The Fuller View of the Shaking (Amos 1:1-{9:9}-9:15)
The eschatological topic in SDA circles of “The Shaking” is one that is copiously treated in the Spirit of Prophecy and indeed its clear meaning of ‘the sifting out of non-genuine Remnant Believers is well and rightly understood.’ However a most significant and determining aspect of this Biblical subject, which is explicitly based on Amos 9:9.[1] Like any statement made in the SOP, and as modelled in the symbolism in the book and prophecies of Revelation, the exact and full meaning of such a Divinely directed statement is only arrived at when the Biblical context of that statement is exegetically examined.
First of all, the Shaking passage in the Bible reads as follows:
“For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As grain is shaken in a sieve, But not a kernel will fall to the ground.” Amos 9:9 (NASB)
This Shaking Event comes after a series of judgement pronouncements which make up the entirety of the message and book of Amos. At this point, judgement on Israel has, through deliberations, been shown to unavoidable and thus this event opens with God Himself coming to effectuate it, ‘standing beside the altar’ (Amos 9:1) and ‘taking command’ (Amos 9:9) for this most delicate and crucial matter.[2]
It is the historical and national context of the Shaking vision of Amos 9 which occurred just before the total disbanding of the Northern Kingdom of Israel that gives us today a knowledge of just what can and will cause an unchanging and just God to execute a similar judgement in His Church. First of all, as explained pervasively throughout this blog, it is clear from the Bible and the SOP that God has given us His Religion and Gospel to ultimately be people who act in a just and righteous way towards others, indeed if we are truly converted and Christlike. But, as the Bible rightly says in 1 Tim 6:10, ‘the love of money is the root of all sort of evil’ and thus it is not surprising to see that in studying the events that led to this “last straw” Shaking judgement in Israel, the socio-economic degradation in Israel was pointedly the main object of God’s displeasure and wrath.
Context of Amos
To better grasp this historical context, the great work of John C. Brunt and Douglas R. Clark, (former faculty members of Walla Walla University’s Religion Department), on the books of, among others, the Old Testament, published the University Press of America, entitled: “Introducing the Bible”[3] is a most valuable resource. As such pertinent sections on the book of Amos (pp. 250-258) are worthily quoted here.
“The book of Amos represents some of the earliest and best of Israel’s prophetic preaching. Readers will not judge its value on the basis of warm and pleasant sentiments because the book carries too serious a message for congeniality. Rather, the prophet moves quickly, directly, and creatively to call Israel to task for its unjust and oppressive treatment of its citizens. The nation stands accused of rampant social injustice, a crime which has captured the attention of Yahweh of Hosts. The Lord “roars from Zion” to announce a devastating judgement on his people; Amos passes that word along with great intensity.” (Ibid. pp. 251-252)
“The book of Amos represents some of the earliest and best of Israel’s prophetic preaching. Readers will not judge its value on the basis of warm and pleasant sentiments because the book carries too serious a message for congeniality. Rather, the prophet moves quickly, directly, and creatively to call Israel to task for its unjust and oppressive treatment of its citizens. The nation stands accused of rampant social injustice, a crime which has captured the attention of Yahweh of Hosts. The Lord “roars from Zion” to announce a devastating judgement on his people; Amos passes that word along with great intensity.” (Ibid. pp. 251-252)
The crux of Amos’ message, who was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, is against social injustices[4] many stemming from socio-economic issues (See e.g., Amos 2:6-8; 5:10-12; 6:4-6; 8:4-6; cf. 1 Tim 6:10) in both the Gentile and “brother” nation’s surrounding Israel; and similarly in Israel itself (i.e., the northern 10 tribes), during a renewed time of kingdom prosperity under the 41-year leadership of king Jeroboam II. It is also said of him that ‘Amos may have been a well-to-do businessman [revolving around his occupation as a sheep/livestock breeder], yet as a fair-minded member of his class in society, he championed the cause of those crushed by wealthy oppressors.’ (Ibid., p. 252).
“In view of the deplorable social conditions, religious and cultic (worship) practices seemed to merit little attention by the prophet. Except for an occasional remark about encroaching idolatry (e.g., Amos 5:5, 25-27), when Amos attacks the worship of Israel, he appears to assault the mixing of any kind of worship with injustice rather than inappropriate worship itself.”[5] (p. 250, 251)
In terms of literary considerations, it is said that: “The book of Amos exhibits a high level of literary skill and artistry. Searching for ways to captivate his audience and rivet its attention on his message, the prophet pulled out all the stops and utilized a wide variety of creative literary forms and techniques. In fact, his consummate skill as a writer sometimes stymies commentators. It is not always clear whether Amos is speaking in a straightforward fashion or with a twist of irony.” ... “In the words of H.W. Wolff, “Amos misses no opportunity to stimulate the ear and the understanding of his audience.” His goal was to capture creatively and artistically the attention of his hearers by capitalizing on the rhetorical power of his speech forms and unforgettably making his point. He succeeded in marvellous fashion.” [See e.g. Amos 3:2; 4:1; 5:19; 9:7, 10]. ... “He skillfully crafted imaginative portraits which triggered powerful emotive impulses, intended to make impossible any attempt to escape his searing words.” ... “All too often the prophet initiated a speech with reference to something sacred to Israel, only to dash it to pieces and turn it on his head.” [e.g. Amos 4:13; 5:8ff; 9:5ff]... “Amos was brilliant in his choice of [speech unit] forms and in the way he typically utilized them to undermine Israel’s misplaced faith in the security of Yahweh’s past acts of salvation and his plans for their future. [e.g. Amos 4:12; 5:18; 6:1]. For this reason, the vast majority of the forms were judgmental or have been creatively transformed into speeches of doom.” Similarly even in the customary ‘judgement sermons/speeches against foreign nations/powers’ which typically “spoke to the community of Yahweh’s people, laying the groundwork for the hope that national and religious enemies would be removed, ... while Amos began his sermons by playing on these expectations, he ended up turning the smoking cannon around and blasting Israel with Yahweh’s broadside against social injustice.’ (Ibid., p. 252-253) (Cf. this post).
In reflective conclusion on the message of Amos, it is said: “In Amos 5:4-6 and 14f the prophet invited Israel to "seek me and live." He took a cultic formula (come to the temple and enter worship with the community of faith) and transformed it to mean: seek social justice so that you might survive the day of the Lord. From Amos' viewpoint, an ongoing covenant relationship with the God of Israel depended upon a return to fair and just treatment of one's fellow human beings and upon God's mercy -the divine "perhaps" of Amos 5:15.”
“Privilege does entail responsibility and peril. As a warning against the easy religion in vogue in many places today, the message of Amos strikes a sharp contrast. Amos' call to faith challenges long held understandings, forces reinterpretations in the light of new situations and makes stringent demands. In keeping with Old Testament faith in general, change does not occur independently or God-it is all relational and depends on God's empowering and molding -nor is reformation simply a mechanistic or legalistic modification as in an alteration one might make to clothing. It is serious business and requires our complete attention and total involvement....”
“Second, and fundamental to the proclamation not only of Amos, but of most of the prophets we confront today, as in the past, the need for energetic commitment to the social well-being of our fellow human beings. This need increases as the global village in which we all live becomes smaller and its citizens are more numerous. Lines separating wealthy and poor continue to widen, deepening further the gulf and thrusting millions of helpless and homeless families into more severe poverty hunger and despair. A resurrected Amos today would be just as repulsed by the injustices protected by political and economic policy in the modem marketplace as he was in the ancient markets of Bethel and Samaria. What Abraham Heschel say about the prophets in general is especially true for Amos: “To us injustice is injurious to the welfare of the people; to the prophets it is a deathblow to existence: to us, an episode; to them, a catastrophe, a threat to the world.”
Question: “What steps should one take to redress instances of social injustice that occur today? Does the prophetic ministry of Amos demand active participation in such efforts?” (Ibid., p. 256, 257)
God’s Attempted Reforms
It is noteworthy to highlight the fact that God did all that was possible to awaken Israel out of their increasingly sound spiritual sleep. Indeed in Amos 4, the various attempts of God are stated as follows:
As seen in Amos 4:6, God first tried to make the people crave for hearing from Him. So He stop speaking to them, probably by not raising up a prophetic voice. However the people chose to go about their way, according to their limited and flawed understanding, rather than seeking a “Thus saith the Lord.” The fact that God saw this “divine silence” as a possible cure for the condition of Israel, strongly suggests that the people were deceivedly thinking that they were doing God’s will. Passages like Amos 5:21-23 shows that the people were “faithfully” performing their religious and cultic obligations. Yet in their self-centered and indifferent ways during this era of temporal prosperity, they evidently felt blessed by God and thus continued unabated in these spurious and actually ungodly ways. God’s attempted redress through silence may then have been by not answering the various individual or public/cultic requests from His people. (cf. Amos 3:14; 8:10) These non-sequitur and quite noticeable non-answers therefore should have led the people realize that something was not right with this situation and should have led to a thorough soul searching.
God then attempted to get the people’s attention by restraining and withholding the most needed “latter” rain (i.e., just before the harvest) (Amos 4:7, 8). Whereas the people, who knew of God’s power over all creation, expected their land to be fruitful through God’s miraculous intervention if and when needed, they instead now experienced a sparsity or total absence of this crucial rain. Also if rain was allowed by God in one city, it would not be given in enough quantity to meet the need of other needy cities. The red lights that should have gone off in the heads of these people was “why is God allowing, and even doing, this?” Why would he act to foil our harvest by not allowing the Latter Rain?? Or why would he cause rain on some areas of the land but not on all of it??? The people should have been led to see that something indeed was wrong in their relationship with God and, if applicable, even looking at the conduct of the cities that received rain should have led them to see why they had been blessed and emulate their manifestly more, or outrightly, righteous ways. However these indeed judged people preferred to naturalistically view things and dismiss this occurrence as perfectly normative, and just in the order of nature, as if the Creator God could had absolutely no power over nature.
With neither of these two acts having brought about the needed self-introspection and reformatory result, God then sent natural calamities that impacted the vital agro-economy productivity of the land. (Amos 4:9) The very vital subsidence of the people became threatened. They therefore should have seen that unless they make a drastic change here, they could end up losing their very lives. However this too did not register with them. And life went on...
God then ramped up the attention getting measures, making them of a most overtly spiritual nature. He proceed to send them Egyptian type plagues. As seen in the book of Revelation (ch. 15 & 16), such plagues are reserved for those who defiantly oppose the cause of God. Indeed in Revelation this Egypt-plague type of judgement is pour out on those who have come to accept the Mark of the Beast in their forehead. This most striking association of this relatively religious faithful community with a nation that had said “who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice??...” (Exod 5:2) should have made Israel shudder and realize the utter dispicableness of their present lifestyle and condition. Yet it also did not.
Finally God gave them His ultimate punishment in a taste of “Hellish” judgement that was given to the cities and people in Sodom and Gomorrah who had gone beyond God’s point of tolerance. (cf. Jude 1:7). Still Israel did not get the most applicable message here (cf. Ezek 16:46-50). And they continued in their ungodly socio-economic ways.
Current Day Parallels
If one is honest about the state of the Church today, they will see a most alarming parallel to these sins of the Amos generation and also with God’s attempt to correct this. These re-manifested sins are discussed in other posts in this blog, however God’s attempted correction of them are here succinctly discussed.
Amos 4:6 - Need of bread (Word of God) - Despite the many advances in Biblical Research done in this Church, there is a gross need for still much more research that indeed can and should be done. This tangibly manifests itself in the Church by many unsatisfactorily answered, if at all, positions and views in the Church. Indeed many people who object to the teachings of the Remnant Church do so out of valid objections. The fact that such crucial difficulties still exist in a Church that has been guided by the light of the Spirit of Prophesy should have led the Church to do a thorough soul-searching to see if they are really living up to their Divine responsibilities in this area, or, as the case factually is, are they simply contended with doing what the worshipfully obeyed economy various allows them to do in the field of Biblical Research.
Amos 4:7-8 - Withholding of Latter Rain and/or universal Rain - There is nothing more perplexing striking than to see a resolute effort to ‘pray down the latter rain” and/or “revive the Church”, honestly/realistically-speaking go unanswered (i.e., as compared to the Apostolic Outpouring). Even more perplexing is that, as commonly believed in the Church, ‘the prophesied end of all things is right at the door.’ So what then is the problem with this striking “pre-harvest” denial?!? Is God Deaf, Indifferent, and/or Distracted or is it that there is something wrong in the Church that is praying for this blessing?? Some have made the claim that ‘the Latter Rain is being poured out in various places in the Global Church and while this may be observedly true, it evidently is not “enough” for all of the Church in its “efforts” to fulfill its mandate. (cf. Matt 25:8, 9). However here, typically/typologically enough, a Church that does not fully, or even at all, understand the “All-Mighty Power” of God in regards to the Theological Issue of ‘God and the Future’ (cf. 2 Pet 3:12a; COL 69.2), giddily glibly (= ‘moronically’) rationalizes these ‘non-developments’ as: ‘this not having had been the “time” for those events to be fulfilled’, as if God not only has no power to affect time as He sees it necessary, but is also overpoweringly bound by any set time.
Amos 4:9 - Vital Economic Calamities (Affectuations of Economic Downturns) - Given that the Church in general and members as individuals so revere world capitalistic economy, God has therefore repeatedly sent warnings to the Church that a dependence upon, and adherence to, such a spurious and ungodly system is not only detrimental to His cause, but also threatening to individual members. Indeed the work of the Church rises and falls with the roller coaster fluctuations of the Economy. Still the Church and individual members resolutely choose to pay obedience to the this system rather than live according to the economic principles of God as stipulated and modelled in the Bible.
What is then left for God to effectuate on the Church, as with the persistently rebellious Israel is to also given them a taste of Egypt-like plague (Amos 4:10) as those that will be poured out on those who will knowingly accept the Mark of the Beast. And then, if still necessary and if God is mercifully willing, the Church will be given its taste of hell fire (Amos 4:11). If none of these produce the necessary reforms in the Church, and it most probably will not, then the Shaking will come and it is not until it is too late that the vast majority of the Church, i.e., those who refuse to walk according to God’s ways, will realize that they have been fighting under the wrong banner. The indifferent ones in the Church who care more about their well-being than the fate of the Church will be purged out. (Amos 6:1-6). And as stated in Amos 5:21-24; 6:12, ‘God desires justice and righteousness rather than religious formalism.’ (cf. 1 Sam 15:22)
Result of Shaking Judgement
It is easy to believe that the Shaking that will cause the chaff to be blown out of the Church will leave the Church intact, however the typological way in which God performed this Shaking in Israel, as seen in Amos 7, should serve as a warning of what to expect. As seen in Amos 7:1-3, trials and testings that most tangibly affect the vital economy of the Church and individual members of the Church is to be expected. Indeed a physical destruction (i.e., as by fire) as related in Amos 7:4-6 which destroyed vast portions of the land of Israel, should be expected in the Church. Indeed in the SOP, these calamites and destructions are amply warned of as the trials and persecutions that will serve to purge the Church. However do not be surprise to see that the Church is not physically, prominently standing as it presently is, but is then after the Shaking, only a very small version of what it now is. In the SOP, this conflict is said to revolve around the Mark of the Beast issue, however as shown throughout this blog, as God’s Sabbath involves much more than a correct day and way of observance, but also these socio-economic aspects, correspondingly so will the Mark of the Beast will involve socio-economic issues.
Another judgement of God is depicted in Amos 7:7-9. For the sake of time and space here, as initially advanced in the Word Biblical Commentary, Amos (Vol 31) p.372 and as more precise studies show, it is not a “plumb line” that is depicted in this passage, but rather a wall made out of an ‘adamant’ (LXX), lead-like (and not “tin”), “untameable” substance, i.e., extremely hard and impenetrable substance. It is this substance that God is holding in His hand while standing on this wall in the midst of Israel. This depiction shows God indicating an inner assaulting siege on Israel that will result in the physical destruction of its cultic institutions (Amos 9:9). Therefore Israel will not be able to counter this assault consisting of this most formidably rigid material. This rigidness also reflects the demeanor of God in this judgement so that he will no longer “pass by” (i.e., mercifully forgive”) Israel even if they asked. Thus God will also be impervious to pleas, persuasion and requests and ‘beyond reason’ (cf. Isa 1:18). The people will suffer the fate of their now fully “ripe” sins (cf. Amos 8:1, 2) and as a punishment (i.e., the result of the Shaking), they will be exiled into foreign land and forever assimilated with them (Amos 7:11, 17).
In the light of this decided national judgement, it can be seen that the Shaking will be done solely to rescue those who are truly faithful in the Church, as seen prior to other total cataclysmic judgements of God. (Amos 9:8) And as stipulated in the SOP, these faithful ones will be those who have priorly been “Sealed” as depicted in Ezekiel 9 (cf. this post). Those in the Church who believe and preach that God Himself will not enter into judgement with the Church will be deceived as to which side is actually doing God’s will in the Church in these times. (Amos 9:10).
The SOP’s Sweeping Shaking Vision and its Biblical Basis
On November 20, 1857 E.G. White wrote out a vision which she had received which involved her, apparently first view of the Amos 9:9 Shaking event. It was apparently first published in the December 31, 1857 Review and Herald (par 1-12) under the title of: “The Future”). However in later republications of it, such as, apparently starting with the next, in 1857 in Testimonies for the Church Vol. 1, T4/Ch. 32 -pp. 179-184) and likewise in 1858 in Spiritual Gifts Vol. 1 (Ch. 32 -pp. 183-188) she entitles it as “The Shaking”; (=1882 - EW 269-273). What is most interesting about this most detailed and sweeping vision which revolves around the Shaking is that a careful study of the events that are sequentially mentioned in it reveals that it was based upon a cross-sectional horizontal sweep of the prophecies in Revelation. As it may be known by SDA’s who have studied the book of Revelation in depth, a scholarly symposium publication by a General Conference commitee on Daniel and Revelation abbreviatedly known as DARCOM has in its Vol. 1 pp. 35-48ff published the study of Kenneth A. Strand which showed in detailed how the book of Revelation and its 8 major visions are deliberately parallely arranged. Nonetheless that book manages to also have a straightforward sequential application to its prophecies, as well as other sequences [6], such as below, horizontally.
The following chart which is based on the Organizational Chart in DARCOM gives a better understanding of this arrangement. (This chart has been updated by me where certain organizational delineations have been shown to be manifestly inexact upon further study).
The following chart which is based on the Organizational Chart in DARCOM gives a better understanding of this arrangement. (This chart has been updated by me where certain organizational delineations have been shown to be manifestly inexact upon further study).
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| Revelation Organization Chart |
A more detailed, summary+verse-by-verse, Section Sub-Segments aligning is done it the following charts:
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| Revelation Chart - Text & Sub-Segments - Summary |
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| Revelation Chart - Text & Sub-Segments - Full |
I. Rev 3:14-22 - Laodicea
II. Rev 7 - 144,000 and their work (Great Multitude)
III. Rev 10:1-11:14 - Seven Thunders and Two Witnesses
IV. Rev 14:1-13 - Three Angels’s Message
V. Rev 16:15, 16 - Assembling of Har-megiddo Forces
VI. Rev 18:1-20 - Call out of Babylon (Other Angel Work - Loud Cry)
VII. Rev 19:19-21 - Final fate of Opposers of Truth
Here, in textual detail is how they are (thematically) sequentially fitted in EGW’s Shaking Vision (The text of EW 269-273 is in bold. Some other pertinent EGW statements in dark blue are quoted when applicable[7] and various in text annotations [in red] and Biblical/SOP-based commentary in regular font also made.)[8]
The Shaking
EW 269-273
(1SG 183-188 (1858))
[See also this related unpublished SOP Vision]
[See also this related unpublished SOP Vision]
I. Rev 3:14-22 - Laodicea
I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their faces would light up with the marks of God's approbation, and again the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them. {EW 269.1}
Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view, that their eyes might be drawn to the darkness that surrounded them, and thus they be led to distrust God and murmur against Him. Their only safety was in keeping their eyes directed upward. Angels of God had charge over His people, and as the poisonous atmosphere of evil angels was pressed around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually wafting their wings over them to scatter the thick darkness. {EW 269.2}
-For a discussion on the prophetic timing of the Shaking, see in this related post (See “The Time of this Third, Prophetic Shut Door” section).
II(a). Rev 7[:1-8] - Sealing of 144,000
As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud.* The angels of God left these and went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. I saw angels of God hasten to the assistance of all who were struggling with all their power to resist the evil angels and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance. But His angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them. {EW 270.1}
* There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. [Matt 24:9-13] It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.--Letter 46, 1887. {LDE 173.1}
On January 26, 1850, Ellen White received a vision (the Oswego, NY Vision - 16MR 30-35 #1190) in which the event of Shaking was pointedly addressed. She says there, and under inspiration:
“The mighty shaking has commenced, and is going on, [= also “will go on” (RH - PT April 1, 1850)] and all will be shaken out who are not willing to take a bold and unyielding stand, and sacrifice for God and His cause. The angel said, "Think ye He will compel any to sacrifice and give up their possessions? No! no! It must be a freewill offering. It will take all to buy the field."”
What is significant in this passage is that, first of all, Ellen White was led to understand that ‘the mighty shaking had commenced and is going/will go on’, thus starting from her day. In a 1902 statement EGW specified that the Shaking would come right after the Sealing of the Faithful in the Church (=Ezekiel's Prophecies in Ch. 8 & 9) as she says:
“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads [= Rev 7:1-8ff] --it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved--just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming (MS 173, 1902)” (4BC 1161).
The Church has traditionally dismissed this expressed view that the Shaking had already commenced in the Church, believing that when it actually occurs it will be quite visibly seen in a marked division in the Church, however that view misses the Spiritual dimension of the Shaking. As EGW has said it has been going on since her day, however due to circumstances of actually a lethargic progress of the entire Church to come into the full light of God’s Truths, the final, divisive fallout has indeed not yet occurred. However, over all of these years, the fault line which will cause this Mighty Final Shaking (cf. Rev 11:13) has been created, and has continued to grow.
In the days of Ellen White, it can be clearly seen, and from her own pen, how she saw that the Church, for the most part, had consistently refused to heed her counsels, warnings and rebukes. (See e.g., 10MR 168-170). That is indeed why the Second Coming, which all Spiritual and Temporal signs show, (and notwithstanding the then hidden, but ongoing, inaccurate theological understanding of God and the Future) was supposed to be effectuated during her lifetime, did not occur. (Ms #4 1883 (Ev 696)). As a result, the light that that generation of SDA had been given to pertinently “Light Up” the world, as the global needs then were, was not increased. And so as darkness continued to spread, and get thicker in the world, this light soon became quite dim in the face of such darkness, even casting various great shadows in the Global Church and its Institutions. So as the “sealing settling” into the Truths of God, theologically, thematically, mainly revolving around a fuller understanding of the Sabbath, was never fully achieved in the Church, the Shaking event that was supposed to follow this “intellectual and spiritual Sealing”, was never completed during the 165+ years of history of the Remnant Movement. Nonetheless, there have been many significant “falling aways” from the Church during these years as people have risen up against mainly distinctive SDA Beliefs, including the really mind-boggling ca. 1300 daily abandoning of the SDA message. Indeed this latter development is illustratively equivalent to one large church of ca. 1300 members leaving the Global Church every single day.
“It will take all to buy the field”
A second most significant point in the statement of EGW on the Shaking quoted above is the exegetical link that the Angel in her vision makes. He directly connects the Shaking Event with the “buying of the field” parable of Jesus Christ (Matt 13:44). Upon a surface reading, such a correlation does not seem to make much exegetical nor logical sense, however Inspiration, in COL 103-114, comes to shed much more light upon what was meant in this lone verse parable. It then can be seen how this comes to be involved in the Shaking Event.
It is said that in this parable ‘the field represents the Holy Scriptures’ and ‘the hidden Treasure represents the Gospel’. This treasure is said to be ‘hidden, but only to those who are not in tune to spiritual things because of their cherished falsehoods and false teachings.’ In that SOP exposition “the Gospel” is prominently referred to according to its “redemptive” aspects which the Jewish leaders in Christ time completely missed due to their spiritual blindness. However as EGW also fully knew and understood, as seen in her writings, the Gospel of Jesus Christ also had a quite tangible humanitarian aspect, stemming from one having fully incorporated its redemptive aspect. This was indeed all concretely manifested in, as Jesus modelled, doing good to others by endeavoring to meet their vital needs. (cf. e.g., Matt 25:31-46).
And so in the prophesied, eschatological Shaking event, it will indeed “take all” to secure the “great treasure” that God has “mysteriously” placed in the Scripture in order to solely be discovered by those who will lovingly obey His Counsels and seek to fully accomplish His Gospel mandate, and that through a full and thorough searching of this “Scripture field”.[9] Indeed once this Scriptural Searching is done, then will all of the hidden treasure of God be unearthed and, as seen below, upon this demarcating line will the Full Shaking Event be effectuated.
“The people of God have been too easily satisfied with mere surface truths. We should search diligently for the deep, eternal, far-reaching truths of God's word. Having found them, we shall joyfully sell all, that we may buy the field.”
--Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 17, pp. 8-13. {CS 244.5}
It is also significant to hear the angel say that ‘God will not “compel” anyone to give to, and of themselves, for this cause. One would readily think here that this solely means that: ‘God will not appear to someone and forcefully tell them to give,’ however there is a converse aspect to this ‘compelling’ that is commonly not at all taken into consideration. To demonstrate by illustration, if a parent asks their child to clean up their messy room, the parent can “compel” the child to obey this demand by either repeatedly making/“confrontedly presenting” it to the child, and/or punishing the child in other felt ways until it is complied with. If however the parent decides not to “compel” the child to obedience in any way, s/he would not only have to refrain from making such persistent, overt requests, but would also have to abstain from imposing any punishment that will make the child understand that they need to obey in order to avoid such adverse consequence. The parent here wants the child to obey out of love for them and also a deeply felt respect for their authority, and not out of any desire to merely avoid punishment.
When it is said that “God will not compel,” it is this “repeated demand” aspect of “compellation” that is readily, and really, solely, thought of. However if God would also engage in pointedly denying all of the prayer requests of His professing, yet disobedient people, even sending adverse, non-normative consequences for this disobedience, they would soon begin to realize that they must obey God simply to avoid all of these adverse effects. In regards to “non-normative” consequences, if, for example, the child in the example above failed their class because they had lost their completed term paper in the mess of their room, that would be a “normative” consequence for their persisted messiness. They would not directly attribute this adverse consequence to having refused to obey their parent, although they could indirectly understand that if they had obey earlier, this would not have occurred. However, if their parent permanently greatly deducts from their allowance until their room is cleaned, that would be a “non-normative” imposed consequence/punishment for their persisted disobedience. As a result, in the prior ‘failed class consequence’ scenario, if the child would chooses to tidy up their room, it would not actually be due to the compelling of their parent. As such, this “reformatory act” would also not be reckoned as being in obedience to their parent, and so it would also not be rewarded by the parent as they may have secretly always wanted to do if this was done by the child. (In the same way, people today who (effectively or indirectly) “do good” do not necessarily do so in obedience to God’s expressed will and demands, nor even out of general/conscientious/desired altruism, and so, are not subject to, even the blessings and salvation “reward” that God has reserved for those who actually, explicitly/worshipfully obey Him. =LDE 219.2-3; cf. PP 470.2; BCL 106.1)
In the Church today, this clearly Divinely-revealed, indeed, in order to be true, “full non-compellation” of God has actually come to lull the Laodicean Church into a false sense of security. Because God duly will, and does, answer prayers made in obedient and genuine faith, though in a “be-it-according-to-your-(also little/lack of)-faith” providing, and because God does not conversely send deserving judgements and calamities upon the Church for not fully walking according to His ways, the Church therefore thinks that its present course is acceptable, and in full harmony with, the will of God. And so it also shuns any call of reform and exhortation to “exalt the standard”, deeming this to be not really necessary. However, as stated by the True Witness to Laodicea, He will only ‘knock at the door of Church Members, leaving them, as with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:28), the option to open the door and invite Him in so that He may “break the bread” with them’ which would all result in the opening of their eyes, confirming all that He had all along been saying to them. (Luke 24:25-32 = Rev 3:20 = John 6:56. As EGW says in TM 116.1: “Those who eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God will bring from the books of Daniel and Revelation truth that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. They will start into action forces that cannot be repressed. The lips of children will be opened to proclaim the mysteries that have been hidden from the minds of men.”). However, what is really going on in behind the GC scene here, as the Angel has clearly related, God is choosing not to engage in compelling His professing People to obey Him, and that either way, i.e., by confrontation or judgement, and that includes the actual beginning of the fulfillment of Final Events, which many are “awaiting” before engaging in more decided action. Final Events will solely begin to be fulfilled as a result/consequence of the faith-based action/advancement of God’s faithful People and not, vice versa, be used to impel them into decided action. These final events are the effect and not the cause.
So merely looking at the surface, Spiritual and Temporal, “peaceful/secure” state of the Global Church today to gauge the approval of God is completely unbiblical and thus misleading. The State of the Church is to be evaluated and judged by how it compares to what the Bible truly teaches, and what God has already stated that He expects her to do.
III. Rev 10:1-11:14 - Seven Thunders and Two Witnesses*
I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people. {EW 270.2}
Commonly in Adventist circles, the Message of the True Witness has been curtailed to be the acceptance of Righteousness by Faith. This is done because solely one of the 5 deficiencies of Laodicea spoken by the True Witness in Rev 3:17, namely the one dealing with Spiritual nakedness which is readily, rightly, identified as having to do with being covered with Christ`s Righteousness. However that is not the full view of that Message, for, in addition to the symbolic allusion to the ‘covering provided by Christ’s righteousness’ (= “naked”), the Laodicean message also includes counsels for the Church’s: ‘moral/behavorial reprehensibility’ (“wretched”); ‘lack of true love and joy’ (“miserable”); ‘worthlessness of misused institutions’ (“poor”); and ‘theologically/spiritually deficient’ (“blind”). The simple message of the Counsel of the True Witness in Rev 3:18 remedies all of these deficiencies as He “advises” (and not “forces”) Laodiceans to buy:
(1) from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and
(2) white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and
(3) eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
Biblically (=Gal 5:5-6; 1 Tim 6:17-19):
(1) ‘Purified gold’ is gold that has been tried with the utmost testing (cf. 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Cor 3:9-15) and is thus much superior to their impure gold and other “currency/wealth” of lesser value which does not pass such “tests”. This “purified gold” would solve Laodicea’s “money problems” making them “rich”.
SOP: “The gold mentioned by Christ, the True Witness, which all must have, has been shown me to be faith and love combined, and love takes the precedence of faith. Satan is constantly at work to remove these precious gifts from the hearts of God's people. All are engaged in playing the game of life. Satan is well aware that if he can remove love and faith, and supply their place with selfishness and unbelief, all the remaining precious traits will soon be skillfully removed by his deceitful hand, and the game will be lost.” (2T 36-37; 18MR 284.4;. HP 110.3; cf. 5MR 121.1)
-“The gold here recommended as having been tried in the fire is faith and love. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure, and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster.” (4T 88.2)
-“The gold tried in the fire is faith that works by love. Only this can bring us into harmony with God. We may be active, we may do much work; but without love, such love as dwelt in the heart of Christ, we can never be numbered with the family of heaven.” (COL 158.2). Indeed this is the standard that Jesus Christ “guaranteed” to all of Heaven that He would manage to achieve in those whom He would redeem from fallen man. (3SP 203.1)
(2) white garments thematically/spiritually parallels the ‘fine, bright and clean linen’ to be worn by the purified bride of Christ, which is (the members of) “the holy city, Jerusalem” (Rev 19:8; 21:9-10). This is raiment/garment is defined as being “the righteous acts of the saints.
SOP: The white raiment is purity of character, the righteousness of Christ imparted to the sinner. This is indeed a garment of heavenly texture, that can be bought only of Christ for a life of willing obedience. (4T 88.2)
(3) “eyesight” in Revelation is symbolically used to represent ‘one’s spirit’ which should be that of God (Rev 5:6). So this is a call to literally ‘change one’s spirit’ by ‘“seeing” things as God sees them,’ (i.e., adjusting/changing one’s “Theological View”, and all by apply the remedying eye salve of this True Witness.
SOP: The eyesalve is that wisdom and grace which enables us to discern between the evil and the good, and to detect sin under any guise. God has given His church eyes which He requires them to anoint with wisdom, that they may see clearly; but many would put out the eyes of the church if they could; for they would not have their deeds come to the light, lest they should be reproved. The divine eyesalve will impart clearness to the understanding. Christ is the depositary of all graces. He says: "Buy of Me." (4T 88.2)
Therefore:
(1) The True Witness is inviting Laodiceans to buy/invest in better “economic” resources/currency. Spiritually, this is an invitation to purchase the spiritual resources of God. Temporally this literally extends into applying the socio-economic principles of God as found in the Bible vs. the world’s current economic dogma and system, as only these ways of God will exponentially increase the tangible riches of the Church with which it can fulfill Christ’s exhaustively comprehensive Gospel Mandate.
(2) Doing what is right in every situation is indeed the greatest need of the Church. That was the fundamental message of Jesus throughout the Gospel. He therefore expects His end time Church to all do such ‘acts of “right doing”’ and that is most tangibly done by doing all that can be both individually and corporately be done to help as many people as possible in the world who are in vital need (Matt 25:31-46); and that includes the 65,000,000+ infants being aborted annually. It is only by being worshipful of the world’s ‘spurious and impure “economic gold”’ that such feasible right acts are not being done.[10]
(3) Putting on the mind of Christ who, most prominently, did not ignore people in need, but set out to help them, will result in the Church no longer being “spiritually blind.”
Indeed it is only through the heeding of these Faith-ful and True Counsels that all of the woes of Laodicea will be remedied. And this is simply done by doing the works that Jesus expects of His followers towards those in need as He insistently and capitally taught in the Gospels. (See also RH, September 16, 1873 & September 4, 1883).[11]
* Cf. This post on the Eschatological application of Rev 11.
IV. Rev 14:1-13 - Three Angels’s Message
I saw that the testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.* {EW 270.3}
* I saw that the third angel is leading out a people and fitting them for translation. They are to be purified through obeying the truth. I saw that a work must be done in your family before God can be well pleased with you. . . . When you are baptized with the third angel's message, the soul-purifying truth for this time will make a separation between you and the world that you have never yet experienced.--Letter 13, 1859, pp. 1, 2. (To "Dear Friends," June 8, 1859.)[Purified by Three Angels’ Message]
As it has been shown throughout this blog, a fuller understanding of God’s Sabbath and the practical ways in which it is to pervasively apply in the believers everyday life, going beyond just ‘the correct day, observed in the correct way,’ is indeed ‘causing the standard to be exalted’ (1T 181/EW 270) from its current creedal/theoretical status quo. When rightly (i.e., exegetically) understood, this fuller meaning has also come to add meaning to the Third Angel’s message. This is to such an extent that this Biblical advancement and development has indeed come to cause a theological, Biblical, spiritual and prophetical “separation” between those who do not see or accept this implication in the Third Angel’s Message, and that mainly because the (capitalistic economic) ways and customs of the world are effectively, if not literally, revered and worship. As walking in the light of this advanced/fuller Sabbatical message will come to indeed fulfill all of the Counsels of the True Witness to the Laodicean, as discussed above, it is duly on this ‘Fuller Sabbatical issue” that the Shaking Event will cruxly, fully come to transpire as prophesied, indeed as seen from its Biblical context in the book of Amos.
In, the 1992 compilation by the E.G. White Estate, LDE 51 under the given “unequivocal” heading: “A New Denomination Not Needed”, the first SOP statement quoted there is the one from 1 SM 179 which is editorially cited there as:
“You will take passages in the Testimonies that speak of the close of probation, of the shaking among God's people, and you will talk of a coming out from this people of a purer, holier people that will arise. Now all this pleases the enemy. . . . Should many accept the views you advance, and talk and act upon them, we would see one of the greatest fanatical excitements that has ever been witnessed among Seventh-day Adventists. This is what Satan wants.”
However in “editorially citing” this passage there, the EGW Estate has done exactly what
EGW had counselled against, by themselves, detrimentally, selectively ‘taking snippets from her testimonies’ to here make her say what she did not actually intend. Indeed in reading the part that the EGW Estate (suspiciously knowingly and/or biasedly) chose to leave out (i.e., the “...” section) it can be seen that EGW never intending to say/mean that: ‘there will never be a need for a new denomination’ and that ‘to the pleasure of the enemy’. To get right to the point here, the key/operative, but omitted word in this entire, originally personal, letter of EGW (1SM 176-185) is: “needlessly” (1SM 179.4). By full contextual definition, this is to be synonymously understood as “non-biblical”. Her controlling concern in this letter was against actions to bring about a new movement that was not rooted in Scriptural/Biblical necessity, but merely upon the non-capital, whimsical personal opinions of man. It therefore is clear that she left open the possibility for a new movement should this be Scripturally, concretely necessitated. And such a Spiritual/Biblical and resulting, also Pragmatic “need” would clearly manifest itself when the current Church and its Institutions, in an all-encompassing way, refuse to follow the clearly revealed and work-corresponding, unfolding (= Dan 12:4; (cf. Dan 12:10) (lit.) - “seek to advanced and (Biblical/Prophetic) knowledge increases”) will of God, opting to continue to follow the ways of the world. Thus this refusal to ‘reform, act and advance’ would literally prevent those who want to do God’s will from being able to do so, and so, in the face of this most explicit Biblical need, a new organization, wholly devoted to fulfilling God’s will, indeed becomes a manifest “need.” Had EGW been saying, as the Church today, as seen in this selective editorializing, generally wants to believe, that ‘God will never establish another movement, no matter how unbiblical the course the Church engages and persists upon,’ that would be a most unbiblical counsel in the light of the many such “replacement” acts of God in the Bible.
So contrary to popular belief, the current Organization of the Remnant Church, currently under the denominational name of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is neither “irrevocable”, “irreplaceable” nor “God’s last possible option.” It can and, if “need be”, will be replaced by a comprehensively “holier” people so that God’s pending redemptive purposes can be fully accomplished as He fully expects. (cf. Isa 55:7-13). So, as EGW says, the key to truly ascertaining and confirming this “need” is the proper Light of the Scripture and not the personal/private opinion of any man, in either an obliviously|defensively, dismissive, or opposingly, in a frivolously|vexatiously dissenting, way.
Restated in more detail and corroboration: SDA’s have desperately tried, (as seen in e.g., here), to defend against the call to separate from the present, “impasse” SDA Church in order to establish a New Remnant Church Organization which will fully carry out God’s/Christ’s will, and they glibly claim that the SOP does not allow for that, but as it was seen in just the quoting above, EGW understood that there could be such a possibility.[12] But the unequivocal fact is that, as time progressed and the SDA Church in her day became more and more lukewarm and even worldly “corrupt”, a deficient/wanting condition that has actually at best been maintained through today, but really has gotten worse, EGW made several statements which veiledly hinted towards such a “needful separation”.
Cases in point, for starters, SDA’s typically prefer to glibly/mantraicly/knee-jerkly cite EGW’s 1886 statement in 2SM 380.2 (=LDE 180.5) that:
“The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.”
to claim that it will be sinners who will someday be shaken out of the SDA Church, but in the light of her subsequent statements, it is manifest that, like the prophet Nathan before David (2 Sam 7:1-8ff) EGW then made a statement of “assumption” (versus one of “commission/commandment - cf. 1 Cor 7:25, 40; 2 Cor 8:10) i.e., according to how she Biblically/Theologically understood things then. And as that 2SM 380.2 statement was made in a December 8, 1886 letter written from Basel, Switzerland to then GC President G.I. Butler and then California Conference President S.N. Haskell, but just three months back she had expressed the understanding that:
‘Through various condoned sins (in the body),“[the SDA Denomination is] in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon[=Ezek 16:48-50], of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, and cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” [=Rev 18:2]’ (21MR 380.1; =Letter 51, 9/6/1886)
Her ensuing 2SM 380.2 statement that ‘such sinners would be shaken out of the Church’ was evidently made in that light. But later on she came to have a deeper understanding of what constitutes sin in the Church, now also including sins of omission, particularly in regards to not doing what is required to accomplish Christ’s comprehensive Gospel commission, and so came her notion of ‘an impasse in the Church towards that objective leading to a necessary separation’.
Indeed her understanding after that gradually was both much spiritually deeper, and also quite diametrically different in regards to what should be done in response to the growing presence of choking tares in the Church; -understandings which are quite more advanced, and contrary to, what SDA’s today, including the EGW Estate, are complacently/glibly claiming and believing:
To those who think that God is irrevocably pleased with the Church in its Laodicean state:
“The church is in the Laodicean state. The presence of God is not in her midst”. (1NL 99 (1898) =LDE 49.1)
“Will the churches heed the Laodicean message? Will they repent, or will they, notwithstanding that the most solemn message of truth--the third angel's message--is being proclaimed to the world, go on in sin? This is the last message of mercy, the last warning to a fallen world. If the church of God becomes lukewarm, it does not stand in favor with God any more than do the churches that are represented as having fallen and become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (19MR 176.1 =Letter 35, 1898, p. 6-7)
Indeed Rev 3:16!!...a judgment due to unrepentance that is distinct from what God does with Babylon (2SM 66.2).
“The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."” (TM 265.1; =Letter 35, 1898).
SDA’s, -encouraged by their facilitating and/or condoning leaders (cf. 4T 210.4-5), do not see that such counsel apply to the artificial and worshipful worldly (Capitalistic) principles, policies and customs through which they futilely aim to manage and conduct the work of God, but really do so in order to self-servingly and/or profitably expend those God-given blessings merely themselves.
“The Lord has established among us institutions of great importance, and they are to be managed, not as worldly institutions are managed, but after God's order. They are to be managed with an eye single to his glory, that by all means perishing souls may be saved. To the people of God the testimonies of the Spirit have come, and yet many have not taken heed to reproofs, warnings, and counsels.” (RH, August 1, 1893 par. 7; see also par. 8-13, -in fact, that entire article.)
The Church is not to allow either these hindering practices, nor the tares which want to maintain them to remain and reign in the Church:
“"Ye shall know them by their fruits." Even the tares have a lesson to teach. They are of Satan's sowing, and if left unchecked, spoil the wheat by their rank growth.” (SpM 186.4|8T 326.3)
Gospel Order is “God’s appointed way” (TM 46.1) through which tares are to be removed from the Church, but such Church Discipline is so lacking, defective and/or ignored by the Church’s leadership that these tares are allowed to flourish and “naturally” corrupt and choke up the whole work of the Church.
The “True people of God”, those who are truly reflecting the character of Christ, pointedly in sacrificially working to meet the Spiritual and Physical need of others (cf. DA 825.4) are to “pull apart” from those tares:
“Jesus reveals the Father's character, publishes the Father's grace, and in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position, for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself. The wheat is being bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in bundles ready to burn. Decided positions will be taken. Satan will move upon minds that have been indulged, upon men who have always had their own way, and anything presented to them in counsel or reproof to change their objectionable traits of character is considered faultfinding, binding them, restraining them, that they cannot have liberty to act themselves. The Lord in great mercy has sent messages of warning to them, but they would not listen to reproof. Like the enemy who rebelled in heaven, they do not like to hear, do not correct the wrong they have done but become accusers, declaring themselves misused and unappreciated.” (1888 995.1-2)
But the realistic thing is that this may require these faithful ones to actually pull apart from the SDA Church organization if it is, at it indeed is, the vast majority of SDA members which are these hindering and choking up tares.
EGW understood the crux of the issue revolving around love which is directly opposed by various shades of selfishness.
“The prophet John impressed upon the people the necessity of their profession being accompanied with good works. [1 John 3:13-19ff] Their words and actions would be their fruit, and would determine the character of the tree. If their works were evil, the truth of God would testify against them. God would in no wise excuse sin in a people who had been enlightened, even if he had, in their days of faithfulness and purity, loved them, and given them especial promises. These promises and blessings were always upon condition of obedience upon their part.” (2SP 54.1)
And EGW consistently understood, and quite deliberately pointed out, that such a rejection from God was similar to what Christ pronounced on cities which rejected His message in despite of all the bright light that they had about it: Matt 11:21-25. See RH, August 1, 1893 par. 5 (LDE 48.2)
Contrary to what SDA’s idolatrously claim, there is no safety in remaining in the Church merely because it has the “name” Seventh-Day Adventist:
“"And now also," said the prophet, "the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot save the tree from destruction. John declared to the Jews that their standing before God was to be decided by their character and life. Profession was worthless. If their life and character were not in harmony with God's law, they were not His people.” (DA 107.1) =Rev 3:1ff
“Now those who have had years in this same experience, know not God nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and should such go forth as representatives of Jesus Christ? These men will never give the right mold to other minds; they have grown up to the full stature of men and women in Christ. They simply have the name of Christians but are not fitted for the work of God, and never will be until they are born again, and learn the A.B.C. in true religion of Jesus Christ. There is a little hope in one direction: Take the young men and women, and place them where they will come as little in contact with our churches as possible, that the low grad of piety which is current in the day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a Christian.” (12MR 333.1 =Letter 16f, May 9, 1892)
As seen in the eschatologically (=present-day) applicable prophetic typology in Ezek 8:4; 10:18-19; 11:22-25 God can, will, and indeed has, withdrawn His presence from such an organization where His name/character is, in emulation of (Capitalistic) Spiritual Babylon, misrepresented and “blasphemed”/slandered:
“Who can truthfully say: "Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world"? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: "Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? 'How is the faithful city become an harlot!' My Father's house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking.” (8T 250.2)
God True Church is wherever His Righteousness and Will is, casting away all hinderance, actually being pursued and done:
“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." Where Christ is, even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church. Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments of God, Jesus there presides, let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city, [or] enclosed in prison walls. The glory of God has penetrated the prison walls, flooding with glorious beams of heavenly light the darkest dungeon. His saints may suffer, but their sufferings will, like the apostles' of old, spread their faith and win souls to Christ and glorify His holy name. The bitterest opposition expressed by those who hate God's great moral standard of righteousness should not and will not shake the steadfast soul who trusts fully in God.” (17MR 81.4)
And now, in these 'Civil Warring' times, God has long shifted his glory from Laodicea, the Judah/Kingdom of the South (see in Dan 11) to the despised Israelite exiles living as far North as Babylon (Ezek 11:14-15ff)
It is then, from all of this background of indifferently persisted SDA Church floundering and failing, that there comes a “need” to separate and establish a “new organization”, and indeed also a ‘systematic, formal, organization, as God necessarily orderly has always required (cf. LDE 46.3-47.3) which (ideally) starts with a sealed and shaking-surviving Remnant from the tribe/kingdom of Judah (Ezek 8&9), a “possibility” expressed in such SOP statements as:
“I was confirmed in all I had stated in Minneapolis, that a reformation must go through the churches. Reforms must be made, for spiritual weakness and blindness were upon the people who had been blessed with great light and precious opportunities and privileges. As reformers they had come out of the denominational churches, but they now act a part similar to that which the churches acted. We hoped that there would not be the necessity for another coming out.” (16MR 216.4 =1888 356.4 (1889); 11MR 229.2)
In an inserted note in LDE 48.1 the EGW Estate claims
“THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN STATEMENT FROM THE PEN OF ELLEN WHITE INDICATING THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH ORGANIZATION. THE DOUBT WHICH SHE EXPRESSED HERE WAS NEVER REPEATED DURING THE REMAINING TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF HER LIFE.”
But that is factually not true, for in 1905 EGW, from apparent direct inspiration, said in “A Plea for Loyalty”, not ‘to the SDA Church’, as some assume (see e.g., here), but rather, as she herself stipulates in that letter: to God’s Truth and Righteousness (3MR 226.2):
“I am instructed to say that we must do all we possibly can for these deceived ones. Their minds must be freed from the delusions of the enemy, and if we fail in our efforts to save these erring ones, we must 'come out from among them' and be separate.” (7MR 190.1 =Ms 106, "A Plea For Loyalty," Nov. 20, 1905 p.8)
Indeed: “No longer are we to be a mixed multitude.” (3MR 226.2) I.e., the Wheats and the Tares indifferently living together.)
And about such tares, EGW reveals that: ‘Every word of Isa 29:9-16 will be fulfilled upon them’ (7MR 190.3; cf. RH, August 1, 1893 par. 6) and, as seen from this blog’s exposition on currently transpiring Eschatological Prophecies which SDA are effectively completely clueless of, it indeed has been fulfilled.
“None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. We must be divested of our self-righteousness and arrayed in the righteousness of Christ.” (2SM 380.2)
To this purified Remnant of that prior Remnant the following counsel now recursively/enduringly applies:
“We shall be called to meet those who, notwithstanding definite reproof and warning through the Testimonies have gone on in an evil course. We are bidden of God to hold ourselves separate and distinct from these men who have not given heed to His warnings. Some of them will seek to enter our churches, but we are to give no place to them. If they are converted, they will bear a different testimony. But I have a positive warning in reference to men who have departed from the faith. Let not our churches be opened for them; for they will deceive, if possible, the very elect.” (7MR 196.3; =Letter 330, 1908, pp. 5, 7. (To S. N. Haskell, November 11, 1908.))
II(b). [Rev 7:9-17 Work of 144,000 = Great Multitude]
Said the angel, "List ye!" Soon I heard a voice like many musical instruments all sounding in perfect strains, sweet and harmonious. It surpassed any music I had ever heard, seeming to be full of mercy, compassion, and elevating, holy joy. It thrilled through my whole being. Said the angel, "Look ye!" My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Their countenances expressed the severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through. Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now shone with the light and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy. {EW 270.4}
V(a). Rev 16:15* - Exhortation for the End Conflict
The numbers of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks. Evil angels still pressed around them, but could have no power over them. {EW 271.1}
* Explicit Allusions to message to Fifth Church Sardis (Rev 3:1-6) are made. Also alludes to:
A. 1 Thess 5:1-11 (cf. 2 Pet 3:10) - Christ’s coming as a thief upon those who are spiritually ‘out of tune.’
B. Matt 25:1-13 - Parable of sleeping virgins
C. Matt 22:1-14 - Entering the Marriage Feast Without a Wedding Garment
-All key prophetic themes/parables which are discussed in this dedicated blog post.
VI. Rev 18:1-20 - Call out of Babylon (Other Angel Work - Loud Cry)
I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth [Rev 7:16a]; it was dearer and more precious than life.* I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, "It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel."** {EW 271.2}
* The broken ranks will be filled up by those represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. There are many with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of God's destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who [now] have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched, His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.--Letter 103, 1903. {LDE 182.2}
** The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.--5T 80, 81 (1882). {LDE 181.1}
V(b). Rev 16:16 - Assembling of Har-megiddo Forces
Great power was with these chosen ones. Said the angel, "Look ye!" My attention was turned to the wicked, or unbelievers. They were all astir. The zeal and power with the people of God had aroused and enraged them. Confusion, confusion, was on every side. I saw measures taken against the company who had the light and power of God. Darkness thickened around them; yet they stood firm, approved of God, and trusting in Him. I saw them perplexed; next I heard them crying unto God earnestly. Day and night their cry ceased not: "Thy will, O God, be done! If it can glorify Thy name, make a way of escape for Thy people! Deliver us from the heathen around about us. They have appointed us unto death; but Thine arm can bring salvation."* These are all the words which I can bring to mind. All seemed to have a deep sense of their unworthiness and manifested entire submission to the will of God; yet, like Jacob, every one, without an exception, was earnestly pleading and wrestling for deliverance. [Jer 30:1-8ff = Gen 32:23-32; cf. PP (Ch. 18) 195-203]** {EW 272.1}
Soon after they had commenced their earnest cry, the angels, in sympathy, desired to go to their deliverance. But a tall, commanding angel suffered them not. He said, "The will of God is not yet fulfilled. They must drink of the cup. They must be baptized with the baptism." {EW 272.2}
* When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few--this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.--5T 136 (1882). {LDE 180.4}
** As shown in a tangibly relatable sifting event with Peter in Luke 22:31, 32; a sifting/shaking involves a trial of one’s faith, and pointedly in the face of a seemingly defeated movement/cause of God.
VII. Rev 19:19-21 - Final Fate of Opposers of Truth
Soon I heard the voice of God, which shook the heavens and the earth [Matt 24:29; Heb 12:25-30]. There was a mighty earthquake. Buildings were shaken down on every side. I then heard a triumphant shout of victory, loud, musical, and clear. I looked upon the company, who, a short time before, were in such distress and bondage. Their captivity was turned. A glorious light shone upon them. How beautiful they then looked! All marks of care and weariness were gone, and health and beauty were seen in every countenance. Their enemies, the heathen around them, fell like dead men; they could not endure the light that shone upon the delivered, holy ones. This light and glory remained upon them, until [Amos 9:11-15] Jesus was seen in the clouds of heaven, and the faithful, tried company were changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from glory to glory. And the graves were opened, and the saints came forth, clothed with immortality, crying, "Victory over death and the grave"; and together with the living saints they were caught up to meet their Lord in the air, while rich, musical shouts of glory and victory were upon every immortal tongue. {EW 272.3}
The Shaking Restoration
The prophetic event of the Shaking in Amos does not end with the national destruction included in this judgement, but in Amos 9:11-15, and as shown in EGW vision on this topic, God goes on to state the restoration work that He will through those who have survived this shaking.
The Restoration of Israel
Amos 9:11 "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old;
Amos 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom [cf. Isa 63:1ff] And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this.
Amos 9:13 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved.
-The imagery of a “reaper” and a “grape treader” in this statement is most striking in that it is later, event strictly sequentially reused in a prophecy in Revelation (14:14-20). This eschatological prophecy is shown to occur after the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Message (Rev 14:1-13). The “reaper” occurs in Rev 14:14-16 and the “treader of grapes” follows in Rev 14:17-20.
In (a) the “reaper” imagery, for a person to overtake one who is plowing a land, depicts a miraculous overturning of fortunes where one who seemingly had not even been plowing his field in preparation for seed sowing suddenly is in a position to reap his field.
In (b) the “treader of grapes” imagery, it is based upon the prophecy of Isa 63:1-6 where a figure is shown to be trampling grapes in a winepress symbolizing God’s wrath. The Amos imagery of this treading being done while the seeds of this harvest are still being sown, shows that God, in His wrath will allow His restored Shaken Remnant to surpass those who are still sowing seed. As seen in the SOP, ‘blood on bottom of garments’ symbolically depicts bloodshed due to martyrdom:
“As we were traveling along, we met a company who also were gazing at the glories of the place. I noticed red as a border on their garments; their crowns were brilliant; their robes were pure white. As we greeted them, I asked Jesus who they were. He said they were martyrs that had been slain for Him. With them was an innumerable company of little ones; they also had a hem of red on their garments. (EW 18, 19)
Amos 9:14 "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.
Amos 9:15 "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God.
Conclusion
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6; 13; 22).[13]
Notes
[1] While Heb 12:27, 28 is often cited as a Biblical passage for the Shaking event in SDA writings on this SOP topic mainly because of the thematically allusive mention of ‘the shaking of the heavens’. EGW’s December 16, 1848 vision (published in RH, August 1, 1849 (par. 19&20}) which states that God clearly showed her what is meant by the ‘shaking of the (distinct) heavens and the earth’ as mentioned in Christ’s sign of the times (see Matt 24:29| Mar 13:24-25| Luke 21:25-26). So the “Shaking/Sifting” event spoken of in Amos 9:9 is a distinct event. Indeed the context of the Hebrews passage, Heb 12:25-30 contains many elements given in EGW’s vision on this Heaven and Earth Shaking, most notably the element of “God’s Voice”.
[2] Cf. Jesus’ own ‘Shaking/Sifting Event’ in the 1st Century A.D. throughout the Gospel (Matt 3:12) which yielded only 120 at first, from “Judah”, (Acts 1:15) from over ca. 3+ million then in God's Israel (cf. Josephus, War, 2:14.3 [#280], 6:9.3 [#425]).
[3] Clark, Douglas R. And John C. Brunt, eds. Introducing the Bible. Vol. 1. The Old Testament and Intertestamental Literature. New York: University Press of America, 1997. (See online listing here.)
[4] Amos 1:3 Damascus - Destruction of agricultural lands; Amos 1:6 Gaza - deportation of an entire population through an enslaved-trade; Amos 1:9 Tyre - also a population deportation & ignorance of covenant of brotherhood; Amos 1:11 Edom - ruthless assault against a brother; Amos 1:13 Ammon - genocidal act to gain more territory; Amos 2:1 Moab - overreaching vengeance; Amos 2:4 Judah - rejection of God’s Law and statutes and following falsehoods; Amos 2:7ff Israel - sell the righteous and needy for money and material gain + others; Amos 5:7 absence of justice and righteousness (cf. Amos 5:10); Amos 5:11-12 abusive socio-economic and judicial dealings.
[5] Interestingly enough, according to the datum given in Amos 1:1, his ministry started sometime between 767-753 B.C., probably in 760 B.C. and the final destruction of the tens northern tribes of Israel came to pass in the Assyrian captivity of 722 B.C., thus ca. 40 years later. This elapsed time of ca. 40 years between warning of final judgement and utter destruction is evidently deliberately consistent with God’s dealings as seen in the judgement of Israel in the wilderness, Jeremiah’s ministry and Jesus’s prophesy concerning the utter physical end of the Jewish realm, even Jonah’s 40-day announcement of certain (i.e., Divinely-planned) future destruction to Nineveh. This therefore shows that God did indeed see these socio-economic injustices of Israel in the time of Amos as the final straw against these rebellious Northern tribes and final utter judgement was then pronounced from then on.
[6] Indeed, the book of Revelation, as seen from/in the supplied charting above, has, through God’s wisdom, several simultaneous ways in which it can be viewed and applicably understood. Namely:
[6] Indeed, the book of Revelation, as seen from/in the supplied charting above, has, through God’s wisdom, several simultaneous ways in which it can be viewed and applicably understood. Namely:
(1) Linearly - Straightforward, sequential reading
(2) Parallely - Discovered by the SDA DARCOM in ca. 1970's
(3) Horizontally - which as presented next, served as the working template/framework for EGW’s SOP revelations
(4) Recursively - I.e., Locally, Historically, Eschatologically (see e.g., the prophetic expositions in here&here, here and here+here)
(5) “Con-Sequentially” - actually: Overlappingly
(6) Resettingly -E.g., endings and restarts prior to 7th part fulfillments*
(7) “Randomly” - i.e., whenever something spiritually applies; -and there indeed is a Holy Spirit-guiding spiritual method to this layout. (=Ezek 1:12, 20 -discussed in this post)
[7] See also SOP compilation works such as LDE 173-182 and Donald Ernest Mansell, The Shape of the Coming Crisis (Pacific Press), pp.128-142, among others, for more SOP Shaking statements.)
[8] See also this great sermon by Mark Howard which spiritually dissects and “psycho”-analyses why many people are susceptible to resist the ‘“Straight Testimony” message that will cause the Shaking.’ (1T 181)
[9] It is spiritually most pertinent to relate here that in the initial seeking to accomplish this already perceived needed ‘Scripture Field Treasure Searching Work,’ through the initial request to SDA (NAD) Religion Departments to either contact or provide the names of their (recent) past ministry students, many of whom were not employed despite having completed their required education, and also to the NAD for endorsing, technical and financial assistance, for the planned WBSC College of Biblical Research, (which, non-accidentally, also involved the literal “buying of a field (i.e., vacant property - for which I had spent a solid week (March 6-10, 2000) at the City Hall researching the owners’ information for the multiple subdivisions of land tracts in it) to set up the intended mobile home camp for this Institute), my former professor at Andrews University, and then Chair of the Religion Department, Keith Mattingly, (who, as related in this “First Vision” post, had sought to provide “friendly” advise and opportunity for me to stay and study under them at Andrews), pouncing upon the email addresses of other contacted NAD Religion Department Chairmen also in the CC field of the email he received, was “inspired” to send out a, factually, “hellish” message to these other chairmen (still have the email) telling them that ‘he saw no compelling reason to comply to my request’. I immediately knew that, like the self-assured Caiaphas of old (John 11:49-51), had similarly ‘not spoken of his own initiative’ but to fulfill, this SOP Shaking prophesy where “professed friends, themselves being without a message, wounded the cause of those who actually had a message, by withholding the means needed to fulfill the mission of these called and chosen messengers of God. (16MR 32).-Relatedly the valid ‘Jesus ethics’ issue raised in this BAL call in question (mp3) [14:53-17:50] on Matt 13:44 (cf. Matt 13:45-46) = Matt 21:43 = Matt 13:10-17 = Isa 6:8-13 = My long-held, moreover ‘warring’, reason why the ‘100+ research projects ideas/topics’ of WBSC have not been openly pre-posted on its Research Forum; (or also, the substantiation of certain available studies published)!!! =~Isa 5:13|Hos 4:6|Mal 4:4-6!!!
[12] And the most emblematic of such spurious denunciations has got to be the, literal myth that EGW said that “The SDA Church will go through (to the end)” and/or that the Church Militant will become the Church Triumphant. Fact is EGW never said either of these things. In regards to that latter claim, see her clear dichotomizing statements in e.g., LDE 61.2-62.2 which clearly state that this Church Triumphant will have a distinct testifying work to do towards finishing the work. The first claim itself seems to be from the misconstruing conflation of the later discussed statement in 2SM 380.2 & EGW night vision related in 1SM 205.3-206.1|SpTB02 56.1-2 of ‘a ship successfully, despite some damage, going through an iceberg’. But that 1904 vision was actually said in the context of the John Harvey Kellogg crisis then which had fully bloomed, with the false theories that he was spreading in the Church, and EGW and the Church were thus instructed to ‘“Meet it” head on’, and that the Church would, though while still having been noticeably affected, survive this crisis.
As EGW had said back in 1897, the Shaking would also come through ‘the introduction of such false theories/teachings in the Church’ (LDE 177.1). So here she was instructed to not let this occur, but to instead “Meet it” and so defeat it. This same thing should have been going on in the SDA Church today with now, the many entrenched false practices which have been allowed to enter the Church. While the Church’s teachings are “fundamentally” Biblical, it however has many ignoring or indifferent, widely accepted practices which certainly are not, and these are literally self-hindering the advancement of its “Ship”. And crucially, unlike in EGW’s day where there evidently were many others who sided with Truth against the false theories then, today most of the Church leadership and members either fully endorse those false practices, or they are just indifferent to them.
[8] See also this great sermon by Mark Howard which spiritually dissects and “psycho”-analyses why many people are susceptible to resist the ‘“Straight Testimony” message that will cause the Shaking.’ (1T 181)
[9] It is spiritually most pertinent to relate here that in the initial seeking to accomplish this already perceived needed ‘Scripture Field Treasure Searching Work,’ through the initial request to SDA (NAD) Religion Departments to either contact or provide the names of their (recent) past ministry students, many of whom were not employed despite having completed their required education, and also to the NAD for endorsing, technical and financial assistance, for the planned WBSC College of Biblical Research, (which, non-accidentally, also involved the literal “buying of a field (i.e., vacant property - for which I had spent a solid week (March 6-10, 2000) at the City Hall researching the owners’ information for the multiple subdivisions of land tracts in it) to set up the intended mobile home camp for this Institute), my former professor at Andrews University, and then Chair of the Religion Department, Keith Mattingly, (who, as related in this “First Vision” post, had sought to provide “friendly” advise and opportunity for me to stay and study under them at Andrews), pouncing upon the email addresses of other contacted NAD Religion Department Chairmen also in the CC field of the email he received, was “inspired” to send out a, factually, “hellish” message to these other chairmen (still have the email) telling them that ‘he saw no compelling reason to comply to my request’. I immediately knew that, like the self-assured Caiaphas of old (John 11:49-51), had similarly ‘not spoken of his own initiative’ but to fulfill, this SOP Shaking prophesy where “professed friends, themselves being without a message, wounded the cause of those who actually had a message, by withholding the means needed to fulfill the mission of these called and chosen messengers of God. (16MR 32).-Relatedly the valid ‘Jesus ethics’ issue raised in this BAL call in question (mp3) [14:53-17:50] on Matt 13:44 (cf. Matt 13:45-46) = Matt 21:43 = Matt 13:10-17 = Isa 6:8-13 = My long-held, moreover ‘warring’, reason why the ‘100+ research projects ideas/topics’ of WBSC have not been openly pre-posted on its Research Forum; (or also, the substantiation of certain available studies published)!!! =~Isa 5:13|Hos 4:6|Mal 4:4-6!!!
Mattingly, chose to naturally/basely, vexatiously base his ‘encouraged refusal’ missive on the fact that, as related in that “First Vision” blog post, after the equivalent of ca. 1-2 full academic years of study at Andrews, I did not continue my formal studies there, having factually, virtually learned all, and much, much more than what they, even the Seminary would ever teach me, while doing the research and writing of my 70 Weeks Book. However, like the Jews of old, he and all those who chose to side with him, despite their actual Biblical ignorance, thought, as they have been conditioned to mindlessly do so, that True and Biblical can only be obtained and valid if you actually have paid tens of thousands of dollars to procure it. Good Luck with that persisted unbiblical thinking! (See the documents of these communications and WBSC plannings in this PDF document at pages 77-90, 112-117 & 279).
[10] Having had recently written this commenting about Adam and Eve’s covering robe of light, it then immediately newly struck me as odd, upon just hearing a/the common evangelistic mention of the Rev 12:1 symbolic woman, that it really is a precarious thing if she actually is “clothed with the sun”..because that really means/implies that she, like pre-fall Adam and Eve, is not actually clothed underneath. So she is also running the risk that if she does not remain in God’s will, then her robe of sun-light would then go out and, as derivedly mentioned in Rev 3:4-5, 18; 16:15, she would be found to be ‘shamefully naked’!
[11] Naturally, and fittingly so, enough, first in this ASI 2014 panel discussion, GC President Ted Wilson, [at 01:49:28] “naturally” presents the patent, enshrined SDA Pharisaical and ignoramus understandings of this counsel to Laodicea, -which fundamentally is “at their best” at an: “unSpiritual” (1 Cor 2:6-16), “Letter-of-the-Law” (2 Cor 3:7-18), “say but do not do” (Matt 23:1-5), unrighteousness (Matt 5:20) extent, and subjectively and smugly claims, contra what the Bible and SOP have stated, as just presented in the blog post section above, that: ‘(1) the “gold” is “pure truth” and (2) the “white raiments” is the “righteousness of Christ”....and so, if you cannot see, understand, and thus not incorporate (1) “love mixed with faith”, tangibly resulting in (2) Christ character reflecting and emulating “righteous acts of saints”*, then you of course surely cannot even (rightly) “see” (=Isa 29:9-14) to “more fully” understand God’s Law. So don’t expect these ‘blind mis-leaders of the blind’ to be the ones who will be leading people into entering into the Everlasting Covenant of God (EW 34.1|GC 640.2; cf. PP 330.3 = Isa 54:10; Ezek 34:25; 37:26; -which they have broken (9T 267.1)), which they themselves, through enshrined Spiritual deficiency (John 3:3); -indeed, (thematically enough to that ASI 2014 panel discussion), having never “fearingly” “fully” grasped and/or valued its “Everlasting Gospel” (Rev 14:6-7) from Jesus Christ (e.g Matt 25:31-46), can but, at best, “veiledly” (2 Cor 3:7-18) “see/perceive”; having had, like the Jews of Old, self-deemed it best to work to preserve the shells of institutions which they had erected for God, rather than being concerned about not refusing and pushing away the glory of God. (=Luke 6:49)...Which leads me into the second, closely related, indeed directly derived “counsel” from such “self-preserving mis-leadership”:
[10] Having had recently written this commenting about Adam and Eve’s covering robe of light, it then immediately newly struck me as odd, upon just hearing a/the common evangelistic mention of the Rev 12:1 symbolic woman, that it really is a precarious thing if she actually is “clothed with the sun”..because that really means/implies that she, like pre-fall Adam and Eve, is not actually clothed underneath. So she is also running the risk that if she does not remain in God’s will, then her robe of sun-light would then go out and, as derivedly mentioned in Rev 3:4-5, 18; 16:15, she would be found to be ‘shamefully naked’!
That “Rev 12:1ff “woman” of course is God’s (True) Israel. It is not OT Israel only, as it continues to exist through the NT Church Era, but indeed the enduring Israel of God, =His Zion, as depicted by Paul in Rom 11:11-17ff as a “Olive Tree” (=an always “Holy “Spirit-ual”, Biblical’ Entity (Zech 4:1-7) = God’s True Witness on Earth (Rev 11:3-4 = Rev 12:6, 14ff) = His True ‘Christ-reflecting Light of/in the World. (John 8:12*&Matt 5:14-16; COL 414.1-419.1 = Isa 60ff; Rev 18:1ff; see this sermon of Stephen Bohr)). *And as it was presented here about Rev 12:11, as involved in the rebuttal of the (manifestly valid) ensuing objection in John 8:13-14, Jesus does need the mirroringly effectuating “Witness/Testimony” of His followers in this world to fully validate Him.
From the Adam and Eve experience, it can be seen that when God Himself can/does clothed someone, it is because of their worthiness as they are innocent of wrong, and even if they are actually ‘naked underneath’. With the “sun” being symbolically representative of Righteousness (Mal 4:2; and Mal 4:2-6 does speak of what OT Israel should do, right through into the upcoming NT Era, to continue to have this ‘Righteousness/Sun robe covering’), and as discussed here, this Righteousness of God/Christ is only “fully/truly” applicable when sins of omission, and thus not only sins of commission, are also not being committed; (and as calibratingly spelled out by James in Jam 2:14-26, -echoing Jesus Himself (Matt 25:31-46); that is achieved when one’s faith in Christ also involves doing His mandated good works. (Cf. Eph 2:8-10)); then it can be seen about that woman that if she did not remain in that “Full Righteousness”, then she “shamefully” would be found “naked”. Now, interestingly enough, that woman is “clothed” by God with a ‘covering of Sun-light’ only up to a time. He clothes her throughout the OT Era, and through most of the NT Era, until that woman goes into the wilderness but comes out as a harlot who has pompously sinfully clothed herself (Rev 17:4). And in fact, those who have managed to escape her ruthless change while in the wilderness (=Rev 17:6; 18:24) by remaining most faithful to God (Rev 12:11, 17), actually “non-innocently” come out on the other side by then being given robes of linen by God (Rev 3:4-5; 6:11 =Reformation “Fifth” Era overcomers; Rev 19:8, 14). To me the symbology here involves that though these people had lost their prior, God-granted innocent, they are still “worthy” as they went on to do “righteous acts” which all warranted this new, albeit now tangible, type of clothing by God. In other words, just like it was not shameful for Adam and Eve to be naked, and God assured this innoncence by covering them in light, when they broke away from God, then they had to be given tangible (non-white) robes by God (Gen 3:21) to cover their otherwise shameful nakedness. Similarly, OT Era Israel was for the most part, in regards to the rest of the world, and compared to God’s later Zionistic standard, really a self-centered entity which just did not have a direct mandate to the rest of the world. They did not have to go out to them and minister to them in any way. In fact there were several laws which differed in how they were to completely differently deal with foreigners vs. kinsmen about the very same issue. (E.g. collecting usury/interest (Deut 23:19-20) and debts (Deut 15:1-6)). And that was all perfectly “righteous” for them. Indeed the same “Sun” which was their righteousness (Mal 4:2), manifestly incapacitated and scorched the wicked (Mal 4:1; cf. Rev 7:16; 16:8-9; Heb 12:29). And though, just like even in the OT, Israel was purposed to be a blessing to all the nations, in the NT, Jesus had made it implicitly “clear” that His Israel should now be “graciously/mercifully” be working to meet the needs of their “neighbor”, which was ‘whoever was in need’ (Luke 10:29, 36-37; Matt 25:45), it is evident that the early NT Church merely saw this as applicable to fellow believers, and not (then/yet) towards anyone in need throughout the world. The fact is that, if/as NT Israel did not fully grow into its full Zionistic ideal, as it was also to have begun to become the case with OT Era Israel (Isa 60-61), then they gradually lost that “innocence” covering Righteousness, and the rest of the world saw them as the useless selfish, detrimental hypocrites that they could only “nakedly” be when the broke away from God and this (Abrahamic/Israel) Covenant. That was directly or indirectly consistently seen with God’s successfully failing Israel. Pagan Rome saw that it was not worthwhile to have Jerusalem and the Jewish Religion an accepted part of its Empire. Later, the Roman Catholic Church was exposed by Reformers as profiteers and liars. And now Protestants, and their quasi-religio darling of Capitalism, is, at least for those who are not drunken by Babylon’s wine, are similarly, though much more subtlely and thus deceivingly, as the same (=Rev 13:14-18). And so God has long no longer been able to clothe this unworthy Israel, and now this work, variously born out of an ‘awakening out of innocence’ which, as seen from preaching and ministering here, sees that ‘the present, especially (leading) Western Church, is certainly not what Jesus had intended’, and thus is being “reformingly” re-built/reestablish according to Christ’s full ideal, and that through now tangible/actual “righteous acts”, thus their tangible, white raiment coverings. (Rev 19:8-9).
In other words, just like it would only be a truly ready Israel that God would eventually allow to go and minister to the rest of the world, where then they too would be clothed in tangible materials (=Rev 21:9-21) and thus then not only be ‘shieldingly’ covered up by God, that indeed is now to be the “tangibly readying’ case for God’s Israel today (=His Church Triumphant Zion). So, only when in an actual state of innocence can God supernaturally “clothe” His people. But when they are not, He then can still provide fitting, tangible robes for them, otherwise they will be found completely naked in the sight of the rest of the world. (And in a related case, as discussed in this post in the Rev 10:1 commentary sections about “a strong angel being clothed with a cloud”, that similarly became the collective case with SDA (in their applicable wave of fulfillment for that prophecy) who have by now completelyfailed to faithfully and properly proclaim their ‘strong Second Coming message’ which was providing some, albeit still tangible, “covering” for them. But as involved in Laodicea, they are indeed Spiritually seen, i.e. with those with God’s eyesalve, to, not only be undressed, but also not have the needed ‘pure gold currency’ to even be capable of covering themselves up.
[11] Naturally, and fittingly so, enough, first in this ASI 2014 panel discussion, GC President Ted Wilson, [at 01:49:28] “naturally” presents the patent, enshrined SDA Pharisaical and ignoramus understandings of this counsel to Laodicea, -which fundamentally is “at their best” at an: “unSpiritual” (1 Cor 2:6-16), “Letter-of-the-Law” (2 Cor 3:7-18), “say but do not do” (Matt 23:1-5), unrighteousness (Matt 5:20) extent, and subjectively and smugly claims, contra what the Bible and SOP have stated, as just presented in the blog post section above, that: ‘(1) the “gold” is “pure truth” and (2) the “white raiments” is the “righteousness of Christ”....and so, if you cannot see, understand, and thus not incorporate (1) “love mixed with faith”, tangibly resulting in (2) Christ character reflecting and emulating “righteous acts of saints”*, then you of course surely cannot even (rightly) “see” (=Isa 29:9-14) to “more fully” understand God’s Law. So don’t expect these ‘blind mis-leaders of the blind’ to be the ones who will be leading people into entering into the Everlasting Covenant of God (EW 34.1|GC 640.2; cf. PP 330.3 = Isa 54:10; Ezek 34:25; 37:26; -which they have broken (9T 267.1)), which they themselves, through enshrined Spiritual deficiency (John 3:3); -indeed, (thematically enough to that ASI 2014 panel discussion), having never “fearingly” “fully” grasped and/or valued its “Everlasting Gospel” (Rev 14:6-7) from Jesus Christ (e.g Matt 25:31-46), can but, at best, “veiledly” (2 Cor 3:7-18) “see/perceive”; having had, like the Jews of Old, self-deemed it best to work to preserve the shells of institutions which they had erected for God, rather than being concerned about not refusing and pushing away the glory of God. (=Luke 6:49)...Which leads me into the second, closely related, indeed directly derived “counsel” from such “self-preserving mis-leadership”:
In this ASI 2014 Seminar presentation, the “assistant to the General Conference President” Mark Finley, at [19:26-] makes the (effectively self-inherent) smug claim, -which is debunked later in this presentpost, that, effectively: ‘people should not leave the SDA Church, because, contrary to prior times in Biblical&Church history when God “called” a Remnant out of the apostasied Main Body, this time it will surely be the “tares” which will be “shaken out”. Well given the SDA’s fundamentally deficient theology, pointed on such prophetic and future issues , which indeed needs to smugly ignore God’s statement in Jer 18:1-10; and even through LDE 59-61, it is clear why they smugly think that God will not here be “changing His mind”. In fact, they are, even knowingly “blackmailing” God because these self-seeking/preserving misleaders indifferently refuse to deal with the various abominable/capitalwaywardness in the SDA Church, but still consider the Church to be perfectly reflective of God and His Character, and thus still His Remnant Church. This is all like a mentally (=Spiritually) deficient person hoarding organic trash in their house and inviting people to come into it and encouraging to stay, while being totally indifferent to the wreaking stench and (Spiritual) health detriment....But, as discussed in here at Rev 8:3, God has clearly said (=Jer 7:1-15) that ‘He will not “smell” (“delight”) in such Synagogue of Satan things’ (Amos 5:21-24ff), as He had not done with the assemblies of Babylon II (EW 274.1), but will instead “smell” in those who “fear” Him. (Isa 11:3) and thus ‘delightfully, “fearfully & faithfully” do His Righteousness Will’ (Isa 11:4-5)...
...Indeed as per His SOP for LDE 59.1-61.1, God has indeed long, moved on to another, and “greater working” (=Dan 11:5ff; 15MR 292.2-3) Remnant Church Organization (=Ezek 1; 3:22-24; 8:4; 10:18; 11:14-25...43:1-5 =here)...SDA ‘s a re just way to self-blinding to recognize that, and in any salvaging way (Isa 29-9-16)!! God’s full revelation about the Shaking shows that all but, representatively “one” (cf. Jer 7:16ff), in His former organization will be shut in it and destroyed. (Ezek 9:5-11)
[12] And the most emblematic of such spurious denunciations has got to be the, literal myth that EGW said that “The SDA Church will go through (to the end)” and/or that the Church Militant will become the Church Triumphant. Fact is EGW never said either of these things. In regards to that latter claim, see her clear dichotomizing statements in e.g., LDE 61.2-62.2 which clearly state that this Church Triumphant will have a distinct testifying work to do towards finishing the work. The first claim itself seems to be from the misconstruing conflation of the later discussed statement in 2SM 380.2 & EGW night vision related in 1SM 205.3-206.1|SpTB02 56.1-2 of ‘a ship successfully, despite some damage, going through an iceberg’. But that 1904 vision was actually said in the context of the John Harvey Kellogg crisis then which had fully bloomed, with the false theories that he was spreading in the Church, and EGW and the Church were thus instructed to ‘“Meet it” head on’, and that the Church would, though while still having been noticeably affected, survive this crisis.
As EGW had said back in 1897, the Shaking would also come through ‘the introduction of such false theories/teachings in the Church’ (LDE 177.1). So here she was instructed to not let this occur, but to instead “Meet it” and so defeat it. This same thing should have been going on in the SDA Church today with now, the many entrenched false practices which have been allowed to enter the Church. While the Church’s teachings are “fundamentally” Biblical, it however has many ignoring or indifferent, widely accepted practices which certainly are not, and these are literally self-hindering the advancement of its “Ship”. And crucially, unlike in EGW’s day where there evidently were many others who sided with Truth against the false theories then, today most of the Church leadership and members either fully endorse those false practices, or they are just indifferent to them.
As clearly, conditionedly implied and delineated in 3T 324.1 this is all because of the, by now, virtually completely befallen Spiritual Blindness that has fallen on the Church, all borne for them having no Spiritual discernment in regards to all that constitutes Abominable and Capital (Babylonian) sins. And with most SDA’s, led by its entrenchedly tainted, False Shepherding (Ezek 34:1-22) and “prophesying” (Ezek 13:1-16) leadership, not having the Sacrificial and Righteous Character of the Lamb (cf. Rev 14:1-5), they surely cannot act their part, indeed they have not, of joining the Truth Witness in giving the Straight Testimony to Laodicea.
And thus such indifferent, “non-meeting inaction” actually is, conversely, what results in the Church corporately not being able to survive this Shaking (=5T 210.3-211.2ff) for, like in EGW vision, it would have require strong, factual, powerful and collective/corporate countering action to get through it. Contrary to popularly accepted thinking, silence, inaction and neutrality in such a time of crisis is certainly not the better or Godly option. (3T 280.3)
So Bible and SOP studies into this issue instead reveal that the “SDA Church Vessel” here/now is, by having preferred to sideswipe its “iceberg” issues, actually: quite critically damage, and is floodingly taking on (Babylonian) “water” (Rev 17:15). The “Church Militant”, i.e., even the once faithful “7000" ones (Rev 11:13), these ones who actually had taken the battle field (ala. LDE 195.2) to try to “Finish the Work” has actually defeated itself as the opening scene of the Ezek 37 actually is depicting (see here). These already defeated ones can however join the ‘distinct’ and most Biblical, Church Triumphant movement, if they actually allow God to both “Revive” and “Reform” them, in His way and according to His Full will. (cf. Matt 7:21-23). And thus such indifferent, “non-meeting inaction” actually is, conversely, what results in the Church corporately not being able to survive this Shaking (=5T 210.3-211.2ff) for, like in EGW vision, it would have require strong, factual, powerful and collective/corporate countering action to get through it. Contrary to popularly accepted thinking, silence, inaction and neutrality in such a time of crisis is certainly not the better or Godly option. (3T 280.3)
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