Cara’s Weblog
Daniel and revelationThe Loud Cry
How does the fourth angel relate to the third angel?
The fourth angel comes down and joins the third angel’s cry, adding force and strength to the third message.
“Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to earth, and unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message… The work of this angel comes in at the right time, and joins in the last great work of the third angel’s message, as it swells into a loud cry.” {1SG 193.2} “This message seemed to be an addition to the third message, and joined it, as the midnight cry joined the second angel’s message in 1844.” {1SG 194.1} Read the rest of this entry »
The 3rd Angel’s Message
What is the core content of the third angel’s message?
The truths of Christ’s move into and subsequent mediation in the Most Holy Place and the eternal authority of His Law are the core concepts of the Third Angel’s Message.
“Those who had accepted the light concerning the mediation of Christ and the perpetuity of the law of God, found that these were the truths brought to view in the third message.” {4SP 275.2} “They had by faith followed their High Priest from the holy to the most holy, and they saw him pleading his blood before the ark of God. Within that sacred ark is the Father’s law, the same that was spoken by God himself amid the thunders of Sinai, and written with his own finger on the tables of stone. Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. While God gave to Moses a copy of his law, he preserved the great original in the sanctuary above.” {4SP 273.3} Read the rest of this entry »
Facing Evolution
Why is the SDA church having to deal with evolution being taught as fact at La Sierra University? I believe this predicament is a fulfillment of Rev. 3:14-17 which says: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then 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…” Over the years, our church has lost the fire of the early advent believers and become lukewarm. We have come to depend upon ourselves more than on God, telling ourselves that we are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” The small compromises and liberalization that have in increased over the years haved led to this ultimate compromise of believing and teaching evolution as fact at some of our schools. About the only apostasty left to be done would be to throw out the Sabbath and fundamental doctrines, which will probably happen in certain places at some point in the future.
So, how can we stop this downward plunge? I think the answer lies in the next few verses of Rev. 3, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” We must all do serious soul searching personally and adhere to the truth steadfastly. If every member would seek God with his whole heart personally, than the church as a whole would be reformed. Also, we must take much stronger action toward those who do apostasize, but at the same time remembering the God still loves them, and we should too. However, no matter how much one may love a diseased limb, if it endangers the rest of the body, it needs to be cut off. If I were GC president, I would probably fire the president of La Sierra and the teachers who are teaching evolution. Also, I would disfellowship those who claim to be SDAs but choose to believe the evolutionary theories–you can’t be a Seventh-day Adventist and believe evolution, I’m sorry. If these measures weren’t enough, I might even consider turning La Sierra over to “the world” and just let it be a “normal” university. This may sound drastic, but Christ did say, “And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Matt. 5:30 “If morality and religion are to live in a school, it must be through a knowledge of God’s word. Some may urge that if religious teaching is to be made prominent our school will become unpopular; that those who are not of our faith will not patronize the college. Very well, then, let them go to other colleges, where they will find a system of education that suits their taste. Our school was established, not merely to teach the sciences, but for the purpose of giving instruction in the great principles of God’s word and in the practical duties of everyday life. {5T 25.3} This is the education so much needed at the present time. If a worldly influence is to bear sway in our school, then sell it out to worldlings and let them take the entire control; and those who have invested their means in that institution will establish another school, to be conducted, not upon the plan of popular schools, nor according to the desires of principal and teachers, but upon the plan which God has specified. {5T 25.4}
The 2nd Angel’s Message & Midnight Cry
When was the second angel’s message given?
The second angel’s message was proclaimed in the summer of 1844, after the mainstream Protestant churches made it plain that they wanted nothing to do with the first message. “When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [REV. 14:8]…The proclamation, “Babylon is fallen,” was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches. ” {4SP 232.1} “THE SECOND ANGEL’S MESSAGE HAD ITS INITIAL SOUNDING EARLY IN THE SUMMER OF 1844 IN THE CALL TO THE ADVENT BELIEVERS TO COME OUT OF THE NOMINAL CHURCHES THAT HAD REJECTED THE PROCLAMATION OF THE FIRST ANGEL’S MESSAGE.” {EW 304.1} Read the rest of this entry »
The First Angel’s Message (modified)
Who gives the first angel’s message?
Those who accept God’s truth are the ones to give the first angel’s message. “These three angels represent the people who accept the light of God’s messages, and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth...” {ST, January 25, 1910 par. 5} “Here is shown the nature of the work of the people of God. They have a message of so great importance that they are represented as flying in the presentation of it to the world.” {5T 206.3} Read the rest of this entry »
The Four Angels of Rev. 14 & 18
Revelation 14
The 144,000 in Heaven (The First-Fruits)–verses 1-5
The Messages of the Three Angels (Harvest Message)–verses 6-12
The Harvest of the Righteous and the Wicked–verses 13-20
Revelation 18
The Fourth Angel’s Message & the Call to Come out of Babylon–verses 1-8
The Lamentation and Destruction of Babylon–verses 9-24
The 7 Seals: a Historical Approach
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. ” Rev. 6:2
The white horse symbolizes the Apostolic church, which, clothed with the pure Gospel, went forth to “conquer” and spread the truth over all the world. The first symbol is a white horse, bearing a rider who carries a bow. A crown is given to him, and he goes forth conquering and to conquer, a fit emblem of the triumphs of the gospel in the first century of the Christian Era. The whiteness of the horse denotes the purity of faith in that age. The crown which was given to the rider, and his going forth as a conqueror to make still further conquests, signify the zeal and success with which the truth was promulgated by its earliest ministers. By what symbols could the work of Christianity better be represented when it went forth as an aggressive principle against the huge systems of error with which it had at first to contend? The rider upon this horse went forth–where? His commission was unlimited. The gospel was to all the world. {Dan. & the Rev. 425, 426 by Uriah Smith}
The Book of Rev. 5
The Book of Revelation 5, which is sealed with seven seals, contains the prophecies of Daniel that relate to the last days. “The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of Daniel which related to the last days.” {17MR 6.3} Since 1798 this Book has been unsealed in Revelation, which interprets and expands Daniel. “But since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed…” {GC 356.2} “The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; one a book sealed, the other a book opened.” {MS 59,1900. 7BC 971}
Revelation 4 gives the setting for chapter 5 and the Book as being the Most Holy Place, where the judgment and marriage occur. We can know this because, in Rev. 4:1, 2, a door was opened in heaven, and inside a throne was set up (as in Dan. 7:9, 10) signifying Christ’s move to the Most Holy Place and the beginning of the Investigative Judgment. Since the Judgment began in 1844, we can realize that the time period for the Book of chapter 5 is especially from the Advent movement (1840-1844) to the second coming of Christ (however it really begins in 1798, which marked the start of the time of the end). Christ’s return will mark the completion of the plan of redemption as God’s people are reunited with Him.
The Book is written within and on the backside. “Within” means it is in the heart. Since the Book is written in the heart, it must be experienced through the decisions we make for or against Christ. “Backside” is an adverb telling “when in time”. It means after or behind; thus some people will have this Book written in their hearts or will experience it after others. “Many who embraced the third message had not had an experience in the two former messages. Satan understood this, and his evil eye was upon them to overthrow them; but the third angel was pointing them to the most holy place, and those who had had an experience in the past messages were pointing them the way to the heavenly sanctuary. Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.” {EW 256.2} “Many will honestly search the Word for Light as those in the past have searched it; and they see light in the Word. But they did not pass over the ground in their experience, when these messages of warning were first proclaimed. Not having had this experience, some do not appreciate the value of the truths that have been to us as waymarks, and that have made us as a peculiar people what we are.” {2SM 110.4} “Those who have not had a personal experience in this work, are to take the Word of God andbelieve on “their word” who have been led by the Lord in the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. These messages, received and acted upon, are doing their work to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God. If we search the Scriptures to confirm the truth God has given His servants for the world, we shall be found proclaiming the first, second, and third angels’ messages.” {2SM 111.2}
The Book has four aspects, or represents four things. The first and second aspects are the prophecies of Daniel and the unsealing messages of Revelation (three angels’ messages). The third aspect is the heart or character, which are developed as we respond to the messages of Revelation. “The messages of Revelation 14 are those by which the world is to be tested; they are the everlasting gospel, and are to be sounded everywhere.” {2SM 111.3} And the fourth aspect is the heavenly record book, which is an exact picture of our characters. “In the book of God’s providence, the volume of life, we are each given a page. That page contains every particular of our history; even the hairs of the head are numbered. God’s children are never absent from His mind.” {DA 313.3} “The past is contained in the book where all things are written down. We cannot blot out the record, but we can learn many things if we choose.” {TMK 89.2} “… The destiny of every nation was contained in that book…” {20MR 197.3}. The prophecies and messages of Dan. and Rev., the heart, and the record book in heaven are the four aspects of the Book.
The opening of the Book is connected with its four aspects. The prophecies of Daniel are opened or fulfilled with the beginning of the Investigative Judgment. The messages of Revelation are opened in that they can be understood and proclaimed at this time. Our heart books are opened as we make decisions about the messages and reveal our attitudes toward the truth. The record book is opened in the judgment so that the decisions and characters of professed Christians can be judged.
While the Book was sealed, the prophecies had not been fulfilled, and the corresponding messages could not be proclaimed. But since 1798, the Book is being unsealed; the prophecies are being fulfilled and the messages can be proclaimed.
Questions on Character
What makes a defective character? Wrong thoughts and feelings and the sinful actions that grow out of them create a defective character. “If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.” {5T 310} Some people also believe that hereditary tendencies to selfishness or Original Sin cause men to have defective characters from birth.
When does one start having a defective character, and when does one stop having it? Many people believe that we are born with defective characters because of our sinful natures inherited from Adam; therefore a defective character starts at birth. The defective character is taken away at the Marriage when God cleanses the spots and blemishes and takes away our sinful natures. Read the rest of this entry »
Daniel 9:25
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Daniel 9:25
When did the prophecy begin? There were three decrees to “restore and to build Jerusalem” by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes kings of Persia. However it is the third decree by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. that marks the beginning of the 2300 days. “In the seventh chapter of Ezra the decree is found. Verses 12-26. In its completest form it was issued by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, 457 B.C. But in Ezra 6:14 the house of the Lord at Jerusalem is said to have been built “according to the commandment [“decree,” margin] of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” These three kings, in originating, reaffirming, and completing the decree, brought it to the perfection required by the prophecy to mark the beginning of the 2300 years.” {GC 326.3} “…the decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem, which formed the starting point for the period of the 2300 days…” {GC 398.4}.
When does the sanctuary get cleansed? The sanctuary is cleansed at the end of the 2300 days. Since we know that the 2300 days start in 457 B.C., we can subtract: 2300-457=1843. However Jewish years don’t follow the Roman calendar, but rather start and end in our springtime. Thus the 2300 days would extend to the spring of 1844. But–Artaxerxes’ decree went into effect in the fall of 457 B.C., therefore the prophecy would terminate in the fall of 1844. “…the decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem, which formed the starting point for the period of the 2300 days, went into effect in the autumn of the year 457 B.C…. Reckoning from the autumn of 457, the 2300 years terminate in the autumn of 1844.” {GC 398.4} The exact day that the sanctuary began to be cleansed can be found by looking at the Jewish Day of Atonement: “Under the Mosaic system the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the great Day of Atonement, occurred on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month (Leviticus 16:29-34)… The tenth day of the seventh month, the great Day of Atonement, the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, which in the year 1844 fell upon the twenty-second of October, was regarded as the time of the Lord’s coming. This was in harmony with the proofs already presented that the 2300 days would terminate in the autumn, and the conclusion seemed irresistible.” {GC 399.4}
Summary: The 2300 days began with Artaxerxes’ decree in 457 B.C. Simple subtraction would have the prophecy end in 1843; but with adjustments for differences in calendars, the fact that the decree went into effect in the fall, and the date for the Jewish Day of Atonement the final and correct date for the the end of the 2300 days and the cleansing of the sanctuary is October 22, 1844.
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