deeper eugene prewitt
TRANSCRIPT
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Copyright © 2009
Eugene Prewitt
Cover design and layout
Michael Prewitt
Text editing and layout
Harvey Steck
All emphasis in quotations added
by the author unless otherwise indicated.
All scriptures are quoted from the KJV ( King James Version)
unless otherwise indicated. Those attributed to the YLT
are quoted from Young’s Literal Translation.
Printed in the USA
ISBN 978-1-61658-234-0
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Contents
Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Section I: Questions From Those Within . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Judgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Laodicea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hebrews Problems and Ballenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
An Invisible Remnant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section II: Questions From Those that Are Without . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Day of Cleansing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
More on the Mark and Much on the Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Conditional Prophecy and Predestination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brief Thoughts on Michael in Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Satan Burns “For Ever and Ever”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Section III: Questions Regarding the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The 1290- and 1335-Day Prophecies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The Seven Times or the 2520-Year Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Reapplications, Multiple Fulllments, and the Story Line . . . . . . . . . 156
Section IV: Testimony Tidbits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Index of Scripture References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
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Dedication
T
O Vivian Prewitt, teacher, truck-driver, and my loving mother. In her
recent retirement she has collected bits of my writing from my rst
years in school and has encouraged me from that time to now to use
my talents for God’s purposes.
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Acknowledgments
I
want to thank a small army of volunteer editors who gave hundreds of
hours of their time helping a helpless writer. Chief among these are Mara
Nophsker, Warren Downs, and Eric Nelson. A thousand unnamed seekers
have also, by asking me probing questions during the last decade, done their part in making this book possible. Then there are six individuals who I think
would rather remain unnamed. They, without conferring with each other,
nanced the printing of this book and are the reason I had courage enough
to go forward with the project. Finally, I want to acknowledge my wife Heidi
who, when I was plagued with doubts regarding the book, would volunteer
her assurance that it would be a success.
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Introduction
W
ILLIAM Miller, after the Great Disappointment, reminisced about
the opposition he received while preaching the Advent near. Doc-
tors of divinity and scholars had assailed him. Books had been
written against him.How often, you might ask, was William Miller confronted with an argu-
ment that confounded him momentarily? How often did a new line of Bible
reasoning catch him off guard or cause him some embarrassment?
That has happened to me often.
But William Miller testied that never once did anyone bring an argument
against his central position that he had not studied and laid to rest already.
How could that be so? He wrote:
Various difculties and objections would arise in my mind, from
time to time; certain texts would occur to me, which seemed to weigh
against my conclusions; and I would not present a view to others, while
any difculty appeared to militate against it. I therefore continued the
study of the Bible, to see if I could sustain any of these objections.
My object was not merely to remove them, but I wished to see if they
were valid. . . . In this way I was occupied for ve years, from 1818 to
1823, in weighing the various objections which were being presented
to my mind. (William Miller, William Miller’s Apology and Defense,
pp. 13, 15)
What was the result of ve years of such study, conducted while Miller
was yet employed full time in secular occupations? Twenty-two years after
those ve years of study, even after the Great Disappointment, Miller answered
that question in a way that still seems incredible to me.
During that time, more objections arose in my mind, than have
been advanced by my opponents since; and I know of no objection
that has been since advanced, which did not then occur to me. ( Ibid .,
p. 15)
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Introduction
But it is not likely that you or I could honestly say the same, not likely that
no objection against our Adventist faith has ever arisen but such as we had
previously put to rest for ourselves.
This book is the rst in a short series that is intended to move us closer,
as a people, to an experience like that of our pioneers. We want to be settled.
And in this book we want to be settled on questions related to prophecy.The shaking is ruthless. May we “step fast” and forward.
Probably the two most important chapters in this book are those on the
judgment and on the nal test over the mark and the seal. Do you know your
Bible well enough to persuade a seeking neighbor that Sunday observance
will be the mark of the beast? If that question is to test the world, don’t you
think we ought to know that topic well?
These chapters are progress reports. No month goes by but some Bible
thought opens up to me like it never has before. Will you nd a new line ofevidence that afrms the precious truths for our time? Tell me about it. I want
to hear. I want to learn.
Other books will follow this one. They will touch more directly on the
gospel and on the practical life of persons seeking Christ’s righteousness.
Those books will seek the blessing mentioned in this passage:
A minister, after preaching a Bible discourse which brought deep
conviction to one of his hearers, was accosted with the question, “Do
you really believe what you have preached?”“Certainly,” he answered.
“But is it really so?” asked the anxious questioner.
“Certainly,” said the minister, as he reached for his Bible.
Then the man broke out, “O, if this is the truth, what shall we
do?”
“What shall we do?” thought the minister—“we”? What could the
man mean? But the question forced its way to his soul. He went away
to plead with God to tell him what to do. And as he prayed, there came
to him with overwhelming force the thought that he had the solemn
realities of eternity to present to a dying world. For three weeks his place in the desk was vacant. He was seeking an answer to the ques-
tion, “What shall we do?”
The minister returned to his charge with an unction from the Holy
One. He realized that his past preaching had made little impression
on his hearers. Now he felt upon him the terrible weight of souls. As
he came to his desk, he was not alone. There was a great work to be
done, but he knew that God would not fail him. Before his hearers he
exalted the Saviour and His matchless love. There was a revelation of
the Son of God, and a revival began that spread through the churches
of the surrounding districts. (Gospel Workers, p. 33–34)
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But for now, in this book, this is the blessing I am seeking for the
readers:
Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not under-
stand the word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an
injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. “Blessedis he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,” God
declares, “and keep those things which are written therein: for the time
is at hand.” When we as a people understand what this book means to
us, there will be seen among us a great revival. We do not understand
fully the lessons that it teaches, notwithstanding the injunction given
us to search and study it. (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 113)
—Eugene Prewitt, July 24, 2009
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Section I
Questions From Those Within
A
DVENTISTS are generally aware of a shaking that is to take place
among God’s people. Those that can be shaken will be shaken. Those
who, on the contrary, are settled into the truth intellectually and spiri-
tually so that they cannot be moved, will remain with the truth.
I have, in my brief lifetime, received many studies, books, and articles
that asserted that my salvation would hinge on whether or not I accepted the
propositions set forth in them. Many of them were charitable enough to say
that God would wink at the times of my ignorance. But precious few of the
authors seemed to believe that an honest seeker for truth, led by the Holy
Spirit, could read the documents and remain unconvinced.
If I were only to take into consideration those studies that met the fol-
lowing eight guidelines, there would still be more theories to investigate thanyou might guess:
1. The author is a rm believer in the Spirit of Prophecy as manifest in
Ellen White;
2. The author is very knowledgeable;
3. The author has carefully examined the arguments urged against his
views;
4. The author has prayerfully and humbly pleaded for guidance from
heaven;
5. The author has a disdain for sin, avoids display, advocates helpful
reforms;
6. The author has a very signicant list of statements from Inspiration
proving his/her position;
7. The author has a theory that makes many otherwise difcult passages
easy to harmonize with each other; and
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8. The author has more than one passage from Inspiration that indicates
that one’s salvation may hinge on how one receives the message being
presented. And these are buttressed by other statements urging that
we should be ready to receive new light.
Yet, if I were to believe only the studies that meet these qualications, Iwould at the same time believe that our God is three persons and two. I would
believe that we should keep the feasts and that we should not. I would believe
that we should stay in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, join the Seventh-day
Adventist Reform Movement, leave both, and start a third. I would believe
that two modern prophets that rejected one another were both true. I would
pronounce God’s name only in Hebrew. I would also believe that the move-
ment to pronounce that name aright is the fourth angel of Revelation 18. I
would also believe that the Shepherd’s Rod is that fourth angel. I would also believe the literature work of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is that
angel. I would also believe that the call to leave the Seventh-day Adventist
denomination for non-denominational Sabbath-keeping is that angel. I would
also believe that the Reform Movement is that angel. And I would believe
more things than can be well recounted about Daniel 7 through 11.
With that said, I propose we acknowledge that having these eight identi-
fying marks is not sufcient evidence that a matter is true. Consequently, if I
conclude from my study that “I don’t believe that teaching,” I am not neces-
sarily accusing the document of lacking any of these eight evidences.We will have to give account in the judgment for the use of our time and
energies. That is reason enough to motivate me to “take heed how [I] hear.”
(See Luke 8:18)
Charity in Judging
I fear men, not because they are a member of one group or another, but
because they are men. Men, even the best and most honest of them, are err-
ing and contradictory. They make mistakes and retract them or defend them
to the bitter end. The evangelist Bunyan, breathing the very atmosphere of
heaven, wrote with ability against the Seventh-day Sabbath. Luther and Carl-
stadt attacked each other. On nearly every point of difference, Luther was in
the wrong. A few of our pioneers opposed Andrews’ opinion that Sabbath
begins at sundown. And nearly all early Adventists kept it incorrectly in that
respect for several years.
We ought, then, to be charitable in judging. Men may be sincerely wrong,
and while we must strenuously oppose the worst of their errors, we may count
the erring men as better than ourselves.
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Questions from Those Within
But there is a class with whom we cannot be as charitable, in the social
sense of the word, as with others. That class is made up of prophets, true and
false. A person that speaks for God is His servant or His enemy. The prophet’s
ministry is not a harmless mistake; it is of the devil or of God. Most prophets
acknowledge this.
Victor Houteff (the founder of the Shepherd’s Rod movement, known oftentoday as the Branch Davidians) falls into this last category. Speaking of his
own material, Houteff wrote “It cannot be anything else but some wonderful,
plain, clear-cutting Bible truth which could not be contradicted.” (Shepherd’s
Rod , p. 95) A man that claims to be a prophet (see page 196 of his book) inad-
vertently makes a statement about inspiration, and thus about the Bible. If he
is mistaken in detail, then the Bible may be also. If he can change his written
views over time, then portions of Scripture may also be outdated. The Bible
has no kind words for false prophets.Yet false prophets may repent and be converted. Two young ladies in Ellen
White’s day were self-deceived until instructed by her. They both returned to their
position as learners in the school of Christ. I would rather have their position in
the judgment than that of many persons who have left the truth never to return.
Many Adventists are losing condence in the fundamental teachings that
dene us. They are shocked and disappointed to discover many sensible and
Biblical arguments against things they have long believed.
The 1844 judgment, for example, has been attacked as ctitious by many
able writers and with many scriptural reasons. The rst chapter of this bookaddresses this question Biblically.
The second chapter addresses the rst prophecy in Revelation intended
specically for the Christians in our own day. And the truths in this chapter
about love and truth have the potential of solving the heart problems that make
faulty arguments so deceptive.
One Adventist evangelist, Albion Ballenger, turned against our church
over what he perceived as a proof in the book of Hebrews that the sanctuary
message of the church was fundamentally awed. I read an editorial when I
was a young man that said that no one had ever written a sensible Bible study
that countered the Biblical arguments of Ballenger. The third chapter in this
section is just such a study.
The last chapter in this section critiques the Adventist doctrine of the
“remnant.” Who are part of that remnant that seems to raise the ire of the
dragon? Does the remnant include persons in your baptismal study that have
not yet been baptized?
It is by addressing these questions that I hope to make a contribution to
the edice of truth that was built by so many before me.
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CHAPTER O NE
The Judgment
A
DVENTISTS alone teach the doctrine that we have named the
“investigative judgment.” Our neighbors in the Baptist or Catho-
lic communions have ideas about death that make such a judgment
unthinkable.What are the dening characteristics of this Adventist doctrine?
First, there is timing. We teach that the judgment began in 1844. That
means a great deal. It means, for example, that the judgment didn’t happen
at the cross. And it means that the judgment won’t happen at Christ’s second
coming. And it precludes a judgment at the moment of death.
In place of all of these options, it places the judgment that decides the
destinies of Christians, near the end of time, yet beginning prior to many of
the nal events.
Second, our doctrine is related to the long-standing controversy between
Christ and Satan. We teach that the judgment is not for the purpose of inform-
ing the Father so that He may make a right decision. No, the judgment is for
the angels and other unfallen beings. They are the ones who witness the cases
being decided. And they are the ones who testify that God’s judgments are
“just.”
Third, our doctrine is related to the gospel and to how men live their lives
on the earth today. We teach that the judgment compares the lives of men to
the Ten Commandments. Destinies are decided on the question, “has this person been an overcomer? Have they loved and obeyed?”
The judgment does not ask, “What were his opinions?” but, “What evi-
dence does his conduct give regarding whether or not the law was written in
his heart? Was the Spirit a resident there?” The cleansing blood of Jesus stands
able to wash away the record of a man’s sin, and it will if there is evidence that
the man gave Jesus opportunity to clean up his life while on earth.
These three characteristics combined—a pre-Advent judgment for the
benet of the angels that determines destinies by comparing the lives of men
to the Ten Commandments—make our doctrine unique.
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The Judgment
And it is hated.
So here is a little history from the perspective of its enemies:
Unambiguous Evidence?
Raymond Cottrell wrote a paper on the investigative judgment called
“Asset or Liability?”1 In that paper he indicates that there is no unambiguousBible evidence for the Adventist doctrine of the judgment. The thesis of his
paper is that the doctrine is built on an erroneous understanding of Daniel
8:14. In the paper he writes:
In 1958 . . . I determined to try once more to nd a way to be abso-
lutely faithful to both Daniel and the traditional Adventist interpreta-
tion of 8:14, but again found it impossible. I then formulated six ques-
tions regarding the Hebrew text of the passage and its context, which
I submitted to every college teacher versed in Hebrew and every headof the religion department in all of our North American colleges—all
personal friends of mine. Without exception they replied that there is
no linguistic or contextual basis for the traditional Adventist interpreta-
tion of Daniel 8:14.
Again, you would think, from reading the article and other attacks on this
doctrine, that the Adventist doctrine is based on a misunderstanding of Daniel
8:14. Further, that if Daniel 8:14 is explained correctly then the doctrine of the
investigative judgment evaporates.So we are about to look at Bible evidence for this Adventist doctrine. And
when we are done, look back over the passages that we have quoted. You will
nd not one reference to Daniel 8:14. There is unambiguous evidence for the
Adventist’s investigative judgment doctrine. We will get to Daniel 8:14 in the
chapters on Ballenger and on the Atonement.
Unambiguous Evidence for the Timing of the Judgment
The Bible refers, in a number of passages, to a judgment. These passages
do not all speak of the same event. The question raised by the scholars men-tioned above (in a remarkable fulllment of Daniel 12:10’s “none . . . shall
understand”) is whether any of these passages amount to solid evidence for
the doctrine of the investigative judgment.
Here are some simple Bible observations from three chapters—Daniel 7,
Revelation 14, and Revelation 6. Each of these chapters has a prophetic story
line that gives us an ability to locate the timing of the judgment in relation to
end-time events.
1. More properly, “The ‘Sanctuary Doctrine,’ Asset or Liability?” This paper was rst deliveredat the “Jesus Institute Forum” on February 4, 2001. It is readily available on the web.
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1. What do we nd in Daniel 7? After the rise and fall of Babylon, Persia,
Greece and Rome; after the rise of proto-European tribes, and then after the
papacy rises with its blasphemy and persecution, we nd a judgment opened
in heaven that utilizes “the books.”
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient ofdays did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like the pure wool: his throne was like the ery ame, and
his wheels as burning re. A ery stream issued and came forth
from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9–10)
After this judgment we nd the papacy being destroyed by re at the same time
that its dominion comes to an end. The other nations, by way of contrast, continuedto exist as non-superpower nations after their fall from world greatness. (Behold
Iraq, Iran, and Greece in existence even today, their life “prolonged.” Verse 12)
Then we see in heaven, a transaction between the Father and the Son. The
Son receives the kingdom of the whole earth “which kingdom shall never be
destroyed.”
In point of time, this judgment looks like the one identied by Adventists.
It is late in earth’s history, yet ends before the nal climactic scenes.
2. What do we nd in Revelation 14? While probation still continues,
before the gospel has been preached to every nation and people, an announce-ment about the arrival of the time of the judgment is made.
And I saw another angel y in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with
a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his
judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:6–7)
This is followed by two other warnings related to the mark of the beast and
papal corruptions. God’s commandment-keeping people are pictured as faith-
fully enduring persecution. Next in Revelation 14 comes the Second Coming
under the symbol of two ripe-related harvests—rst of the righteous, then of
the wicked for destruction.
Related to time, this Revelation 14 announcement that “the hour of His
judgment is come” is united with the nal campaign to evangelize the world
and precedes the most climactic events that, themselves, precede the Second
Coming. In timing, this too looks like the judgment Adventists teach about.
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The Judgment
3. What do we nd in Revelation 6? While probation lasts, and after some
period of serious persecution of God’s people, the blood of the saints cries out
for vengeance. The lives of the martyrs are represented as being “under the
altar” in heaven. When they cry for vengeance, they are told that they must
rest a little longer until another wave of persecution should bring another
wave of martyrs.But, in the meantime, they are given white robes.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every
one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for
a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren,
that should be killed as they were, should be fullled. (Revelation
6:10–11)
Their cry for vengeance is followed by signs in the sun, moon, and stars
and then by the personal appearance of Jesus Christ.
The giving of the white robes to the faithful martyrs follows the persecu-
tion of the Dark Ages and precedes both the persecution of the last age and
the Second Coming. They receive their white robes neither at death nor at
their resurrection. They are at “rest” while awaiting vengeance against their
murderers.
This pre-Advent declaration of their destiny looks, time-wise, like thedoctrine Adventists teach.
Common and Uncommon Elements
These three passages share two common elements. In regard to timing,
they each picture a divine judgment following papal activity and preceding
the earth’s nal events.
In regard to location, they each indicate that the judgment is an other-
worldly event. In Daniel 7, it occurs before angels in heaven. In Revelation
6, the souls being vindicated refer to those that dwell “on the earth” as you
might refer to someone who lives in a different land than yourself. Finally, in
Revelation 14, the need for an announcement presupposes that the beginning
of the judgment is not readily apparent to those on earth.
In addition to information regarding timing and location, Daniel 7 offers
its own clues as to how this judgment relates to the heavenly “books.”
The student of Scripture nds, after a study of these books, that names can
be “written,” and names can be removed. See Exodus 32:31–34; Deuteronomy
29:19–20; Revelation 22:19; Luke 10:20.
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Jesus in Revelation connects the blotting out of names with a scene very
similar to the judgment scene in Daniel 7. And more than this, He connects
that judgment scene with the granting of white robes. This statement of Jesus,
in this respect, reminds us of Revelation 6. It brings together two of our three
timeline passages.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white rai-
ment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but
I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Revelation 3:5)
Another passage that speaks of “blotting out” something from the books
used in the judgment is found in Peter’s post-Pentecostal sermon. There,
in regard to time, the blotting out is future and coincides with an end-time
pouring out of the Spirit’s power. This power, used to lighten the world withChrist’s glory, must precede the close of human probation. And it immediately
precedes the sending of Jesus back to earth.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the pres-
ence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you. (Acts 3:19–20)
This is the second passage that has connected the judgment with a set time.The other was Revelation 14:7. This brings us to the question of the Adventist
Great Disappointment.
Prophecies of the Great Disappointment
Many detractors from the doctrine of the investigative judgment suggest
that this doctrine was created by Adventists to cover their embarrassment
about the non-appearance of Christ in 1844. But Habakkuk 1–2, Malachi 3,
Hebrews 10, and Revelation 10 all refer, prophetically, to that time of trial
and misunderstanding. According to these four passages, the fulllment of
prophecy would appear to tarry, but it would not tarry, and men were still to
keep waiting for Christ’s return. They would be seeking to see Him in the
clouds, but He would instead come to His temple.
They would need patience to inherit His coming kingdom and would be
tempted to throw away their condence. They would preach His coming with
great enthusiasm but then would cease. Finally, they would be bidden to take
up the work again. They would love the sweetness of their message until they
understood it thoroughly, then it would be a bitter disappointment.
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The Judgment
Each of these four passages throws additional light on the topic of the judg-
ment in heaven. There are also a number of parables that illustrate the truth.
Solomon concludes his words of wisdom with a reference to that event.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. ForGod shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)
Paul preached that there was a day for this judgment. He connected it with the
future justifying of those that were currently obeying the commandments.
As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without
law: . . . (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the
doers of the law shall be justied . . .) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
(Romans 2:12–16)
Who will be blotted out of the book? Those that “sin” against the Lord. See
Exodus 32:34. But doesn’t that include us all? Yes, human cases would be hope-
less if the overcomers were not each offered a “white robe” during the judgment,
a blotting out of their sins, prior to the nal decision of their cases. This gift of a
white robe is the future “shall be justied” of the current “doers of the Law.”
In both of these passages—Ecclesiastes 12 and Romans 2—the judgmentis made a motive for commandment-keeping. This is also the case in the three
angels’ messages. We glorify God by keeping the law that is a transcript of
His character. Compare Ecclesiastes 12 and Revelation 14. These passages
differ primarily in that Solomon places the judgment future while earth’s last
warning places the judgment at present.
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment
is come: . . . here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:7, 12)
Fear God, and keep his commandments: . . . For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether
it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)
The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
We have observed already that, from the books of heaven, names may
be removed and sins may be blotted out. Both of these processes cleanse the
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heavenly books in the heavenly sanctuary from the record of sin. As each case
is decided, either sins are blotted out and a white robe is given, or a name (and
its record) is removed from the book of life.
In the antitypical day of atonement there was one more step in processing the
sin problem after the cleansing of the sanctuary. There is one who has tempted
and prodded, cajoled and trapped, bringing men into his ranks of sin slaves. TheDevil is, in this way, guilty for all the sins he has caused men to commit.
He is not guilty in their stead. Only the innocent Jesus could bear their sins
as a substitute. But this wicked one is guilty in his own stead for his part in their
falls. In the symbols, this Azazel2 is blamed for the sins he has caused. (See
Leviticus 16:8, 10) He has injured Jesus through His saints, and now justice
returns the pain into his own bosom. He is led into the wilderness.
If we call Azazel a “scapegoat,” we must clarify that Azazel is not an underling
blamed in order to take the heat off from a superior. A more backward descriptionof the relation of sin to Satan could hardly be imagined. Satan is the ultimately
guilty one rather than the unfortunate last stop for the passing of the “buck.”
To answer the question, “How is this blaming of Satan related to the judg-
ment in heaven?” we need only note the observers of the judgment.
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like the pure wool: his throne was like the ery ame, and
his wheels as burning re. A ery stream issued and came forth
from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was
set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9–10)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;
and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5)
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men,
him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.(Luke 12:8)
The prominent place given to the angels, one-hundred million strong, reveals
that the judgment scene is for them. God knows those that are His. (See 2 Timonthy
2:19) The investigative judgment is for the information of the holy angels. It is they
who have an interest in the blame that belongs to their once-honored Lucifer.
2. Azazel is the Hebrew word translated “scapegoat” in Leviticus 16. When Adventists have
pointed out that Azazel represents Satan, some have accused us of making Satan into oursinbearer. These paragraphs show the fallacy of that accusation.
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The relation of the angels to the judgment was woven into the sanctuary.
Not only were two angels sculpted there in a position of reverence and inter-
est in the law and mercy, but the entire fabric of the inner curtains was woven
with cherubim. (See Exodus 26:31; 36:35)
The Relation of the Investigative Judgment to the Great White ThroneJudgment
There is a judgment in the book of Revelation that seems, in some ways,
similar to the one in Daniel 7. It is, however, different in a few other signicant
details: timing, location, and purpose.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven ed away; and there was found
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened,which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged
every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of re. This is the second death. And whosoever was
not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of re.
(Revelation 20:11–15)
When does this judgment happen? Very apparently it is nished after
the 1000 years mentioned in the verses just before it. We can tell this by the
statement that the consequences meted out by this judgment are referred to as
“the second death.” It is also apparent by the fact that the lake of re happens
after the 1000 years as God breathes down re on the armies that surround
the Holy City. (See Revelation 20:1–10)
Also, notice that in this judgment there is no intercession by Jesus. And
who are the witnesses of this judgment? Rather than the angels, this judgment
serves the lost, those that are being judged. They are resurrected to hear theircases decided and to be convinced of their wickedness.3
3. It is a fact that Ellen White applies both Revelation 20:11–15 and Jude 14–15 to Christ’s second
coming. And this is accurate in much the same way that Peter’s application of Joel 2 to the
day of Pentecost is accurate. At Christ’s second coming, all living nations are gathered before
Him. He accuses the wicked of their neglect of the needy and of their lawlessness. Matthew
7:23; 25:40. He comes bringing all the “holy angels” with Him. Matthew 25:31. All elements
of Jude 14–15 t the Second Coming perfectly well. But in a more thorough sense they apply
to the post-millennium judgment where “all that are ungodly” are judged and where Christ
executes “judgment upon all.” Ellen White also plainly applies Revelation 20:11–15 to the post-millennium execution of the wicked in The Great Controversy. See p. 666.
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During the 1000 years just ended, there was a special judgment for the
benet of the saints. This millennial investigation is the judgment alluded to
in Psalm 149:6–9, by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:3, and by John in Revelation
20:11.
Then, after the 1000 years are over, the great white throne judgment scene
is nally fullled. There the dead are convinced that the judgments againstthem are just. Just as the wicked at Christ’s second coming are accused by
Jesus for their wrongdoing, so will be the resurrected wicked after the thou-
sand years.
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinnershave spoken against him. (Jude 14–15)
These two instances when Christ sits on His throne and judges resurrected
persons happen, naturally, in conjunction with the two resurrections. Both the
judgment that precedes the 1000 years and the judgment after the 1000 years
are a fulllment of this passage:
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seatof Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one
of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10–12)
Not all these knees bow simultaneously, however. These two resurrec-
tions are those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:23–25. The saints, the wicked
survivors of the plagues, and special rebels will meet their destiny rst. The
wicked dead will meet it later. As it is written, all will share the same experi-
ence of giving account of themselves before God.Some may wonder why we call attention to the judgment in heaven when
our own turn at the bar of God is yet future. The answer is that men ought
to learn of the judgment going on now while there is time to set their lives
in order. To learn of the judgment while being punished will be to learn of it
far too late.
There is, then, plenty of unambiguous evidence for a multi-phased judg-
ment of the human race. The books of record are intimately related to every
phase of that judgment. Their contents are examined in heaven during the
judgment for the angels. At that time sins and names are blotted out as desti-
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nies are forever xed. Then the books are brought forth to convince the survi-
vors of the plagues of their lawlessness. Then the books are examined by the
saints during the 1000 years. Finally, the wicked dead are resurrected to face
the books. Then those whose names are not in the book of life are destroyed
in the lake of re.
Only the rst phase of this judgment is coincident with human probation.Only that current phase is announced as a warning to the last generation to
ready themselves for Christ’s coming. We ought to spread that warning while
the cases of past generations are still being decided.
Conclusion
So, what about the doctrine of the investigative judgment? Biblically, it is
a judgment that happens in heaven for the benet of the angels. Biblically, it
happens near the end of earth’s history but prior to Christ’s coming. Biblically,its timing is announced, and this shows that its timing has been prophesied.
Biblically, the Ten Commandments are the standard in the judgment; there-
fore, men are called to keep them in view of their pending cases. Biblically,
the judgment reverses the decisions of human tribunals that have killed the
saints, thus condemning the papacy while cleansing the books of record from
the sins of the overcomers.
Biblically, the doctrine stands. Unambiguously.
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CHAPTER TWO
Laodicea
T
HERE have always been messages that were more timely than others.
Truth seems to come alive when its time has come. At its appointed
moment, the currents of thought and politics in the world work together
to make the message most relevant. Or its revelations may describe so perfectlythe condition of God’s people that the student’s mind nds itself ooded with
a sense of its truthfulness.
Some messages have always been timely.
We must keep Jesus our pattern ever before us. This is and ever will
be present truth. It was by beholding Jesus and appreciating the virtues
of His character that John became one with his Master in spirit. With
spiritual vision he saw Christ’s glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth; and he was changed from glory toglory into His likeness. (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 135)
Today, the message to the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14–21) is speaking to
men again, to a greater number of them, and with greater force. 1
Laodicea converses each weekend regarding salvation, assurance, and the
gifts of grace. These topics are broached in Sabbath school with characteris-
tic boldness. We, as members of the church, are looking forward to Christ’s
coming. But we don’t understand these topics. We wouldn’t expect a prophet
to say to us:
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!2 to what end
is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if
a man did ee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the
house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
(Amos 5:18–19)
1. This chapter is adapted and abbreviated from a longer study by the same title available at
www.bibledoc.org.
2. “You that desire the day of the Lord” is a phrase that, in our day, has been abbreviated into asingle word: “Adventist.”
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Amos uses metaphors familiar to us—the serpent, the lion, the comfort
of getting home after danger. Perhaps we are not as mindful of the bear, that
animal called by God to punish the mocking of His special messenger. (2 Kings
2:23-24) Amos indicates that Adventists, waiting and hoping to go home to
heaven, anxious to escape the roaring lion on their track, will nd at last that
they have been deceived by the serpent and that their treatment of Heaven’s prophet has not endeared them to Heaven.
We are represented by Amos as expecting great things from the coming of
Jesus. Our riches, whether or not they include material prosperity, include an
assurance that all will be well with us in the end. Laodicea knows, in a super-
cial way, that her destiny depends on her love and her faith. She is aware that
those with a faith/love relationship are the ones that are justied. But rather
than being a source of worry, this thought comforts her from day to day. She
is condent enough of her standing with God to speak of it.
“I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing”
There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God
will hear and answer our prayers. One of the rst of these is that we
feel our need of help from Him. He has promised, “I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and oods upon the dry ground.” Isaiah 44:3.
Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who long after God,
may be sure that they will be lled. The heart must be open to the
Spirit’s inuence, or God’s blessing cannot be received.Our great need is itself an argument and pleads most eloquently
in our behalf. But the Lord is to be sought unto to do these things for
us. (Steps to Christ , p. 95)
Laodicea might be more conscious of her need if she understood the nature of
faith and love. These, according to James and Paul, are the riches of the gospel. But
James speaks of men who “say” they have faith, yet do not. (See James 2:14–20) And
John speaks of men who “say” they have love, but have it not. (See 1 John 4:20)
It is interesting, in this context, to notice that faith in God’s truth and self-less love were the two signicant virtues missing from the Laodicean church
in Paul’s time.
For I would that ye knew what great conict I have for you, and
for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in
the esh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together
in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding,
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ. (Colossians 2:1–2)
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James speaks of those that are “rich in faith”3 and identies them as the
same class as those that “love” God.
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him? (James 2:5)
Our God Himself is spoken of as being “rich in mercy.” This is shown by
the “great love wherewith he loved us.” (Ephesians 2:4) Faith and love are com-
bined in a number of other passages. A working faith can never be separated
from love, for “faith works by love.” (Galatians 5:6) It would be appropriate
for Laodicea to take a moment to probe the meaning of these golden values.
An understanding of faith and love might wake her to a hungering and thirst-
ing after righteousness.
The Nature of Faith
The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro-
ceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God. (Romans 10:17)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16)
Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls. (James 1:21)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what
ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)
Compare Romans 1:17 and Matthew 4:4 above, and you will see that faith
must be living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Faith is
a relationship with the Word. Faith submits to the Word. It lives and acts as if
the Word itself has power to do the thing it promised.
What does faith look like? That depends on the nature of the Word that
faith is resting on at the moment. When faith comes to a warning, faith looks
like preparation and “taking heed.” When faith comes to a rebuke, faith looks
like confession and repentance. Faith lets the principle of the Word become the
3. See 1 Peter 1:7–8 for another correlation of “faith” with “gold.”
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ruling power in the life. When faith comes to inspired history, it looks to the
world to be akin to naiveté, to believing the Bible over scholars and science.
It takes the Word at face value. Faith recognizes the creative power in the
Word of God. When faith comes to Calvary and lets the glory of that story
move the will, faith looks like tears, penitence, humility, courage, and seless
love. When confronted with counsel, it looks very much like a desire to pleaseGod. When considering an inspired hymn, faith may even look like music.4
This could be partially expressed in a chart:
The Nature of the Word ................The Appearance of Faith
A Warning ........................................Preparation
A Rebuke ............................ Confession and Repentance
History ............................................... Belief
A Promise .............................................Hope
A Command .......................................Obedience
Counsel .................................... A Desire to Please
The Story of Calvary ................... Tears, Penitence, Humility,
Courage, Seless Love
A Spiritual Hymn ...............................Spiritual Music
When the Bible asserts that we are saved “by hope” and justied by
“works” and excused by our “thoughts” and condemned by “idle words” (see
Romans 8:24; James 2:24; Romans 2:15; Matthew 12:36), the Book makes no
contradiction with those statements that faith alone can save us. The repeated
statements that we are judged according to our works and even the statement
that we are justied by our “words” are only a development of the theme that
man “shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
The Word “every” must be allowed to have its meaning. Unbelief is selective.
It may incorporate portions of the Word, the promises and stories, while spurn-
ing the counsels and commands. It may acknowledge the laws and regulationswhile slighting the Sacrice. Unbelief has never saved a soul and never will.
James says that a man may try to show his faith without works, but then
James says, I will “show my faith by my works.”
Just as Laodicea has falsely supposed she had a great deal of faith, she
has been misinformed regarding love and does not recognize her dearth of
the treasure.
4. Colossians 3:16—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace inyour hearts to the Lord.”
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The Nature of Love
Love is a fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22) Unspiritual people do
not love. “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
And those with Jesus in their hearts most certainly do exercise love. “Every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (1 John 4:7) “That Christ
may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,may . . . know the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:17–19) Love is so rare that its
possession attracts the attention of the world. “By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)
This is not to say that unconverted mothers do not love their children. Nei-
ther can we justly deny that an unconverted man may truly love his converted
wife. But sentimental, selective love is a mere reection of the virtue itself. Jesus
made this contrast in Matthew 5. He suggested to His audience that the love they
showed their families and friends did not prove any relationship to their “Fatherin heaven.” If they would be His children, they must love their enemies.
Loving our enemies does not change the fact that they are our enemies.
Love is not an ecumenical cover-up of differences. Love is, on the contrary,
seless service. Service to others, at the expense of one’s own interests and
comfort, will be an identifying mark of God’s last-day people.
Love in the Last Days
The Bible makes a number of statements regarding the signicance of
love to end-time events. We observed earlier that the rst-century church ofLaodicea (see Colossians 2:1–3) had a crying need to be “knit together in love.”
This need, a characteristic also of the last-day church, is signied in the term
“lukewarm.” What is spiritual heat in this end-time context?
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
(Matthew 24:12–13)
Enduring love characterizes the nally saved. The cooling of this seless principle characterizes the church in its Laodicean condition. But prophecy
foretells more than a love that survives. Paul speaks of end-time love as one
that thrives.
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to
the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with
all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13)
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Our love, if we are to be found blameless at Christ’s coming, must be
growing for our leaders, our fellow members, and for those that are “without.”
If it is not growing, it will be dying.
Visit your neighbors in a friendly way, and become acquainted
with them. . . . Those who do not take up this work, those who actwith the indifference that some have manifested, will soon lose their
rst love, and will begin to censure, criticize, and condemn their own
brethren. (Christian Service, p. 115)
What does love look like? That depends on the need of the one that is
brought into our sphere of inuence. In the home, love looks like a father
cheerfully doing the dishes day after day. Love looks like disciplining oneself
to keep tracts on hand to give away at gas stations and supermarkets. Putting
the needs of others rst, true love may look like printing fewer pictures andgiving a larger offering to Missions.
When a brother is found doing wrong, love looks like patience and cor-
rection. When a brother is in danger, love looks like a solemn warning and a
helping hand. If your brother has done you wrong, love looks rather like faith-
ful rebuke and attempted reconciliation than like gossip. Lest we miss this
last point, Jesus used it as example of what His own love means. He wrote to
Laodicea, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.”
Hot or Cold
Somewhat seless Christians make the universe confusing. The Lord of
glory, with sympathy for those whose destinies will be decided by the vac-
illating witness of the church, says that He is repulsed by half measures in
self-denial.
His promise to “spew out” those that continued on with their mixture
of self-interest and God-pleasing ought to lead our church to remember
Jerusalem.
Jesus, John the Baptist, and Jeremiah all argued against the smug “we arethe people” mentality.
To this point we have discussed Laodicea’s opinion of itself. We have felt
rich and our misunderstanding of love and faith has led to this delusion. The
True Witness nds words to point out a true condition.
Wretched, Miserable, Poor, Blind, and Naked
The Greek word talaheeporos, translated “wretched,” is found in only
one other passage in the Scriptures. There, in Romans 7, Paul describes the
experience of a man that is in bondage to the law of sin and death, a man that
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wants to do right, but who nds another law bringing him “into captivity” to
the law of sin. (See Romans 7:23–24)
This man, like all those that have not yet been set “free from the law of
sin and death” (Romans 8:2), cries out, “who shall deliver me from the body
of this death?” (Romans 7:24) Wretched Laodicea does not know Jesus. Shewants to do right but is unable.
Eleeinos, “miserable” in Revelation 3, is also found in just one other
passage of Scripture. Paul, in arguing the reality of a physical resurrection,
describes the condition that we would all be in if there were no rising from
the dead.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men
most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:19)
Do not resist Him
When He is calling
The peace we now have
May not always beThe Holy City—
God’s own chosen—
In His favor
Thought she’d always be
When the walls were burning and
Lighting a million tear-stained face
And the cedars that were there
Were making mountains glow
All the soldiers had been told
“Do not destroy that place”
But the God of heaven said
“It must be brought low”
And when Jesus tried to tell
The people of their danger
They reminded Him of what
it seemed had slipped His mind
But He said that to the faith
of Abram they were strangers
And it would not help them if
their blood was from his line
Do not resist Him
When He is calling
The peace you now have
May not always beThe Holy City
God’s own chosen
In His favor
Thought she’d always be
Like a mother hen, He said
That he would have gathered them
If they would have come to Him
When the prophets called
But they all went their own way
To their chosen problems
And they left God no way
To save them from them all
Do not resist Him
When He is calling
The peace you now have
May not always be
The Holy City
God’s own chosen
In His favor
Thought she’d always be
Do Not Resist Him
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In other words, if there was to be no resurrection, our Christian hope would
be a delusion. The hope of most Laodiceans is just such a delusion. To think
that you are bound for heaven when you are not, that is miserable. Wretched
and miserable, wanting to do right and hoping for heaven while captive to sin
and doomed to death—this is our general condition.
The gold of Revelation 3, the gold of Scripture, is faith that works bylove and puries the soul. Laodicea is poor in the same sense that she is
lukewarm.
Luke’s gospel presents “the poor” as the recipients of Heaven’s choicest
blessings. There Jesus came to preach the gospel to “the poor.” He called
“His disciples” “ye poor” and blessed them saying “yours is the kingdom of
heaven.” The poor are to be invited to Christian feasts before friends and rela-
tives. And when, in this gospel, the invitation to the heavenly feast is refused
by others, the command is to “go quickly” into the highways and call, amongothers, “the poor.” (See Luke 4:18; 7:22; 6:20; 14:13, 21)
The rich ruler is invited to sell all he has and give to the poor. Sadly spurn-
ing the offer, his crown went to another. In the next chapter, the wealthy Zac-
chaeus is invited by the Spirit to do the same and volunteers his willingness
to do it. Finally, it is the “poor widow” that out-gives the wealthy in the book
of Luke. (See Luke 18:22; 19:8; 21:2–3)
But our church is not “poor in Spirit” in the beatitudal sense that would
bring the blessings of which Luke wrote. She is “proud, knowing nothing” of
her condition, arguing “about questions and strifes of words, whereof comethenvy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,” 1 Timothy 6:4. Her contentions do not
tend to increase her affection and seless disposition.
So, as we have compared the Bible writers’ use of different terms, we
have learned that “wretched” means “captive to sin”; “miserable” means hav-
ing a deluded assurance of salvation; “poor” means having little of the riches
of James 2:5, faith and love. More than these, Laodicea is both “blind” and
“naked.”
The Pharisees were “blind leaders of the blind.” They were offended at
Christ’s instruction in Matthew 15. When the disciples tried to apprise their
Master of how these leaders felt, Jesus said, “Let them alone: they be blind
leaders of the blind. And . . . both shall fall into the ditch.” (Verse 14)
They were making of none effect the testimony of the law of God (verse
6) and were shutting out the very light that might have saved them.
Jesus spoke with great plainness to these men. He said, “Ye blind guides”;
“fools and blind”; “fools and blind”; “blind guides”; “blind Pharisee.” (Mat-
thew 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26) They missed the idea of true spirituality. Their
religion was supercial. It was focused on the largeness of the institutional
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offerings and ignorant of the smallness of institutional piety. But when certain
Pharisees asked Jesus, “are we blind also?” He answered almost cryptically:
If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;
therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:41)
It was not Jesus who denied their blindness. They denied it in their own
hearts while asking about it with their lips, and Jesus quoted to them their
hearts’ answer. This is precisely Laodicea’s problem. She may even come to
Jesus and ask “am I blind?” But her question is unbelief. Jesus has already
told her that she cannot see and offered to heal her eyes. The question is a
denial of the illness.
What a tragedy it is, for wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked per-
sons are the very ones the gospel has been custom made to help. It was, in
fact, the call of the apostle Paul to open spiritual eyes to the light that they
might receive “forgiveness of sins.”
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive for-
giveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctied
by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)
The four words we have studied thus far are all code for “unconverted.”
Jesus has said to Laodicea, “you are unconverted, unconverted, unconverted,unconverted.” And He says it again with the word “naked.”
We are familiar with the idiom of wearing Christ’s righteousness. We
think we are clothed. How embarrassing to nd that we are not! Our confusion
stems from our ignorance of Christ’s righteousness and of how to put it on.
Jesus offers us “white raiment,” and we will study that offer after considering
His rst proffered gift—gold.
I Counsel Thee to BuyThe heavenly Merchantman has presented His wares in the Old Testa-
ment as well. There we learn how one as poor as Laodicea may “buy” riches
as Christ offers here.
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satiseth
not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good. . . .
Incline your ear , and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live.
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. . . Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while
he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts: and let him return unto theLORD, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:1–7)
Isaiah does not say that listening carefully to God and forsaking our evil
way is the cost of God’s blessings. His mercy is “without money and without
price.” But these willful actions are nonetheless the condition upon which we
may “buy” and satisfy our soul hunger.
What can we pay in our poverty? We can pay attention. We can “hearken”
and “incline our ear” and “hear” when God says “Ho!” Is that how we get
the gold? “So then faith cometh by hearing,” by hearing “the word of God.”
(Romans 10:17)
Isaiah 55 is too much for many persons. They cannot see consistency inhaving conditions attached to a free gift. “If we have to buy it, it is not free.
If it is free, we don’t have to buy it.” Let them argue with Jesus in Isaiah and
Revelation. We only want to believe the marvelous offer and to seek the Lord
“while He may be found.”
Thou Mayest Be Rich . . . Be Clothed . . . and See
Pause here and drink in the glory of the promise. From the wretched state
we are in, we are told in the plainest language, “there is hope!”
So we come to Jesus for the gold of faith and love. How do we buy them?
By an ongoing act of the will. Faith and love are fundamentally the very
same thing. They are a choice on our part to let God’s creative Word live
through us. Then we can choose to live by each portion of the Word that
we nd, to put the needs of even those we have never met before our own
conveniences.
Everything here depends on the right action of the will. If we will “let the
Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” and “let love be without” falseness, God
will work in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (See Colos-sians 3:16; Romans 12:9; Philippians 2:13) These heavenly plants—faith and
love—grow prodigiously when cared for by the constant exercise of the will.
Our decisions to help others incline our wills even more in that same direc-
tion. Our choice to deny our desires so that we may live by a God-breathed
principle makes us more like Him that spoke the principle.
And White Raiment
Perhaps the clothing that Christians wear is one of the least understood
aspects of righteousness by faith. In the minds of many, this spiritual robe is
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about equivalent to having “pardon” written by our names in heaven. But this
is not the way Paul and John present it.
In Revelation 3 we are given two reasons to buy and wear the garment.
The rst is to avoid nakedness itself. The second is to prevent the shame of
that nakedness from being witnessed. This last point hints that this robe is
more than forgiveness. The world can see when we are “naked,” and thoughwe are unconscious of our exposure, it is shameful nonetheless.
Paul speaks of what it means to put on the robe. He does not speak of
covering lthy garments with clean ones, but of removing the rst to make
room for the second.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness . . . But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make not provision for the esh, to full the lusts thereof.
(Romans 13:12–14)
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be
renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new
man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another. . . .
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. . . .
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for
us an offering and a sacrice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
(Ephesians 4:22–25, 31–32; 5:1–2)
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blas-
phemy, lthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him: . . . Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, longsuffering ; forbearing one another, and for-
giving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (Colossians 3:8–14)
This “true holiness,” as it is called in Ephesians 4, stands very distinct
from the sham righteousness that is called “Christ’s” by those who know Him
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not. What a light Laodicea would be in the world if she were stripped of her
lthy rags and covered with Christ’s robe of lovely living!
The man in Matthew 22 that accepted the invitation to the wedding but
failed to put on the wedding garment typies Laodicea. He thought that accept-
ing the invitation was all that was required.
There are many who are represented by this man. They have
accepted the invitation to the marriage supper, but have failed to comply
with the conditions for entrance to the feast. They will not lay aside the
garments of their own self-righteousness, and put on the robe prepared
for them at an innite price. They have accepted the theory of the truth,
but they do not possess and cultivate the faith that works by love and
puries the soul. They do not appropriate the truth to their individual
needs, and become partakers of the divine nature. They are not will-
ing to have the earthliness removed from their character, in order that
the heavenly graces may be imparted. They will be speechless before
the King when he comes in to examine the guests, and asks them why
they have not put on the righteousness of Christ. (The Youth’s Instruc-
tor , October 28, 1897)
And Eyesalve that thou Mayest See
We have observed already that “blindness” is a lack of spiritual under-
standing. Paul expresses this thought in Ephesians in such a way as to make
it clear that the eyesalve is the work of the Holy Spirit.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,may
give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of
the glory of his inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:17–18)
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,
to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; thatChrist may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what
is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;and to know the
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be lled
with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19)
Our need of the Holy Spirit and the ability of that Spirit to bring us all that
we need—these were the favorite themes of Jesus. A thorough study of the
promise of the Spirit would dwarf our study of Revelation 3. We will noticehere only a few important points.
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A special outpouring of the Holy Spirit is promised to the church at the
very time that Laodicea is counseled to receive it. The conditions of receiving
that gift are few and simple.
• Our faith, working by love, must bring obedience (Acts 5:32)
• We are to be asking for the gift (Luke 11:13; Zechariah 10:1)
• We must move forward to know God more and more (Hosea 6:1–3)
• We must turn from our sins (Joel 2:12–23; Proverbs 1:23)
As Many as I Love I Rebuke
The love of Jesus would not be appreciated by many. Those that perceive revul-
sion in rebuke and condemnation in correction could not bear the searching love
of our Sin-bearer. The church age that is warned of its lack of true love is givenan illustration of the nature of that love in the love-inspired rebuke of the True
Witness. Indeed, to refrain from giving needed instruction is a type of hatred.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any
wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. (Leviti-
cus 19:17)
This is not to say that all rebuke is produced by seless service. If some
“preach Christ of contention” there can be no doubt that some rebuke “forstrife and debate and to smite with the st of wickedness.” (See Philippians
1:16; Isaiah 58:4) But all the false-hearted instruction ever given will never
make true-hearted instruction less needed.
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23)
Not only does Jesus reprove, He also “chastens.” “Despise not the chasten-
ing of the Lord.” Proverbs 3:11; see also Job 5:17; Hebrews 12:5. This thrice-
repeated maxim reects the deep-seated antipathy of men for having theirwrong course pointed out. One of the most self-deceiving ways of despising
reproof is to simply avoid hearing it. “For every one that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John
3:20. That this is a danger for Laodicea is apparent in the Spirit’s admonition
to “hear.” Revelation 3:22.
Be Zealous and Repent
This passage is evidence enough that zeal and repentance are also func-
tions of the will. We choose what we dzaylohoe (Greek for “earnestly desire”).
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This is the sense of “be zealous.” And we choose from what and to whom
we will turn. This is repentance. But it is manifest in this message that some
source of information must inform the soul of just what it is that he is to
zealously repent of. Misguided zeal and undirected repentance cannot be
intended.
They zealously affect you, but not well. . . . But it is good to be
zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am
present with you. (Galatians 4:17–18)
The question, “Repent of what?” is answered by the implications in the
next verse.
Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock
This is the last of the code phrases for “unconverted.” Jesus wants to dwell“in [our] hearts by faith.” (Ephesians 3:17) Yet, for unbelieving Laodicea, He
patiently waits at the door. The Prince of Peace is outside; therefore, peace
itself cannot be inside.
The Saviour says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any
man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. He is not repulsed
by scorn or turned aside by threatening, but continually seeks the lost
ones, saying, “How shall I give thee up?” Hosea 11:8. Although Hislove is driven back by the stubborn heart, He returns to plead with
greater force, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” The winning
power of His love compels souls to come in. And to Christ they say,
“Thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35. (Christ’s Object
Lessons, p. 235)
Two Conditions to Christ’s Entrance
If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
Hearing His voice: This is the rst condition. Deaf persons today often
have doorbells that trigger lights in their house to blink on and off. Unless
they are sleeping, this signal will alert them to the presence of a guest. Jesus
presents the case to Laodicea as if it is not a matter to be assumed that she
will “hear” His voice. If she does not hear His voice, she will not think to
open the door.
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What is Jesus saying at the door? In Revelation 3:19 He is saying, “Repent.”
Repent of what?
Yet theLORD testied against Israel, and against Judah, by all
the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil
ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according toall the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to
you by my servants the prophets. (2 Kings 17:13)
We read that “the Lord testied . . . by all the prophets. . . .” “The testi-
mony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) Prophets have
always called the people to obey the various counsels and commandments of
God. But those who will not read the testimony of the prophets will not hear
the voice of Jesus. The last-day church not only keeps the commandments
but has “the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17) Prophetic counsels havecome to her as the voice of Jesus calling her to repent, to open the door of the
heart by turning from her evil ways.
Those who will not read the Spirit of Prophecy have neglected the rst
of the two conditions for special fellowship with Jesus in our day. For them
the command to repent in verse 19 is a vague call, perhaps for someone else.
They would rather excuse their wrong on the basis of their fallen nature and
are not keen on reading testimonies that would make them feel the account-
ability that accompanies their depravity.
Open the door: Here is the second condition. This is the only reasonable
response to hearing the voice. But those who are unfamiliar with Jesus may
not be comfortable opening a door to Someone who demands so much. If they
have not learned to recognize the love in His life-giving reproofs of instruction,
they will rise up against them. Rather than let the Guest in, they will confound
Him with an enemy and treat Him spitefully.
If the professed people of God nd their hearts opposed to this
straight work, it should convince them that they have a work to do to
overcome, if they would not be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord.
Said the angel: “God will bring His work closer and closer to test and
prove every one of His people.” Some are willing to receive one point;
but when God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it
and stand back, because they nd that it strikes directly at some cher -
ished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what is in their hearts
that shuts out Jesus. They prize something higher than the truth, and
their hearts are not prepared to receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and
proved a length of time to see if they will sacrice their idols and heed
the counsel of the True Witness. If any will not be puried throughobeying the truth, and overcome their selshness, their pride, and evil
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passions, the angels of God have the charge: “They are joined to their
idols, let them alone,” and they pass on to their work, leaving these
with their sinful traits unsubdued, to the control of evil angels. Those
who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be
the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness,
and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be tted for translation.
(Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 187)
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 testimo-
ny. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking
among God’s people.
I saw that the testimony of the True Witness has not been halfheeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church
hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This tes-
timony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey
it and be puried. ( Early Writings, p. 270)
This, then, is the end result of the message. It will purify some and harden
the rest.
Now some have been frightened, almost as if the shaking will cause weak
Christians to lose their way. But it is not weak Christians that refuse the voice ofJesus. It is false ones. Not the small grains of wheat, but the chaff will be blown
away. What a precious promise is found in the promise of the shaking!
For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among
all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least
grain fall upon the earth. (Amos 9:9)
So, has Satan frightened your soul with the thought that you do not have
enough strength to survive the shaking? Heed him not. Not the “least grain”will be allowed to fall to ruin.
I Will Come In and Eat with Him
The “food” that Jesus offers is His truth. Truth is food? Prophets are rep-
resented as eating scrolls. (See Ezekiel 2; Revelation 10) Jeremiah wrote, “Thy
words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of mine heart.” Jeremiah 15:16.
On the surface it might seem that all have access to this feast, but it is
not so. They may eat the words alone, but if they would eat them with Jesus,
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they must open the door. And the words, without Jesus’ indwelling, will not
be of true prot.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but
the word preached did not prot them, not being mixed with faith
in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)
Does Revelation speak of any special meal of truth being made available
to Christ’s followers? Any special Word from Him? Certainly. The testimony
of Jesus, as given to the remnant church, not only invites the church to open
her door but proffers a true abundance of good things for those that do invite
Christ to enter.
To Sit with Me on My Throne
“This honor have all his saints.” Psalm 149:9. We then, a kingdom of priests here, will reign also as kings and priest above. (The twenty-four elders
already reign this way. See Revelation 5:10) Already we are a “royal priest-
hood.” 1 Peter 2:9.
Our royal destiny, to sit on an eternal throne, makes certain behaviors
unacceptable. This is why Adventists must not drink alcoholic drinks.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
. . . lest they drink, and forget the law. (Proverbs 31:4–5)
And regarding priests,
Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with
thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye
die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and
that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between
unclean and clean. (Leviticus 10:9–10)
Our calling to being judges in the future sets us apart as teetotalling priests even today.
Even as I also Overcame
This study opened with a statement on one unchanging element of pres-
ent truth. Beholding Jesus ever has been and ever will be current theology.
In closing His message to the Laodiceans, Jesus presents His own life of
self-denial and service as a model for those who would be overcomers. The
most notable overcoming on Christ’s part was the defeat of His own inclina-
tion to escape the cross. “If it be possible,” He prayed in human weakness,
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“let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
(Matthew 26:39)
Not my will. That is the way that Christ overcame. “Even as I also” did,
He invites, “you may also.”
Long afterward, when John had been brought into sympathy withChrist through the fellowship of His sufferings, the Lord Jesus revealed
to him what is the condition of nearness to His kingdom. “To him that
overcometh,” Christ said, “will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”
Revelation 3:21. The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who
has drunk most deeply of His spirit of self-sacricing love—love that
“vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, . . . seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5)�