{Note: See this post for the exegetical and SOP analysis, interpreting and expounding underlying the following prophetic parable.}
After six arduous and toiling years of University-Law School studies, a group of the best law students in a populous metropolitan area gathered early on a Friday morning, by special request due to their exceptional work, in a Convention Center in order to take their bar exam. These students were, provedly and by self-determination, on paper, the very best of their class and school. At the beginning of their studies, all of the students accepted to this prestigious Law School had been defaulty given an incrementally increasing, significant bursary, as the continued to excel in their studies by maintaining a 4.0+ GPA. Student who were not able to maintain this standard were automatically removed from this Rewards Program. By the end of their 2nd year, all the students with still a 4.0+ GPA now also received even more rewarding, and motivating gifts by being relocated downtown into a luxurious, downtown condo, with all housing amenities and expenses paid. Then upon completing their Undergraduate Studies, as they were to embark into more advanced and specialized Graduate legal studies, all remaining excelling students, still maintaining a perfect GPA, were also given an expensive automobile. However, the additional, stated “catch” in all of this, had been that this would cause them to receive a more stringent final test than others in order to be admitted to the bar.
So in order to be ready for this more stringent test, these students tried to be alert to anything that could possibly be used in that special test. The condition also set in this program was that if they failed, they would have to fully return of the gifts, and that, with interest for usury. They all knew this, but not one of them really worried too much about it now as they thought that their high achievements in law school and special attention to details would certainly carry them through this final test, even if it was more stringent than what other students would go through. They were after all, the smartest law students around so this should not be that hard. Also quite known to them, it was the billionaire Mayor of the city, along with the founder of their Law School, who both, having a desire to see social justice being done, and for the Mayor, right in his large city, had partnered with the school to make such an investment in the potential of these top law students. (Indeed the Law School’s founder had himself grown tired and weary of graduates from his school going out into society and rather than helping it, just, self-servingly fending for themselves, with exorbitant, and thus inaccessible, service and hourly fees for most people, all of which greatly veered from the intended sacrificial, benevolent founding purpose of his school.) It was their hope that, with enough graduating students from this program, the returns of these large investments would well surpass their initial capital costs.
So here they were to take this final exam. However, to their surprise, instead of finding the expected individual, carell-like, walled desks, they found 24 large round tables, each seating 24 of the students. This all seemed more like an arrangement for a wedding feast, rather than for a final exam. Each seat had assigned names, and the students were indicated upon entrance exactly where they had been seated. Oddly enough, when all were seated they realized that they were surrounded by students who they were very familiar with from their years of study. Now, for each of the students, an extremely thick binder, also with their names on it, had been placed on the table. In each binder was a stack of 1000 sheets of paper, and when the students opened the binders, they only saw that each of the sheets simply contained the name, photo and contact information of people who lived in this metropolitan area, along with, strangely enough, their yearly income. The binder also included on the first page, a listing of the contact information of all of the students who were seated at the same table. That was all quite odd. Also surprising was the fact that it was actually the city Mayor, himself a former, very successful, lawyer and billionaire businessman, who would be administering the exam. Thus far the testing was certainly not going as expected. How will this all developed??
To further add to the growing confusion, it was now over 2 hours since the long, 7-hour exam session (which included an in-class, on-the-house, full lunch meal provided at the start of the fifth hour) was supposed to have started, yet the administering Mayor had not yet showed up. As a strictly scheduled, timed exam, the students knew of the rule that they could not be held in the exam room beyond the 7-hour time limit that had been set for the exam, and on top of that they were not to be held accountable for any work that they were not able to do because of any late start. So the students just sat in their seats and worried-free, carried on. Some were laughing, others cracking jokes and telling anecdotal stories from their past 6 years of studies. The students had now become so caught up in themselves that none of them noticed that the Mayor had walked into the room and had actually, silently and patiently been standing at the front podium for now half an hour. Finally someone glanced towards the front of the room and noticed him, and became visibly fearful in his sudden visage blood-flushing and blank stiffly stare. Then as it naturally occurs, those around him, seeing his sudden, radical change of demeanor and appearance, also turned to see why he had become so disturbed, and upon also seeing the Mayor, they also became fearful and pale-looking as they too realized that the Mayor had been standing there for a while and had, quite evidently, been bindingly evaluating/judging them. This chain reaction gradually spread throughout the hall. Shortly the whole meeting hall became so quiet that you could actually hear a pencil that accidentally had dropped unto the carpet.
Strangely, even with now complete silence and attention in the hall, the Mayor just stood there, pensively and sternly staring at the students. It seemed that this lasted for an eternity. In fact, a whole quarter hour went by. The students could not understand what was going on. Why was the Mayor, manifestly, so upset with them. After all they had showed up on time for the exam. It was he who was over 2 hours late, and even had not immediately alerted them of his arrival when he entered the room. Furthermore here he was wasting even more time by still not starting the exam. By now, most of the students had begun to make light of the whole situation, and inwardly snickered at the Mayor, and his obviously pointless and futile stance against them. Such delaying was all going to turn out in their favor anyway because the examination rules clearly stated that they had to finish at the set time, with no permitted extension, and they could not be held responsible for a late start that was not their fault. How could they be held liable for any of this, in any way? In fact, if they themselves had been late to the exam, they would not even have been allowed to enter the exam hall. So here they were, all present and on time, pencil in hand, and ready to take their final test, still the Mayor just stood there, quite visibly, disapprovingly and disappointedly, gazing and now even increasingly glaring, at them, as he was now noticeably growing more and more vexed and impatient by the minute.
Finally, after a few additional minutes of silence, the Mayor spoke. However nothing of what the students expected to hear. In fact, all that he said was the terse: “Particularly you all, you most favored ones, are actually not at all ready, nor worthy, to practice law in my jurisdiction.” And with this, he quite dejectedly, just stormed out of the room. The students just sat there, completely confused. How could he say such a thing. They had proved that they were the very best among all law students, even in the entire area, and furthermore they had been found eligible by the set standards and criteria of the bar committee to take this special exam that, if passed, would indeed concretely confirm this worthiness of their. How could he so summarily dismiss them. This made absolutely no sense to them. But here they now were. For some reason, being severely reprimanded and effectively judged and condemned even before they could prove what they had actually learned by writing this exam. As they, normatively, could not leave the room until they had completed their exam, or until the allotted scheduled time had expired, they continued to sit there, occasionally, lowly whispering among themselves, but most of the time in placid, utter consternation.
Well with still more time passing, even with their promised lunch having just been served at noon, and now only a couple of hours left in the schedule exam, some students, who, to try to pass time, had been looking through the thick binder in front of them, began to notice that some of the people profiled on the sheets had a case filing number included in their profile, all with the words “Unresolved” next to it. They suddenly became aware that these people apparently all needed some kind of legal service aid. They shared this observation with others, and everyone indeed agreed that this was most probably what these documents indicated. Then suddenly some of the students, began to recall a short statement that they had read in the voluminous Law Student Handbook that had been given to them at the beginning of their studies. It had been told to them that the Handbook should always be with them throughout their studies, and that they should carefully read it and become familiar with all of its stipulations. Not an easy task as this Handbook was several Sections and pages in length and had several specific stipulations per page. That is, to be precise, 66 Sections, in two major Divisions, one for the Undergraduate Studies, and the other for Graduate Studies, 1189 pages, and over 2,500 lesson stipulations. Still these student followed this introductory directive to their very best. In fact, the sole reason why many of them had become such exceptional students was because they had applied, to the letter, many of the principles and recommendations, stipulated in the book. They also made copious use of the quite valuable, hand-picked, library reference works, from the School’s founder’s own Law Library collection, listed in an accompanying booklet appendix for the book. These works greatly had facilitated their law studies during these past 6 years, especially the last 2 years of advanced and specialized studies.
So valuable and indispensable was this Handbook, that it was synonymously known in the student’s circles, as their “Bible.” But now, some of the students clearly recalled that in the Graduate Studies portion of this Handbook, in Section 40, on page 954 (footnote 31), that it was stated that if they should be chosen to be among the group of elite law students, in order to also successfully pass the final bar exam they should be prepared to take on and efficiently, and as successfully as possible, resolve 10 bona fide Pro Bono cases (as described in Section 42, on page 983 (endnote33)), and successfully litigate them, all within one-year. The earlier they finished, the earlier they would be granted their final grade and be fully admitted to the bar. A similar statement had been made back in the Undergraduate Studies' Section 23, in the main text of page 737 in the Section on: “Prospective Law Work.” While many of these students had read the Handbook from cover to cover, and almost all of them had read the statement in Section 40, they had done so without giving it too much attention, mainly as it had been written in a footnote of that Section on “Pro Bono Work.” It also had been cited with the main text, somewhat general-like statement that: ‘Pro Bono work is an important part of a lawyer’s overall success.’ Many of the students, based upon all of these factors had therefore concluded that this was all merely a suggestively advisory statement and that it really was not binding. They expected that they would first be given their license to work after this written exam and then they could go about their work which could include such pro bono work in their first year as their schedule and finances allowed. With such a rationalization, they also presumed that their license would really not be “limited,” certainly not revoked, even if they did not fully complete this task, and even if their final grade came to be affected by a non-completion, it really would not have a detrimental effect as they would still be practising. Whatever it could mean, they also thought they had met its requirement by the single, curriculum-appointed, actual/real-life, pro bono case that they had undertaken during studies. In any case, should this stipulation be so important to their careers, they surely would be explicitly informed about its binding significance when the time came.
However, while some of the students had also not given this statement much weight before, it indeed now suddenly vividly came back to their minds, along with its probable actual meaning in the light of what these thick binders contained. They suddenly realized that all of the people listed in the binder had incomes that placed them well below the established local poverty line. The wheels then started to turn in their heads and they quickly realized that these were people who were needing some sort of legal aid, which, apparently, most of them had not completely received before. Hence the “Unresolved” caption in many of the profiles. The word then started to spread around the room at what these binders probably could be all about, along with the widely ignored stipulation on page 954 of the Handbook. In preparation for this final exam, they had almost solely focused their attention and studies on its final Section, Section 66, starting on page 1167, the one appropriately enough entitled: “Passing the Bar Exam.” In this Section, it was indeed found a sample of the typical Bar Exam questions, along with the answer key. So all of these students had literally become masters of this final Section and could each pass this typical sample exam, and any other such derived questions. They could also even tutor other students on how to also master it. They thought themselves ready, but here was this virtually ignored, seemingly inconsequential stipulation that was quite evidently preventing them from passing. Obviously they had to meet the requirement in this now clear stipulation. This therefore self-evidently meant that they had to successfully “resolve” these “unresolved” pro bono cases in the binders in front of them. But what about the people who did not have this “status” caption?? Who knows... It was thus that many of the students deductively came to the only possible and logical conclusion here. They logically had to personally contact these listed people and find out exactly what they needed. They also came to the conclusion that spending the now remaining hour and a half in this exam room was technically futile because, in these binders, they effectively had their final test as it was foretold, and the only way to complete it was to go out from here and begin to seek to complete 10 of these obvious prospective pro bono assignments as soon as possible. They therefore had to start by meeting with some of the people in their binders.
These students shared this observation with others around them, and soon this word spread to every table in the room. Quite oddly enough, literally half of the students at each table acknowledged that this conclusion was quite plausible, while the other half rejected the idea as excessively demanding, illogically unnecessary and not the usual manner for test taking as normative in Law Schools. Still, some of the students who had previously, of themselves, begun to also realize this possible implication, naturally, readily agreed with this most logical and Handbook-supported conclusion, and they therefore got up, gathered their personal belongings and set out to leave the room. Others reasoned that, as they were already in the exam hall, as requested, they therefore had to at least wait until the exam’s time expired. They even expected that the Mayor would return before the end of the scheduled time and, at the very least, personally, explicitly and clearly give them any differing directives. So they resolutely remained in their seat. They even, most alarmedly, felt threatened by those who were about to leave, for they thought that their departure could result in a type of “self-fulfilling prophecy”, and thus, to their detriment, be, merely “injunctively”, approved as the right decision. So they tried to dissuade and hindered the other students from leaving. Those standing and departing students tried to reason with these remaining ones, but they would not abandon this view that, to them, made perfect, straightforward sense. In their opinion, as they manifestly were the very best, and also, most privileged, law students around, they could not possibly be treated with such “mystical disdainment”. They reasoned that being in the end of their studies, and in their final exam, then only logical things listed in the end Section of the Handbook, from page 1167 and forward, could, should, and would, now determinatively matter and apply. Furthermore, if anything, to logically really be able to legally, and successfully, litigate this abnormally high number of 10 pro bono cases, they would have to first be somehow accredited attorneys, and for them, to be accredited, even if partially, they had to at least first pass a final written exam. Therefore, such a final exam, and their potential services, which they knew meant so much to the Mayor, would not be so squandered by the supposed use of such a veiled enigma. So they expected, and would wait for, the Mayor to return and corroborate their conclusion. The standing students therefore saw that it was a waste of time to reason with these people who had chosen to effectively ignore the entire Handbook, even if for this lone, but clear, stipulation, which other observed stipulations had help them to get to the point where they are now. So they began to leave the room. To their surprise, the attendants watching the exit doors did not oppose them in any way as they left. In fact they giddily smiled at them, while handing each of them sealed envelope. Eventually all of this group of departing students left the hall.
A little while later, with now about half an hour left in the exam’s scheduled time, the backdoor suddenly, violently swung open and in walked the Mayor. Immediately, a great and loud cheer and applause went up throughout the hall from the remaining students there. They were all so glad to see the returned Mayor, and were also congratulating themselves for having stayed put. The Mayor quickly and authoritatively signaled for complete silence. He then, looking about the room and seeing several empty seats at each of the table from the once seated to capacity room, instructed the students to fill up to capacity as many tables as possible. When this was done, he then signaled to the attendants to clear the remaining 6 tables that were thus now completely empty. He now turned his attention to these students who had stayed behind and strangely, unequivocally, sternly informed them that: ‘they had all proven to be unworthy of being trusted to make critical lawyering decisions in their not seeing, and setting out to do what had been stipulated and what was evidently now needed, as had the other students who already exited the room. Therefore, they were thus not found fit to practice law in his jurisdiction and would have to seek to pass the bar exam elsewhere. They were also reminded that it was legally binding upon them to return, in full, all of the various investments that had been made upon them over the past 6 years, and that, as soon as possible, at the threat of escalated legal actions. With that said, the Mayor abruptly turned and left them room, never to return. (All the while, what none of the students had realized was that, in the two previous periods of seeming exam-administering delay and absenteeism, the Mayor, with the School Founder beside him, had been watching the students via the reception’s hall close-circuit camera system, looking to see who would “get it” and reflect his intentions and ideals during this deliberate test.)
The remaining students all just sat there speechless for a long while. Suddenly a couple of students shot up at the same time from their seats, and almost in unison, and also in matching triumphantly mocking overtones, began to urgedly claimed that ‘the Mayor, who really was not even suppose to administer this final exam vs. the customary Law School founder, actually could not fail them because of the superior School Rule that said that “they were not to be held responsible for delays during the final exam.”’ Seeing this “common” understanding as some sort of a sign, most of the other students enjoined this rallying cry, when, almost just as suddenly, they all seem to simultaneously realize that they had not even been given the applicable written exam. Most apparently the School’s Founder, who had final authority in all of this, was also in on this and manifestly had sent the Mayor to represent him and communicate this message of rebuke. It is then that it became self-confessedly clear to them that they had indeed neglected to fulfill their duty by choosing to trivialize, effectively ignore and not follow up on that one small stipulation. Soon their bewilderment changed to anguish as the weight of what this was going to variously cost them suddenly registered with them. As they were considering this, the schedule ending bell of the final exam suddenly, nonchalantly sounded. This caused many of them to instantly snap in an outburst of anger, feeling now that they had been fooled, used and played. Their now increasing collective clamour for clear answers and even “justice” suddenly swelled into disorderly mob acts, to the point where the Mayor had to call in the services of the local riot squad to bring them under control and forcefully remove them. The riotous overstay of these students which had now extended past midnight, was actually greatly taking away from the preparation time for an actual wedding feast, that of the Mayor himself (his third marriage due to two previous, wife-infidelities separations and divorces, to which the Mayor had twice long-sufferingly waited for these women to return in faithfulness to him before remarrying after these women themselves had first remarried), that had been scheduled for the next evening in this most Grandiose Hall. (Indeed it was absolutely not coincidental that the Law School’s Final Exam had been scheduled in this hall, because the Mayor who had to reserve and rent the hall for two full days for his grand wedding feast and its lengthy preparation, was thus able to save considerable money by also using hall for the exam starting on early Friday morning, with the preparation for the wedding feast scheduled to start right after the end of the Exam at 2 PM.) Many of the riotous students were also arrested and thrown in jail for having gone on to commit various criminal acts, and caused considerable property damage to the Convention Center, and the wedding would apparently also have to be greatly postponed while repairs were made to this spacious and quasi-regal, thus, most fittingly adequate (for the many invited guests), and deservingly appropriate (for the honorable and wealthy, beloved Mayor), Great Hall. The Mayor however, did not let this vexatious turn of event affect his personal plans and wishes as he still went ahead with planned, in comparison, private, Civil ceremonies.
Meanwhile for the students that had left the room earlier, 144 in number, they immediately had set out to contact the people listed in their binders. The envelope they had been handed upon their exit had had a stamped statement on it instructing them to not open the envelope until the date indicated on it, which was exactly one month later. With all of the work they evidently need to do within the specified 1 year, they could not possibly wait, and thus waste this one month of time to first open the envelope and find out what was in it, so they immediately set out on their tasks that very afternoon. Later in the day, then late at the night, they heard from former classmates, friends and in the special late night newscasts, what had transpired following their departure of the Examination Hall and also of the drastic decision made by the returned Mayor. They gladly rejoiced for having taken the right, and timely, decision. They were later, personally congratulated by the Mayor himself in an email message. He also gave them a listing of all of their peers who, like them had passed this initiating part of their Final exam. The very next day, they joyfully set out to begin meeting with their prospective needing clients.
However after meeting with only a few of these people over the next couple of days, they each individually began to realize from these interviews thus far, that these were some of the most complex cases they had ever come across. Some of these prospective clients had managed to begin to get some legal service on their cases, but, for mostly financial reasons, they were either forced to abandon their cases or they were legally resigned by their hired lawyer. That is why their case had been identified as being “unresolved”. The rest of the people without such a status had instead all been outrightly denied any legal help, for also mainly financial reasons when they sought for it. Nonetheless all of these people were still suffering from the various unstoppable, and unrepaired, damages that they had suffered, and still no help was in sight. This situation had come to the attention of the Mayor. Being a former attorney, who had endeavored to do his utmost for anyone who came to him for help, and never had rejected a case for financial reasons, he would have readily himself come to the aid of all of these claiming people in need, but this physically was not possible on his own. Furthermore, the city’s tight budget prevented him from further doing anything in regards to aid these people. With contingency agreements being viewed by him and others as being unethical and immoral for their inherently extorting basis, i.e., “your money or your injustice,” this had been completely banned by him in his jurisdiction. His personal $1.6 billion dollar wealth could help hire lawyers to help some of these needy people, however the complexity of each of the cases would completely drain this fund even before the cases could go to trial, surely leading to case abandonments by the hired lawyers. His only option was therefore to seek to get topnotch lawyers, right out of law school, when they typically were more willing to really help others in legal need. He would therefore invest in them to get them to be, both intellectually, and also, in spirit, the most properly prepared attorneys for such type of professional, complex, pro bono work. As such they would be able to meet this overwhelming legal services need, and that in a timely and successful way. Therefore, working with anyone else, no matter how smart they were, who inherently had not been capable of readily picking up on this after over 6 years of preparation, as these 144 students had, self-evidently was and would be a total waste of an investment. Only the truly, very best, could be entrusted with this complex and demanding task.
So, in the light of these consistently complex and costly cases, the 144 students now found themselves at another crossroad. They could take, what mathematically would be over 11 months to go through the ca. 1000 listings in their binders to see if they could ascertain which were the 10 least costly and/or complex cases and prosecute them, or they just could do their very best with any of the cases, and see if they could resolve as much of the required 10 as possible. Perhaps by more deeply investigating the cases, they could discover something that would result in a quick out-of-court settlement. Whatever the case, each passing day was crucial to them and they therefore had to get to work as soon as possible. So they randomly picked out 10 cases and began to work on them.
Interestingly enough, in various subsequent communications among themselves, they saw that they all had come to the same procedural decision. They soon saw that many of their cases involved similar issues, and therefore to avoid doing costly and time consuming work, they should seek to coordinate their work and pool their resources. Eventually they saw that ultimately their best and most efficient operational option was to legally organize themselves into a Mega Law Firm, with Regional Offices located throughout the metropolitan area. So they therefore established 24 of these Regional Offices with each having 6 law students in them. As for their resource need, they saw that for the ensured and rapid success of their pro bono endeavor, they would seek to profit from the luxurious capital gifts that they had been given by the partnership of the Mayor and their Law School. They therefore, in all lawfulness, subleased their luxurious downtown condos and themselves settle for much less luxurious, but quite comfortable and much cheaper rental units. They also sold the expensive automobiles that had been given to them, and opted to use the quite accessible and efficient public transportation system. Their savings from their bursary also help to meet other financial operational costs. Soon, with all of this much more streamlined, efficient and well-financed organizations, along with their inherent intelligence and their demonstrated, needed, alertness and intuitiveness for such special and complex work, they were in a great position to indeed prolifically do greatly needed work in the area. Indeed after only a couple of weeks at work, in an unprecedented pace, the fearful word around town among their professional peers was that, if they, now being firmly established, ever began to take paid cases like them, they could greatly begin to affect their income due to their evident organizational, operational and intellectual superiority. They could easily become the most prolific and successful Law Firms in the area. The only option to counter them would be for these other Firms to imitate this Mega Law Firm, but they really could not come to do so for various subjective reasons.
Now fully engrossed in their work, the Pro Bono Legal Workers actually forgot to open the envelope that had been given to them earlier when they left the exam hall. Indeed they had inadvertently gone two weeks over that one month delay date. So when this was called to their attention by those who now came to remember this, they all hurriedly sought the envelopes and opened them. As they had suspected, it was a message from the Mayor, however to their initial dismay, they first read that the letter was going to give them counsels and pointers that they should follow and implement in order to successfully complete their given task. It therefore contained a specific compilation listing of actually various quotes and references from all of the books they had been assigned as students, including the works from their exclusively granted collection, which, either implicitly or explicitly, indeed had stated all of the things that they should do towards achieving this career functioning goal. The Mayor also added many new, previously unrevealed personal pointer of his own also along these lines of their expected line of pro bono work. However to their shocking surprise, as the read through these quotes and look up the references, every single thing that was cited, they had actually already fully followed and done, and exactly as it was stated here. From instructions for organizing themselves, pooling resources, freeing up available, profit-generating assets, among other things, they all had already done this just by basically looking at what was needed to be done, what they had at hand or could possibly obtain, and then endeavoring to do all that could be done to meet this need. Many others of these pointers that had already deduced through their shrewd, studious and researched musings and reasonings in trying to make this new challenging endeavor most successful. Some of these statements they had remembered reading although they had not grasped the full applicational import and meaning back then. Some other statements were new discoveries to them. In fact, this was all exactly the “final testing” reasoning and expectation that the Mayor, who was also personally well aware of all of their personal pertinent details, had used in formulating that listing. Also to their surprise, at the very bottom of the list, it was instructed that they should not waste time in seeking to ascertain exactly which of the cases were the least costly and/or complex, because the cases selected for these listings were all the most complex of all pro bono cases. It was also now indicated to them that all of the various gifts, assets and resources from their 432 failing classmates that were already returned were now being fully turned over to them to be used in their work, with the rest to be also given when returned. With this added boost, they were now practically assured of not failing in indeed bringing the required 10 pro bono cases through Justice within that year. Also as a result, they were able to obtain various other resources, and hire supporting services, to complete their required work. Indeed by the end of that year they had managed to successfully litigate their cumulative 1440 required pro bono cases. But on top of this, having completed this task in, surprisingly, just 4 months they all decided to maintain their current arrangements, and even beyond the one year, and continue to seeks to help the remaining listed people in their binder’s listing and such others that would surely come. They even set out to take on the pro bono cases of the law students who had failed their final exam; and to honor, support and reward them for this generous, extended voluntary commitment, the Mayor decided to take out for them, a personal loan on all of his own personal wealth.
Indeed as it was anticipated and also feared by many of their professional peers in the area, they went on to become an absolutely prolific and successful legal organization. However as they only took on pro bono cases, they effectively did not affect the bottomline of other lawyers and Law Firms. In fact, it resulted in a increase in their profits as they would refer any pro bono cases directly to this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm. The work of this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm also brought much needed social justice to the entire metropolitan area, and greatly affected many other various sectors which were being affected and even held down by the existing lack of social fairness leading to many cases of detrimental poverty. In fact, their work had so much benefit on the community as a whole that when a proposition was brought forward in the city council to rightly return to these Lawyers a deserving share in the financial benefits that had come upon the city due to them, the legislation was easily passed with an overwhelming majority. Interestingly enough, because of the way the agreed remuneration was structured, these pro bono Lawyers became some of the highest paid lawyers in the entire country. In fact, soon after, mayors in other large cities with similar “unresolvable” issues, paid them even more money for them to come to their cities and be their Attorney General.
They went on to continue in their line of work for the remainder of their careers. The overall good that they were able to do would have become the stuff of incredible, and unbelievable, legend and folklore had they not been so readily and easily, tangibly observable.
After reading this allegorical “parable”, (only the final segment involving the involvement of riot police was based on a “directly inspired” revelation, i.e., included in a prior vision (cf. here); -[though “dramatic license” was used for this allegory to adapt its actual original GC 631.1-akin revelation (cf. Mar 268.5-6; Luke 4:30|DA 239.3-240.3; GC 631.1-632.2)]), if it is still necessary, in order to grasp its meaning and application, read e.g., Isaiah 58 and Matthew 24:42-25:46; Luke 10:25-42; 12:33-48; along with e.g., the compiled statements from the Spirit of Prophecy in Welfare Ministry pp. 28-65ff + COL 62-69; DA 637-641 and also the posted messages: Testimony to the Church Part 1, Show The World - The Triumphant Church, the Shaking & Sealing Message Post, and the 1888 Message Post. All of these, among other messages, speak for themselves.
The three core parables of Christ in Matt 25 of: The Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13); The Talents (Matt 25:14-30 = Luke 19:11-27) see 1T 197.1; and The Sheep and the Goats (Matt 25:31-46) are part of His ‘package of Eschatological Parables’. These three parable indeed reveal the key “elements” that will assure final victory for God’s people, namely, respectively, the Holy Spirit, a Whole Investment of Given Talents; and Good Works in the form of Humanitarian Works. These are warningly introduced by the consequential parable of the Two (types of) Servants (Matt 24:42-51) followed by those three, ‘“At that time” (Gr. to-te) the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to...” (Matt 25:1) - “For it is just as” (Matt 25:14 - Gr. osper gar) and “But whenever (it is)” (Matt 25:31 - Gr. otan de), thematically detailing/elucidating, parables. (See also the following two versions of a related sermon on these passages by Jesus For Asia ministry director Jon Wood in Faith Camp 2010 [video] & 2011 [video] [site]; and also the 09-08-12 sermon [video] with interesting exegetical insight on the major difference between ‘being “faithful” vs. “fruitful”’ from, pointedly, the second of those parables, by NCC Secretary Marc Woodson; and the 02-11-2007 “I’m in Love” (Part 2) sermon [15:02ff] (mov), -as well as this 11-23-2014 sermon, on Matt 25:31-46 by Francis Chan and also what is truly, budgetarily, involved for a congregation and individuals in ‘loving others as ourselves’ (Matt 22:39)).
Most interestingly enough, Bible and SOP studies show that: (1) the background/Theological basis for Jesus’ ‘Sheep vs Goats’ parable in Matt 25:31-46 was Ezek 34:17-22 (as it reads in the Greek of the LXX which was the version/Bible that was commonly used in NT times); and (2) an angel indicated to EGW that this Ezek 34 passage was related to the violation of the Sabbath (EW 36.2), -and that all in the context of a most pivotal ‘balances weighing’ judgement of the Remnant Church (= LDE 59-60|8T 247-251). And most telling of all, all of these crucial themes are found/brought together in Isa 58. (See this sermon [mp3; cf. a transcript] (and entire series) and blog post by Dwight Nelson which makes a similar Isa 58 & Matt 25 connection.)
After 14.5 months of having been posted in its simple from, as it was always indicated, for the crucial benefit of those who previously didn’t “get” the message here, a more explicit, annotated explanation of this Biblically/SOP-based allegory has been posted below.
They went on to continue in their line of work for the remainder of their careers. The overall good that they were able to do would have become the stuff of incredible, and unbelievable, legend and folklore [Isa 58:12-14=LS 96.3] had they not been so readily and easily, tangibly observable.[Isa 60]To further add to the growing confusion, it was now over 2 hours since the long, 7-hour exam session (which included an in-class, on-the-house, full lunch meal provided at the start of the fifth hour) was supposed to have started, yet the administering Mayor had not yet showed up. As a strictly scheduled, timed exam, the students knew of the rule that they could not be held in the exam room beyond the 7-hour time limit that had been set for the exam, and on top of that they were not to be held accountable for any work that they were not able to do because of any late start. So the students just sat in their seats and worried-free, carried on. Some were laughing, others cracking jokes and telling anecdotal stories from their past 6 years of studies. The students had now become so caught up in themselves that none of them noticed that the Mayor had walked into the room and had actually, silently and patiently been standing at the front podium for now half an hour. Finally someone glanced towards the front of the room and noticed him, and became visibly fearful in his sudden visage blood-flushing and blank stiffly stare. Then as it naturally occurs, those around him, seeing his sudden, radical change of demeanor and appearance, also turned to see why he had become so disturbed, and upon also seeing the Mayor, they also became fearful and pale-looking as they too realized that the Mayor had been standing there for a while and had, quite evidently, been bindingly evaluating/judging them. This chain reaction gradually spread throughout the hall. Shortly the whole meeting hall became so quiet that you could actually hear a pencil that accidentally had dropped unto the carpet.
Strangely, even with now complete silence and attention in the hall, the Mayor just stood there, pensively and sternly staring at the students. It seemed that this lasted for an eternity. In fact, a whole quarter hour went by. The students could not understand what was going on. Why was the Mayor, manifestly, so upset with them. After all they had showed up on time for the exam. It was he who was over 2 hours late, and even had not immediately alerted them of his arrival when he entered the room. Furthermore here he was wasting even more time by still not starting the exam. By now, most of the students had begun to make light of the whole situation, and inwardly snickered at the Mayor, and his obviously pointless and futile stance against them. Such delaying was all going to turn out in their favor anyway because the examination rules clearly stated that they had to finish at the set time, with no permitted extension, and they could not be held responsible for a late start that was not their fault. How could they be held liable for any of this, in any way? In fact, if they themselves had been late to the exam, they would not even have been allowed to enter the exam hall. So here they were, all present and on time, pencil in hand, and ready to take their final test, still the Mayor just stood there, quite visibly, disapprovingly and disappointedly, gazing and now even increasingly glaring, at them, as he was now noticeably growing more and more vexed and impatient by the minute.
Finally, after a few additional minutes of silence, the Mayor spoke. However nothing of what the students expected to hear. In fact, all that he said was the terse: “Particularly you all, you most favored ones, are actually not at all ready, nor worthy, to practice law in my jurisdiction.” And with this, he quite dejectedly, just stormed out of the room. The students just sat there, completely confused. How could he say such a thing. They had proved that they were the very best among all law students, even in the entire area, and furthermore they had been found eligible by the set standards and criteria of the bar committee to take this special exam that, if passed, would indeed concretely confirm this worthiness of their. How could he so summarily dismiss them. This made absolutely no sense to them. But here they now were. For some reason, being severely reprimanded and effectively judged and condemned even before they could prove what they had actually learned by writing this exam. As they, normatively, could not leave the room until they had completed their exam, or until the allotted scheduled time had expired, they continued to sit there, occasionally, lowly whispering among themselves, but most of the time in placid, utter consternation.
Well with still more time passing, even with their promised lunch having just been served at noon, and now only a couple of hours left in the schedule exam, some students, who, to try to pass time, had been looking through the thick binder in front of them, began to notice that some of the people profiled on the sheets had a case filing number included in their profile, all with the words “Unresolved” next to it. They suddenly became aware that these people apparently all needed some kind of legal service aid. They shared this observation with others, and everyone indeed agreed that this was most probably what these documents indicated. Then suddenly some of the students, began to recall a short statement that they had read in the voluminous Law Student Handbook that had been given to them at the beginning of their studies. It had been told to them that the Handbook should always be with them throughout their studies, and that they should carefully read it and become familiar with all of its stipulations. Not an easy task as this Handbook was several Sections and pages in length and had several specific stipulations per page. That is, to be precise, 66 Sections, in two major Divisions, one for the Undergraduate Studies, and the other for Graduate Studies, 1189 pages, and over 2,500 lesson stipulations. Still these student followed this introductory directive to their very best. In fact, the sole reason why many of them had become such exceptional students was because they had applied, to the letter, many of the principles and recommendations, stipulated in the book. They also made copious use of the quite valuable, hand-picked, library reference works, from the School’s founder’s own Law Library collection, listed in an accompanying booklet appendix for the book. These works greatly had facilitated their law studies during these past 6 years, especially the last 2 years of advanced and specialized studies.
So valuable and indispensable was this Handbook, that it was synonymously known in the student’s circles, as their “Bible.” But now, some of the students clearly recalled that in the Graduate Studies portion of this Handbook, in Section 40, on page 954 (footnote 31), that it was stated that if they should be chosen to be among the group of elite law students, in order to also successfully pass the final bar exam they should be prepared to take on and efficiently, and as successfully as possible, resolve 10 bona fide Pro Bono cases (as described in Section 42, on page 983 (endnote33)), and successfully litigate them, all within one-year. The earlier they finished, the earlier they would be granted their final grade and be fully admitted to the bar. A similar statement had been made back in the Undergraduate Studies' Section 23, in the main text of page 737 in the Section on: “Prospective Law Work.” While many of these students had read the Handbook from cover to cover, and almost all of them had read the statement in Section 40, they had done so without giving it too much attention, mainly as it had been written in a footnote of that Section on “Pro Bono Work.” It also had been cited with the main text, somewhat general-like statement that: ‘Pro Bono work is an important part of a lawyer’s overall success.’ Many of the students, based upon all of these factors had therefore concluded that this was all merely a suggestively advisory statement and that it really was not binding. They expected that they would first be given their license to work after this written exam and then they could go about their work which could include such pro bono work in their first year as their schedule and finances allowed. With such a rationalization, they also presumed that their license would really not be “limited,” certainly not revoked, even if they did not fully complete this task, and even if their final grade came to be affected by a non-completion, it really would not have a detrimental effect as they would still be practising. Whatever it could mean, they also thought they had met its requirement by the single, curriculum-appointed, actual/real-life, pro bono case that they had undertaken during studies. In any case, should this stipulation be so important to their careers, they surely would be explicitly informed about its binding significance when the time came.
However, while some of the students had also not given this statement much weight before, it indeed now suddenly vividly came back to their minds, along with its probable actual meaning in the light of what these thick binders contained. They suddenly realized that all of the people listed in the binder had incomes that placed them well below the established local poverty line. The wheels then started to turn in their heads and they quickly realized that these were people who were needing some sort of legal aid, which, apparently, most of them had not completely received before. Hence the “Unresolved” caption in many of the profiles. The word then started to spread around the room at what these binders probably could be all about, along with the widely ignored stipulation on page 954 of the Handbook. In preparation for this final exam, they had almost solely focused their attention and studies on its final Section, Section 66, starting on page 1167, the one appropriately enough entitled: “Passing the Bar Exam.” In this Section, it was indeed found a sample of the typical Bar Exam questions, along with the answer key. So all of these students had literally become masters of this final Section and could each pass this typical sample exam, and any other such derived questions. They could also even tutor other students on how to also master it. They thought themselves ready, but here was this virtually ignored, seemingly inconsequential stipulation that was quite evidently preventing them from passing. Obviously they had to meet the requirement in this now clear stipulation. This therefore self-evidently meant that they had to successfully “resolve” these “unresolved” pro bono cases in the binders in front of them. But what about the people who did not have this “status” caption?? Who knows... It was thus that many of the students deductively came to the only possible and logical conclusion here. They logically had to personally contact these listed people and find out exactly what they needed. They also came to the conclusion that spending the now remaining hour and a half in this exam room was technically futile because, in these binders, they effectively had their final test as it was foretold, and the only way to complete it was to go out from here and begin to seek to complete 10 of these obvious prospective pro bono assignments as soon as possible. They therefore had to start by meeting with some of the people in their binders.
These students shared this observation with others around them, and soon this word spread to every table in the room. Quite oddly enough, literally half of the students at each table acknowledged that this conclusion was quite plausible, while the other half rejected the idea as excessively demanding, illogically unnecessary and not the usual manner for test taking as normative in Law Schools. Still, some of the students who had previously, of themselves, begun to also realize this possible implication, naturally, readily agreed with this most logical and Handbook-supported conclusion, and they therefore got up, gathered their personal belongings and set out to leave the room. Others reasoned that, as they were already in the exam hall, as requested, they therefore had to at least wait until the exam’s time expired. They even expected that the Mayor would return before the end of the scheduled time and, at the very least, personally, explicitly and clearly give them any differing directives. So they resolutely remained in their seat. They even, most alarmedly, felt threatened by those who were about to leave, for they thought that their departure could result in a type of “self-fulfilling prophecy”, and thus, to their detriment, be, merely “injunctively”, approved as the right decision. So they tried to dissuade and hindered the other students from leaving. Those standing and departing students tried to reason with these remaining ones, but they would not abandon this view that, to them, made perfect, straightforward sense. In their opinion, as they manifestly were the very best, and also, most privileged, law students around, they could not possibly be treated with such “mystical disdainment”. They reasoned that being in the end of their studies, and in their final exam, then only logical things listed in the end Section of the Handbook, from page 1167 and forward, could, should, and would, now determinatively matter and apply. Furthermore, if anything, to logically really be able to legally, and successfully, litigate this abnormally high number of 10 pro bono cases, they would have to first be somehow accredited attorneys, and for them, to be accredited, even if partially, they had to at least first pass a final written exam. Therefore, such a final exam, and their potential services, which they knew meant so much to the Mayor, would not be so squandered by the supposed use of such a veiled enigma. So they expected, and would wait for, the Mayor to return and corroborate their conclusion. The standing students therefore saw that it was a waste of time to reason with these people who had chosen to effectively ignore the entire Handbook, even if for this lone, but clear, stipulation, which other observed stipulations had help them to get to the point where they are now. So they began to leave the room. To their surprise, the attendants watching the exit doors did not oppose them in any way as they left. In fact they giddily smiled at them, while handing each of them sealed envelope. Eventually all of this group of departing students left the hall.
A little while later, with now about half an hour left in the exam’s scheduled time, the backdoor suddenly, violently swung open and in walked the Mayor. Immediately, a great and loud cheer and applause went up throughout the hall from the remaining students there. They were all so glad to see the returned Mayor, and were also congratulating themselves for having stayed put. The Mayor quickly and authoritatively signaled for complete silence. He then, looking about the room and seeing several empty seats at each of the table from the once seated to capacity room, instructed the students to fill up to capacity as many tables as possible. When this was done, he then signaled to the attendants to clear the remaining 6 tables that were thus now completely empty. He now turned his attention to these students who had stayed behind and strangely, unequivocally, sternly informed them that: ‘they had all proven to be unworthy of being trusted to make critical lawyering decisions in their not seeing, and setting out to do what had been stipulated and what was evidently now needed, as had the other students who already exited the room. Therefore, they were thus not found fit to practice law in his jurisdiction and would have to seek to pass the bar exam elsewhere. They were also reminded that it was legally binding upon them to return, in full, all of the various investments that had been made upon them over the past 6 years, and that, as soon as possible, at the threat of escalated legal actions. With that said, the Mayor abruptly turned and left them room, never to return. (All the while, what none of the students had realized was that, in the two previous periods of seeming exam-administering delay and absenteeism, the Mayor, with the School Founder beside him, had been watching the students via the reception’s hall close-circuit camera system, looking to see who would “get it” and reflect his intentions and ideals during this deliberate test.)
The remaining students all just sat there speechless for a long while. Suddenly a couple of students shot up at the same time from their seats, and almost in unison, and also in matching triumphantly mocking overtones, began to urgedly claimed that ‘the Mayor, who really was not even suppose to administer this final exam vs. the customary Law School founder, actually could not fail them because of the superior School Rule that said that “they were not to be held responsible for delays during the final exam.”’ Seeing this “common” understanding as some sort of a sign, most of the other students enjoined this rallying cry, when, almost just as suddenly, they all seem to simultaneously realize that they had not even been given the applicable written exam. Most apparently the School’s Founder, who had final authority in all of this, was also in on this and manifestly had sent the Mayor to represent him and communicate this message of rebuke. It is then that it became self-confessedly clear to them that they had indeed neglected to fulfill their duty by choosing to trivialize, effectively ignore and not follow up on that one small stipulation. Soon their bewilderment changed to anguish as the weight of what this was going to variously cost them suddenly registered with them. As they were considering this, the schedule ending bell of the final exam suddenly, nonchalantly sounded. This caused many of them to instantly snap in an outburst of anger, feeling now that they had been fooled, used and played. Their now increasing collective clamour for clear answers and even “justice” suddenly swelled into disorderly mob acts, to the point where the Mayor had to call in the services of the local riot squad to bring them under control and forcefully remove them. The riotous overstay of these students which had now extended past midnight, was actually greatly taking away from the preparation time for an actual wedding feast, that of the Mayor himself (his third marriage due to two previous, wife-infidelities separations and divorces, to which the Mayor had twice long-sufferingly waited for these women to return in faithfulness to him before remarrying after these women themselves had first remarried), that had been scheduled for the next evening in this most Grandiose Hall. (Indeed it was absolutely not coincidental that the Law School’s Final Exam had been scheduled in this hall, because the Mayor who had to reserve and rent the hall for two full days for his grand wedding feast and its lengthy preparation, was thus able to save considerable money by also using hall for the exam starting on early Friday morning, with the preparation for the wedding feast scheduled to start right after the end of the Exam at 2 PM.) Many of the riotous students were also arrested and thrown in jail for having gone on to commit various criminal acts, and caused considerable property damage to the Convention Center, and the wedding would apparently also have to be greatly postponed while repairs were made to this spacious and quasi-regal, thus, most fittingly adequate (for the many invited guests), and deservingly appropriate (for the honorable and wealthy, beloved Mayor), Great Hall. The Mayor however, did not let this vexatious turn of event affect his personal plans and wishes as he still went ahead with planned, in comparison, private, Civil ceremonies.
Meanwhile for the students that had left the room earlier, 144 in number, they immediately had set out to contact the people listed in their binders. The envelope they had been handed upon their exit had had a stamped statement on it instructing them to not open the envelope until the date indicated on it, which was exactly one month later. With all of the work they evidently need to do within the specified 1 year, they could not possibly wait, and thus waste this one month of time to first open the envelope and find out what was in it, so they immediately set out on their tasks that very afternoon. Later in the day, then late at the night, they heard from former classmates, friends and in the special late night newscasts, what had transpired following their departure of the Examination Hall and also of the drastic decision made by the returned Mayor. They gladly rejoiced for having taken the right, and timely, decision. They were later, personally congratulated by the Mayor himself in an email message. He also gave them a listing of all of their peers who, like them had passed this initiating part of their Final exam. The very next day, they joyfully set out to begin meeting with their prospective needing clients.
However after meeting with only a few of these people over the next couple of days, they each individually began to realize from these interviews thus far, that these were some of the most complex cases they had ever come across. Some of these prospective clients had managed to begin to get some legal service on their cases, but, for mostly financial reasons, they were either forced to abandon their cases or they were legally resigned by their hired lawyer. That is why their case had been identified as being “unresolved”. The rest of the people without such a status had instead all been outrightly denied any legal help, for also mainly financial reasons when they sought for it. Nonetheless all of these people were still suffering from the various unstoppable, and unrepaired, damages that they had suffered, and still no help was in sight. This situation had come to the attention of the Mayor. Being a former attorney, who had endeavored to do his utmost for anyone who came to him for help, and never had rejected a case for financial reasons, he would have readily himself come to the aid of all of these claiming people in need, but this physically was not possible on his own. Furthermore, the city’s tight budget prevented him from further doing anything in regards to aid these people. With contingency agreements being viewed by him and others as being unethical and immoral for their inherently extorting basis, i.e., “your money or your injustice,” this had been completely banned by him in his jurisdiction. His personal $1.6 billion dollar wealth could help hire lawyers to help some of these needy people, however the complexity of each of the cases would completely drain this fund even before the cases could go to trial, surely leading to case abandonments by the hired lawyers. His only option was therefore to seek to get topnotch lawyers, right out of law school, when they typically were more willing to really help others in legal need. He would therefore invest in them to get them to be, both intellectually, and also, in spirit, the most properly prepared attorneys for such type of professional, complex, pro bono work. As such they would be able to meet this overwhelming legal services need, and that in a timely and successful way. Therefore, working with anyone else, no matter how smart they were, who inherently had not been capable of readily picking up on this after over 6 years of preparation, as these 144 students had, self-evidently was and would be a total waste of an investment. Only the truly, very best, could be entrusted with this complex and demanding task.
So, in the light of these consistently complex and costly cases, the 144 students now found themselves at another crossroad. They could take, what mathematically would be over 11 months to go through the ca. 1000 listings in their binders to see if they could ascertain which were the 10 least costly and/or complex cases and prosecute them, or they just could do their very best with any of the cases, and see if they could resolve as much of the required 10 as possible. Perhaps by more deeply investigating the cases, they could discover something that would result in a quick out-of-court settlement. Whatever the case, each passing day was crucial to them and they therefore had to get to work as soon as possible. So they randomly picked out 10 cases and began to work on them.
Interestingly enough, in various subsequent communications among themselves, they saw that they all had come to the same procedural decision. They soon saw that many of their cases involved similar issues, and therefore to avoid doing costly and time consuming work, they should seek to coordinate their work and pool their resources. Eventually they saw that ultimately their best and most efficient operational option was to legally organize themselves into a Mega Law Firm, with Regional Offices located throughout the metropolitan area. So they therefore established 24 of these Regional Offices with each having 6 law students in them. As for their resource need, they saw that for the ensured and rapid success of their pro bono endeavor, they would seek to profit from the luxurious capital gifts that they had been given by the partnership of the Mayor and their Law School. They therefore, in all lawfulness, subleased their luxurious downtown condos and themselves settle for much less luxurious, but quite comfortable and much cheaper rental units. They also sold the expensive automobiles that had been given to them, and opted to use the quite accessible and efficient public transportation system. Their savings from their bursary also help to meet other financial operational costs. Soon, with all of this much more streamlined, efficient and well-financed organizations, along with their inherent intelligence and their demonstrated, needed, alertness and intuitiveness for such special and complex work, they were in a great position to indeed prolifically do greatly needed work in the area. Indeed after only a couple of weeks at work, in an unprecedented pace, the fearful word around town among their professional peers was that, if they, now being firmly established, ever began to take paid cases like them, they could greatly begin to affect their income due to their evident organizational, operational and intellectual superiority. They could easily become the most prolific and successful Law Firms in the area. The only option to counter them would be for these other Firms to imitate this Mega Law Firm, but they really could not come to do so for various subjective reasons.
Now fully engrossed in their work, the Pro Bono Legal Workers actually forgot to open the envelope that had been given to them earlier when they left the exam hall. Indeed they had inadvertently gone two weeks over that one month delay date. So when this was called to their attention by those who now came to remember this, they all hurriedly sought the envelopes and opened them. As they had suspected, it was a message from the Mayor, however to their initial dismay, they first read that the letter was going to give them counsels and pointers that they should follow and implement in order to successfully complete their given task. It therefore contained a specific compilation listing of actually various quotes and references from all of the books they had been assigned as students, including the works from their exclusively granted collection, which, either implicitly or explicitly, indeed had stated all of the things that they should do towards achieving this career functioning goal. The Mayor also added many new, previously unrevealed personal pointer of his own also along these lines of their expected line of pro bono work. However to their shocking surprise, as the read through these quotes and look up the references, every single thing that was cited, they had actually already fully followed and done, and exactly as it was stated here. From instructions for organizing themselves, pooling resources, freeing up available, profit-generating assets, among other things, they all had already done this just by basically looking at what was needed to be done, what they had at hand or could possibly obtain, and then endeavoring to do all that could be done to meet this need. Many others of these pointers that had already deduced through their shrewd, studious and researched musings and reasonings in trying to make this new challenging endeavor most successful. Some of these statements they had remembered reading although they had not grasped the full applicational import and meaning back then. Some other statements were new discoveries to them. In fact, this was all exactly the “final testing” reasoning and expectation that the Mayor, who was also personally well aware of all of their personal pertinent details, had used in formulating that listing. Also to their surprise, at the very bottom of the list, it was instructed that they should not waste time in seeking to ascertain exactly which of the cases were the least costly and/or complex, because the cases selected for these listings were all the most complex of all pro bono cases. It was also now indicated to them that all of the various gifts, assets and resources from their 432 failing classmates that were already returned were now being fully turned over to them to be used in their work, with the rest to be also given when returned. With this added boost, they were now practically assured of not failing in indeed bringing the required 10 pro bono cases through Justice within that year. Also as a result, they were able to obtain various other resources, and hire supporting services, to complete their required work. Indeed by the end of that year they had managed to successfully litigate their cumulative 1440 required pro bono cases. But on top of this, having completed this task in, surprisingly, just 4 months they all decided to maintain their current arrangements, and even beyond the one year, and continue to seeks to help the remaining listed people in their binder’s listing and such others that would surely come. They even set out to take on the pro bono cases of the law students who had failed their final exam; and to honor, support and reward them for this generous, extended voluntary commitment, the Mayor decided to take out for them, a personal loan on all of his own personal wealth.
Indeed as it was anticipated and also feared by many of their professional peers in the area, they went on to become an absolutely prolific and successful legal organization. However as they only took on pro bono cases, they effectively did not affect the bottomline of other lawyers and Law Firms. In fact, it resulted in a increase in their profits as they would refer any pro bono cases directly to this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm. The work of this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm also brought much needed social justice to the entire metropolitan area, and greatly affected many other various sectors which were being affected and even held down by the existing lack of social fairness leading to many cases of detrimental poverty. In fact, their work had so much benefit on the community as a whole that when a proposition was brought forward in the city council to rightly return to these Lawyers a deserving share in the financial benefits that had come upon the city due to them, the legislation was easily passed with an overwhelming majority. Interestingly enough, because of the way the agreed remuneration was structured, these pro bono Lawyers became some of the highest paid lawyers in the entire country. In fact, soon after, mayors in other large cities with similar “unresolvable” issues, paid them even more money for them to come to their cities and be their Attorney General.
They went on to continue in their line of work for the remainder of their careers. The overall good that they were able to do would have become the stuff of incredible, and unbelievable, legend and folklore had they not been so readily and easily, tangibly observable.
After reading this allegorical “parable”, (only the final segment involving the involvement of riot police was based on a “directly inspired” revelation, i.e., included in a prior vision (cf. here); -[though “dramatic license” was used for this allegory to adapt its actual original GC 631.1-akin revelation (cf. Mar 268.5-6; Luke 4:30|DA 239.3-240.3; GC 631.1-632.2)]), if it is still necessary, in order to grasp its meaning and application, read e.g., Isaiah 58 and Matthew 24:42-25:46; Luke 10:25-42; 12:33-48; along with e.g., the compiled statements from the Spirit of Prophecy in Welfare Ministry pp. 28-65ff + COL 62-69; DA 637-641 and also the posted messages: Testimony to the Church Part 1, Show The World - The Triumphant Church, the Shaking & Sealing Message Post, and the 1888 Message Post. All of these, among other messages, speak for themselves.
The three core parables of Christ in Matt 25 of: The Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13); The Talents (Matt 25:14-30 = Luke 19:11-27) see 1T 197.1; and The Sheep and the Goats (Matt 25:31-46) are part of His ‘package of Eschatological Parables’. These three parable indeed reveal the key “elements” that will assure final victory for God’s people, namely, respectively, the Holy Spirit, a Whole Investment of Given Talents; and Good Works in the form of Humanitarian Works. These are warningly introduced by the consequential parable of the Two (types of) Servants (Matt 24:42-51) followed by those three, ‘“At that time” (Gr. to-te) the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to...” (Matt 25:1) - “For it is just as” (Matt 25:14 - Gr. osper gar) and “But whenever (it is)” (Matt 25:31 - Gr. otan de), thematically detailing/elucidating, parables. (See also the following two versions of a related sermon on these passages by Jesus For Asia ministry director Jon Wood in Faith Camp 2010 [video] & 2011 [video] [site]; and also the 09-08-12 sermon [video] with interesting exegetical insight on the major difference between ‘being “faithful” vs. “fruitful”’ from, pointedly, the second of those parables, by NCC Secretary Marc Woodson; and the 02-11-2007 “I’m in Love” (Part 2) sermon [15:02ff] (mov), -as well as this 11-23-2014 sermon, on Matt 25:31-46 by Francis Chan and also what is truly, budgetarily, involved for a congregation and individuals in ‘loving others as ourselves’ (Matt 22:39)).
Most interestingly enough, Bible and SOP studies show that: (1) the background/Theological basis for Jesus’ ‘Sheep vs Goats’ parable in Matt 25:31-46 was Ezek 34:17-22 (as it reads in the Greek of the LXX which was the version/Bible that was commonly used in NT times); and (2) an angel indicated to EGW that this Ezek 34 passage was related to the violation of the Sabbath (EW 36.2), -and that all in the context of a most pivotal ‘balances weighing’ judgement of the Remnant Church (= LDE 59-60|8T 247-251). And most telling of all, all of these crucial themes are found/brought together in Isa 58. (See this sermon [mp3; cf. a transcript] (and entire series) and blog post by Dwight Nelson which makes a similar Isa 58 & Matt 25 connection.)
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[Isa 6:9-11 & Matt 15:15-16]
After six arduous and toiling years [Typologically, the Great Controversy’s (GC) 4000OT+2000NT years (e.g., 3SG 92) - 7th year “Sealing”] of University-Law School studies [= “Testimony of Jesus” to guide Remnant (Rev 12:1; 17) to properly understand God's Ten Commandments (cf. Isa 42:21; Matt 5:17; 7:12; 22:37-40) and Old-New Covenant (John 1:17, Gal 3:24)], a group of the best law students [current Seventh-day Adventists (SDA)] in a populous metropolitan area [the World greatly influenced by the Christian “First World”] gathered early on a Friday morning [6th day of week ~near end of week in time], by special request [Lamb’s Supper Invitation (Rev 19:9)] due to their exceptional work [overall, and relative to, the rest of Christian World (CHR)], in a Convention Center [the various, typical, periodic SDA grand convocations (cf. here) all having the same underlying/fundamental convening reason of trying to “Finish the Work”] in order to take their bar exam. These students were, provedly and by self-determination, on paper [SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs], the very best of their class and school. At the beginning of their studies, all of the students accepted to this prestigious Law School had been defaulty given an incrementally increasing, significant bursary [Heaven’s Gifts and Blessing], as they continued to excel in their studies by maintaining a 4.0+ GPA [Righteous Works]. Student who were not able to maintain this standard were automatically removed from this Rewards Program [non-Remnant Church Christians]. By the end of their 2nd year [Typologically: the forming of Israel - Creation to Abraham’s Birth-Call (ca. 1950-1875B.C.) = Millerites to SDA (1840's-1863)], all the students with still a 4.0+ GPA now also received even more rewarding, and motivating gifts [increased Blessings by God] by being relocated downtown into a luxurious, downtown condo, with all housing amenities and expenses paid. [Israel’s Promise Land = SDA Institutional Establishments] Then upon completing their Undergraduate Studies [Typ: 4000OT years = pre 1888 Message SDA’s], as they were to embark into more advanced and specialized Graduate legal studies [NT/New Covenant Era - Post 1888 SDA’s], all remaining excelling students still maintaining a perfect GPA, [acceptance of Christ’s Righteousness] were also given an expensive automobile. [NT/NC = Outreach to world = SDA’s ca. 1888 Global Expansion/Mission Advance] However, the additional, stated, “catch” in all of this, had been that this would cause them to receive a more stringent final test than others[SDA Prophesied Sealing and Shaking Event] in order to be admitted to the bar.[Principle of God’s Judgement in relation to Gifts, Blessings, Opportunties bestowed (8T 247)] So in order to be ready for this more stringent test, these students tried to be alert to anything that could possibly be used in that special test. The condition also set in this program was that if they failed, they would have to fully return of the gifts, and that, with interest for usury.[cf. Rev 2:5] They all knew this, but not one of them really worried too much about it now [SDA present self-assurance] as they thought that their high achievements in law school [All Ten Commandment proclaiming] and special attention to details [more indepth Biblical Understandings vs. CHR] would certainly carry them through this final test [their currently understood of End-Time/Final Events], even if it was more stringent than what other students would go through.[= The Shaking] They were after all, the smartest law students around so this should not be that hard. Also quite known to them, it was the billionaire Mayor of the city, [represents Jesus Christ - Eph 1:20-23] along with the founder of their Law School [Faithful and True Witness... (Rev 3:14) & Testimony of Jesus = SOP (Rev 12:17+19:10)], who both, having a desire to see social justice being done, and for the Mayor, right in his large city [a (capitalistically-dominated, -i.e., by First World influence) World], had partnered with this school to make such an investment in the potential of these top law students.[Christ tangibly leading of the Remnant Church through the guiding/safeguarding Prophetic Gift] (Indeed the Law School’s founder[SOP warnings and Counsels] had himself grown tired and weary of graduates from his school going out into society and rather than helping it, just, self-servingly fending for themselves, with exorbitant, and thus inaccessible, service and hourly fees for most people, all of which greatly veered from the intended sacrificial, benevolent founding purpose of his school. [Christ’s SOP-included safeguards against detrimental and rampantly pervasive, Gospel-opposing, (Protestant) Capitalistic ideology and influence, also adhered to in SDA Circles]) It was their hope that, with enough graduating students from this program, the returns of these large investments would well surpass their initial capital costs.[Special gifts and revelations GC’s limitations]
So here they were to take this final exam.[Manifested/Allowed “Signs” of the End (cf. EW 38)] However, to their surprise, instead of finding the expected individual, carell-like, walled desks,[current SDA Final Events understanding as solely|merely: scattered-flock, individual faithfulness and “intellectual” testing, hiding in country/mountains vs. any corporate/collective duty and responsibility] they found 24 [=12+12 OT+NT, God’s Israel-Church leadership, supposed to be fully reflected in SDA Churches] large round tables[=Church members fellowship and collaboration], each seating 24 of the students[=Church Members (cf. RH March 19, 1895 {LDE 173.3})]. This all seemed more like an arrangement for a wedding feast [=Rev 19:9 (cf. Matt 22:1-14) -Heaven-like Celebration], rather than for a final exam[Final Event’s “Final Conflict”]. Each seat had assigned names[needed character(s) in each Church], and the students were indicated upon entrance exactly where they had been seated. Oddly enough, when all were seated they realized that they were surrounded by students who they were very familiar with from their years of study.[=’familiar ties and setting need not to be disrupted] Now, for each of the students, an extremely thick binder[3T 511.1-512.1ff], also with their names on it, had been placed on the table. In each binder was a stack of 1000 [=symbolically, ”many”] sheets of paper, and when the students opened the binders, they only saw that each of the sheets simply contained the name, photo and contact information of people who lived in this metropolitan area, along with, strangely enough, their yearly income.[People in the world in, inevitably, economically-derived vital need] The binder also included on the first page, a listing of the contact information of all of the students who were seated at the same table.[Naturally Expected Church cooperative work to meet these needs] That was all quite odd. Also surprising was the fact that it was actually the city Mayor, himself a former[John 1:14], very successful[Heb. 4:15], lawyer[1Jo 2:1] and billionaire[Jam. 1:5] businessman[Matt 28:18], who would be administering the exam[John 5:22; 2 Cor 5:10]. Thus far the testing was certainly not going as expected. How will this all developed??
To further add to the growing confusion, it was now over 2 hours since the long, 7-hour[= typological, eschatological “week of end-time” representation - +2 hours = Abraham’s Birth/Call | 1840's-1863 SDA doctrinal shaping and prophetic understanding | SDA Church Net’ 95+ Global Evangelism Heightening] exam session (which included an in-class, on-the-house, full lunch meal provided at the start of the fifth hour)[=Advent and Sacrifice of Christ at end of ca. 4000 years = Realistically heightened Advent Expectancy (e.g., Acts 1:6) | ca. 1888 Message (LDE 199-201) | ca. 9/11 Events (9T 14)] was supposed to have started,[current SDA’s long-expected start of Final Event priorly, popularly believed to be in ca. 1996 (=end of “6000 years” with an [inaccurate] 4 B.C. date for Christ’s Birth] yet the administering Mayor had not yet showed up.[no manifested, prophesied Final Events starting] As a strictly scheduled, timed exam,[SDA’s unbiblical “known future” Theological View...] the students knew of the rule that they could not be held in the exam room beyond the 7-hour time limit that had been set for the exam,[... = SDA’s ‘signs = “Sure, ‘Even at the Door’, end’ doctrinal/prophetic understanding] and on top of that they were not to be held accountable for any work that they were not able to do because of any late start.[SDA’s false belief/understanding of the Latter Rain i.e, Latter Rain impels one into final works/actions’ (contra. LDE 192-196)] So the students just sat in their seats and worried-free, carried on. Some were laughing, others cracking jokes and telling anecdotal stories from their past 6 years of studies.[indifferently and obliviously, unconcerned attitude of Church in face of perceivable, increasing delay] The students had now become so caught up in themselves that none of them noticed that the Mayor had walked into the room[EW 48-52; 81-83] and had actually, silently[4SP 459.1a {Rev 6:15-17}] and patiently[2 Pet 3:9] been standing at the front podium for now half an hour.[type of Rev 8:1/EW 16] Finally someone glanced towards the front of the room and noticed him, and became visibly fearful in his sudden visage blood-flushing and blank stiffly stare[4SP 459.1a {Rev 6:15-17}]. Then as it naturally occurs, those around him, seeing his sudden, radical change of demeanor, also turned to see why he had become so disturbed, and upon also seeing the Mayor, they also became fearful and pale-looking as they too realized that the Mayor had been standing there for a while and had, quite evidently, been bindingly evaluating/judging them.[OHC 139.2-5] This chain reaction gradually spread throughout the hall. Shortly the whole meeting hall became so quiet[4SP 459.1a {Rev 6:15-17}] that you could actually hear a pencil that accidentally had dropped unto the carpet.
(Strangely, even with now complete silence and attention in the hall, the Mayor just stood there, pensively and sternly staring at the students. It seemed that this lasted for an eternity. In fact, a whole quarter hour went by. The students could not understand what was going on. Why was the Mayor, manifestly, so upset with them. After all they had showed up on time for the exam. It was he who was over 2 hours late,[late Israel creation | Millerite/Early SDA Movement Errors | ‘No Latter Rain!’] and even had not immediately alerted them of his arrival when he entered the room. Furthermore here he was wasting even more time by still not starting the exam.[Matt 24:48] By now, most of the students had begun to make light of the whole situation, and inwardly snickered at the Mayor, and his obviously pointless and futile stance against them.[Matt 24:49] Such delaying was all going to turn out in their favor anyway because the examination rules clearly stated that they had to finish at the set time, with no permitted extension,[belief in sure end once (e.g.,) “7 Unmistakable Signs” begin to be seen] and they could not be held responsible for a late start that was not their fault. How could they be held liable for any of this, in any way? In fact, if they themselves had been late to the exam, they would not even have been allowed to enter the exam hall.[Matt 25:10-12] So here they were, all present and on time, pencil in hand, and ready to take their final test, still the Mayor just stood there, quite visibly, disapprovingly and disappointedly, gazing and now even increasingly glaring, at them, as he was now noticeably growing more and more vexed and impatient by the minute.[ExV 21]
Finally, after a few additional minutes of silence, the Mayor spoke. However nothing of what the students expected to hear. In fact, all that he said was the terse: “Particularly you all, you most favored ones, are actually not at all ready, nor worthy, to practice law in my jurisdiction.”[EW 36.2] And with this, he quite dejectedly, just stormed out of the room.)[4SP 459.1-2 {Psa 50}] The students just sat there, completely confused. How could he say such a thing.[Matt 25:45] They had proved that they were the very best among all law students, even in the entire area, and furthermore they had been found eligible by the set standards and criteria of the bar committee to take this special exam that, if passed, would indeed concretely confirm this worthiness of their.[Matt 7:21-23] How could he so summarily dismiss them.[Matt 25:12 (6T 332 (1900) {LDE 173.4})] This made absolutely no sense to them.[Matt 25:44] But here they now were. For some reason, being severely reprimanded and effectively judged and condemned even before they could prove what they had actually learned by writing this exam.[i.e., demonstrating understanding of learned spiritual issues in Final Conflict] As they, normatively, could not leave the room until they had completed their exam, or until the allotted scheduled time had expired,[SDA Belief in ‘known and unchangeable future’ = ‘sure end’] they continued to sit there, occasionally, lowly whispering among themselves, but most of the time in placid, utter consternation.
Well with still more time passing, even with their promised lunch having just been served at noon,[Establishment of Gospel Era | ‘“passing” of 2300 days time’ | start of “mystical” year 2000/21st century] and now only a couple of hours left in the schedule exam,[Expected Imminent Return of Christ | Sunday Law Movements | 9/11 Event and Geo-Political Aftermath] some students, who, to try to pass time, had been looking through the thick binder in front of them, began to notice that some of the people profiled on the sheets had a case filing number included in their profile, all with the words “Unresolved” next to it. They suddenly became aware that these people apparently all needed some kind of legal service aid.[=people in, inevitably economically-related need] They shared this observation with others, and everyone indeed agreed that this was most probably what these documents indicated. Then suddenly some of the students, began to recall[=Holy Spirit\Latter Rain start = Matt 25:7, 8 & John 14:26; 16:7-15] a short statement that they had read in the voluminous Law Student Handbook[The Bible] that had been given to them at the beginning of their studies. It had been told to them that the Handbook should always be with them throughout their studies, and that they should carefully read it and become familiar with all of its stipulations. Not an easy task as this Handbook was several Sections and pages in length and had several specific stipulations per page. That is, to be precise, 66 Sections[Bible Books], in two major Divisions, one for the Undergraduate Studies[OT], and the other for Graduate Studies[NT], 1189 pages[No. of Chapters in whole Bible], and over 2,500 lesson stipulations[ca. number of distinct topical sections in Bible (not ca 35,000 verses) = Bible Outline]. Still these student followed this introductory directive to their very best. In fact, the sole reason why many of them had become such exceptional students was because they had applied, to the letter, many of the principles and recommendations, stipulated in the book.[=SDA Doctrines] They also made copious use of the quite valuable, hand-picked, library reference works, from the School’s founder’s own Law Library collection, listed in an accompanying booklet appendix for the book.[=Spirit Of Prophecy (SOP) Book] These works greatly had facilitated their law studies during these past 6 years, especially the last 2 years of advanced and specialized studies.[GC Developments during Church History]
So valuable and indispensable was this Handbook, that it was synonymously known in the student’s circles, as their “Bible.” But now, some of the students clearly recalled that in the Graduate Studies of this Handbook, in Section 40 [=book of Matthew], on page 954 [=Ch. 25] (footnote 31)[=(quasi-parable) starting in verse 31], that it was stated that if they should be chosen to be among the group of elite law students,[Matt 7:12; 22:34-40] in order to successfully pass the final bar exam they should be prepared to take on and efficiently, and as successfully as possible, resolve 10 bona fide Pro Bono cases (as described in Section 42 [=Luke], on page 983 [=Ch. 10] (endnote 33)[=(parable) vs. 33]), and successfully litigate them, all within one-year. The earlier they finished, the earlier they would be granted their final grade and be fully admitted to the bar.[Luke 10:37; Matt 24:14] A similar statement had been made back in the Undergraduate Studies’ Section 23 [=Isaiah], in the main text [=not a parable, but plain statement, from God Himself no less] of page 737 [=Ch. 58] in the Section on: “Prospective Law Work.”[=’Fully Keeping the Sabbath’] While many of these students had read the Handbook from cover to cover, and almost all of them had read the statement in Section 40 [Matt 25:31-46], they had done so without giving it too much attention, mainly as it had been written in an footnote[=quasi-parable] of that Section on“Pro Bono Work.”[Christ’s mandate towards the needy] It also had been cited with the main text, somewhat general-like statement that: ‘Pro Bono work is an important part of a lawyer’s overall success.’[=the semi-straightforwardness of this “quasi-parable”] Many of the students, based upon all of these factors had therefore concluded that this was all merely a suggestively advisory statement and that it really was not binding.[=Popular SDA understanding of Matt 25:31-46 = their token humanitarian works] They expected that they would first be given their license to work [i.e., non-sensically, first traslanted to Heaven in Second Coming(?!?) thus their “Advent preaching/profession” utmost priority’ message] after this written exam[=Final Events/Conflict, i.e., Mark of the Beast event] and then they could go about their work which could include such pro bono work in their first year as their schedule and finances allowed.[again, mindlessly/non-sensically, ‘after/through the various perfects of Heaven(?1?)] With such a rationalization, they also presumed that their license would really not be “limited,” certainly not revoked, even if they did not fully complete this task, and even if their final grade came to be affected by a non-completion, it really would not have a detrimental effect as they would still be practising.[=living in Heaven/New Earth where there will no longer be any of such needs] Whatever it could mean, they also thought they had met its requirement by the single,[=1 of 10] curriculum-appointed, actual/real-life pro bono case that they had undertaken during studies.[= through solely returning a tithe] In any case, should this stipulation be so important to their careers, they surely would be explicitly informed about its binding significance when the time came.[=expected post-SOP prophetic revelation is this was to be the case]
However, while some of the students had also not given this statement much weight before, it indeed now suddenly vividly came back to their minds,[many SOP statements and counsels of such Biblical imperatives e.g. Welfare Ministry pp. 28-65ff + COL 62-69] along with its probable actual meaning in the light of what these thick binders contained.[i.e., God’s full Gospel and Sabbatical mandate in the light of current world needs] They suddenly realized that all of the people listed in the binder had incomes that placed them well below the established local poverty line.[=the world’s poor] The wheels then started to turn in their heads and they quickly realized that these were people who were needing some sort of legal aid, which, apparently, most of them had not completely received before.[=people in need of vital resources but who cannot afford them according to the current capitalistically-driven/weighted market prices, set by First World countries (ca. 10%-15% of world’s population)] Hence the “Unresolved” caption in many of the profiles. The word then started to spread around the room at what these binders probably could be all about, along with the widely ignored stipulation on page 954 of the Handbook [=the united message in Matt 24:42-25:46]. In preparation for this final exam, they had almost solely focused their attention and studies on its final Section, Section 66 [=Revelation], starting on page 1167 [=Ch. 1], the one appropriately enough entitled: “Passing the Bar Exam.”[=Prophecies for the End] In this Section, it was indeed found a sample of the typical Bar Exam questions [end-time prophecies], along with the answer key[=prophetic symbology/Biblical interpreting]. So all of these students had literally become masters of this final Section and could each pass this typical sample exam, and any other such derived questions.[=historical prophecies] They could also even tutor other students on how to also master it.[=SDA Prophecy Seminars] They thought themselves ready, but here was this virtually ignored, seemingly inconsequential stipulation that was quite evidently preventing them from passing.[Matt 25:45, 46] Obviously they had to meet the requirement in this now clear stipulation. This therefore self-evidently meant that they had to successfully “resolve” these “unresolved” pro bono cases in the binders in front of them. But what about the people who did not have this “status” caption?? Who knows... It was thus that many of the students deductively came to the only possible and logical conclusion here. They logically had to personally contact these listed people and find out exactly what they needed. They also came to the conclusion that spending the now remaining hour and a half in this exam room was technically futile because, in these binders,[=Luke 19:13 - ‘Gospel “mandate” “transaction” till the end and not idle “Signs watching” and “Sunday Law awaiting”’] they effectively had their final test as it was foretold,[Matt 25:31-33ff] and the only way to complete it was to go out from here and begin to seek to complete 10 of these obvious prospective pro bono assignments as soon as possible.[i.e. within this 7th year (period) of their extending study. For the same spiritual reason why there was no command to observe the Sabbath in Genesis, there is no command to engage in this Sabbatical work in seeking to meet all of the needs of others. (=PP 47ff - In order to ‘“free-willedly” acknowledge and revere the (1) wisdom and (2) benevolence of God’s character and the (3) justice of His requirements - cf. additional Sabbath views in this S. Bohr sermon)] They therefore had to start by meeting with some of the people in their binders.
These students shared this observation with others around them, and soon this word spread to every table[=Church] in the room. Quite oddly enough, literally half of the students at each table acknowledged that this conclusion was quite plausible, while the other half rejected the idea as excessively demanding, illogically unnecessary and not the usual manner for test taking as normative in Law Schools.[understanding in large part of Church of need to do something about needy people, as expressed in SOP, though nothing is actually, significantly done] Still, some of the students who had previously, of themselves, begun to also realize this possible implication, naturally, readily agreed with this most logical[=vitally humanitarian] and Handbook-supported[=Biblical] conclusion, and they therefore got up, gathered their personal belongings and set out to leave the room.[cf. start of “Impressive Dream” Journey in 2T 594ff] Others reasoned that, as they were already in the exam hall,[end times] as requested,[“fulfilling signs” thus Matt 16:3; Luke 21:28] they therefore had to at least wait until the exam’s time expired.[= the loopingly circular ‘waiting for the signs’] They even expected that the Mayor would return before the end of the scheduled time [“imminent, “Even at the Door” return] and, at the very least, personally, explicitly and clearly give them any differing directives.[clear SOP statement] So they resolutely remained in their seat. They even, most alarmedly, felt threatened by those who were about to leave, for they thought that their departure could result in a type of “self-fulfilling prophecy”, and thus, to their detriment, be, merely “injunctively”, approved as the right decision. So they tried to dissuade and hindered the other students from leaving.[RH, May 27, 1890 par. 6] Those standing and departing students tried to reason with these remaining ones, but they would not abandon this view that, to them, made perfect, straightforward sense.[=the refusal in Church to engge in more deeply rooted exegetical studies which naturally reveals more advanced truths and expected practices, particularly with the Sabbath - = ‘ unrefuteable, truthful, fuller understanding of the Sabbath’; ‘time of trouble (commencing within the Church itself)’; ‘being filled with the Holy Spirit’(Matt 25:7, 8 & John 14:26; 16:7-15) “enraged Churches & nominal Adventists” EW 33] In their opinion, as they manifestly were the very best, and also, most privileged, law students around,[the “Prophetic” Chosen, Remnant Church] they could not possibly be treated with such “mystical disdainment”.[God wouldn’t so “hide” a message against them in the prophecies of the Bible - however, e.g. Ezek 9] They reasoned that being in the end of their studies, and in their final exam, then only logical things listed in the end Section of the Handbook, from page 1167 and forward,[Revelation 1:1ff] could, should, and would, now determinatively matter and apply. Furthermore, if anything, to logically really be able to legally, and successfully, litigate this abnormally high number of 10 pro bono cases, they would have to first be somehow accredited attorneys,[=SDA belief on Latter Rain-Loud Cry (e.g. LDE 186, 187] and for them, to be accredited, even if partially, they had to at least first pass some sort of written exam.[=final events unravelling - little time of trouble (EW33.2)] Therefore, such a final exam, and their potential services, which they knew meant so much to the Mayor, would not be so squandered by the supposed use of such a veiled enigma.[Church’s, quasi-blackmailing, self-importance and belief of irrevocability; cf. Broadside2, January 31, 1849 par. 3] So they expected, and would wait for, the Mayor to return[Amos 5:18-24] and corroborate their conclusion.[contra. ChS 228.3 = SDAs continuing to passively, merely profess and await e.g., beginning of Sunday Law indicator to take concrete actions] The standing students[= ‘taking a bold and unyielding stand...’ EW 50.3; cf. 1 Cor 10:12] therefore saw that it was a waste of time to reason with these people who had chosen to effectively ignore the entire Handbook,[1SM 122] even if for this lone, but clear, stipulation, which other observed stipulations had help them to get to the point where they are now.[EW 50.3, TM 399.1 (part of ‘early rain work’ = Acts 2:43-45; 4:32-35) - the Bible’s unequivocally consistent teaching in regards doing all that is possible in order to thoroughly help those in need] So they began to leave the room.[5T 136.2b] To their surprise, the attendants[=angels] watching the exit doors did not oppose them in any way as they left. In fact they giddily smiled at them,[EW 269.2, 272.2] while handing each of them sealed[Dan 12:4, 9-10] envelope.[Christ’s approvingly and supportively, guiding messages, though purposely “hidden” to be only discovered by the faithful and obedient (cf. Matt 13:10-17; Rev 1:1; Eph 4:30; LDE 218-222)] Eventually all of this group of departing students left the hall.[=”Shaken out ones” are not necessarily, as commonly believed, only those who will remain within the current physical Church Organization’ - cf. E.G. Ezek 11:22-23]
A little while later, with now about half an hour[antitype of Rev 8:1/EW 16] left in the exam’s scheduled time, the backdoor suddenly, violently swung open and in walked the Mayor. Immediately, a great and loud cheer and applause went up throughout the hall from the remaining students there. They were all so glad to see the returned Mayor,[thought to be in fulfillment of Second Coming] and were also congratulating themselves for having stayed put. The Mayor quickly and authoritatively signaled for complete silence. He then, looking about the room and seeing several empty seats at each of the table from the once seated to capacity room, instructed the students to fill up to capacity as many tables as possible.[Matt 13:30 - the consolidating of “shaken” Churches; also freeing up other Churches] When this was done, he then signaled to the attendants to clear the remaining 6 tables that were thus now completely empty.[= “other remaining Churches”] He now turned his attention to these students who had stayed behind[cf. Matt 24:39-41] and strangely, unequivocally, sternly informed them that: ‘they had all proven to be unworthy of being trusted to make critical lawyering decisions in their not seeing, and setting out to do what had been stipulated and what was evidently now needed, as had the other students who already exited the room.[=trusted in their own “righteous acts” vs. the ones required by Christ (=Matt 22:1-14 & Rev 19:8; cf. Rev 16:15] Therefore, they were thus not found fit to practice law in his jurisdiction and would have to seek to pass the bar exam elsewhere.[Matt 25:12, 30, 46] They were also reminded that it was legally binding upon them to return, in full, all of the various investments that had been made upon them over the past 6 years, and that, as soon as possible, at the threat of escalated legal actions.[Matt 25:24-28] With that said, the Mayor abruptly turned and left them room, never to return.[EW 79.3; Ezek 11:22-23] (All the while, what none of the students had realized was that, in the two previous periods of seeming exam-administering delay and absenteeism, the Mayor, with the School Founder beside him, had been watching the students via the reception’s hall close-circuit camera system, looking to see who would “get it” and reflect his intentions and ideals during this deliberate test.) [COL 69 & Christ’s limiting of SOP revelations and guidance until “light” already revealed through EGW is first truly acted upon.]
The remaining students all just sat there speechless for a long while. Suddenly a couple of students shot up at the same time from their seats, and almost in unison, and also in matching triumphantly mocking overtones,[commoness of/in reaction is considered to be an inspired act] began to urgedly claimed that ‘the Mayor, who really was not even suppose to administer this final exam vs. the customary Law School founder[=SOP’s “Charting and Detailing of Final Events], actually could not fail them because of the superior School Rule[reverential worship of world systems, namely Capitalism - 5T 81] that said that “they were not to be held responsible for delays during the final exam.”’[= ‘God possibly could not, and/or should not, have retracted “umistakable” signs of the times] Seeing this “common” understanding as some sort of a sign,[cf. ExV 43.1] most of the other students knee-jerkly enjoined this rallying cry, when, almost just as suddenly, they all seem to simultaneously realize that they had not even been given the applicable written exam.[halted/“diffused” Final Event Signs] Most apparently the School’s Founder, who had final authority in all of this,[Biblical authority of the Testimony of Jesus/SOP, which includes all that Jesus has said and desires vs. the SDA’s effective common view of SOP being distinct and superior to Christ’s own statements, particularly in regards to end time requirements and Gospel mandate - however truly following the Counsels of the SOP/TofJ = fully obeying Jesus] was also in on this and manifestly had sent the Mayor to represent him and communicate this message of rebuke.[SOP’s actual most implied, though veiledly, drawing back to Christ’s (Humanitarian) Gospel mandate] It is then that it became self-confessedly clear to them that they had indeed neglected to fulfill their duty by choosing to trivialize, effectively ignore, and not follow up on that one small stipulation.[non full compliance to Matt 25:31-46] Soon their bewilderment changed to anguish as the weight of what this was going to variously cost them suddenly registered with them.[Rev 6:15-17; 4SP 460.1-3] As they were considering this, the schedule ending bell of the final exam suddenly, nonchalantly sounded.[EW 79.2] (This caused many of them to instantly snap in an outburst of anger, feeling now that they had been fooled, used and played. Their now increasing collective clamour for clear answers and even “justice” suddenly swelled into disorderly mob acts, to the point where the Mayor had to call in the services of the local riot squad to bring them under control and forcefully remove them. The riotous overstay of these students which had now extended past midnight, was actually greatly taking away from the preparation time for an actual wedding feast, that of the Mayor himself )[= typologically mirrors spirit and acts of Gog and Magog in such frenzied and irate behavior, and desperation attacks, on God’s Israel, even after the Second Coming Rev 20:7-14 - GC 662-678] (his third marriage due to two previous, wife-infidelities separations and divorces, to which the Mayor had twice long-sufferingly waited for these women to return in faithfulness to him before remarrying after these women themselves had first remarried), that had been scheduled for the next evening in this most Grandiose Hall.[=God’s/Christ’s attempts with Ancient Israel (ca. 1875 B.C. (Abraham’s Call) - 31 A.D.), then the NT Church (31 A.D.-1840's), and now, with the established Remnant & SDA Church Organization (1840's-1999)] (Indeed it was absolutely not coincidental that the Law School’s Final Exam had been scheduled in this hall, because the Mayor who had to reserve and rent the hall for two full days for his grand wedding feast and its lengthy preparation, was thus able to save considerable money by also using hall for the exam starting on early Friday morning, with the preparation for the wedding feast scheduled to start right after the end of the Exam at 2 PM.)[potential, even probable, quick resolution of Final Events if Christ’s mandate had readily been obeyed, leading to expected “Sabbath feasting and rest on 7th day] Many of the riotous students were also arrested and thrown in jail for having gone on to commit various criminal acts, and caused considerable property damage to the Convention Center,[=the detrimental affectation of God’s world plans by entrusted SDA Church’s failure(s) leaving work to be done by only a ‘small-er number’ cf. EW 271.1] and the wedding would apparently also have to be greatly postponed[=resulting postponed Second Coming] while repairs were made to this spacious and quasi-regal, thus, most practically adequate (for the many invited guests), and deservingly appropriate (for the honorable and wealthy, beloved Mayor), Great Hall.[=restoration/rebuilding of God’s Glorious Plan, still according to all of his prescribed ways] The Mayor however, did not let this vexatious turn of event affect his personal plans and wishes as he still went ahead with planned, in comparison, private, Civil ceremonies. [God’s undisturbed plans, despite the “damages/frustration” caused by His faithless/disobedient/rebellious people, to still ultimately have His established Israel positively and significantly impact this world, and that also in temporal matters and not merely “religious” ways (15MR 292, 293; & Gen 12:3; 18:18; 26:4)]
Meanwhile for the students that had left the room earlier, 144 in number,[=Rev 7's 144,000, also ‘sabbatically-sealed’ ones starting with tribe of Judah EW 14, 15] they immediately had set out to contact the people listed in their binders.[potential great multitude - Rev 7:9ff] (The envelope they had been handed upon their exit had had a stamped statement on it instructing them to not open the envelope until the date indicated on it, which was exactly one month later. With all of the work they evidently need to do within the specified 1 year,[7th Sabbatical year] they could not possibly wait, and thus waste this one month of time to first open the envelope and find out what was in it, so they immediately set out on their tasks that very afternoon.)[opposes those in the Church who first want to figure everything out [=waiting for Sunday Law] rather than immediately doing what is right] Later in the day, then late at the night, they heard from former classmates, friends and in the special late night newscasts, what had transpired following their departure of the Examination Hall and also of the drastic decision made by the returned Mayor. They gladly rejoiced for having taken the right, and timely, decision.[EW 270.1] They were later, personally congratulated by the Mayor himself in an email message.[cf. Rev 3:20, 21] He also gave them a listing of all of their peers who, like them had passed this initiating part of their Final exam.[SOP on the (re-)gathering of Elect (e.g., 6T 404.2 - Matt 24:31) leading to Mount Zion organization (Rev 14:1ff)] The very next day, they joyfully set out to begin meeting with their prospective needing clients.[GC 611, 612]
However after meeting with only a few of these people over the next couple of days, they each individually began to realize from these interviews thus far, that these were some of the most complex cases they had ever come across.[=actual non-simplicity involved in truly resolving world’s vital humanitarian problems] Some of these prospective clients had managed to begin to get some legal service on their cases,[attempted life quality improvement through Capitalism’s methods and trickle-down dogma] but, for mostly financial reasons, they were either forced to abandon their cases[=inability of Capitalism to actually come to readily meet vital needs thus allowing these to suffer and/or die] or they were legally resigned by their hired lawyer.[Capitalism’s Law that allows for people to die from preventable and/or resolvable causes if/when money (and not actual resources) runs out or is marketedly insufficient] That is why their case had been identified as being “unresolved”. The rest of the people without such a status had instead all been outrightly denied any legal help,[the world’s many abjectly poor - Third (Developing)/“Fourth” (entrenchedly Destitute) World] for also mainly financial reasons when they sought for it.[futile Capitalistic attempts] Nonetheless all of these people were still suffering from the various unstoppable, and unrepaired, damages that they had suffered, and still no help was in sight. This situation had come to the attention of the Mayor. Being a former attorney, who had endeavored to do his utmost for anyone who came to him for help, and never had rejected a case for financial reasons,[Christ’s modelling ministry during His Incarnation - Matt 4:23; Acts 10:38] he would have readily himself come to the aid of all of these claiming people in need, but this physically was not possible on his own.[Christ’s need to have a Church that accomplishes His works] Furthermore, the city’s tight budget prevented him from further doing anything in regards to aid these people.[=Capitalistically-derived, artificially limiting economy vs. world actual/scientifically-reckoned, resource and material wealth] With contingency agreements being viewed by him and others as being unethical and immoral for their inherently extorting basis, i.e., “your money or your injustice,” this had been completely banned by him in his jurisdiction.[Matt 10:8-10] His personal $1.6 billion dollar wealth[=Christ’s great “bank” of available Spiritual Gifts] could help hire lawyers to help some of these needy people, however the complexity of each of the cases would completely drain this fund even before the cases could go to trial, surely leading to case abandonments by the hired lawyers.[= inapplicability of Spirit Gifts, especially with non-, and/or unBiblical, believers with a Spiritual People through whom they could be put into effect] His only option was therefore to seek to get topnotch lawyers,[trained up a Spiritually minded people] right out of law school,[from the Remnant Church upholding the “full” Sabbath Truth] when they typically were more willing to really help others in legal need.[i.e., before losing this “idealism for justice” once “mingling” in the world] He would therefore invest in them to get them to be, both intellectually, and also, in spirit, the most properly prepared attorneys for such type of professional, complex, pro bono work.[=reflect Christ’s character = God’s (sabbatical) sealing (LDE 219-222)] As such they would be able to meet this overwhelming legal services need, and that in a timely and successful way.[within this allotted sabbatical 7th period = potentially up to entire 7th GC “Week in Time” Millennium] Therefore, working with anyone else, no matter how smart they were, who inherently had not been capable of readily picking up on this after over 6 years of preparation,[=over history of God OT and NT Israel - 1 Cor 10:6-12] as these 144 students had,[sealed ones from God’s Israel] self-evidently was and would be a total waste of an investment. Only the truly, very best, could be entrusted with this complex and demanding task.[e.g., LDE 175.1 (Ms 64, 1898)]
So, in the light of these consistently complex and costly cases, the 144 students now found themselves at another crossroad. They could take, what mathematically would be over 11 months to go through the ca. 1000 listings in their binders to see if they could ascertain which were the 10 least costly and/or complex cases and prosecute them,[= Capitalistic dogma of “incrementally, first merely doing what is readily and profitably achievable and make drastic forward leaps] or they just could do their very best with any of the cases, and see if they could resolve as much of the required 10 as possible.[= “right acts” mixed with divine faith, all to be aided by Christ complimenting assistance if/when needed] Perhaps by more deeply investigating the cases, they could discover something that would result in a quick out-of-court settlement.[i.e., a capitalistic-derived solution!?!] Whatever the case, each passing day was crucial to them and they therefore had to get to work as soon as possible. So they randomly picked out 10 cases and began to work on them.
Interestingly enough, in various subsequent communications among themselves, they saw that they all had come to the same procedural decision.[=actions guided by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:8)] They soon saw that many of their cases involved similar issues, and therefore to avoid doing costly and time consuming work, they should seek to coordinate their work and pool their resources.[contra. Churches current sectarian, and capitalistic approach to meeting world’s various spiritual and (some) temporal needs] Eventually they saw that ultimately their best and most efficient operational option was to legally organize themselves into a Mega Law Firm, with Regional Offices located throughout the metropolitan area.[Biblically-based institutional organization to collaboratively accomplish His work] So they therefore established 24 of these Regional Offices with each having 6 law students in them.[shows that what had transpired occurred during “the Shaking” (Exam hall seperation), despite only 6 of 24 setting out to do the right thing, was sufficient for God] As for their resource need, they saw that for the ensured and rapid success of their pro bono endeavor, they would seek to profit from the luxurious capital gifts that they had been given by the partnership of the Mayor and their Law School.[Church’s Institutional Blessings] They therefore, in all lawfulness, subleased their luxurious downtown condos[=capitalistically-operated institutional assets] and themselves settle for much less luxurious, but quite comfortable and much cheaper rental units[=Biblical Communism/Socialism (Acts 2:43-45; 4:32-35; 2 Cor 8:7-14) re-organization; and Object-Lesson resulting, Egypt-fleeing type of ‘duly profiting capitalization’ (Gen 15:13, 14; Exod 3:20-22; 11:2; 12:35, 36)]. They also sold the expensive automobiles[=capitalistically-dependent global communications means, including capitalistic publshing and works selling] that had been given to them, and opted to use the quite accessible and efficient public transportation system.[less costly and just as efficient, internal, global communications means and non-profiting, more accessible publishing mean] Their savings from their bursary[=individual membership funds beyond the tithe] also help to meet other financial operational costs. Soon, with all of this much more streamlined, efficient and well-financed organizations, along with their inherent intelligence[=Bible-based spiritual understanding] and their demonstrated, needed, alertness and intuitiveness for such special and complex work,[faith-based desire to fulfill all of God’s will by working to increase/double (and not merely consume as some unBiblically advocate) His bestowed blessings (contra. Matt 25:24, 25)] they were in a great position to indeed prolifically do greatly needed work in the area.[resolve both global spiritual and temporal vital needs, even where the current world’s powers today have failed] Indeed after only a couple of weeks at work, in an unprecedented pace, the fearful word around town among their professional peers[e.g. world aid organizations, philanthro-capitalists] was that, if they, now being firmly established, ever began to take paid cases like them,[i.e., adopt a capitalistic profiting approach] they could greatly begin to affect their income due to their evident organizational, operational and intellectual superiority.[achieved capital assets, including human resource ones] They could easily become the most prolific and successful Law Firms in the area.[i.e., a global economic power which would however, out of profiteering necessity, have to exclude the case of poor people] The only option to counter them would be for these other Firms to imitate this Mega Law Firm,[also become so collaborative and live a needs-based vs. luxurious life] but they really could not come to do so for various subjective reasons.[chosen/preferred individualistic, selfish/covetous desires and ambitions]
Now fully engrossed in their work, the Pro Bono Legal Workers[=socio-economic volunteer workers ‘for the (greater) societal good’] actually forgot to open the envelope that had been given to them earlier when they left the exam hall. Indeed they had inadvertently gone two weeks over that one month delay date. So when this was called to their attention by those who now came to remember this, they all hurriedly sought the envelopes and opened them. As they had suspected, it was a message from the Mayor,[Jesus Christ] however to their initial dismay, they first read that the letter was going to give them counsels and pointers that they should follow and implement in order to successfully complete their given task.[Christ’s Counsels (e.g. Rev 3:18) and His guiding, ‘Faithful and True’ SOP Testimony (e.g, Rev 12:17; 19:10)] It therefore contained a specific compilation listing of actually various quotes and references from all of the books they had been assigned as students,[Bible + proper, exegetical Biblical Research Works] including the works from their exclusively granted collection,[=SOP] which, either implicitly or explicitly, indeed had stated all of the things that they should do towards achieving this career functioning goal.[resulting Biblical Truths in regards to fulfilling the exhaustively comprehensive Gospel Commission] The Mayor also added many new, previously unrevealed personal pointer of his own also along these lines of their expected line of pro bono work.[=new “SOP light” and revelations (i.e., e.g., here)] However to their shocking surprise, as the read through these quotes and look up the references, every single thing that was cited, they had actually already fully followed and done, and exactly as it was stated here.[=their righteous (i.e., out of simply always doing what was right), actually Spirit-led, actions (=DA 668.2-4)] From instructions for organizing themselves, pooling resources, freeing up available, profit-generating assets, among other things, they all had already done this just by basically looking at what was needed to be done, what they had at hand or could possibly obtain, and then endeavoring to do all that could be done to meet this need.[=acts of ‘right-doing’] Many others of these pointers that had already deduced through their shrewd, studious and researched musings and reasonings in trying to make this new challenging endeavor most successful.[=new revelation/knowledge that can be obtained through exegetical Biblical studies anchored and guided by an independent desire to truly help all those in need] Some of these statements they had remembered reading although they had not grasped the full applicational import and meaning back then.[known but not fully/properly understood Bible and SOP statements] Some other statements were new discoveries to them.[new/deeper Bible and SOP understandings] In fact, this was all exactly the “final testing” reasoning and expectation that the Mayor, who was also personally well aware of all of their personal pertinent details, had used in formulating that listing.[to see how they would apply their special and idealized education under him = Christ’s expectation of the Church in the light of His intimate knowledge of various bestowed blessings and special revelations (e.g., LS 96.4 on Third Angel’s Message and Sabbath relationship)] Also to their surprise, at the very bottom of the list, it was instructed that they should not waste time in seeking to ascertain exactly which of the cases were the least costly and/or complex, because the cases selected for these listings were all the most complex of all pro bono cases.[expected “right–doing” based action] It was also now indicated to them that all of the various gifts, assets and resources from their 432 failing classmates[cf. LDE 172.1-2] that were already returned were now being fully turned over to them to be used in their work, with the rest to be also given when returned.[=Matt 24:47/Luke 19:24-27] With this added boost, they were now practically assured of not failing in indeed bringing the required 10 pro bono cases through Justice within that year.[=ability to do much more under a “collaborative/cooperative” economy (=Biblical Communism/Socialism) vs. a “competitive/individualistic” one (Capitalism)] Also as a result, they were able to obtain various other resources, and hire supporting services, to complete their required work.[afford market-priced expenses when absolutely needed or for time saving purposes] Indeed by the end of that year they had managed to successfully litigate their cumulative 1440 required pro bono cases. But on top of this, having completed this task in, surprisingly, just 4 months they all decided to maintain their current arrangements, and even beyond the one year, and continue to seeks to help the remaining listed people in their binder’s listing and such others that would surely come.[= the building up of a needed Christlike character that will extend into eternity (cf. COL 69)] They even set out to take on the pro bono cases of the law students who had failed their final exam; and to honor, support and reward them for this generous, extended voluntary commitment, the Mayor decided to take out for them, a personal loan on all of his own personal wealth.[now, no longer limited/withheld further Blessing of Christ to meet all global vital needs as He has always desired and fully planned for, only awaiting a righteous group with which to do such works]
Indeed as it was anticipated and also feared by many of their professional peers in the area, they went on to become an absolutely prolific and successful legal organization. However as they only took on pro bono cases, they effectively did not affect the bottomline of other lawyers and Law Firms.[did not detrimentally affect already selectively sectarian (i.e., mainly First World benefiting) Capitalistic world/economy] In fact, it resulted in a increase in their profits as they would refer any pro bono cases directly to this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm. [Foreign Aid contributions by First World Countries and individual “philantro-capitalists was no longer needed] The work of this Pro Bono Mega Law Firm also brought much needed social justice to the entire metropolitan area, and greatly affected many other various sectors which were being affected and even held down by the existing lack of social fairness leading to many cases of detrimental poverty. [=wider detrimental global/social impact of economic inequalities] In fact, their work had so much benefit on the community as a whole that when a proposition was brought forward in the city council to rightly return to these Lawyers a deserving share in the financial benefits that had come upon the city due to them, the legislation was easily passed with an overwhelming majority. [=immediate, directly opposite, development to Bible/SOP prophesied Death Decree due to this typological Final Conflict (cf. EW 282, 283)] Interestingly enough, because of the way the agreed remuneration was structured, these pro bono Lawyers became some of the highest paid lawyers in the entire country. [Isa 60:3, 5; demonstrated superiority of God’s economic principles vs. the world’s system; cf. Micah 4:1-5] In fact, soon after, mayors in other large cities with similar “unresolvable” issues, paid them even more money for them to come to their cities and be their Attorney General. [Luke 19:17, 19 (= Matt 25:14-30)]
This analogy is a joy to read and lifts my heart. Thank you. Praise our Lord for His Word.
ReplyDelete...a long overdue Amen to that! Indeed all that is really needed is God's Word.
ReplyDeletei.e., "should/would have been needed..."
ReplyDeleteAs a Messenger from God has related: “All the thunders and lightnings of Mount Sinai [Exod. 19:18-20:25ff] cannot move those who will not be moved by the plain truths in the Word of God. Neither would an angel's message move or awake them.” (EW 50.3)
ReplyDelete