, make an unspoken rule for themselves that the church is always right. Unfortunately for them, their silence or indifference does constitute a choice which, though proven to be right in some instances, is also proven to be wrong in others. In which case, the individual stands either vindicated or condemned before God.
The lessons
The lessons of Calvary are many. Calvary should impel religious leaders to be humble, recognizing that truth is not always the preserve of the religious elite. Jesus Christ was rejected largely because of his humble earthly beginnings and continuance. He was not educated in the schools of the rabbis. He did not court the favour of the religious establishment or patronize its leaders. The religious leaders felt that their authority was being bypassed and therefore, sought and succeeded, to some measure, in ridding the world of Him whom they considered to be a threat.
The lesson for the people at large who profess a religious faith is that a religious order, culture or establishment stands justified only when it is aligned with truth. Truth stands pre-eminent and is not always enunciated or embraced within the religious establishment to which one is committed. The choice with which one is faced is sometimes unpleasant, but nevertheless, weighted with eternal consequences.
When religious organizations that represent God find themselves embracing error, they should make the necessary adjustments so that they can stand with greater credibility in advancing their mission and avoid leading their members down the slippery slope of rejection of truth, because no one knows how far it will take them or where it will end.
Popular error
One very popular error that is based on assumptions, rather than on any clear biblical foundation is the idea that the “one God” of the Bible is a unity of three persons rather than one Person who is supreme. This concept, called the Trinity is not merely that there is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Bible clearly teaches that. Rather, the Trinity doctrine asserts that the one God of scripture is made up of three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Some people prefer to use the term Godhead, which is mentioned only three times in the Bible and is never used to mean three-in-one. But they hold to the same concept as is held by those who use the term Trinity.
Standard definitions of Trinity are as follows:
“Trinity n Christianity the union of three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in one God” – Collins Student’s Dictionary.
“(the Trinity) (in Christian belief) the three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that make up God.” – Little Oxford Dictionary.
“Trinity noun in Christianity, the union of Father, Son and Holy Ghost in one God.” – Chambers English Dictionary.
Based on these definitions, the “one God” of the Bible is not a Person but a unity of three. According to that view, when the Bible says that there is one God, the one God is really Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is this biblical? And is it important? Most churches think it is important and hold it as a required belief. Those who do not hold to that view also consider the matter important because, in their view, the Bible says otherwise.
The Bible says: “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6). And Jesus said the same, in His prayer to the Father: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3). God the Father commanded all to worship Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, in the same way that we worship Him, the Father, but He never told anyone to worship the Holy Spirit. And worshipping the Holy Spirit is not taught anywhere in the Bible. Are persons, by worshipping and praying to the Holy Spirit, unwittingly breaking the first of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3)?
As we reflect on Calvary and on the fact that the chosen people of God were so misled as to crucify the Son of God, preferring rather that the criminal Barabbas be released instead, we should ask ourselves, do we love truth more than we love our religious traditions and establishments? Most importantly, we should not be dismissive of questions that are raised regarding the legitimacy of any position that we have taken. The questions that are raised might just be a wake-up call from God for us to get in line with truth.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Do They Make a Trinity?
What is at Stake
It is popularly assumed that Father, Son and Holy Ghost make a Trinity; further, that the Trinity concept is difficult to explain but should be accepted by faith. But, does the supposed difficulty in explaining it really expose us to embracing questionable ideas that could be detrimental to accept? First of all, what is the Trinity and why is the question important? Consider this. On the assumption of a Trinity, people worship the Holy Ghost alongside the Father and the Son. Is this a valid position? Could we, unwittingly, be offering worship where it does not belong – making us guilty of idolatry?
This is a critical matter because the very first commandment of the Ten Commandments says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3). Repeatedly, God has warned against idolatry and has punished individuals and nations for practicing idolatry. God has made it clear that He is the only true God; “there is none else” (Isa. 45:5).
Jesus said the same, as He prayed, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).
Notwithstanding that, Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, “the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3) and God, the Father, commands both us and angels to worship His Son (John 5:23; Heb. 1:6).
But there is nowhere in the Bible that says we should worship the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit), neither is it said that we are allowed to do that. People do it on an assumption that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally God.
What the Trinity Concept is
The Trinity concept is not merely that there is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Bible clearly teaches that. Rather, the Trinity doctrine asserts that the one God of scripture is made up of three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Some people prefer to use the term Godhead, which is mentioned only three times in the Bible and is never used to mean three-in-one. But in essence, they hold to the same concept as is held by those who use the term Trinity. Standard definitions of Trinity are as follows:
“Trinity n Christianity the union of three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in one God” – Collins Student’s Dictionary.
“(the Trinity) (in Christian belief) the three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that make up God.” – Little Oxford Dictionary.
“Trinity noun in Christianity, the union of Father, Son and Holy Ghost in one God.” – Chambers English Dictionary.
Based on these definitions, the idea is that when the Bible says that there is one God, the one God is really Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, since we are allowed to worship the Father and the Son, the assumption is that we should then be able to worship the Holy Spirit as well. But is it true that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal? Does the Bible teach that? And does the Bible teach that the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Let us see for ourselves what the Bible actually says.
What the Bible Teaches About God
The truth is that the Bible does not teach that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal. A few clear references will show this. Jesus said: “my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28).
He said again, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49). One might say: Oh, that was in reference to the Son only in His human state. But that is not true. Before the Son came to earth, it is said of Him, that His Father “anointed” Him (Heb. 1:9) and the Father “appointed” Him (Heb. 1:2). Further, the Bible tells us: “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” (Heb. 7:7).
It is very obvious. The Father is greater than the Son.
Further, after sin and death are done away with, the Son himself will be subject to the Father – “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:28).
Therefore, the Father is greater than the Son at all phases: before the Son came to earth, while He was on earth, and after He left the earth, continuing into eternity.
Prophets of the Bible have referred to the Father as “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Cor. 11:31). And God the Father is reported as saying to the Son that “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee” (Heb. 1:9). Jesus, Himself, referred to the Father as “my God” (Rev. 3:12; John 20:17; Matt. 27:46). So, this concept of co-equality is totally unscriptural.
This is not to say that the Son is not to be worshipped. The Father says that we are to worship His Son. And the Son exercises the authority of His Father. The relationship is similar to a king and a prince. God, the Father, is the King of the Universe and Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son is the Prince of the universe. In another sense, Jesus Christ, as the second Adam, will be King of this particular territory in the universe called earth. He will be King of kings and Lord of lords over His earthly subjects who will reign with Him as kings and priests (Rev. 5:10).
But as for the Holy Spirit, it is a different matter. While we need the Holy Spirit, nowhere is it ever said that we should worship the Holy Spirit.
Further, Christ the Son, is greater than the Comforter who is the Holy Spirit. Christ said that He would send the Comforter and when the Comforter comes, he would not speak of himself. He will only speak what he hears –“It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7). And “he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:” (John 16:13).
So, Christ is obviously greater than the Comforter.
Even in the sending of the Comforter, the order of authority is clearly seen. Christ prays to the Father and asks Him to give the Comforter. Then Christ sends the Comforter –“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:16).
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26).
The concept of Father, Son and Holy Spirit being co-equal is totally false.
Further, the Bible tells us who the one God is. We are told:
“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6). The idea that the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit is totally unscriptural.
Before concluding, we should consider two passages of scripture that people misconstrue and read into them things that they do not actually say, in order to promote a Trinity concept. The first is: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19). They say, there you go, an appeal is made to the authority of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, so they must be co-equal. If that is the case, then what do we say of this one: “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things” (1 Tim. 5:21)? An appeal is made to God, Christ and angels. So, does that mean angels are co-equal with God and Christ? Absolutely not! So, in a similar way, the baptismal commission of Matt. 28:19 does not show that Father, Son and Holy Ghost are co-equal.
The other passage is: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7). Did it say, “these three are one God”? No, it did not! The verse immediately following it tells what the oneness is that is being referred to. It is oneness in terms of agreement – “And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” (1 John 5:8). So, neither of these passages support or justify a Trinity concept.
Conclusion
What the facts show is that Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not make a Trinity.
The Bible is clear that there is only one Supreme Being, and that is the Father – “One God and Father of all, who is above all” (Eph. 4:6). When the Bible says that there is one God, it is a reference to the Father and the Father only.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is of the same nature as God and is worshipped just as God the Father is worshipped. But He is, has been and will always be subject to and submissive to His Father. The Holy Spirit, however, is not to be worshipped as God. And one should not try to confuse the issue by saying, Oh, the Bible says that “God is a spirit”, so it’s really God we are worshipping when we worship the Holy Spirit. “God is a spirit” means that God is a spirit-being. That’s His nature. We do not worship God’s nature; we worship God, Himself, as a Person.
This will remain true even into the new earth of which we are told: “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev. 21:22). May the Lord help us to worship God in spirit and in truth and not to be drawn unwittingly into idolatry, giving worship where it does not belong.
Finally, if an organization that represents God finds itself teaching error, it should make the necessary adjustments in its teachings so that it can stand with greater credibility in carrying out its mission.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel
If you want the Holy Spirit….
Jesus tells us what to do if we want the Holy Spirit – ask the One who sends the Holy Spirit: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
When Jesus wanted His disciples to have the Holy Spirit, He told them that He would ask the Father on their behalf – “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him” (John 14:16, 17).
The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father – “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26).
The Holy Spirit goes where He is sent and speaks only what He hears – “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).
In keeping with Jesus’s instruction and with His own example, if we want the Holy Spirit, we should ask the Father for the Holy Spirit. Further, we should ask in Jesus’s name, since no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son – “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” (John 16:23). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).
Many people want the Holy Spirit but seem unable or unwilling to follow Jesus’s simple instruction. They pray to the Holy Spirit or express their request to the Holy Spirit in song. They ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill them or fill the room where they are rather than ask the One who sends the Holy Spirit and who’s will the Holy Spirit carries out. We should not run the risk of God ignoring us or risk other spirits coming in with counterfeit manifestations to deceive people and confirm them in their misplaced adoration. God bears with us in our ignorance, but commands us to repent. He will not bear with us forever, if we know better and continue in error.
We should not be like Cain who tried to replace God’s explicit instructions with his own reasoning and expect that God should simply accept any and everything that we choose to offer to God.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
For further information, please visit Patience of the Saints at http://thecommandmentsofgodandthefaithofjesus.com/
Questions and comments may be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @JaZerubbabel