Final Generation

1
The Final Generation

and
And the Final Generation
THE FOURTH ANGEL
by
Ron Spear
Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................ 5
Foreword ......................................................................................................... 7
Introduction
The Great Waymarks of Adventism ....................................... 11
The Landmarks—Pillars: Attempts at Removal ....................................... 11
Rebellion Against The Testimony Of Jesus ............................................ 13
Attempts to Change ................................................................................ 14
Attempts to Change Unsuccessful ......................................................... 15
Seems About to Fall ................................................................................ 17
Chapter One
Roots and Reasons for a Final Generation ........................... 19
Perfect Obedience Required .................................................................... 20
The Vindication of God ........................................................................... 22
Christ's Character Perfectly Reproduced ................................................. 24
Chapter Two
God’s Efforts to Develop His Final Generation .................... 25
God's End-Time Messages ...................................................................... 25
Salvational Truths ................................................................................... 26
The Testimony of Jesus .......................................................................... 27
Righteous By Faith ................................................................................. 27
Christ's Active Obedience In Us ............................................................. 28
Every Provision Made ............................................................................. 29
Chapter Three
Efforts to Prevent the Formation of the Final Generation .... 31
Laodicean Condition Delay ..................................................................... 31
Latter Rain Rejection Delay ..................................................................... 31
Insubordination Delay of “Many Years” ................................................ 32
Doctrinal Blindness ................................................................................. 33
“Only Believe” ........................................................................................ 34
Error Mixed With Truth ........................................................................... 35
The New Theology ................................................................................. 36
Chapter Four
Where We Are Today ............................................................. 39
Nothing New Under the Sun ................................................................... 40
Copyright © 2004 Spiritual Blindness .................................................................................. 42
The Earth Will Be Lightened ................................................................... 44
Chapter Five
The Path Before Us ................................................................ 47
Phase One of the Shaking of Adventism—False Doctrines .................... 49
Phase One of the Shaking of Adventism—Straight Testimony ............... 52
Phase Three of the Shaking of Adventism—Persecution ....................... 54
Ron Spear By Every Word ........................................................................................ 55
3249 Old Baldy Road The Sealing ............................................................................................. 57
Rice, WA 99167, USA The Latter Rain ........................................................................................ 60
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4 T HE F INAL G ENERATION 5
The Blotting Out Of Sin ........................................................................... 65
Annulled Pardons ................................................................................... 66
PREFACE
Chapter Six
The Loud Cry of the Fourth Angel ......................................... 69
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Temple Cleansed Twice ........................................................................... 69
One Final Threefold Call .......................................................................... 70
HIS BOOK will strike a resounding and sympathetic chord for
God Will Take the Reins .......................................................................... 71 readers who love and defend the eternal, precious truths God
Those Not Insensible to Light ................................................................ 73 has graciously given to His Remnant Church.
Casting Off Human Restrictions .............................................................. 74 With words of love and obviously deep concern for God’s people
Light Through Unexpected Sources ....................................................... 76 as they venture into the final phases of what we are warned will be
Taking Our Crowns ................................................................................. 77
God Alone Glorified ................................................................................. 78 fearsome end-time trials for our beloved church, Elder Spear power-
Gospel Commission Completed ............................................................... 80 fully memorializes and vindicates for our spiritual advancement the un-
Probation Closes ..................................................................................... 81 assailable heaven-sent warnings of vital importance to The Final Gen-
The Hundred and Forty-four Thousand ................................................. 83 eration.
Chapter Seven
He then points us to the most trustworthy words of counsel with
Summary and Conclusions ..................................................... 97
Generations Disappointed ....................................................................... 97
which we have been blessed from our two faithful sources—the Scrip-
Summary and Conclusions ...................................................................... 99 tures and The Spirit of Prophecy. His appeals for awareness of our
What We Must Do Now ......................................................................... 99 rebellious condition as a people will, hopefully, awake His sleeping
Strive to Be Among the Final Generation ............................................... 104 saints to the hopelessness of our present condition. May God help us!
Appendix A It has been my pleasure to have known this man of vision for
The Last Generation ............................................................ 107 almost 20 years. During these years, he and his wife Betty, have occa-
Forgiveness and Cleansing .................................................................... 108
Rebellion in Heaven ............................................................................... 110 sionally been guests of my wife Virginia and I, in our home. We have
Satan’s Demonstration ........................................................................... 111 enjoyed many hours of earnest discussion and prayer together. His
Lucifer .................................................................................................... 112 wisdom and learning are legend. His habit of rising in the first hours
God’s Demonstration ............................................................................. 114 each morning to study has been his bulwark, as I found when, on one
Job’s Test
of his visits to our home, I discovered why a study light was burning
The Last Generation ............................................................. 117 brightly outside of his room at 4:00 AM. One thing I know is certain, He
God’s Government on Trial .................................................................... 118
The Last Generation ............................................................................... 119 loves the Saviour and he loves His church!
The 144,000 ............................................................................................ 120 This is Elder Spear’s twentieth book. Dear reader, as you em-
Appendix B bark on your adventure through what I believe is his most inspiring
The Great Tragedy of QOD ................................................. 123 work, prepare to be “bathed” in pure, unadulterated Adventism and a
Two Main Differences ............................................................................ 123 sweeping vindication of God and His truth and to learn why the vital
Manifesto of the New Theology ............................................................ 124
Much Truth With Deadly Error .............................................................. 126 loud cry message of the fourth angel of Revelation 18 must be sounded
The Strongest Delusion ......................................................................... 130 and why the Sanctuary message is the path to Christ and the final
New Annotated Edition of QOD ............................................................. 132 fulfillment of His Plan of Redemption.
Spiritual Eyesalve Needed ...................................................................... 132 You will learn why God’s faithful people “sigh and cry between
Appendix C the porch and the altar;” how vitally important it is in this awesome
The Cleansing of the Sanctuary* ......................................... 139 “day of atonement” in which we live, to understand that a great cleans-
In the Sanctuary ..................................................................................... 139
Cleansing Soul Temples ......................................................................... 141 ing work must be done now in the soul temples of God’s people; to
Weighed In the Balances ....................................................................... 152 realize that we are today, in this final hour, placed on the balances on
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one side of which is seen the character of Christ and on the other side
our present wretched characters that can and must be perfected, through Foreword
His power, after His flawless pattern, as He has promised; to search
our hearts deeply, to confess and fully forsake every sin; finish God's
T
precious work and prepare for the final judgment of God. HIS BOOK you hold in your hands is the latest to come from
I believe everyone who loves His appearing will appreciate The the pen of Elder Ron Spear. In his 80 plus years of life, he has
Final Generation and The Fourth Angel. May our Wonderful, lov- learned to distill theological concepts down to where even a
ing God bless and purify His church soon, very soon, is my sincere very simple person can easily understand them. He actually incorpo-
prayer, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen. rates very little of his own opinion in his books. He relies very heavily
on the writings of our prophet, Ellen G. White and the Bible.
Wallace Boddy I have never met anyone who has immersed himself so completely
832 Waits Road into what our God has shared with us in these last days. We have the
Lineville, AL 36266 privilege of benefiting from his years of extensive study and research
into the realms of end times prophecies. This book traces not only
where we are, but also where we are going, and what Satan has done
to try to thwart us along the way.
We are told that:
We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we
shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in
our past history.Selected Messages, book 3, 162.
If that is true, then this book is an invaluable resource that points
us directly and succinctly to the ways God has directed our people. As
the prophets of old were rarely appreciated during their lifetimes, so
now, Ellen White, even though she has been separated from us by well
over 80 years, is not highly valued for the counsel given her of God.
In these final and tumultuous days, it should be very comforting to
us that there are a few stalwarts that are willing to stand, a few “Calebs,”
that will face the multitudes undauntingly:
Caleb’s have been greatly needed in different periods
of the history of our work. Today we need men of thorough
fidelity, men who follow the Lord fully, men who are not dis-
posed to be silent when they ought to speak, who are as true
as steel to principle, who do not seek to make a pretentious
show, but who walk humbly with God, patient, kind, oblig-
ing, courteous men, who understand that the science of prayer
is to exercise faith and show works that will tell to the glory
of God and the good of His people. . . . The Seventh-day
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8 T HE F INAL G ENERATION FOREWORD 9
Adventist Bible Commentary: Ellen G. White Comments, This book has been set forth to make sure no one misunderstands
vol. 1, 1113. where we are at and what our future holds.
This book has been prepared, not for the glory of its writer but And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision,
because of the writer’s earnest interest in the souls of the Seventh-day and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Adventist people. I can personally attest to Elder Spears anxious con- Habakkuk 2:2.
cern for his “brethren”, from the General Conference president, to the
humblest layman. The goal and concern of his life, besides making his
own calling and election sure, is to be used of God to bring the light to Joe Olson
as many as will receive it. Hope International
We should realize, as brother Spear does, that God has already
told us what Satan’s last deception to our people will be:
The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none
effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. “Where there is no
vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work
ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies,
to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the
true testimony. The enemy has made his masterly efforts to
unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies. . . .
This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who
have been preparing the way for the people to pay no heed
to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit
of God will see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring into
life. It is Satan’s plan to weaken the faith of God’s people in
the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vi-
tal points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt
as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to
perdition.” Last Day Events, 177–178.
Jesus Himself said that He told us these things before, not just so
that we would be aware, but that we might believe!
And now I have told you before it come to pass, that,
when it is come to pass, ye might believe. John 14:29.
O that we might believe what Jesus has said! O that we might
accept the words of the prophets that God has risen up in our behalf.
Let us not be guilty of the very sins that the Jews were, in not accepting
the messages of warning, reproof and counsel that God has been
pleased to give us for these very times!
INTRODUCTION
The Great Waymarks of Adventism
I
N THIS AWESOME crisis hour in which we see the fulfilling
of the great prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, we also see the
fulfillment of predictions by our last-day prophet, Ellen White, that
there would be attempts to remove the great landmarks that separate
us from the churches of Babylon.
What are some of these great landmarks or pillars of our faith
which Satan attempts to remove?—They are the sanctuary truth with
its day of atonement cleansing, and the three angels’ messages swelling
into the loud cry of the fourth angel of Revelation 18. In these wonder-
ful messages, there is now demonstrated a great ignorance by our
people because they are not taught adequately in our schools and col-
leges, and it is not emphasized in our ministerial training in our seminar-
ies. Therefore, the landmarks are being preached very little in our
churches. What a tragedy we have created!
The Landmarks—Pillars: Attempts at Removal
Listen to God speak through His prophet to us in this crisis hour:
Pretenders will arise with theories that have no founda-
tion in the Word of God. We are to hold aloft the banner bear-
ing the inscription, The commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus. We are to hold the beginning of our confidence firm
unto the end. Let no one attempt to dilute truth with a mixture
of sophistry. Let no one attempt to tear down the foundation
of our faith, or to spoil the pattern by bringing into the web
threads of human devising. This Day With God, 324.
After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all

nations, at a time when every conceivable power of evil is set
in operation, when minds are confused by the many voices
crying, “Lo, here is Christ,” “Lo, He is there,” “This is truth,”
“I have a message from God,” “He has sent me with great
light,” and there is a removing of the landmarks, and an at-
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12 T HE F INAL G ENERATION INTRODUCTION 13
tempt to tear down the pillars of our faith—then a more de- • Beginning in the 70’s till 2003, after factoring in inflation, there
cided effort is made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast has been about a 70 percent decline per capita in return of the
contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has sacred tithe.
blessed and sanctified. Selected Messages, book 3, 406.
What we must now see is an attempt by Satan in removing the Rebellion Against The Testimony Of Jesus
landmarks and the pillars of our faith to thus capture many of our lead- Our retreating toward Egypt is documented by our rejection of
ers, pastors, and laity, and to bring them into his cause, believing, liv- Christ’s leadership as delineated in the Testimony of Jesus, which is
ing, and preaching his gospel— “saved” in sin. the Spirit of Prophecy. We have lowered the lifestyle standards of
In Satan’s attempt to remove the landmarks, he has successfully righteousness to meet the practices and demands of our people in
taught a generation of many pastors and leaders a great deception; worldliness in the following 14 areas:
that Ellen White was a very nice lady who helped to establish with the 11.—Divorce and remarriage;
pioneers, the church in the 19th century, but now, in the 21st century, 12.—Music. See Selected Messages, book 2, 35–37;
many of her writings are not relevant. Evidently, it is believed that our 13.—Recreation, competitive sports;
many PhD’s have greater wisdom and are now able to guide our insti- 14.—Dress styles; mixed swimming;
tutions and the world-work: 15.—Theater going;
16.—Jewelry, sacrificial living;
Satan is . . . constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead 17.—Sabbathkeeping according to Isaiah 58:13–14;
away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be 18.—Watching movies and sports (now on television and videos);
to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. 19.—Reverence in God’s sanctuary;
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 10.—Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy;
29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and 11.—Health reform, flesh eating, etc.;
through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s 12.—Diversions, now video games and the internet;
remnant people in the true testimony. 13.—Coffee drinking and cola beverages;
There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies 14.—Pulpit preaching, now saved in sinning, downplaying of sanc-
which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle tification.
the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan can-
not have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false
up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of
counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded. Ibid., book 1, 48. Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful min-
See also Testimonies, vol. 5, 672–684. isters will be removed from the people who think they know
so much. “If thou hadst known,” said Christ, “even thou, at
But what is the end product of our supposed human wisdom? least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!
• Some of our institutions are near bankruptcy. but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Testimonies to Min-
• The Boston Medical Center suffered a loss of about 50 million isters, 409–410.
dollars of God’s money. Along with these fourteen points of diversion from the counsels
• A confession on the General Conference web site in October of God through His prophet Ellen White regarding lifestyle, we must
2003 that our schools are now considered secular in their add six other areas of our disobedience which are responsible for
curriculums. our apostasy.
We are in rebellion as demonstrated by our disobedience to Christ’s Satan is striving continually to bring in fanciful supposi-
plans in: tions in regard to the sanctuary, degrading the wonderful rep-
1. —Our educational system—promoting competitive sports, resentations of God and the ministry of Christ for our salva-
drama, literature of the world, immodest dress, and so on; tion into something that suits the carnal mind. He removes its
2. —Our health care system—neglect of medical missionary work, presiding power from the hearts of believers, and supplies its
simple remedies, sanitariums, treatment rooms, vegetarian place with fantastic theories invented to make void the truths
restaurants, and so on; of the atonement, and destroy our confidence in the doc-
3. —Publishing houses—the way they operate in promoting a trines which we have held sacred since the third angel’s mes-
plethora of story books and non-Adventist authors and mu- sage was first given. Thus he would rob us of our faith in the
sicians, in comparison to serious message and Spirit of Proph- very message that has made us a separate people, and has
ecy publications; given character and power to our work.
4. —Evangelism to the world—baptizing with little regard to the I know that the sanctuary question stands in righteous-
conversion experience; ness and truth, just as we have held it for so many years. It is
5. —The three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6–12—preach- the enemy that leads minds off on sidetracks. He is pleased
ing obedience to God while in open rebellion to His direc- when those who know the truth become engrossed in col-
tives—“saved” in sin; lecting scriptures to pile around erroneous theories, which
6. —Neglecting the sanctuary message and its importance to the have no foundation in truth. The scriptures thus used are mis-
three angels’ messages—perfection of character in God’s fi- applied; they were not given to substantiate error, but to
nal generation as an essential part of the cleansing of the heav- strengthen truth. Counsels to Writers and Editors, 53–54.
enly sanctuary.
These are six areas in which we have largely divorced ourselves Attempts to Change Unsuccessful
from the directions God has given through His testimony to the rem-
nant church—the Testimony of Jesus. Our faith in reference to the messages of the first, sec-
ond, and third angels was correct. The great waymarks we
Attempts to Change have passed are immovable. Although the hosts of hell may
Let us in this introduction to this important book, read the follow- try to tear them from their foundation, and triumph in the
ing inspired statements in order that we may better understand some thought that they have succeeded, yet they do not succeed.
of the enormity of our apostasy—our rebellion—how men have at- These pillars of truth stand firm as the eternal hills, un-
tempted to deface the integrity of our landmarks—the pillars of our moved by all the efforts of men combined with those of
faith—by Satan’s devisings—his gospel: Satan and his host. We can learn much, and should be con-
stantly searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so.
In the future, deception of every kind is to arise, and we God’s people are now to have their eyes fixed on the heav-
want solid ground for our feet. We want solid pillars for the enly sanctuary, where the final ministration of our great High
building. Not one pin is to be removed from that which the Priest in the work of the judgment is going forward—where
Lord has established. The enemy will bring in false theories, He is interceding for His people. Review and Herald, No-
such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of vember 27, 1883.
the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.
Where shall we find safety unless it be in the truths that the Messages of every order and kind have been urged upon
Lord has been giving for the last fifty years?
Seventh-day Adventists, to take the place of the truth which, purchased their experience. It had been obtained through
point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and much suffering and severe conflict. God had led them along
testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord. But step by step, until He had placed them upon a solid, immov-
the waymarks which have made us what we are, are to be able platform. Counsels to Writers and Editors, 53.
preserved, and they will be preserved, as God has signified
through His word and the testimony of His Spirit. He calls Seems About to Fall
upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamen- The Church seems about to fall, but it will not fall (see Selected
tal principles that are based upon unquestionable authority. Messages, book 2, 380). Why?—The answer will be found in the
Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 2, 59. following inspired statements of our prophet:
As a people, we are to stand firm on the platform of We are made sad as we see in many places so much left
eternal truth that has withstood test and trial. We are to hold undone that should be done. But the Lord will use in the
to the sure pillars of our faith. The principles of truth that God accomplishment of His work means that we do not now see.
has revealed to us are our only true foundation. They have He will raise up from among the common people, men and
made us what we are. The lapse of time has not lessened women to do His work, even as of old He called fishermen
their value. It is the constant effort of the enemy to remove to be His disciples. There will soon be an awakening that will
these truths from their setting, and to put in their place spuri- surprise many. Those who do not realize the necessity of
ous theories. He will bring in everything that he possibly can what is to be done, will be passed by, and the heavenly mes-
to carry out his deceptive designs. But the Lord will raise up sengers will work with those who are called the common
men of keen perception, who will give these truths their proper people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places. Now is
place in the plan of God. Selected Messages, book 1, 201. the time for us to awake and do what we can. Loma Linda
Messages, 83.
No line of truth that has made the Seventh-day Adventist
people what they are, is to be weakened. We have the old The Lord must be given an opportunity to show men
landmarks of truth, experience, and duty, and we are to stand their duty and to work upon their minds. No one is to bind
firmly in defense of our principles, in full view of the world. himself to serve for a term of years under the direction of one
Testimonies, vol. 6, 17. group of men or in one specified branch of the Master’s work,
for the Lord Himself will call men, as of old He called the
I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, humble fishermen, and will Himself give them instruction re-
giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the es- garding their field of labor and the methods they should fol-
tablished faith of the body. God looked upon them with ap- low. He will call men from the plow and from other occupa-
probation. I was shown three steps—the first, second, and tions, to give the last note of warning to perishing souls. There
third angels’ messages. Said my accompanying angel, “Woe are many ways, and the Great Teacher will open the under-
to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of these mes- standing of these workers, enabling them to see wondrous
sages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital things in His word. Counsels on Health, 395.
importance. The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in
which they are received.” I was again brought down through
these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had
Chapter One
ROOTS AND REASONS FOR A

FINAL GENERATION
O
CTOBER 22, 1844, was the momentous end of the great
time prophecy of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14. William Miller,
and his associate preachers, had focused the attention of the
world upon this date as the day in which Christ would return to this
earth. As we now know, the date was correct, but the event was in
error:
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hun-
dred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Daniel 8:14.
This date in history is now referred to as the great disappoint-
ment. The vast majority of disappointed believers lost their faith. Only
about 50 individuals remained strong in their belief that the Holy Spirit
had led in the prophetic establishment of October 22, 1844 as the
date when the sanctuary would be cleansed. It was only with much
study and prayer that it was discovered that the sanctuary to be cleansed
was the Heavenly sanctuary rather than this earth.
A thorough study of the Old Testament sanctuary service led to
the revealing that its yearly day of atonement cleansing foreshadowed
a final cleansing of the Heavenly sanctuary with Christ officiating as its
High Priest. It was also determined that the primary purpose of the
Day of Atonement services in the earthly sanctuary was the spiritual
cleansing of the people. To be cleansed, each individual had to be in a
state of repentance for all sins of the past, and of victory over all present
temptations. Those who did not properly participate in the cleansing of
the sanctuary service were cut off from the children of Israel. The cleans-
ing of the earthly sanctuary service was a most solemn event. Proper
participation in it was literally a matter of life and death.
Further study by the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
determined that the primary purpose of the cleansing of the Heavenly
sanctuary is also the cleansing of God’s people on earth. See Our
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20 T HE F INAL G ENERATION R OOTS AND R EASONS 21
Greatest Need, by Ron Spear. Proper participation in this temple felt upon the soul until men become changed to His likeness.
cleansing is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. The whole purpose They are made partakers of the divine nature, and grow more
of the plan of salvation is to save people not only from the guilt of sin, and more like their Saviour, advancing step by step in con-
but also from sinning. The great Day of Atonement of the heavenly formity to the will of God, till they reach perfection. God’s
sanctuary which began in 1844 is the documentation of, and demon- Amazing Grace, 80.
stration of, that accomplishment. It will put on display a final genera- Just as God sent Christ to the world to reveal His character, so
tion who have allowed Christ to cleanse them not only from the guilt Christ sends transformed men and women to also reveal that same
of, but also the power and dominion of, sin in their lives. The purpose character:
of Christ’s heavenly ministry has been to administer pardoning, en-
abling, and transforming grace to His followers on earth to enable them Jesus has helped the whole world to an intelligent knowl-
to have complete victory over all known sin or rebellion in their lives. edge of His divine mission and work. He came to represent
the character of the Father to our world, and as we study the
Perfect Obedience Required life, the words, and works of Jesus Christ, we are helped in
We, individually, need to experience perfect obedience to God’s every way in the education of obedience to God; and as we
will if we are ever to regain heaven: copy the example He has given us, we are living epistles known
Heaven can never be gained by an imperfect obedi- and read of all men. We are the living human agencies to
ence; for this would place all heaven in jeopardy, and make represent in character Jesus Christ to the world.
possible a second rebellion. Signs of the Times, December We are ever to be thankful that Jesus has proved to us
30, 1889. by actual facts that man can keep the commandments of God,
giving contradiction to Satan’s falsehood that man cannot keep
Christ came to this earth in our fallen sinful nature to demonstrate them. The Great Teacher came to our world to stand at the
that fallen man can indeed obey God’s law. His life of perfect obedi- head of humanity, to thus elevate and sanctify humanity by
ence, also vindicated God’s law: His holy obedience to all of God’s requirements showing it is
Christ came to vindicate the sacred claims of the law. possible to obey all the commandments of God. He has dem-
He came to live a life of obedience to its requirements and onstrated that a lifelong obedience is possible. Thus He gives
thus prove the falsity of the charge made by Satan that it is men to the world, as the Father gave the Son, to exemplify in
impossible for man to keep the law of God. As a man He their life the life of Jesus Christ. Lift Him Up, 169.
met temptation and overcame in the strength given Him from Christ bruised the head of Satan by His life of perfect obedience
God. As He went about doing good, healing all who were to His Father. He also gives a fatal wound to Satan through the fully
afflicted by Satan, He made plain to men the character of obedient lives of His saints:
God’s law and the nature of His service. His life testifies that
it is possible for us also to obey the law of God. Testimo- And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
nies, vol. 8, 207–208. between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15.
Christ’s glory—His character—is revealed in His law and also in
the perfected characters of His saints: Christ was the special One who should bruise the head
The glory of Christ is revealed in the law, which is a of the serpent; but the prophecy also includes all those who
transcript of His character, and His transforming efficacy is shall overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, and by
22 T HE F INAL G ENERATION R OOTS AND R EASONS 23
the word of their testimony. . . . Those who truly unite with Christ came to the world to counteract Satan’s false-
Christ will be found doing the same work that Christ did hood that God had made a law which men could not keep.
while on the earth—they will be found magnifying the law Taking humanity upon Himself, He came to this earth, and by
and making it honorable. . . .Whenever a soul takes a de- a life of obedience showed that God has not made a law that
cided stand for truth, the head of the serpent is bruised by man cannot keep. He showed that it is possible for man per-
the seed of the woman. . . . When the advocates of truth fectly to obey the law. Those who accept Christ as their Sav-
reveal the efficiency of truth in their life and character, a blow iour, becoming partakers of His divine nature, are enabled to
is struck against the kingdom of Satan. Youth’s Instructor, follow His example, living in obedience to every precept of
October 11, 1894. the law. Through the merits of Christ, man is to show by his
obedience that he could be trusted in heaven, that he would
The Vindication of God not rebel. The Faith I Live By, 114.
The honor of God—the vindication of His character—is involved
in the perfection of the characters of His people: The fact that the law is holy, just, and good is to be
testified before all nations, tongues, and peoples, to worlds
Of the Spirit Jesus said, “He shall glorify Me.” The Sav- unfallen, to angels, seraphim, and cherubim. The principles
iour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His of the law of God were wrought out in the character of Jesus
love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace Christ, and he who cooperates with Christ, becoming a par-
to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in taker of the divine nature, will develop the divine character,
humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved and become an illustration of the divine law. Christ in the
in the perfection of the character of His people. The Desire heart will bring the whole man, soul, body, and spirit into
of Ages, 671. captivity to the obedience of righteousness. Christ’s true fol-
Yes, both God and the Saints are benefited by their faithful and lowers will be in conformity to the mind and will and charac-
obedient service to Him. The obedience of His commandments by His ter of God, and the far-reaching principles of the law will
people exalts God before the world: be demonstrated in humanity. Review and Herald, March
9, 1897. All emphases supplied unless otherwise noted.
The blessings of God’s covenant are mutual. . . . God
accepts those who will work for His name’s glory, to make Yes, God needs a full and final display of His love, His character,
His name a praise in a world of apostasy and idolatry. He and His laws. Not a display of what man can do, but a display of
will be exalted by His commandment-keeping people that what God can do in transforming fallen, but fully surrendered men
He may make them “high above all nations which he hath and women.
made, in praise, and in name, and in honour.” Deuteronomy We are promised that eventually such a display will be manifest in
26:19. Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 118. the lives of His church members when they demonstrate the trans-
forming power of Christ to save man from sin, not in sin:
One of the major issues of the great controversy is Satan’s claim
that God’s laws—a reflection of His character—cannot be obeyed or The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches
reflected in the lives of His creatures—specifically the sons and daugh- of the grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will
ters of fallen Adam. Satan’s claims will be proved to the whole uni- be made manifest the final and full display of the love of
verse to be totally false as God’s remnant people reflect God’s char- God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory. The
acter and His laws in their own Christlike characters: prayer of Christ that His church may be one as He was one
with His Father will finally be answered. The rich dowry of Chapter Two
the Holy Spirit will be given, and through its constant sup-
ply to the people of God they will become witnesses in the
world of the power of God unto salvation. Testimonies to
GOD’S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP
Ministers, 50. HIS FINAL GENERATION
Christ's Character Perfectly Reproduced
E
When the character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in His final VER SINCE 1844, the LORD has been working with His
generation, then the character of God and His laws will be fully vindi- saints on earth to enable them to be His fully victorious final
cated. The hour of His judgment can then be brought to a close, the generation which is an essential component of the great
sanctuary will be finally cleansed, and Christ can come to take His antitypical day of atonement, the cleansing of His Sanctuary. See chapter
people home: 7, “Purposes of the Sanctuary,” in the book Our Greatest Need by
“When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth Ron Spear. Essential to the success of developing the final generation
in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Mark 4:29. Christ is that of Christ’s example of victorious living in man’s fallen sinful na-
is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself ture and His High Priestly ministry of providing enabling and trans-
in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly forming, as well as, pardoning grace. See Touched With Our Feel-
reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them ings, by J. R. Zurcher, and Golden Links of Truth, by Vernon Sparks
as His own. Christ’s Object Lessons, 69. for in-depth discussion of these subjects.
Thus we see that the concept of a final victorious generation of God's End-Time Messages
saints, helping to vindicate God’s character, laws, and government, Christ has also given a special end-time message known as the three
and thus helping to bring a successful conclusion to the great contro- angels’ messages:
versy, is taught by Inspiration. Such a full and final display is not only
helpful but essential to God’s victory over Satan. The ability of God’s And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
plan of salvation to transform sinful man into His character must be having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell
demonstrated to the universe before it will be safe to eradicate sin and on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue,
sinners. and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give
glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and wor-
ship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, say-
ing, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she
made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her forni-
cation. And the third angel followed them, saying with a
loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image,
and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
25
26 T HE F INAL G ENERATION GOD'S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP 27
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: The Testimony of Jesus
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and One of the identifying marks of God’s remnant church is that they
ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the have the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of prophecy. See Rev-
beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of elation 12:17; 19:10. This gift of the Spirit has been manifested in God’s
his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they remnant church through the near 70 year ministry of Ellen G. White.
that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. One of the main purposes of the Spirit of prophecy has been to clarify
Revelation 14:6–12. the truths of the Scriptures. Whenever our founding fathers, in the study
of the Scriptures, came to an impasse as to the doctrine under study,
Salvational Truths God revealed the clarifying truth through His messenger Ellen White.
These messages of the three angels encapsulate the salvational This gift of the Spirit of prophecy has been instrumental in providing
truths of the Bible. As these messages are internalized in the lives of Seventh-day Adventists with a clear understanding of the Bible truths
Christ’s followers, they in turn are qualified to share these salvational such as the sanctity of the Saturday Sabbath, the fallen human nature
messages with the rest of the world. In reality, the three angels flying of Christ and His life of victory over sin as an example for His follow-
in the midst of heaven and crying with a loud voice, are symbols of ers, and the great day of atonement with the cleansing of the Heavenly
God’s people on earth giving His last message of mercy to mankind. sanctuary associated with a purified final generation on earth.
As individuals understand, accept, and experience the salvational This gift of prophecy has been likened to the use of a telescope in
truths of the three angels’ messages, they, as they share with the world, the study of the starry heavens. The telescope provides more clear-
become a part of those three angels: ness and detail. It brings into view many glorious objects not previ-
ously seen, but which were always there. Its use does not replace the
Christ is coming the second time, with power unto
starry heavens, but significantly helps to know and understand more
salvation. To prepare human beings for this event, He has
clearly that which is contained there.
sent the first, second, and third angels’ messages. These
This gift of prophecy has also been likened to a detailed harbor
angels represent those who receive the truth, and with
map for a ship as it is entering its final destination. The map does not
power open the gospel to the world. The Seventh-day
take the place of previous instructions, but it provides additional infor-
Adventist Bible Commentary: Ellen G. White Com-
mation needed for the successful completion of the voyage.
ments, vol. 7, 978–979.
These messages include the everlasting gospel which must be Righteous By Faith
given to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people before the end And in the year 1888, God put forth special effort to enable His
can come. See Rebellion by Ron Spear for in-depth discussion of remnant church to enter into such a spiritual experience that the latter
the first angel’s message. The three angels’ message is a call to wor- rain would be poured out upon them and capacitate them to give the
ship and fully obey the Creator God. It is a call to keep Holy the final message to the whole world in order for Christ to return. See
seventh day of the week as established by the Creator in the Garden “1888 Revisited,” in Our Greatest Need by Ron Spear. This special
of Eden. It contains a strong warning against the worship of the beast effort consisted in having Elders A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner give
power or the receiving of his mark. These messages are designed to series of sermons on righteousness by faith at the 1888 General Con-
expose, and to successfully confront, the errors and deceptions of ference session. Their presentations were “a most precious message:”
Satan in the closing hours of the great controversy. The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious mes-
sage to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This
28 T HE F INAL G ENERATION GOD'S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP 29
message was to bring more prominently before the world the sin—Sanctification. It taught that righteousness by faith consists of
uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. complete obedience to all of God’s revealed will. It taught that righ-
It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited teousness by faith is a result of Christ living out His life of perfect obe-
the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is dience within the believer. Elder Waggoner expressed it in the follow-
made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. ing words:
Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes
The Bible does not teach us that God calls us righ-
directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless
teous simply because Jesus of Nazareth was righteous eigh-
love for the human family. All power is given into His hands,
teen hundred years ago. It says that by His obedience we
that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the price-
are made righteous. Notice that it is present, actual righ-
less gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent.
teousness. The trouble with those who object to the righ-
This is the message that God commanded to be given to the
teousness of Christ being imputed to believers is that they
world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be pro-
do not take into consideration the fact that Jesus lives. He
claimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring
is alive today, as much as when He was in Judea. “He ever
of His Spirit in a large measure. Testimonies to Ministers,
liveth,” and He is “the same yesterday, and today and for
91–92.
ever.” Hebrews 13:8. His life is as perfectly in harmony
After being rejected by many of the church leadership, we are with the law now as it was then. And He lives in the hearts
told that these messages by Waggoner and Jones were the beginning of those who believe on Him.
of the latter rain power which was to have enlightened the whole world: Therefore it is Christ’s present obedience in believers that
An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and makes them righteous. Waggoner on Romans, 101–102.
to accept this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share of The servant of the Lord has stated it this way:
the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord’s
It is the privilege of every believer in Christ to possess
message through Brethren [E. J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones.
Christ’s nature, a nature far above that which Adam forfeited
By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded in shutting away
by transgression. He who sees the Son by faith and believes in
from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the
Him, is obedient to the commandments of God, and in this
Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy
obedience he finds everlasting life. The Upward Look, 18.
prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might
have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the The active obedience of Christ clothes the believing
apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light sinner with the righteousness that meets the demands of the
that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, law. The Youth’s Instructor, November 29, 1894.
and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great
degree kept away from the world. Selected Messages, book
Every Provision Made
1, 234–235.
Christ has made every provision in order for His final generation
to demonstrate to the world the power of His grace to sanctify the
Christ's Active Obedience In Us
human heart:
The true righteousness by faith message presented at the 1888
General Conference consisted of a righteousness by faith in Christ which Christ has made every provision for the sanctification of
produced not only pardon for sin—Justification—but also victory over His Church. He has made abundant provision for every soul
to have such grace and strength that he will be more than a Chapter Three
conqueror in the warfare against sin. The Saviour is wounded
afresh and put to open shame when His people pay no heed
to His word. He came to this world and lived a sinless life,
EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE FORMATION
that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness. OF THE FINAL GENERATION
He desires them by practicing the principles of truth to show
to the world that God’s grace has power to sanctify the heart.
W
Review and Herald, April 1, 1902.
HILE THE GODHEAD has been doing all possible to
Thus we see that God has done every thing needed to capacitate facilitate the formation of the final generation, Satan and
His remnant church to become the final generation—a generation of his agents have been doing all they possibly can to prevent
saints fully obedient, by His grace, to the greatest level of light ever such development.
entrusted to mankind. He has revealed the spiritual truths to create
perfected characters, and those truths necessary to expose the decep- Laodicean Condition Delay
tions of wily Satan. Christ has also promised unlimited, enabling and Early on, Satan succeeded in luring the Adventist movement into
transforming power in order for His people to experience those three- Laodicean lukewarmness. As early as 1856, the leadership recog-
angel-truths for themselves and then to share them with the whole world. nized that the message to the church of Laodicea was then applicable
Yes, God has long been prepared to form the final generation and to the early movement. See Ellen White, The Early Years, vol. 1,
to cleanse His sanctuary. The heavenly agencies have long been wait- 1827–1862, 342–345. This was nine years before the church was
ing for the human agents: officially organized, with the name Seventh-day Adventist. The luke-
The heavenly agencies have long been waiting for the warm Laodicean condition effectively prevented the formation of the
human agents, the members of the church, to cooperate with final generation at that time and delayed Christ’s second coming. In-
them in the great work to be done. They are waiting for you. spiration tells us that Christ could have come within a few short years
So vast is the field, so comprehensive the design, that every of 1844 if His people had followed faithfully His leading:
sanctified heart will be pressed into service as an agent of Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844,
divine power. Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 309. held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening
providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel
and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world,
they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would
have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have
been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to
receive His people to their reward.” Selected Messages,
book 1, 68 [Written in 1883].
Latter Rain Rejection Delay

Again, towards the end of the 19th century, Christ worked might-
ily to prepare the final generation. As we have mentioned, He sent the
31
32 T HE F INAL G ENERATION EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE F ORMATION 33
message of true righteousness by faith Through A. T. Jones and E. J. insubordination many more years, as did the children of Is-
Waggoner. But again the devil was successful in derailing God’s plans rael; but for Christ’s sake, His people should not add sin to
for His church. Again we quote: sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong
An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and course of action. Evangelism, 696.
to accept this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share of Tragically, we have not learned from these experiences of the past.
the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord’s Satan has had great success in his final deception for us as a people of
message through Brethren [E. J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones. unsettling our confidence in the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit
By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded in shutting away of prophecy. See Selected Messages, book 1, 48. Rather than be-
from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the coming increasingly obedient to God’s revealed will in the Spirit of
Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prophecy, we have progressively departed farther and farther from
prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might those directives. Increasingly, our health and educational institutions,
have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the to a great extent, are operated more and more like the world. Like-
apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light wise, our lifestyle behavior has increasingly become more worldly. See
that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, the books Retreating Towards Egypt and Rebellion by Ron Spear.
and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great
degree kept away from the world. Ibid., 234–235. Doctrinal Blindness
Many of the leadership of the church refused to accept the mes- This persistence in rejecting Holy Spirit-sent light through the Spirit
sage of righteousness by faith as given by Jones and Waggoner. This of prophecy has led to an increase in spiritual Laodicean blindness.
was in spite of God endorsing their messages through His messenger Whereas, before 1950, there was great doctrinal unity among us as a
Ellen G. White. Early on, men in our church developed a tendency of people, in 1994 it was documented that there were at least five differ-
ignoring or disobeying the counsels of the Lord given through the Spirit ent versions of the gospel being preached and promoted among us.
of prophecy. Because of this tendency, the final generation of fully obe- See Who Has the Truth? by Martin Weber, Home Study Interna-
dient saints was again not accomplished. Again Christ’s second com- tional Press, Silver Spring, Maryland, 1994.
ing was delayed. Inspiration confirmed this situation eight years after Satan has had to acknowledge that Christ, while on earth, was
1888: successful in resisting all temptation and thus remaining always loyal to
His Heavenly Father. Satan is aware that the Bible states that Jesus
If those who claimed to have a living experience in the came “in the likeness,” not the unlikeness, of fallen man. He knows
things of God had done their appointed work as the Lord that Christ was the seed of Abraham and of David “according to the
ordained, the whole world would have been warned ere this, flesh.” He also realizes that the victorious Jesus in fallen flesh proves
and the Lord Jesus would have come in power and great that the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, with access to the same
glory. Review and Herald, October 6, 1896. power which the human Christ had access to, can also live the same
life of victory over all temptation. Therefore, he has worked with all
Insubordination Delay of “Many Years” subtlety to undermine the truth of Christ living His earthly life of victory
Four years later, in 1901, the Lord informed His people that be- in fallen sinful flesh. He points to the fact that no other human being has
cause of their insubordination they might have to remain in this world ever lived fully victorious over sin. He therefore claims, that Jesus of
many more years: Nazareth must have had some advantage over the rest of humanity.
We may have to remain here in this world because of He claims that the Bible does not really teach that Jesus took fallen
sinful humanity as His nature while He was on earth. He claims that law and character. The reality is that, God needs Christ’s personal life
when the Bible says “likeness” it really means “unlikeness.” of victory over all temptation, and also, Christ’s life of victory lived
He knows that if man accepts his deception regarding Christ’s out in His saints on earth, in order to be vindicated before the uni-
human nature, that Christ’s life of victory over sin will not then be be- verse. This is, at least in part, because of one of Satan’s claims that
lieved to be an example for fallen man to achieve. His false version of after the fall of man: “ . . . it was impossible for the sons and daughters
the gospel, then, consists of forgiveness only. Sanctification, or full obe- of Adam to keep the law of God, and thus charged upon God a lack of
dience from a transformed character, is optional for salvation. Full obe- wisdom and love. If they could not keep the law, then there was fault
dience, even through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, is called with the Lawgiver.” Signs of the Times, January 16, 1896.
legalism by Satan and his supporters. In order for this to sound rea- But Christ actively living out His life of victory in the lives of His
sonable, he teaches that man’s fallen nature itself is sin, and since we final generation will convincingly prove that God’s requirement of full
retain our fallen natures until glorified at Christ’s second coming, the obedience to all known light as a requirement for salvation is not un-
“saints will be sinning until Jesus comes.” Thus, Satan’s gospel, in its reasonable. It will also document that Christ, in His human nature, had
various versions, is a gospel of salvation in sin, while Christ’s everlast- no unfair advantage over fallen, but converted, sons and daughters of
ing, true gospel is salvation from sin. Adam.
Satan teaches that Christ’s death on the cross was not only our
Substitute for our second death but that His life of victory was also our Error Mixed With Truth
substitute for our living a life of victory. This is a half truth (a falsehood But Satan teaches truth mixed subtlety with error. By specious
when presented as the full truth), for indeed Christ’s life of victory is a reasoning, he claims that there is no need for a victorious final genera-
substitute for when we fail, but we are to arise and not continue to fall. tion. If that be true, then the great antitypical day of atonement consists
When you fall you are to ask for forgiveness and cling closer to Christ merely in applying the benefits of Christ’s death to the blotting out of
who “is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless be- the heavenly records of sin. It no longer includes the process of cleansing
fore the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 24. Christ’s Temple on earth—His saints. Therefore, any perceived delay
in Christ’s second coming is related only to God’s gospel of love and
“Only Believe” mercy [downplaying justice which requires full obedience] not being
If we accept the above half truth of Satan, then the gospel be- carried to the whole world. Any perceived delay is not related in any
comes “Only believe” which is Satan’s greatest deception: way to the saints reluctance to participate fully with Christ in the cleansing
You will hear the cry “Only believe.” Satan believed and process of the heavenly sanctuary. It is then proposed, that since the
trembled. We must have a faith that works by love and puri- saints are not part of the cleansing process of the heavenly sanctuary,
fies the heart. The idea prevails that Christ has done all for that there is not really a pre-advent Judgment to evaluate the saints
us, and that we can go on transgressing the commandments level of cleanness. It is even proposed that there is not really a heav-
and will not be held accountable for it. This is the greatest enly sanctuary because “the atonement was completed by Christ on
deception that the enemy ever devised. We must take our the cross.” A common misconception in Adventism, associated with
position that we will not violate the commandments at any these above mistruths from Satan, is that when we confess and repent
cost, and be in that spiritual condition that we can educate of a sin, at that moment it is cast into the depths of the sea and that God
will remember it no more. Even if the next day after repenting of a
others in spiritual things. Selected Messages, book 3, 153.
specific sin, we fall on the same point again, God does not remember
Satan also claims that Christ’s personal life of victory over all the previous occurrence. This is contrary to the truth that we learn
temptation was everything that God needs in order to vindicate His from the sanctuary services. According to Inspiration, when a sin is
confessed and repented of, it is not cancelled but is transferred into the On November 18, 2003, the Adventist News Network posted on its
sanctuary. There its record remains for review during the Day of Atone- Web site a report to the world church entitled “Questions On Doc-
ment. The record is retained there in order that determination can be trine” Book Annotated, Republished. It portrays the republishing of
made whether or not the individual, by the grace of God, is progress- this book for the purpose of allaying fears that it being out of print
ing in a life of victory over sin. If it is determined that the individual is means that our beliefs have changed back to the pre-Questions On
remaining in a state of repentance and, by God’s grace, gaining victory Doctrine era. It claims that this revised edition “makes clear Adventist
over temptation, then the record of that sin is blotted out. Then it is thought today—and in a line traceable to Ellen White and other pio-
cast into the depths of sea, and then, God will remember them no neers—accurately reflecting general Christian understanding that while
more. This is an essential truth of the cleansing of the sanctuary. See Jesus took on the ‘innocent infirmities’ of hunger, pain, weakness, sor-
the book Our Greatest Need by Ron Spear. rowing and death, He did not have the propensity toward sin that hu-
mans after the fall possess.” Tragically, this revised edition still repre-
The New Theology sents Christ as having different flesh than fallen, sinful man. Thus, His
Many combinations of the above errors of Satan are being taught life of victory cannot be expected to be our experience, and the whole
among us today, and are known as the New Theology. This cascade chain of Satan’s errors mentioned above remain as “logical” conclu-
of error had its formal entrance into Adventism with the publication of sions. This republishing of the book Questions On Doctrine does not
the book Questions On Doctrine in 1957. This book stated on page bode well for Seventh-day Adventism, nor for the formation of the
383 that not only was Christ sinless in His life but also “in His nature.” final generation. For further discussion, see Appendix B.
Again on page 650 it has a subheading entitled Took Sinless Human
Nature. Under the subheading there are nine Spirit of prophecy quo-
tations purportedly to support the subheading, but in actuality, none of
them do. The truth is that, there are 400 statements in the Spirit of
prophecy that say directly or indirectly that Jesus took upon Himself
the fallen or sinful human nature. In addition, some twelve hundred
references in Adventist literature prior to 1957, by major writers and
church leaders, were unanimous in support of Christ living a life of
victory over sin in a fallen human nature. See The Word Was Made
Flesh, by Ralph Larsen, and Touched With Our Feelings, by J. R.
Zurcher. For a discussion of the higher and lower powers of man and
how their understanding harmonizes the favorite Spirit of prophecy
references used by New Theology adherents, with those statements
that clearly say that Christ took man’s fallen nature, see Golden Links
of Truth by Vernon Sparks.
Nearly 150,000 copies of the book Questions On Doctrine were
distributed. These were sent to the religious libraries and seminaries of
Christianity and were portrayed as representing what Seventh-day
Adventists believe. As we have seen, this false understanding that Christ
took a human nature different from our fallen flesh is the root from
which a whole chain of satanic lies spring forth.
Chapter Four
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
J
UST AS IT WAS NOT God’s plan that the children of Israel
should wander in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the
earthly promised land, it has also not been God’s plan that mod-
ern Israel’s entrance into the Heavenly promised land be delayed these
now over 150 years. God has not been able to use His people on
earth to finish His work for two interrelated reasons. His people have
not been able to be used by God to give the everlasting Gospel to the
whole world because of their own failure to understand and/or experi-
ence that gospel.
God’s Remnant church, though calling the World to obedience to
Christ, has, for many years now, been in direct disobedience to Christ.
While praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we are to a large
measure rejecting the guidance of the Holy Spirit as so abundantly
given to us in the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of prophecy.
See the books Retreating Towards Egypt, and Rebellion by Ron
Spear.
Tragically, our unfaithfulness has not allowed the blessings made
available to us, to actually be received, and to thus prepare us to ac-
complish the task entrusted to us. We are being weighed in the bal-
ances of the sanctuary, and we are in grave danger of being declared
“Found wanting:”
Our position in the world is not what it should be. We
are far from where we should have been had our Christian
experience been in harmony with the light and the opportuni-
ties given us, had we from the beginning constantly pressed
onward and upward. Had we walked in the light that has
been given us, had we followed on to know the Lord, our
path would have grown brighter and brighter. But many of
those who have had special light are so conformed to the
world that they can scarcely be distinguished from world-
39
40 T HE F INAL G ENERATION W HERE W E A RE TODAY 41
lings. They do not stand forth as God’s peculiar people, cho- encamped close by them; yet what was to the Israelites a
sen and precious. It is difficult to discern between him that great flood of light, illuminating the whole camp, and shed-
serveth God and him that serveth Him not. ding brightness upon the path before them, was to the hosts
In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day of Pharaoh a wall of clouds, making blacker the darkness of
Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the night.
privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual So, at this time, there is a people whom God has made
experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, the depositaries of His law. To those who obey them, the
at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings con- commandments of God are as a pillar of fire, lighting and
ferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, leading the way to eternal salvation. But unto those who dis-
on her will be pronounced the sentence: “Found wanting.” regard them, they are as the clouds of night. Testimonies,
By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be vol. 4, 27.
judged. Testimonies, vol. 8, 247.
Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid
Under the inroads of the New Theology we have become openly for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the
fragmented in our doctrines and in our lifestyles. As the New Theology land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.
has taken us closer to the theology of the fallen churches of Babylon, Ibid., vol. 5, 160.
so our methods of church planting and church growth have become
patterned after theirs. By diminishing the importance of lifestyle stan- There are very few who are circumspect. Like the chil-
dards among us, and through the introduction of celebration style wor- dren of Israel, they will not take heed to words of counsel,
ship services and music, we have lowered the standards of Adventism but follow their own inclination. They unite with a worldly
and have invited the world to march in. We now congratulate our- element in attending gatherings where they will be brought
selves for rapid growth. We are tempted to portray the rate of acces- into notice, and thus lead the way and others follow. What
sions to our “ Faith ” as a manifestation of the latter rain. We “categori- has been done once will be done again by themselves and
cally deny” that we are in apostasy—open, persistent, and leadership many others. Every step these take makes a lasting impres-
led and/or condoned disobedience to the Lord’s guidance. sion, not only on their own consciences and habits, but upon
Nothing New Under the Sun those of others. This consideration gives awful dignity to hu-
man life.
There is nothing new under the sun. We tend to repeat the history
My heart aches day after day and night after night for
of ancient Israel. Let us listen to the servant of the Lord as she helps us
our churches. Many are progressing, but in the back track.
to see our present situation:
“The path of the just . . . shineth more and more unto the
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and perfect day.” Their march is onward and upward. They
that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no progress from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and
new thing under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9. from glory to glory. This is the privilege of all our churches.
But, oh, how different has it been with them! They need di-
There is great similarity between our history and that of vine illumination. They must face square about. I know what
the children of Israel. God led His people from Egypt into I say. Unless they shall become Christians indeed, they will
the wilderness, where they could keep His law and obey His go from weakness to weakness, divisions will increase, and
voice. The Egyptians, who had no regard for the Lord, were many souls will be led to perdition. Ibid., 93.
42 T HE F INAL G ENERATION W HERE WE A RE T ODAY 43
The Lord has a controversy with His professed people the world, his pride greatly increased. And the worldly pros-
in these last days. In this controversy men in responsible po- perity that attended his apostasy, was regarded by him as a
sitions will take a course directly opposite to that pursued by token of God’s favor. So fully had he yielded himself to evil
Nehemiah. They will not only ignore and despise the Sab- influences, that his spiritual discernment was well-nigh de-
bath themselves, but they will try to keep it from others by stroyed. He could not see the terrible losses that were sus-
burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In tained by the nation spiritually because he brought into the
churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will kingdom an abundance of the gold of Ophir and the silver of
urge upon the people the necessity of keeping the first day of Tarshish. Review and Herald, January 18, 1906.
the week. Review and Herald, March 18, 1884. Neglect or rejection of the light of the Lord’s counsels on how to
operate His institutions for now these many years has led to lack of
In these last days God’s people will be exposed to the
discernment or blindness of Seventh-day Adventists in regard to some
very same dangers as were ancient Israel. Those who will
spiritual truths. To be unrepentant of apostasy in one area results in
not receive the warnings that God gives will fall into the same
apostasy in another area:
perils as did ancient Israel and come short of entering into
rest through unbelief. Ancient Israel suffered calamities on Disregard of the light that God has given brings the sure
account of their unsanctified hearts and unsubmitted wills. result. It creates a shadow, a darkness that is more dark
Their final rejection as a nation was a result of their own because of the light which has been sent. . . . If a man with-
unbelief, self-confidence, impenitence, blindness of mind, and draws himself from light and evidence, and yields to Satan’s
hardness of heart. In their history we have a danger signal seducing arts, he himself draws the curtain of unbelief about
lifted before us. Last Day Events, 60-61. him, so that light cannot be distinguished from darkness. Our
High Calling, 26.
When I study the Scriptures, I am alarmed for the Israel
Our present situation is accurately described as follows:
of God in these last days. They are exhorted to flee from
idolatry. I fear that they are asleep and so conformed to the If all of those who come together for meetings of edifi-
world that it would be difficult to discern between him that cation and prayer could be regarded as true worshipers, then
serveth God and him that serveth Him not. The distance is might we hope, though much would still remain to be done
widening between Christ and His people, and lessening be- for us. But it is in vain to deceive ourselves. Things are far
tween them and the world. The marks of distinction between from being what the appearance would indicate. From a dis-
Christ’s professed people and the world have almost disap- tant view much may appear beautiful which, upon close ex-
peared. Like ancient Israel, they follow after the abomina- amination, will be found full of deformities. The prevailing
tions of the nations around them. Testimonies, vol. 1, 276. spirit of our time is that of infidelity and apostasy—a spirit of
pretended illumination because of a knowledge of the truth,
Spiritual Blindness but in reality of the blindest presumption. There is a spirit of
Disobedience to the Lord leads to such a loss of spiritual discern- opposition to the plain word of God and to the testimony of
ment that spiritual losses are not discerned and worldly prosperity is His Spirit. There is a spirit of idolatrous exaltation of mere
regarded as tokens of God’s favor: human reason above the revealed wisdom of God.
There are men among us in responsible positions who
As Solomon continued to conform to the customs of hold that the opinions of a few conceited philosophers, so
44 T HE F INAL G ENERATION W HERE W E A RE T ODAY 45
called, are more to be trusted than the truth of the Bible, or of the Lord will be graciously manifested; divine power will
the testimonies of the Holy Spirit. Such a faith as that of Paul, combine with human effort, the church will see the providen-
Peter, or John is considered old-fashioned and insufferable tial interpositions of the Lord God of hosts, the light of truth
at the present day. It is pronounced absurd, mystical, and will be diffused, the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ
unworthy of an intelligent mind. whom He hath sent. As in the apostles’ time, many souls will
God has shown me that these men are Hazaels to prove turn unto the Lord. The earth will be lightened with the glory
a scourge to our people. They are wise above what is writ- of the angel from heaven. Manuscript Releases, vol. 15,
ten. Testimonies, vol. 5, 79. 308–309.
Unfortunately, too many Adventists attempt to dismiss discussions
The Earth Will Be Lightened regarding our waywardness by claiming the promise that the “ship is
Indeed, we have had to remain many more years in this world going through.” We must remember, that the ship of ancient Israel went
because of insubordination. Our still being here is mute testimony of successfully through the wilderness wandering of 40 years, but that
our refusal to enter into the full obedience to Christ required to form only two of its millions of members entered the promised land. As a
the final generation. We should be sobered, but we can also take cour- whole generation of Israelites perished in the wilderness, and person-
age from the following quotation: ally failed to enter the promised land, just so several generations of
The Lord God is a jealous God; yet He bears long with Seventh-day Adventists, having had the opportunity of being in the
the sins and transgressions of His people in this generation. If final generation, have been laid to rest, and that opportunity, tragically,
the people of God had walked in His counsel, the work of has had to be passed on to others.
God would have advanced, the messages of truth would have
been borne to all people that dwell on the face of the whole
earth. . . . But because the people are disobedient, unthankful,
unholy, as were ancient Israel, time is prolonged that all may
hear the last message of mercy proclaimed with a loud voice.
The Lord’s work has been hindered, the sealing time de-
layed. Many have not heard the truth. But the Lord will give
them a chance to hear and be converted. The Faith I Live
By, 288.
A fully obedient generation, resulting in the latter rain and loud cry,
will include faithfulness in tithes and offerings associated with zeal and
fervor:
Make haste, brethren, you have now [the] opportunity
to be honest with God; delay not. For your soul’s sake, no
longer rob God in tithes and offerings.
The Lord calls for every talent of means and ability to
be put to use. When the reproach of indolence and slothful-
ness shall have been wiped away from the church, the Spirit
Chapter Five
The Path Before Us
T
HE SERVANT OF THE LORD refers to a new movement in
Adventism that would discard the old truths, publish books of a
new order, do a great work in the cities and allow nothing to
stand in its way:
The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposi-
tion that a great reformation was to take place among Sev-
enth-day Adventists, and that this reformation would con-
sist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of
our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were
this reformation to take place, what would result? The prin-
ciples of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the rem-
nant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be
changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained
the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as er-
ror. A new organization would be established. Books of a
new order would be written. A system of intellectual phi-
losophy would be introduced. The founders of this system
would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The
Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the
God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in
the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach
that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they
would place their dependence on human power, which,
without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built
on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the
structure. Selected Messages, book 1, 204–205.
We have been told that:
Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be
developed. The wheat and tares grow up together for the
harvest. Selected Messages, book 2, 114.
47
48 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE P ATH B EFORE U S 49
Christ has not been caught off guard by the depth, the breadth, nor God has the power, the plan, and the provision. And
stubbornness of the insubordination or the apostasy of His visible church. within that provision is contained the human potentials des-
In spite of appearances He is in charge of His church. He will guide the tined to participate in this final phase of His triumph—a com-
bark, the noble ship safely into port: pletely yielded people destined to share in its consummation.
That is the promise and the certainty that brings this personal
We do not worry. The cause is the Lord’s; He is on
challenge. A willing people will respond in the “day of His
board the ship as chief director, and He will guide our bark
power.” That is the immutable outcome. Will you, will I, be a
into port. Our Master can command the winds and the waves.
vital part of that responsive host? That is the supreme ques-
We are only His workers, to obey orders; what He saith,
tion—and challenge. Think it through.” Movement of Des-
that will we do. We have no need to be anxious or troubled.
tiny, Leroy E. Froom, 664.
Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 91.
God will have a purified people. He will have a final generation
The sincere believers of truth are often made sad, and who are fully surrendered to His revealed will. He will shake and pu-
their trials greatly increased, by elements among them that rify His church. There are three phases to that purifying process. The
annoy and dishearten them in their efforts. But there is no first phase is the introduction of false doctrines. The second phase is
need of doubts and fears that the work of God will not suc- the straight testimony of the True Witness. The third phase is the per-
ceed. God is at the head of the work, and He will set every- secution under the enforcement of Sunday laws.
thing in order. Let us have faith that He is going to carry the
noble ship which bears His people, safely into port. Bible Phase One of the Shaking of Adventism
Echos, July 15, 1892. —False Doctrines
When the children of Israel accepted the false reports of the faith- Studying early and late, our pioneers, with the assistance of the gift
less spies, and refused to believe that the Lord could successfully lead of the Spirit of prophecy when needed, laid out the foundations of our
them in the conquest of the promised land, faithful Caleb, Joshua, faith—a line of truth that is to remain until the saints enter the New
Moses, and others, did not abandon the movement. Moses was of- Jerusalem:
fered by God to make of him a great nation, but out of love for his Many of our people do not realize how firmly the foun-
wayward people he refused. We are told that Moses is to ever be our dation of our faith has been laid. My husband, Elder Jo-
example: seph Bates, Father Pierce, Elder [Hiram] Edson, and oth-
In the example of Moses pleading for the children of Is- ers who were keen, noble, and true, were among those
rael, is represented the position that we should take in regard who, after the passing of the time in 1844, searched for the
to the people of God, however erring, or weak, or defec- truth as for hidden treasure. I met with them, and we stud-
tive they may be. Review and Herald, October 3, 1893. ied and prayed earnestly. Often we remained together until
late at night, and sometimes through the entire night, pray-
The issue is not, whether the noble ship—the work of God—will go ing for light and studying the Word. Again and again these
through or not. The issue is will you or I be fully obedient to the Captain brethren came together to study the Bible, in order that
of that ship, and thus be upon it when it goes successfully into port? they might know its meaning, and be prepared to teach it
Ironically, Leroy E. Froom, in spite of his leadership in the original with power. When they came to the point in their study
formulation and publishing of the book Questions On Doctrine, stated where they said, “We can do nothing more,” the Spirit of
the issue well: the Lord would come upon me, I would be taken off in
vision, and a clear explanation of the passages we had been light—diminished spiritual discernment followed by the embracing of
studying would be given me, with instruction as to how we false doctrines:
were to labor and teach effectively. Thus light was given God will arouse His people; if other means fail, her-
that helped us to understand the Scriptures in regard to esies will come in among them, which will sift them, sepa-
Christ, His mission, and His priesthood. A line of truth ex- rating the chaff from the wheat. The Lord calls upon all
tending from that time to the time when we shall enter the who believe His Word to awake out of sleep. Precious light
city of God, was made plain to me, and I gave to others the has come, appropriate for this time. It is Bible truth, show-
instruction that the Lord had given me. Selected Messages, ing the perils that are right upon us. This light should lead us
book 1, 206–207. to a diligent study of the Scriptures, and a most critical ex-
In 1905, the servant of the Lord used three terms to describe the amination of the positions which we hold. Counsels to
biblical doctrines of the church—pins, pillars and foundation. All of Writers and Editors, 40.
these doctrines were to remain unchanged and unmoved: In this hour of shaking, it is of utmost importance that each one of
When men come in who would move one pin or pillar us knows for himself what he believes:
from the foundation which God has established by His Holy The light given me has been very forcible that many
Spirit, let the aged men who were pioneers in our work speak would go out from us, giving heed to seducing spirits and
plainly, and let those who are dead speak also, by the re- doctrines of devils. The Lord desires that every soul who
printing of their articles in our periodicals. Gather up the rays claims to believe the truth shall have an intelligent knowledge
of divine light that God has given as He has led His people on of what is truth. False prophets will arise and will deceive
step by step in the way of truth. This truth will stand the test many. Everything is to be shaken that can be shaken. Then
of time and trial. Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 55. does it not become everyone to understand the reasons of
our faith? In place of having so many sermons there should
When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that
be a more close searching of the Word of God, opening the
truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions,
Scriptures, text by text, and searching for the strong evidences
contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained.
Counsels to Writers and Editors, 31–32. that sustain the fundamental doctrines that have brought us
where we now are, upon the platform of eternal truth. Se-
Undoubtedly, the devastating inroads into Adventism of the New lected Messages, book 2, 392–393.
Theology—the gospel of fallen Protestantism—is the Omega depar-
God is purifying to Himself a people. The entrance of doctrinal
ture from the true faith:
heresies is the first phase of the shaking of Adventism and its purpose
Be not deceived; many will depart from the faith, giving is to prepare those without a love of the truth to be sifted out during the
heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have third phase of the shaking which will leave the church with that unity for
now before us the alpha of this danger. The omega will be of which Christ prayed. His people must be in unity of truth before they
a most startling nature. Selected Messages, book 1, 197. can receive the latter-rain power to give the loud cry:
The servant of the Lord tells us that God will arouse His people, The last prayer that Christ offered for His disciples be-
and that if other means fail, heresies will come in among us to sift and to fore His trial was that they might be one in Him. Satan is
shake us. In response to our apostasy in the operation of His institutions determined that this oneness shall not be; for it is the stron-
God permits us to suffer the natural consequences of the rejection of gest witness that can be borne that God gave His Son to
reconcile the world to Heaven. But the union for which Christ will make the truth sharper and clearer. They will search the
prayed must exist among God’s people before He can be- Scriptures for evidence of their faith. The advancement of
stow on the church the enlargement and power that He longs error is the call for God’s servants to arouse, and place the
to bestow on it. Review and Herald, May 12, 1903. truth in bold relief. The Signs of the Times, January 6, 1898.
We are to call rebellion by its right name as we stand in the breach
Phase Two of the Shaking of Adventism made in the doctrines of our faith:
—Straight Testimony
The doctrines must be plainly understood. . . . The de-
As an integral part of His shaking and purification of His church,
ceptions will increase, and we are to call rebellion by its right
God has called for the straight testimony to be revived amongst His
name. We are to stand with the whole armor on. In this con-
people. When our church was threatened by the heresies of the alpha of
flict we do not meet men only, but principalities and powers.
apostasy around the turn of the century, Ellen White was instructed to
We wrestle not against flesh and blood. . . .
“meet it.” See Selected Messages, book 1, 205. With the present
I write this because many in the church are represented
startling inroads of the New Theology, God’s faithful of today are also
to me as seeing men like trees walking. They must have an-
called to “meet it:”
other and deeper experience before they discern the snares
The people of God must see their wrongs and arouse to spread to take them in the net of the deceiver. There must be
zealous repentance and a putting away of those sins which no halfway work done now. The Lord calls for staunch, de-
have brought them into such a deplorable condition of pov- cided, whole-souled men and women to stand in the gap,
erty, blindness, wretchedness, and fearful deception. I was and make up the hedge. Selected Messages, book 2, 395.
shown that the pointed testimony must live in the church. This
The pointed testimony containing the whole truth must be given to
alone will answer to the message to the Laodiceans. Wrongs
counteract the teachers who cry, peace, peace:
must be reproved, sin must be called sin, and iniquity must
be met promptly and decidedly, and put away from us as a God’s people will be tested and proved. The plain and
people. Testimonies, vol. 3, 260. pointed testimony must act a prominent part in this work. In
these days of darkness and peril who is able to stand and
The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. speak the whole truth? Multitudes of teachers prophesy
There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel smooth things. They see no special cause of alarm in the
no necessity for more truth and greater light. We are living at present condition of the professed people of God. The people
a time when Satan is at work on the right hand and on the are asleep, and the teachers are asleep. They cry, Peace,
left, before and behind us; and yet as a people we are asleep. peace, and the multitude that hear believe their report and
God wills that a voice shall be heard arousing His people to are at ease. This makes the necessity greater for faithful teach-
action. Ibid., vol. 5, 708. ers to bear the pointed, faithful testimony. The present is a
The advancement of error is the call for God’s servants to make time of scouring and purifying, a time of warfare and trial.
the truth sharper and clearer: Review and Herald, November 26, 1861.
Every time that error is advanced, it will work for good This straight testimony, this saying what God says about sin, dis-
to those who sincerely love God; for when the truth is shad- obedience, and apostasy, this saying what God says about how to oper-
owed by error, those whom the Lord has made His sentinels ate the branches of His work, this saying what God says about His
standards for Christian living, and this saying what God says what pure Under the persecution associated with the Sunday laws, those who
doctrinal truth is, is being used of God as the second phase of the shak- have persisted in operating the branches of the Lord’s work contrary to
ing and purifying of His people. We are told that “some” will not accept His directives, and those who have persisted in disobeying the Bible and
the straight truth. “Some” will rise up against God’s efforts to restore the Spirit of prophecy in how to live for Christ, will work under the black
sight to our Laodicean blindness. The servant of the Lord tells us that banner of Satan. Much of what now appears in Adventism to be rich
this rising up against the straight testimony will also cause a shaking floors of wheat will then prove to be merely chaff:
among us:
An apostate church will unite with the powers of earth
I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen. I was and hell to place upon the forehead or in the hand, the mark
shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called of the beast, and prevail upon the children of God to worship
forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. It the beast and his image. They will seek to compel them to
will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver of the testi- renounce their allegiance to God’s law, and yield homage to
mony, and it will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the Papacy. Then will come the times which will try men’s
the straight truth. This straight testimony some will not bear. souls; for the confederacy of apostasy will demand that the
They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among loyal subjects of God shall renounce the law of Jehovah, and
God’s people. Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, 184–185. repudiate the truth of His Word. Then will the gold be sepa-
rated from the dross, and it will be made apparent who are
Phase Three of the Shaking of Adventism the godly, who are the loyal and true, and who are the dis-
—Persecution loyal, the dross and the tinsel. What clouds of chaff will then
The third phase of the shaking of Adventism involves the separa- be borne away by the fan of God! Where now our eyes can
tion from the loyal and true, of those who do not come up to full obedi- discover only rich floors of wheat, will be chaff blown away
ence to Christ in lifestyle, and in His methods for carrying on His work. with the fan of God. Every one who is not centered in Christ
The loyal and true will then remain alone to give the loud cry to the will fail to stand the test and ordeal of that day. While those
world. During this third phase, Christ uses (allows) persecution and ad- who are clothed with Christ’s righteousness will stand firm to
versity to fully mature the wheat and the tares in His church and to truth and duty, those who have trusted in their own righteous-
purge out the chaff from His threshing floor: ness will be ranged under the black banner of the prince of
darkness. Then it will be seen whether the choice is for Christ
I was pointed to the providence of God among His or Belial. Maranatha, 204.
people and was shown that every trial made by the refining,
purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to By Every Word
be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every
The book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ,
religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of
states that those who obey His commandments in the end time will
God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity mul-
also have the Testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy. Jesus
tiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the
has sent to this final generation the greatest amount of light and guid-
church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God.
ance given to any generation. Just as holy men of God were moved
They go out from us because they are not of us; for when
upon by the Holy Ghost to write the Scriptures, just so was Ellen G.
tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, many
White used as a pen by the Holy Spirit to communicate the will of
are offended. Testimonies, vol. 4, 89.
Christ to His remnant people.
The parable of the ten virgins recorded in Matthew 25, is a repre- for except Christ be in you, you are reprobates. Self-de-
sentation of Christ’s end time people. The oil in their lamps, represents ception is dangerous, and no one of us can afford to go on
the Holy Spirit work in the lives of the virgins in transforming their in delusion. The Youth’s Instructor, May 18, 1893.
characters into harmony with the inspired Word:
Whenever men choose their own way, they place them-
In the parable, all the ten virgins went out to meet the selves in controversy with God. They will have no place in
bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels for oil. For a time the kingdom of heaven, for they are at war with the very
there was seen no difference between them. So with the principles of Heaven. In disregarding the will of God, they
church that lives just before Christ’s second coming. All are placing themselves on the side of Satan, the enemy of
have a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard the God and man. Not by one word, not by many words, but by
message of Christ’s near approach, and confidently expect every word that God has spoken, shall man live. We cannot
His appearing. But as in the parable, so it is now. A time of disregard one word, however trifling it may seem to us, and
waiting intervenes, faith is tried; and when the cry is heard, be safe. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 52.
“Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,”
many are unready. . . . They are destitute of the Holy Spirit. Oh, that modern Israel might recognize that disobedience to God’s
Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His Word is of prophet today is what it has always been—apostasy!
no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Oh, that we might individually and corporately be willing to sur-
Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. . . . render our self-willed ways of living and working for the Lord and
Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able seek to hearken unto the statutes and judgments of the Spirit of proph-
to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the ecy to do them that we might live and go in and possess the land which
masterful temptations of Satan. Amazing Grace, 214. the Lord our God giveth us! See Deuteronomy 4:1.
Oh, that modern Israel might learn that which ancient Israel failed
Those who are seeking to experience the latter rain power of to learn, that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
the Holy Spirit in their life and ministry, will not neglect or reject proceedeth out of the mouth of God”! Matthew 4:4.
any of the inspired messages of Scripture, or of the Testimony of
Jesus. We need to be preparing for the perils ahead by becoming The Sealing
familiar with, and living in harmony with, every word that proceeds As a result of the shaking of God’s people, those who are faithful
from God: and remain to form the final generation will receive the seal of God in
We are living in perilous times, and as we draw near their forehead. This sealing process is depicted in Revelation 7:1–3:
the close of earth’s history, there will be no safety for those And after these things I saw four angels standing on the
who do not become familiar with the Word of God. I would four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
warn the disciples of Christ of the impending days of peril, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea,
and beseech you to prepare for the time of test and trial; nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the
for everything that can be shaken, will be shaken. Do we east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a
now obey the Word of God, and live by every word that loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt
proceedeth out of the mouth of God? Are we established the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the
and settled in the present truth? There is need of closely sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God
examining yourselves whether you are in the love of God; in their foreheads.
This important process is also depicted in Ezekiel 9: will fall in the general destruction of the wicked, represented
by the work of the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the
this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of
cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house.
truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, rep-
And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the
resented by a mark by the man in linen, are those “that sigh
writer’s inkhorn by his side And the LORD said unto him, Go
and that cry for all the abominations that be done” in the
through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem,
church. Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God
and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and
is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinful-
that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst
ness of sin, that they are represented as being in agony, even
thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye
sighing and crying. Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. Testi-
after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare,
monies, vol. 3, 267.
neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids,
and little children, and women: but come not near any man The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiri-
upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then tual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left
they began at the ancient men which were before the house. without the seal of God. Maranatha, 240.
Ezekiel 9:3–6.
The sealing of the final generation will take place at a time when
Those who are living by every word that proceeds out of the the leadership of the church will, tragically, be playing the part of dumb
mouth of God will have Christ’s character reproduced in them and will dogs that will not bark:
be sealed in their forehead:
Here we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—
Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stat- was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The an-
ure of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His cient men, those to whom God had given great light and who
fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us—the had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people,
perfection of His character? When the Lord’s people reach had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we
this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Amazing need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of
Grace, 216. God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These
Only those who are standing in the counsel of God, and sighing words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will
and crying for the abominations in the church, including their own spiri- not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to
tual declension, receive God’s seal: visit His people in judgment. Thus “Peace and safety” is the
cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a
Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is
trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the
it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed
house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not
people of God and who murmur in their hearts, if not openly,
bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended
against those who would reprove sin? Is it those who take
their stand against them and sympathize with those who com- God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together.
Testimonies, vol. 5, 211.
mit wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave the
work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of Just as soon as God’s remnant are sealed—a settling into the full
the work and in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, they knowledge and experience of the truth—the final shaking will come:
will never receive the mark of God’s sealing approval. They
Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to
foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of
settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they refreshing from the presence of the Lord—fitted for the bap-
cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed tism of the Holy Spirit. Review and Herald, March 22, 1892.
and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Maranatha, 200. Those who have lived by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God—those who have, by God’s grace, internalized the
The Latter Rain truth of the Bible and the Testimony of Jesus, thus benefiting from the
As an individual receives the seal of God in their forehead, their former rain of the Holy Spirit—will be fully ripened spiritually by the
destiny of eternal life is sealed. Probation for them is closed. Those latter rain:
Seventh-day Adventists who have not lived by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God, those who have not had Christ’s The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the
character perfected in them, those who have not stood in the counsel spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the
of God, have not received the seal of God, and their destiny of de- Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will
struction with the wicked is sealed. Probation for them is closed. But, be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early
even when the judgments of God are in the land, probation is still open showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no
for those who have not known the truth: seed to perfection. Testimonies to Ministers, 506.
The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of Those who have rejected or neglected the early rain ministry of
mercy for those who have had no opportunity to learn what the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures and the Testimony of Jesus will
is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of not receive nor recognize the greater light of the latter rain:
mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while Only those who are living up to the light they have will
the door is closed to those who would not enter. Testimo- receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the
nies, vol. 9, 97. exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not
Those in the church who receive the seal of God, now receive the recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. Our work today is to rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not
yield our souls to Christ in order that our vessels may be clean to discern or receive it. Ibid., 507.
receive the outpouring of the latter rain: Only those who have cleansed themselves from all filthyness of
We are not to know the definite time either for the out- the flesh and spirit, and perfected holiness in the fear of God, will re-
pouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. . . . ceive the latter rain:
Today you are to give yourselves to God, that He may make I was shown that if God’s people make no efforts on
of you vessels unto honor, and meet for His service. Today their part, but wait for the refreshing to come upon them and
you are to give yourself to God, that you may be emptied of remove their wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend
self, emptied of envy, jealousy, evil-surmising, strife, every- upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
thing that shall be dishonoring to God. Today you are to have and fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third angel, they
your vessel purified that it may be ready for the heavenly will be found wanting. The refreshing or power of God comes
dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter only on those who have prepared themselves for it by doing
rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that the work which God bids them, namely, cleansing themselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in work to do to overcome, if they would not be spewed out of
the fear of God. Testimonies, vol. 1, 619. the mouth of the Lord. Said the angel: “God will bring His
work closer and closer to test and prove every one of His
Only those who have prepared for and receive the latter rain will
people.” Some are willing to receive one point; but when
be prepared to live in the sight of a Holy God:
God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it
I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so need- and stand back, because they find that it strikes directly at
ful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “lat- some cherished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what
ter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live is in their hearts that shuts out Jesus. They prize something
in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble with- higher than the truth, and their hearts are not prepared to
out a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and proved a length of
therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must time to see if they will sacrifice their idols and heed the coun-
have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who sel of the True Witness. If any will not be purified through
refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their obeying the truth, and overcome their selfishness, their pride,
souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to be- and evil passions, the angels of God have the charge: “They
lieve that their condition is far better than it really is, will come are joined to their idols, let them alone,” and they pass on to
up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that their work, leaving these with their sinful traits unsubdued, to
they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But the control of evil angels. Those who come up to every point,
there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it
their cause before the Father. . . . I saw that none could share may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they
the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every be- will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.
setment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over Testimonies, vol. 1, 187.
every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be draw-
The church will have to be purified to the point where the largest
ing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking
portion are laborers together with God before the latter rain will be
that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle
poured out:
in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and
that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence. Every truly converted soul will be intensely desirous to
Early Writings, 71. bring others from the darkness of error into the marvelous
light of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The great outpour-
Those who fail to heed the counsel of the True Witness are even-
ing of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with
tually left to the control of their sinful traits and of evil angels. Those
His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people,
who are victorious in overcoming the Laodicean condition will receive
that know by experience what it means to be laborers to-
the ripening influence of the latter rain and be prepared for translation:
gether with God. When we have entire, whole-hearted con-
God leads His people on, step by step. He brings them secration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact
up to different points calculated to manifest what is in the by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will
heart. Some endure at one point, but fall off at the next. At not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers
every advanced point the heart is tested and tried a little closer. together with God. Review and Herald, July 21, 1896.
If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to
Those who do not labor together with God will go into darkness
this straight work, it should convince them that they have a
proportionate to the light which they have failed to live by, and to share: The Blotting Out Of Sin
God cannot pour out His Spirit when selfishness and Peter tells us that the sins of the final generation will be blotted out
self-indulgence are so manifest; when a spirit prevails that, during the latter rain:
if put into words, would express that answer of Cain,— Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” If the truth for this time, if the may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come
signs that are thickening on every hand, that testify that the from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19.
end of all things is at hand, are not sufficient to arouse the
sleeping energy of those who profess to know the truth, The Sanctuary record of the repented-of-sins of the final genera-
then darkness proportionate to the light which has been tion can be blotted out only after their individual cases are reviewed
shining will overtake these souls. There is not the semblance and there eternal destiny determined:
of an excuse for their indifference that they will be able to It is impossible that the sins of man should be blotted
present to God in the great day of final reckoning. There out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be
will be no reason to offer as to why they did not live and investigated. The Great Controversy, 485.
walk and work in the light of the sacred truth of the Word
As we have seen, when the Saints are sealed their destiny is fixed
of God, and thus reveal to a sin-darkened world, through
for eternity and their probation closes. Once their destiny is deter-
their conduct, their sympathy, and their zeal, that the power
mined, and they are receiving the latter rain, the record of their re-
and reality of the gospel could not be controverted. Ibid.
pented of sins can be blotted out from the Heavenly sanctuary records.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the final generation will The sins which God’s saints have repented of down through the
be similar to, but more abundant than, that poured out upon the early ages, have been borne by Christ our High Priest and transferred to the
Christian church: Heavenly sanctuary. Before Christ’s redemptive work for man is com-
The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pente- pleted, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the
cost. As the “former rain” was given, in the outpouring of Sanctuary. As we have previously discussed, the Heavenly sanctuary
the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the can be cleansed only after God’s living, final generation are cleansed.
upspringing of the precious seed, so the “latter rain” will be The cleansed sanctuary is a reflection of the pure gold of the living
given at its close for the ripening of the harvest. . . . saints’ Christlike characters:
The great work of the gospel is not to close with less For eighteen centuries this work of ministration contin-
manifestation of the power of God than marked its open- ued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ,
ing. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon
of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained
be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are “the times upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was
of refreshing” to which the apostle Peter looked forward a- work of atonement at the close of the year, so before
when he said: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, Christ’s work for the redemption of men is completed there
that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of re- is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanc-
freshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and tuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days
He shall send Jesus.” Acts 3:19, 20. The Great Contro- ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the prophet, our
versy, 611–612. High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division
of His solemn work—to cleanse the sanctuary. Being once forgiven, those who repent of their repentance and
As anciently the sins of the people were by faith refuse to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
placed upon the sin offering and through its blood trans- God, annul their previous pardon. The Testimony of Jesus com-
ferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary, so in the new ments on this parable:
covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon
But “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
Christ and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary.
none of His.” Romans 8:9. He is alienated from God, fit-
And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accom-
ted only for eternal separation from Him.
plished by the removal of the sins by which it had been
It is true that he may once have received forgiveness;
polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be
but his unmerciful spirit shows that he now rejects God’s
accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins
pardoning love. He has separated himself from God, and
which are there recorded. Ibid., 421–422.
is in the same condition as before he was forgiven. He has
denied his repentance, and his sins are upon him as if he
Annulled Pardons had not repented. Christ’s Object Lessons, 251.
The once-repented-of-sins of Christ’s professed followers who
did not allow Christ to fully live out His life of victory in their lives It is at this time, when the records of sin are blotted out of the
are not blotted out. The guilt of those once-repented-of-sins is heavenly sanctuary, that they are figuratively cast into the depths of
placed back upon them and they bear it with them in the general the sea, and God will remember them no more:
destruction of the wicked. This lesson is taught in the parable of the Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment of the
unjust steward found in Matthew 18. It is recorded their, that a new covenant promise: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I
certain king decided to investigate his servants. He found one man will remember their sin no more.” “In those days, and in
who owed him 10,000 talents which he was unable to repay. The that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought
king commanded that he, his wife, and his entire family be sold into for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and
slavery to obtain revenue to pay the debt. But when the servant they shall not be found.” Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20. The Great
begged him for mercy, “then the Lord of that servant was moved Controversy, 485.
with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” Verse
We are assured, that the final generation will not be able to
27.
bring into memory any particular sin once they have been blotted
But then that forgiven servant went out and found a fellow
out:
servant who owed him a mere 100 pence. Refusing to listen to his
pleas for mercy, he cast him into prison. On hearing of this devel- They [the righteous] cannot bring to mind any par-
opment, the king called the first servant (whom he had previously ticular sins, but in their whole life they can see but little
forgiven) back into his presence. “and his Lord was wroth, and good. Their sins had gone beforehand to judgment, and
delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due pardon had been written. Their sins had been borne away
unto him.” Verse 34. into the land of forgetfulness, and they could not bring
After relating this parable, Jesus gave it a practical application them to remembrance. Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 135.
to each and every one of us. “So likewise shall my Heavenly Fa-
ther do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one As in the final atonement the sins of the truly penitent
his brother their trespasses.” Verse 35. are to be blotted from the records of heaven, no more to
be remembered or come into mind, so in the type they Chapter Six
were borne away into the wilderness, forever separated
from the congregation. Patriarchs and Prophets, 358. The Loud Cry of the Fourth Angel
N
OT ONLY does the latter rain mature the characters of the
final generation, but it also enables them to give the loud cry of
the three angels’ messages with great power. The three angels
of Revelation 6 through 12 are symbolic of God’s saints engaged in the
task of proclaiming the everlasting Gospel. It states that their message
is to be given to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and
kindred and tongue and people. They are represented as flying in the
midst of heaven and crying with a loud voice. There is nothing in those
verses, however, that indicate that they succeed in their assigned task.
Revelation 18 tells us of another angel which comes down from heaven
with great power, and it is during its ministry that the earth is lightened
with the glory of the gospel:
And after these things I saw another angel come down
from heaven, having great power; and the earth was light-
ened with his glory. Revelation 18:1.
Temple Cleansed Twice

At the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, He cleansed the temple
of its sacrilegious profanation. Towards the end of His ministry, He
cleansed it the second time. Just so, in the closing work for the world,
two calls are made to the churches. The call of the fourth angel is a
repetition of the second angel’s message:
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the
earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants
of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies. Revelation 18:2–3.
69
70 T HE F INAL G ENERATION THE LOUD C RY OF THE F OURTH ANGEL 71
This second giving of the second angel’s message exposes the tion 18:2–5 quoted.] This represents the giving of the last
increased errors which have entered the fallen churches: and threefold message of warning to the world.” The Sev-
enth-day Adventist Bible Commentary: Ellen G. White
Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to de-
Comments, vol. 7, 985.
scend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and
give power and force to his message. Great power and glory The loud cry of the fourth angel is a call to the world to be a
were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, whom He
was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this an- calls out of darkness into His marvelous light. “But ye are a chosen
gel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
voice, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9. It is an invitation to be
cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” The message of the holy as He is holy, to be perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect. See
fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with 1 Peter 1:16; Matthew 5:48.
the additional mention of the corruptions which have been en-
tering the churches since 1844. Early Writings, 277. God Will Take the Reins
Undoubtedly, this other angel, which is often referred to as the
The full fall of Babylon occurs when Satan’s power and decep- fourth angel, represents God’s final generation effectively giving the
tions are the greatest, and it is then that the fourth angel repeats the messages of the three angels to the whole world. The fact that this
second angel’s message: fourth angel is depicted as not just flying in the midst of heaven, but
The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, coming “down from heaven,” represents the great power of the Holy
Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, Spirit in the latter rain.
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that As we have studied, because of persistent rebellion against the
“received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” Lord’s directives and failure to fully understand and internalize the three
will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should be- angels messages, God has been unable to use His Laodicean church
lieve a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11. Not until this condition to carry the everlasting Gospel of full obedience to the whole world.
shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world Because of their failure to experience not only Christ’s pardoning, but
shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the also His renewing grace, they cannot fully testify to the world and to
fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive the universe of Christ’s ability to save man from their sins.
one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet fu- We are told that in the finishing of the gospel commission, God
ture. The Faith I Live By, 285. will take the reins into His own hands. This hands-on-approach to His
work is also represented by this fourth angel “coming down from
One Final Threefold Call heaven.” When God takes the reins, we are told that He will use simple
Under the loud cry of the fourth angel, the messages of the three means, contrary to any human planning:
angels are to blend into one final call, one final opportunity of salvation: Unless those who can help in ——– are aroused to a
The three angels’ messages are to be combined, giving sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God
their threefold light to the world. In the Revelation, John says, when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When
“I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to
power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” [Revela- the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work
to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in
work in this last work in a manner very much out of the com- righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon
mon order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any the earth. Romans 9:27–28.
human planning. There will be those among us who will al- God will manifest Himself Master of the situation:
ways want to control the work of God, to dictate even what
movements shall be made when the work goes forward un- There will be a series of events revealing that God is
der the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the Master of the situation. Ibid., vol. 9, 96.
message to be given to the world. God will use ways and If those in responsible positions do not bear an appropriate mes-
means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in sage for this time, God will raise up other messengers:
His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple
means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work The Lord will raise up men to bear the message of truth
of righteousness. Testimonies to Ministers, 300. to the world and to His people. If those in responsible posi-
tions do not move onward in the opening providences of
The usurpation by man of Christ’s rule in His church has indeed God, bearing an appropriate message for this time, the words
delayed and made the work much harder: of warning will be given to others who will be faithful to their
Men make the work of advancing the truth tenfold harder trust. Even youthful Christians will be chosen to “cry aloud
than it really is, by seeking to take God’s work out of His and spare not.” The Sabbath-School Worker, April 1, 1892.
hands into their own finite hands. They think they must be
constantly inventing something to make men do things which Those Not Insensible to Light
they suppose these persons ought to do. The time thus spent Humble men and women, still sensitive to truth, and even children
is all the while making the work more complicated; for the will be impelled to give the message:
great Chief Worker is left out of the question in the care of
His own heritage. Evangelism, 635. God will move upon men of humble position in soci-
ety, men who have not become insensible to the bright rays
We need not despair because of the human rule that has usurped of light through so long contemplating the light of truth, and
Christ’s theocratic rule of His people, for where the shepherds are not refusing to make any improvement or advancement therein.
true, Christ has promised to take charge Himself: Many such will be seen hurrying hither and thither, con-
We have been inclined to think that where there are no strained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others.
faithful ministers there can be no true Christians, but this is The truth, the Word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling
not the case. God has promised that where the shepherds them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in dark-
are not true He will take charge of the flock Himself. God ness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the
has never made the flock wholly dependent upon human in- words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to
strumentalities. Testimonies, vol. 5, 80. go forth and declare the message from Heaven. Review
and Herald, July 23, 1895.
Through His fully surrendered, fully obedient, purified, final gen-
eration, Christ will cut His work short in righteousness—right doing: The Lord often works contrary to the ideas of church leadership,
and uses those who will be molded by His counsels:
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number
of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant The Lord often works in a manner which is not in accor-
dance with the ideas of the men who are in responsible posi- men, they will work. They will proclaim the word of the Lord;
tions. The speculations and calculations of human minds are not they will lift up their voice like a trumpet. The truth will not be
always in [the] wisdom of God. . . . His plans are not built on diminished or lose its power in their hands. They will show
any foundation that is laid by man, but as the high and lofty One the people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their
that inhabiteth eternity, He lays the foundation, and erects the sins. Testimonies to Ministers, 411.
structure, in lofty independence through those who will be worked
by Him. The Lord Jesus takes those that He finds will be molded Under the showers of the latter rain the inventions of man,
and uses them for His own name’s glory, to meet His own spiri- the human machinery, will at times be swept away, the boundary
tual conception. Spalding and Magan Collection, 65. of man’s authority will be as broken reeds, and the Holy Spirit
will speak through the living, human agent with convincing power.
Those in the church who obstruct the channels God chooses will No one then will watch to see if the sentences are well rounded
have an account to settle with Him: off, if the grammar is faultless. The living water will flow in God’s
But when God speaks to men, commanding them to own channels. The Paulson Collection, 102.
bear His message to the people, it means something. Those
who are commanded to bear a message must move out al- The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its
though obstacles of a forbidding character are in the way. promptings, and, casting off all man’s machinery, his binding
Those who claim to know the truth, and yet lay every ob- rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the
stacle in the way so that light shall not come to the people, might of the Spirit’s power. Review and Herald, July 23, 1895.
will have an account to settle with God that they will not be Humble, obedient laborers will travel from city to city and country
pleased to meet. God manages His own work, and woe to to country with great success:
the man who puts his hand to the ark of God. The Ellen G.
White 1888 Materials, 1032. When the church is awakened, decided changes will be
made. Men and women will be converted, and so filled will
Casting Off Human Restrictions they be by the Spirit of God that they will pass from country
to country, from city to city, proclaiming the message of truth.
In the loud cry of the fourth angel, the final generation will cast off
With hearts filled with earnest love for souls, they will open
all human restrictions in their giving of Christ’s final message to the
their Bibles and present the word, “It is written.” Wherever
world:
they go a people will be raised up to stand in the day of the
Satan has laid every measure possible that nothing shall Lord. The simplicity of these humble workers will be their
come among us as a people to reprove and rebuke us, and strength; for angels of God work with those who are humble
exhort us to put away our errors. But there is a people who and obedient. Learned, eloquent men will not see the results
will bear the ark of God. Some will go out from among us from their work that are seen by these humble, zealous, pray-
who will bear the ark no longer. But these cannot make walls ing men. Manuscript Releases No. 311, 45–46.
to obstruct the truth; for it will go onward and upward to the
We are told that the loud cry of the fourth angel will largely be
end. In the past God has raised up men, and He still has men
accomplished through publications:
of opportunity waiting, prepared to do His bidding—men
who will go through restrictions which are only as walls daubed And in a large degree through our publishing houses is
with untempered mortar. When God puts His Spirit upon to be accomplished the work of that other angel who comes
down from heaven with great power and who lightens the the operation of the Holy Spirit that they would cry, “Beware
earth with his glory. The Publishing Ministry, 50. of fanaticism.” Selected Messages, book 2, 57.
We are to use every possible means to expose error:
Light Through Unexpected Sources
We must be careful not to reject light because it does not come Let every power that God has entrusted to His agencies
through expected channels: be now employed. Restrict no one’s labor, in any line if they
are established in the truth, but let all work who will.
We should be ready to accept light from God from what- The great apostasy is working to a point, and will de-
ever source it may come, instead of rejecting it because it velop into darkness deep as midnight, impenetrable as sack-
does not come through the channel from which we expected cloth of hair. This is the time to employ any system that can
it. Review and Herald, August 27, 1889. be devised to discover and counteract the leaven of error.
With the message of the fourth angel we have been promised Let there be light. Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 382.
“additional light.” We are told that it could very well come in unex- We are told that there will be a sanctified ministry and press in the
pected ways: final work of the third angel. We are warned not to complain of those
I did not desire to definitely state these particulars in the who seem to talk too strongly:
Conference for the delegates to garble and misconstrue; but A sanctified ministry and press will be a power in flashing
I said enough in regard to what the Lord had been pleased to the light of truth on this untoward generation. . . . Victory will
show me. I stated that . . . there was to be special light for attend the third angel’s message. As the Captain of the Lord’s
God’s people as they neared the closing scenes of this earth’s host tore down the walls of Jericho, so will the Lord’s com-
history. Another angel was to come from heaven with a mes- mandment-keeping people triumph, and all opposing elements
sage and the whole earth was to be lightened with his glory. be defeated. Let no soul complain of the servants of God who
It would be impossible for us to state just how this additional have come to them with a Heaven-sent message. Do not any
light would come. It might come in a very unexpected man- longer pick flaws in them, saying, “They are too positive; they
ner, in a way that would not agree with the ideas that many talk too strongly.” They may talk strongly; but is it not needed?
have conceived. It is not at all unlikely, or contrary to the God will make the ears of the hearers tingle if they will not
ways and works of God to send light to His people in unex- heed His voice or His message. He will denounce those who
pected ways. The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 239. resist the Word of God. Testimonies to Ministers, 410.
We have been cautioned that many of us will tend to condemn the
latter rain as fanaticism: Taking Our Crowns
Eleventh-hour workers will come in and take the crown of those
The baptism of the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pente-
who have not appreciated the whole counsel of God:
cost will lead to a revival of true religion and to the perfor-
mance of many wonderful works. Heavenly intelligences will But God will not be left without witness. The one-hour
come among us, and men will speak as they are moved upon laborers will be brought in at the eleventh hour, and will con-
by the Holy Spirit of God. But should the Lord work upon secrate their ability and all their entrusted means to advance
men as He did on and after the day of Pentecost, many who the work. These will receive the reward for their faithfulness,
now claim to believe the truth would know so very little of because they are true to principle, and shun not their duty to
78 T HE F INAL G ENERATION THE LOUD CRY OF THE F OURTH ANGEL 79
declare the whole counsel of God. When those who have There will be an accumulation of divine agencies to com-
had abundance of light throw off the restraint which the Word bine with human effort that there may be the accomplishment
of God imposes, and make void His law, others will come in of the work for the last time. The work will most assuredly
to fill their place, and take their crown. The General Con- be cut short in a most unexpected manner. The wind bloweth
ference Bulletin, January 1, 1900. where it listeth, and no one will be able to say when the movings
of God’s Spirit will be realized or what direction or through
Those in other denominations living up to all known light will come
whom it will manifest itself. But I speak not my own words
in while light-rejecting Seventh-day Adventists will leave:
when I say it will pass by those who have had their test and
Many souls will come from other denominational churches, opportunity and have not distinguished the voice of God or
and at the eleventh hour will obey all the truth, because they appreciated the movings of His Spirit. There will be thou-
have not set themselves in array against Heaven’s light, but sands converted to the truth in a day, who at the eleventh
lived up to all the light they had: while those who have had hour see and acknowledge the truth and the movements of
great light, large privileges and opportunities, and have failed the Spirit of God. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
to live in the light and walk in the light, will drop out by the way. that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader
Their light will shine less and less until their lamps will go out, of grapes him that soweth seed.” Amos 9:13.
for the want of the oil of grace in their vessels with their lamps. The accessions to the truth will be of a rapidity which
The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 710. will surprise the church. God’s name alone will be glorified.
Many will change sides in the conflict. Only those obedient to the The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 754–755.
Scriptures and to the Testimony of Jesus are on Christ’s side: The closing work of the final generation in the loud cry of the
In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army fourth angel will not be so much by argument as by the deep conviction
was led by banners bearing the world’s insignia; the other of the Holy Spirit:
was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Stan- Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining
dard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to
after company from the Lord’s army joined the foe and tribe proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices,
after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the com- all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be
mandment-keeping people of God. An angel flying in the midst wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will
of heaven put the standard of Immanuel into many hands, follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders,
while a mighty general cried out with a loud voice: “Come even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Rev-
into line. Let those who are loyal to the commandments of elation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought
God and the testimony of Christ now take their position.” to take their stand.
Testimonies, vol. 8, 41. The message will be carried not so much by argument
as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The argu-
God Alone Glorified ments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and
We are humbled as we contemplate the latter-rain working of the now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distrib-
Lord. He will finish His work in such a manner that only He will be uted by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet
glorified: many whose minds were impressed have been prevented
from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedi-
ence. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed
is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the call and left the fallen churches. Many had come to years
the bands which have held them. Family connections, church of accountability since these messages had been given, and
relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more pre- the light shone upon them, and they were privileged to choose
cious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies com- life or death. Some chose life and took their stand with those
bined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon who were looking for their Lord and keeping all His com-
the Lord’s side. The Great Controversy, 612. mandments. The third message was to do its work; all were
to be tested upon it, and the precious ones were to be called
Gospel Commission Completed out from the religious bodies. A compelling power moved
Yes, the gospel truth will be preached into all the world: the honest, while the manifestation of the power of God
brought a fear and restraint upon their unbelieving relatives
The truth will be proclaimed in clear, unmistakable lan- and friends so that they dared not, neither had they the power
guage. As a people we must prepare the way of the Lord to, hinder those who felt the work of the Spirit of God upon
under the overruling guidance of the Holy Spirit. The gospel is them. The last call was carried even to the poor slaves, and
to be given in its purity. The stream of living water is to deepen the pious among them poured forth their songs of rapturous
and widen in its course. . . . Through most wonderful workings joy at the prospect of their happy deliverance. Their masters
of divine providence, mountains of difficulty will be removed could not check them; fear and astonishment kept them si-
and cast into the sea. The message that means so much to the lent. Mighty miracles were wrought, the sick were healed,
dwellers upon the earth will be heard and understood. Men and signs and wonders followed the believers. God was in
will know what is truth. Onward and still onward the work will the work, and every saint, fearless of consequences, followed
advance until the whole earth shall have been warned, and the convictions of his own conscience and united with those
then shall the end come. Testimonies, vol. 9, 96. who were keeping all the commandments of God; and with
The message of the renewing power of God’s grace will belt the power they sounded abroad the third message. I saw that
world: this message will close with power and strength far exceed-
ing the midnight cry. Early Writings, 278.
The message of the renewing power of God’s grace will
be carried to every country and clime, until the truth shall belt The end will come, once Christ’s gospel of pardoning and renew-
the world. Of the number of them that shall be sealed will be ing grace is given to the whole world:
those who have come from every nation and kindred and And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
tongue and people. From every country will be gathered men the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end
and women who will stand before the throne of God and come. Matthew 24:14.
before the Lamb, crying, “Salvation to our God which sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Revelation 7:10. Coun- Probation Closes
sels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 532.
When all have had the opportunity to know and experience the
The cry of the fourth angel will reach everywhere: everlasting Gospel, when all of “whosoever will” have drunk “of the
The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated water of life freely,” the final atonement will be completed, the number
everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, of Christ’s subjects will be made up, their sins will be blotted out,
Christ ceases His intercession, and probation is closed: the other faithful from Babylon. These eleventh-hour workers become
part of the final generation—the fourth angel. During the loud cry of
When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer
the fourth angel, the number of subjects of the final generation will be in
pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of
a state of flux. All who are faithful prior to the general close of proba-
God have accomplished their work. They have received “the
tion will be sealed unto life eternal but not necessarily unto transla-
latter rain,” “the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,”
tion without seeing death. The sealed participants in the loud cry will
and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. An-
experience persecution in which there will be many martyrs:
gels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning
from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test Many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives
has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ’s
themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received “the sake in standing in defense of the truth. Ibid., 397.
seal of the living God.” Then Jesus ceases His intercession in Many of the faithful, including many children, will be laid to rest:
the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice
says, “It is done;” and all the angelic host lay off their crowns It is not always safe to ask for unconditional healing. . . .
as He makes the solemn announcement: “He that is unjust, He knows whether or not those for whom petitions are of-
let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy fered would be able to endure the trial and test that would
still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he come upon them if they lived. He knows the end from the
that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. Every beginning. Many will be laid away to sleep before the fiery
case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the ordeal of the time of trouble shall come upon our world.
atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The num- The Lord has often instructed me that many little ones
ber of His subjects is made up; “the kingdom and dominion, are to be laid away before the time of trouble. Last Day
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,” Events, 255.
is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to
reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Great Con- The Hundred and Forty-four Thousand
troversy, 613–614. With the general close of probation, when Christ stands up and
We are not to speculate as to whether or not there is a specific proclaims that it is finished, the final number of the final generation will
number of redeemed which must be made up before probation closes: be complete. These final faithful have been sealed not only unto life
eternal but unto translation without seeing death. These final faithful are
Another question upon which we had some conversa- now the 144,000. It would seem, that because of the “many martyrs,”
tion was in regard to the elect of God—that the Lord would the “many faithful laid to rest,” and the entrance in of the “eleventh hour
have a certain number, and when that number was made up workers” from Babylon, that the original number sealed of the Sev-
then probation would cease. These are questions you or I enth-day Adventist Church is not fully synonymous with the 144,000.
have no right to talk about. The Lord Jesus will receive all We are, however, also not to enter into controversy over who is to
who come unto Him. He died for the ungodly and every man compose this select group:
who will come, may come. Selected Messages, book 3, 315.
It is not His plan that His people shall present something
The sealing of the final generation is progressive. As we have noted, which they have to suppose, which is not taught in the Word.
it begins with the faithful of the House of God. As they experience the It is not His will that they shall get into controversy over ques-
latter rain and give the loud cry of the fourth angel they are joined by tions which will not help them spiritually, such as, Who is to
compose the hundred and forty-four thousand. This those Because of the increasing power of Satan’s temptations,
who are the elect of God will in a short time know without the times in which we live are full of peril for the children of
question. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary: God. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 322.
Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 7, 978.
Satan “works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness”
These final faithful of the final generation who have participated in to gain control of the children of men, and his deceptions will
the giving of the loud cry of the fourth angel, and have, unknown to continually increase. The Great Controversy, 560.
man, come to the general close of probation, are indeed a special
group. They have remained faithful to Christ their Leader during the I have been shown that Satan has not been stupid and
most troublous of times. Let us innumerate some of the circumstances careless these many years, since his fall, but has been learn-
of their past and/or future experience: ing. He has grown more artful. His plans are laid deeper, and
1.—Of themselves, they are the weakest of the weak: are more covered with a religious garment to hide their de-
formity. The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is
If the race had ceased to fall when Adam was driven
ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His
from Eden, we should now be in a far more elevated condi-
power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away.
tion physically, mentally, and morally. . . . Would that man
Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 277.
had stopped falling with Adam. But there has been a succes-
sion of falls.” Ibid., vol. 1, 1082. The continual transgression of man for six thousand years
“Through Satan’s devices, each generation was becom- has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we
near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite
ing more feeble in physical, mental, and moral power.” Re-
will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome. Testi-
view and Herald, March 3, 1874.
monies, vol. 3, 491–492.
The present generation have less power of self-control
A cunning and cruel foe attends our steps, and is work-
than had those who lived then [“several generations ago”].
ing every moment, with all his strength and skill, to turn us
Counsels on Health, 125.
from the right way. . . . More than six thousand years of
2.—By God’s grace, they have remained faithful under the attack continual practice has greatly increased his skill to deceive
of the most powerful deceptions and temptations of any age: and allure. On the other hand, he who once yields to tempta-
tion becomes spiritually weak, and yields more readily the
Satan has the same power and the same control over minds
second time. Every repetition of sin blinds his eyes, stifles
now [as when in heaven], only it has increased a hundred-fold
conviction, and weakens his power of resistance. Thus while
by exercise and experience. Testimonies, vol. 3, 328.
the power of the human race to resist temptation is con-
For six thousand years that mastermind that once was tinually decreasing, Satan’s skill and power to tempt are
highest among the angels of God has been wholly bent to the continually increasing. This is one great reason why the
work of deception and ruin. And all the depths of satanic skill temptations of the last days will be more severe than those
and subtlety acquired, all the cruelty developed, during these of any other age. Historical Sketches, 133.
struggles of the ages, will be brought to bear against God’s 3.—They—the weakest of the weak—will allow Christ to
people in the final conflict. The Great Controversy, ix.4. demonstrate unarguably, that fallen man, united with divinity,
is stronger than the strong man armed: that day it will be evident to all that there is not, and never was,
any cause for sin. At the final condemnation of Satan and his
It is as true now as when Christ was upon the earth, that
angels and of all men who have finally identified themselves
every inroad made by the gospel upon the enemy’s dominion
with him as transgressors of God’s law, every mouth will be
is met by fierce opposition from his vast armies. The conflict
stopped. When the hosts of rebellion, from the first great rebel
that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed.
to the last transgressor, are asked why they have broken the
But though Satan is represented as being as strong as the
law of God, they will be speechless. There will be no answer
strong man armed, his overthrow will be complete, and ev-
to give, no reason to assign that will carry the least weight.
eryone who unites with him in choosing apostasy rather than
Signs of the Times, April 28, 1890.
loyalty will perish with him. Testimonies, vol. 6, 407.
5.—They will have gained full victory over perverted appetite.
When Christ takes possession of the citadel of the soul, They will not gratify taste to the harm of their physical,
the human agent becomes one with Him. And he who is one intellectual, or moral health. These final faithful will have
with Christ, maintaining His unity, enthroning Him in the heart, given up flesh foods in their preparation for translation:
and obeying His commands, is safe from the snares of the
wicked one. United to Christ, he gathers to himself the graces Grains and fruits prepared free from grease, and in as
of Christ, and consecrates strength and efficiency and power natural a condition as possible, should be the food for the
to the Lord in winning souls to Him. By cooperation with the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation to heaven.
Saviour he becomes the instrument through which God works. The less feverish the diet, the more easily can the passions be
Then when Satan comes, and strives to take possession of the controlled. Gratification of taste should not be consulted ir-
soul, he finds that Christ has made him stronger than the strong respective of physical, intellectual, or moral health. Coun-
man armed. Review and Herald, December 12, 1899. sels on Diet and Foods, 63.
4.—They—the weakest of the weak but by Christ’s transforming Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord,
grace made stronger than the strong man armed—will have meat eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to
allowed God to demonstrate that sin—transgression of His form a part of their diet. Ibid., 380–381.
laws—by any previous being or generation, has truly been 6.—They will have, as God has opened the way, moved into the
inexcusable: country:
Sin is a mysterious, unexplainable thing. There was no Before the overflowing scourge shall come upon the
reason for its existence; to seek to explain it is to seek to give dwellers of the earth, the Lord calls upon all who are Israel-
a reason for it, and that would be to justify it. Sin appeared in ites indeed to prepare for that event. To parents He sends
a perfect universe, a thing that was shown to be inexcusable the warning cry: Gather your children into your own houses;
and exceeding sinful. The reason of its inception or develop- gather them away from those who are disregarding the com-
ment was never explained and never can be, even at the last mandments of God, who are teaching and practicing evil.
great day when the judgment shall sit and the books be opened, Get out of the large cities as fast as possible.
when every man shall be judged according to the deeds done Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land
in the body, when the sins of God’s repentant, sanctified people for cultivation, where they can have orchards and where they
shall be heaped upon the scapegoat, the originator of sin. At can raise vegetables and small fruits to take the place of flesh
meat, which is so corrupting to the lifeblood coursing through 9.—By remaining faithful to God, they will have refused to
the veins. On such places the children will not be surrounded accept the mark of the beast with its control of who can buy
with the corrupting influences of city life. God will help His and who can sell:
people to find such homes outside of the cities. Adventist
Home, 139–140. This is the test that the people of God must have before
they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by ob-
7.—During their labors for God, they will witness flattering serving His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath,
monuments of man’s greatness crumbled in the dust: will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will
The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow in receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth
the world that no human balm can heal. Even before the last of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will re-
great destruction comes upon the world, the flattering monu- ceive the mark of the beast. Maranatha, 164.
ments of man’s greatness will be crumbled in the dust. God’s
In the last great conflict in the controversy with Satan
retributive judgments will fall on those who in the face of
those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut
great light have continued in sin. Costly buildings, supposed
off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to
to be fireproof, are erected. But as Sodom perished in the
earthly powers they will be forbidden to buy or sell.
flames of God’s vengeance, so will these proud structures
Satan says . . . “For fear of wanting food and clothing they
become ashes. I have seen vessels which cost immense sums
will join with the world in transgressing God’s law. The earth will
of money wrestling with the mighty ocean, seeking to breast
be wholly under my dominion.” Last Day Events, 148–149.
the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and
silver, and with all their human freight, they sank into a wa- 10.–They will have remained faithful during Satan’s worldwide,
tery grave. . . . But amid the tumult of excitement, with con- masterpiece deception of spiritualism:
fusion in every place, there is a work to be done for God in
Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to de-
the world. Maranatha, 175.
ceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the
8.—They will have understood the enforcement of Sunday laws assurance given to Eve in Eden: “Ye shall not surely die.” “In
in the United States as the last opportunity to flee the large the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
cities, and time to prepare to leave the smaller ones for ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4, 5.
secluded homes in the mountains: Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of
deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet
The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be
we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary reached in the last remnant of time. Says the prophet: “I saw
places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was three unclean spirits like frogs; . . . they are the spirits of
the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assump- devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the
tion of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforc- earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of
ing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13, 14. Ex-
time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller cept those who are kept by the power of God, through faith
ones for retired homes in secluded places among the moun- in His Word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of
tains. Testimonies, vol. 5, 464–465. this delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal secu-
rity, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of chants are still buying and selling. . . . Pleasure lovers are still
God. The Great Controversy, 561–562. crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest
excitement prevails, yet probation’s hour is fast closing, and
11.–They will have refused to worship Satan in his crowning act
every case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his
of deception in the personation of Christ:
time is short. He has set all his agents to work, that men may
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, be deceived, deluded, occupied, and entranced, until the day
Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long proof probation shall be ended and the door of mercy be forever
fessed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation shut. The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow that
of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear no human balm can heal. Sentinel angels are now restraining
that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan the four winds, that they shall not blow till the servants of God
will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of daz- are sealed in their foreheads; but when God shall bid His an-
zling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God gels loose the winds, there will be a scene of strife such as no
given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13–15. The pen can picture. In Heavenly Places, 342.
glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal
eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon Soon God will show that He is indeed the living God.
the air: “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people pros- He will say to the angels, “No longer combat Satan in his
trate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his efforts to destroy. Let him work out his malignity upon the
hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ children of disobedience; for the cup of their iniquity is full.
blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice They have advanced from one degree of wickedness to an-
is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compas- other, adding daily to their lawlessness. I will no longer inter-
sionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heav- fere to prevent the destroyer from doing his work.” Review
enly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases and Herald, September 17, 1901.
of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ,
he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and com- I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds
mands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He de- until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then will
clares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the
are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought
sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid
overmastering delusion. Ibid., 624. the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree
went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day
12.–As the 144,000, they will survive by faith alone through the and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob’s trouble.
time of Jacob’s trouble with its blowing of the four winds, Early Writings, 36–37.
the outpouring of the seven last plagues, and its death
decree against the faithful: Jacob’s experience during that night of wrestling and
anguish represents the trial through which the people of God
The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in
must pass just before Christ’s second coming. The prophet
the heavens, passing over its usual round, and the heavens still
Jeremiah, in holy vision looking down to this time, said, “We
declare the glory of God. Men are still eating and drinking,
have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. . . .
planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage. Mer-
All faces are turned into paleness. Alas! for that day is great, The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and
so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is
he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:5–7. one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the
When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man’s voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: “It is
behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every done.” Revelation 16:17.
soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a
to cleanse from sin. When Jesus leaves His position as man’s mighty earthquake, “such as was not since men were upon the
intercessor before God, the solemn announcement is made, “He earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Verses 17, 18.
that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him . . . Prison walls are rent asunder, and God’s people, who
be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and have been held in bondage for their faith, are set free. . . .
he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. Then the Through a rift in the clouds there beams a star whose
restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. As Jacob brilliancy is increased fourfold in contrast with the darkness.
was threatened with death by his angry brother, so the people of It speaks hope and joy to the faithful, but severity and wrath
God will be in peril from the wicked who are seeking to destroy to the transgressors of God’s law. Those who have sacri-
them.And as the patriarch wrestled all night for deliverance from ficed all for Christ are now secure, hidden as in the secret of
the hand of Esau, so the righteous will cry to God day and night the Lord’s pavilion. They have been tested, and before the
for deliverance from the enemies that surround them. Patriarchs world and the despisers of truth they have evinced their fi-
and Prophets, 201. delity to Him who died for them. A marvelous change has
come over those who have held fast their integrity in the very
13.–With the voice of God’s deliverance at midnight, this final
face of death. They have been suddenly delivered from the
generation of the fourth angel’s message—the 144,000— dark and terrible tyranny of men transformed to demons.
will know that they have stood faithfully against the Dragon’s Their faces, so lately pale, anxious, and haggard, are now
roar without a Mediator in the heavenly sanctuary and that aglow with wonder, faith, and love. Their voices rise in tri-
their deliverance is assured: umphant song: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present
The despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth
nevermore to be defiled by the corruptions of the world. Their be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the
names are retained in the Lamb’s book of life, enrolled among midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be
the faithful of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling
deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by the thereof.” Psalm 46:1–3. . . .
dragon’s roar. Now they are eternally secure from the The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the
tempter’s devices. Lift Him Up, 377. day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting
covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His
It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listen-
deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its ing, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are
strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses
wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while when he came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look
the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their de- upon them. And when the blessing is pronounced on those
liverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is
a mighty shout of victory. The Great Controversy, 636–640. lighted up, and joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a
note higher and sing again as they draw still nearer to the earth.
14.–This now delivered, final, living generation of the remnant
The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped
will behold Christ come in all of His glory:
in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the
Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is
half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds moved out of its place. “Our God shall come, and shall not
the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be
darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heav-
Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws ens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His
nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is people.” Psalm 50:3, 4. . . .
a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and
above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth
mighty conqueror. Not now a “Man of Sorrows,” to drink the the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righ-
bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and teous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: “Awake,
earth, to judge the living and the dead. “Faithful and True,” “in awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!” Through-
righteousness He doth judge and make war.” And “the armies out the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear
which were in heaven” (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth
anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnum- shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every
bered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of
filled with radiant forms—“ten thousand times ten thousand, death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: “O death,
and thousands of thousands.” No human pen can portray the where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians
scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their
“His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His voices in a long, glad shout of victory. . . .
praise. And His brightness was as the light.” Habakkuk 3:3, 4. The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the
As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the twinkling of an eye.” At the voice of God they were glorified;
Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are
but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels “gather to-
outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. “And He gether His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven
hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of to the other.” Little children are borne by holy angels to their
kings, and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16. mothers’ arms. Friends long separated by death are united,
Before His presence “all faces are turned into paleness;” nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend to-
upon the rejecters of God’s mercy falls the terror of eternal gether to the City of God. Ibid., 640–645.
despair. “The heart melteth, and the knees smite together, . . .
15.–God’s Final Generation—the 144,000—will receive special
and the faces of them all gather blackness.” Jeremiah 30:6;
honor throughout eternity:
Nahum 2:10. The righteous cry with trembling: “Who shall be
able to stand?” The angels’ song is hushed, and there is a pe- Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass
riod of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: as it were mingled with fire—so resplendent is it with the
“My grace is sufficient for you.” The faces of the righteous are glory of God—are gathered the company that have “gotten
the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his Chapter Seven
mark, and over the number of his name.” With the Lamb
upon Mount Zion, “having the harps of God,” they stand, the
hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed
Summary and Conclusions
from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many
waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, “the voice of
G
harpers harping with their harps.” And they sing “a new song” LORIOUS WILL BE the experience of the final generation!
before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the Because of their love for the truth, the final generation, by
hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses God’s grace, have yielded themselves fully to His will as com-
and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hun- municated through the Scriptures and the Testimony of Jesus. In the
dred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the final great battle of Armageddon they have been victorious over Satan’s
song of their experience—an experience such as no other perfected deceptions and cunning evil. When Satan’s power to de-
company have ever had. “These are they which follow the ceive has been the greatest, they have demonstrated that God’s grace
Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” These, having been trans- is indeed sufficient to overcome every wile of the devil. Yes, Christ
lated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as vindicated the Father’s character and His law by His personal life of
“the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 15:2, victory over all temptation two thousand years ago. But Christ must
3; 14:1–5. “These are they which came out of great tribula- also vindicate the father’s character, government, and eternal law by
tion;” they have passed through the time of trouble such as living out His life of perfect obedience in the lives of His final genera-
never was since there was a nation; they have endured the tion. Their life of complete obedience has made them a witness of the
anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble; they have stood with- effectiveness of Christ’s transforming grace and by the Holy Spirit’s
out an intercessor through the final outpouring of God’s judg- power has enabled them to give the loud cry of the fourth angel—
ments. But they have been delivered, for they have “washed earth’s final warning—to the whole world. By their victory over all
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” temptations when Satan’s temptations are the most severe, this weak-
“In their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault” est-of-the-weak generation being made stronger than the strong man
before God. “Therefore are they before the throne of God, armed, have removed any purported excuse for sin by any person or
and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth other generation. By their victory over sin, they have enabled Christ to
on the throne shall dwell among them.” They have seen the not only cleanse them, His earthly sanctuary, but also to cleanse the
earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having power records in the Heavenly sanctuary of the repented-of-sins of the ages.
to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves have en- By allowing Christ to reproduce His character in their lives, the final
dured suffering, hunger, and thirst. But “they shall hunger no
generation has allowed Christ to say “It is finished,” and to return to
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on this earth to take the saints of all ages to their heavenly promised land.
them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living foun- Generations Disappointed
tains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their Every generation of Adventists since 1844 have looked forward
eyes.” Revelation 7:14–17. Ibid., 648–649. to, and have had the opportunity to be in, this most favored group of
all saints— the final generation—the 144,000. Tragically, because of
our insubordination, we have had to remain in this earth “many more
97
98 T HE F INAL G ENERATION S UMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 99
years.” In 2003, the Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrated 140 Yes, we are repeating the experience of ancient Israel:
years of church organization. It has not been the opposition from the We want to understand the time in which we live. We
world that has kept us in this earth these many years. It is opposition do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart
from within that has delayed the sealing of God’s final generation, the trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet,
latter rain, the loud cry of the fourth angel, and Christ’s return to this and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of
earth: the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first
It is not the opposition of the world that we have to fear; coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and
but it is the elements that work among ourselves that have again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their
hindered the message. . . . experience before the second coming of Christ—how the
The work of opponents to the truth has been steadily enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of
advancing while we have been compelled to devote our en- the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s
ergies in a great degree to counteracting the work of the en- servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious
emy through those who were in our ranks. The dullness of truth. Selected Messages, book 1, 406.
some and the opposition of others have confined our strength We have actually done worse than they, because we have failed
and means largely among those who know the truth, but do to learn from their experience, and while their entrance into the earthly
not practice its principles. If every soldier of Christ had done promised land was delayed only 40 years, our entrance into the Heav-
his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the enly promised land has been delayed now these 150 years:
trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard
I saw many who profess to believe the truth for these
the message of warning. But the work is years behind. What
last days, think it strange that the children of Israel murmured
account will be rendered to God for thus retarding the work?
as they journeyed, and after the wonderful dealings of God
General Conference Daily Bulletin, February 28, 1893.
to them, should be so ungrateful, and forget what God had
It is our unholy disobedience like ancient Israel that made it nec- done for them. Said the angel, “Ye have done worse than
essary for the angel ascending from the East, to tell the four angels to they.” I saw that God has given His servants the truth so
hold the winds of strife from blowing upon the earth. The disobedience clear, so plain, that it cannot be resisted. Every where they
of God’s people thus delayed the sealing time: go they have certain victory. The enemies cannot get round
Had the people of God believed Him and been doers of the convincing truth. Light has been shed so clear that the
His Word, had they kept His commandments, the angel would servants of God can stand up anywhere and let truth, clear
not have come flying through heaven with the message to the and connected, bear away the victory. This great blessing
four angels that were to let loose the winds that they should has not been prized, has not been realized. Review and Her-
blow upon the earth crying, Hold, hold the four winds that ald, January 6, 1863.
they blow not upon the earth until I have sealed the servants
of God in their foreheads. But because the people are dis- What We Must Do Now
obedient, unthankful, unholy, as were ancient Israel, time is We must engage all our powers against sin in every form, contest-
prolonged that all may hear the last message of mercy pro- ing every inch of ground against the deceptions of the strong man armed:
claimed with a loud voice. The Lord’s work has been hin-
dered, the sealing time delayed.—Letter 106, 1897. Manu- God will test you, brethren, and some will prove to be
script Releases, vol. 15, 292–293. chaff and some precious grains of wheat. Yield not to the
100 T HE F INAL G ENERATION S UMMARY AND C ONCLUSIONS 101
power of the tempter. He will come as a strong man armed, We must comprehend the urgency in giving the last warning now:
but give him no advantage. Nerve yourselves for duty, and When the storm of God’s wrath breaks upon the world,
dispute every inch of ground. Instead of retreating, advance; it will be a terrible revelation for souls to find that their house
instead of becoming weak and nerveless, brace yourselves is being swept away because it is built upon the sand. Let the
for the conflict. God calls on you to engage with all your warning be given them before it is too late. We should now
powers against sin in every form. Put on the whole armor of feel the responsibility of laboring with intense earnestness to
God, and keep your eye steadily fixed on the Captain of impart to others the truths that God has given for this time.
your salvation; for there is danger ahead. Follow no false We cannot be too much in earnest.
colors, but watch the banner of our holy faith, and be found The heart of God is moved. Souls are very precious in
where that waves, even though it be in the thickest of the His sight. It was for this world that Christ wept in agony; for
fight. Soon the warfare will be over and the victory won, and this world He was crucified. God gave His only-begotten
if you are faithful you will come off more than conquerors Son to save sinners, and He desires us to love others as He
through Him that has loved you. The glorious prize, the eter- has loved us. He desires to see those who have a knowledge
nal weight of glory, will then be yours. Testimonies, vol. 5, of the truth imparting this knowledge to their fellow men.
309. Now is the time for the last warning to be given. There
We must now awake, wash our robes, and keep ourselves and is a special power in the presentation of the truth at the present
our children unspotted from the world, and thus prepare for the seal of time; but how long will it continue? Only a little while. If there
God: was ever a crisis, it is now.
All are now deciding their eternal destiny. Men need to
Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while
be aroused to realize the solemnity of the time, the nearness
our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left
of the day when human probation shall be ended. Decided
with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse
efforts should be made to bring the message for this time
the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will
prominently before the people. The third angel is to go forth
fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day
with great power. Let none ignore this work or treat it as of
of Pentecost. . . . It is now that we must keep ourselves and
little importance.
our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must
The light we have received upon the third angel’s mes-
wash our robes of character and make them white in the
sage is the true light. The mark of the beast is exactly what it
blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride,
has been proclaimed to be. Not all in regard to this matter is
passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must
yet understood, nor will it be understood until the unrolling of
awake and make determined effort for symmetry of charac-
the scroll; but a most solemn work is to be accomplished in
ter. . . . The seal of God will never be placed upon the fore-
our world. The Lord’s command to His servants is: “Cry
head of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed
aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show
upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or
My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their
woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or
sins.” Isaiah 58:1. Ibid., vol. 6, 16–17.
women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive
the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for We must arise and shine, not obscuring one ray of light, nor fol-
heaven. Ibid., 214–216. lowing human wisdom:
If ever there was a time in the history of Seventh-day “Now the just shall live by faith.” We must look to Jesus,
Adventists when they should arise and shine, it is now. No study His words, pray for His Spirit. We should be more
voice should be restrained from proclaiming the third angel’s frequently alone with God in meditation and prayer. Let us
message. Let none, for fear of losing prestige with the world, pray more and talk less. We cannot trust to our own wis-
obscure one ray of light coming from the Source of all light. dom, our own experience, our own knowledge of the truth;
It requires moral courage to do the work of God for we must be daily learners, looking to our heavenly Teacher
these last days, but let us not be led by the spirit of human for instruction, and then, without regard to ease, pleasure, or
wisdom. The truth should be everything to us. Let those who convenience, we must go forward, knowing that He is faith-
want to make a name with the world go with the world. The ful who has called.
great conflict is right at hand in which all will take sides. In it We should cultivate a spirit of prayer, not merely praying
the whole Christian world will be involved. Daily, hourly, we in our closets, at the family altar, or in public, but having our
must be actuated by the principles of the Word of God. Self minds constantly centered on God, taking hold upon His
must be sanctified by the principles of the righteousness, the strength, pleading for His grace, confiding in His promises. Let
mercy, and the love of God. The Upward Look, 171. us put on the whole armor of righteousness, which the Captain
of our salvation has prepared for us. While we realize our
Let us take courage from the following words of the servant of the
weakness, let us rely upon His strength, and overcome by the
Lord as to what we must now do:
grace which He imparts. Review and Herald, August 28, 1883.
We must make up our minds that instead of matters tak-
We must take courage from the promise that the final generation
ing a more favorable turn, wicked men, seducing teachers,
has nothing to fear as long as they are loyal and true, for their mighty
will grow worse and worse, deceiving themselves and de-
Defender will provide all power and greatness and excellence of char-
ceiving others. We may expect greater opposition than has
acter:
yet been experienced. We have heard but the growling of the
dragon. This will swell to a roar. We have yet to learn the They are before the throne enjoying the sunless splen-
significance of those words of John: “Then the dragon was dors of eternal day, not as a scattered, feeble company, to
wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the rem- suffer by the satanic passions of a rebellious world, express-
nant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, ing the sentiments, the doctrines, and the counsels of de-
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” We must now make mons. Strong and terrible have become the masters of iniq-
Christ our refuge, or in the days before us our souls will be uity in the world under the control of Satan, but strong is the
overwhelmed with darkness and despair. There is a point Lord God who judgeth Babylon. The just have no longer
beyond which human help cannot avail. Every one must live anything to fear from force or fraud as long as they are loyal
by faith as he is forced into close and apparently deadly con- and true. A mightier than the strong man armed is set for their
flict with the powers of darkness. Each must stand or fall for defense. All power and greatness and excellence of charac-
himself. The arrows of the destroyer are about to be hurled ter will be given to those who have believed and stood in
against the faithful ones, and no earthly power can turn aside defense of the truth, standing up and firmly defending the
the shaft. But could our eyes be opened we could see angels laws of God. Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 209.
of God encircling the righteous, that no harm may come upon We must allow Christ’s death on the cross to be made effective
them. We have only to trust in God, and go forward in the for us by permitting the Holy Spirit to transform our characters into the
way of obedience, and we shall be victorious.
likeness of Christ’s character: Then I was pointed to the glory of heaven, to the trea-
sure laid up for the faithful. Everything was lovely and glori-
The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and
ous. The angels would sing a lovely song, then they would
without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no
cease singing and take their crowns from their heads and
avail. . . . It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been
cast them glittering at the feet of the lovely Jesus, and with
wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that
melodious voices cry, “Glory, Alleluia!” I joined with them in
the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer be-
their songs of praise and honor to the Lamb, and every time
comes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His
I opened my mouth to praise Him, I felt an unutterable sense
Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cul-
of the glory that surrounded me. It was a far more, an ex-
tivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character
ceeding and eternal weight of glory. Said the angel, “The little
upon His church. Desire of Ages, 671.
remnant who love God and keep His commandments and
are faithful to the end will enjoy this glory and ever be in the
Strive to Be Among the Final Generation presence of Jesus and sing with the holy angels.”
We are to strive with all our power, by looking to Christ, to be Then my eyes were taken from the glory, and I was
among the 144,000: pointed to the remnant on the earth. The angel said to them,
We are to copy no human being. There is no human “Will ye shun the seven last plagues? Will ye go to glory and
being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the enjoy all that God has prepared for those who love Him and
man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righ- are willing to suffer for His sake? If so, ye must die that ye
teousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our may live. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a
faith. He is the pattern Man. His experience is the measure of greater preparation than ye now have, for the day of the Lord
the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the
Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the diffi- land desolate and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
culties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we Sacrifice all to God. Lay all upon His altar—self, property,
may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to and all, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory. Lay up
good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all- for yourselves treasure in heaven, where no thief can ap-
wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed proach or rust corrupt. Ye must be partakers of Christ’s suf-
within, the hope of glory. ferings here if ye would be partakers with Him of His glory
Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to hereafter.”
be among the hundred and forty-four thousand. And let us Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through
do all that we can to help others to gain heaven. We are to suffering. We must deny self all along the way, die to self
have an intense interest in Christ Jesus; for He is our Saviour. daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glory continually
He came to this world to be tempted in all points as we are, in view. I saw that those who of late have embraced the truth
to prove to the universe that in this world of sin human beings would have to know what it is to suffer for Christ’s sake, that
can live lives that God will approve. Review and Herald, they would have trials to pass through that would be keen
March 9, 1905. and cutting, in order that they may be purified and fitted
through suffering to receive the seal of the living God, pass
We must die that we might live. It will take all to enter glory: through the time of trouble, see the King in His beauty, and
dwell in the presence of God and of pure, holy angels. Early
Writings, 66–67. Appendix A
Who we worship, what day we worship, is the great test for man-
kind in these closing days of earth’s history. Whether we obey the THE LAST GENERATION
Creator God and worship on His holy Sabbath, the seventh day of the By M. L. Andreasen
week, or whether we bow the knee to Satan’s false sabbath, the first
day of the week, will determine the eternal destiny of all living during
the loud cry of the fourth angel. If we keep the Sabbath as it should be
T
kept, by the grace and the power of God, we will also keep the other HE FINAL DEMONSTRATION of what the gospel can do
nine commandments. May God help each of us to begin keeping the in and for humanity is still in the future. Christ showed the way.
Sabbath faithfully with all our heart, mind, body and soul, so that we He took a human body, and in that body demonstrated the
can receive the seal of the living God, be numbered among the 144,000, power of God. Men are to follow His example and prove that what
and soon stand with Jesus on the sea of glass. God did in Christ, He can do in every human being who submits to
May we each one be dying daily to self and allowing Christ to live Him. The world is awaiting this demonstration. (Rom. 8:19.) When it
out in us His life of full surrender to the Father’s will. May we thus do has been accomplished, the end will come. God will have fulfilled His
what is within our power to break free from this Laodicean condition plan. He will have shown Himself true and Satan a liar. His government
which has frustrated, these many years, the fulfillment of God’s need will stand vindicated.
for His character and laws to be vindicated by Christ in the lives of His There is much spurious doctrine concerning holiness taught in the
final generation. Christ owns us by creation, and again by the purchase world today. On the one hand are those who deny the power of God
of His blood on Calvary’s cross. He deserves the right to perfect His to save from sin. On the other hand are those who flaunt their sanctity
character in our lives. Let us not continue to refuse Him the right of before men and would have us believe that they are without sin. Among
displaying to the Universe the power of His transforming grace. Let us the first class are not only unbelievers and skeptics but church mem-
not continue to refuse Him the right of forming His final generation, bers whose vision does not include victory over sin, but who accept a
whom, in their lives as well as in their words can give the three angels’ kind of compromise with sin. In the other class are such as have no just
messages of full obedience to the Creator God. Let us not continue to conception either of sin or of God’s holiness, whose spiritual vision is
refuse Him the right of forming the final generation of first fruits by so impaired that they cannot see their own shortcomings, and hence
which He can give the loud cry message of the fourth angel and com- believe themselves perfect, and whose conception of religion is such
plete His cleansing of His sanctuary. May each one be among that that their own understanding of truth and righteousness is superior to
group is my prayer. that revealed in the Word. It is not easy to decide which is the greater
error.
That the Bible inculcates holiness is indisputable. “The very God
of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and
soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 5:23. “Follow peace with all men, and holi-
ness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Heb. 12:14. “For this
is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thess. 4:3. The Greek
word hagios in its various forms is translated “sanctify,” “holy,” “holi-
ness,” “sanctified,” “sanctification.” It is the same word which is used
107
108 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE L AST G ENERATION 109
for the two apartments of the sanctuary, and means that which is set Corinthians will soon convince one that the saints there mentioned had
apart for God. A sanctified person is one who is set apart for God, their faults. Despite this, they are said to be “sanctified” and “called to
whose whole life is dedicated to Him. be saints.” The reason is that complete sanctification is not the work of
a day or of a year but of a lifetime. It begins the moment a person is
Forgiveness and Cleansing converted, and continues through life. Every victory hastens the pro-
The plan of salvation must of necessity include not only forgive- cess. There are few Christians who have not gained the mastery over
ness of sin but complete restoration. Salvation from sin is more than some sin that formerly greatly annoyed them and overcame them. Many
forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness presupposes sin and is conditioned a man who has been a slave to the tobacco habit has gained the victory
upon breaking with it; sanctification is separation from sin and indi- over the habit and rejoices in his victory. Tobacco has ceased to be a
cates deliverance from its power and victory over it. The first is a temptation. It attracts him no more. He has the victory. On that point
means to neutralize the effect of sin; the second is a restoration of he is sanctified. As he has been victorious over one besetment, so he is
power for complete victory. to become victorious over every sin. When the work is completed,
Sin, like some diseases, leaves man in a deplorable condition— when he has gained the victory over pride, ambition, love of the
weak, despondent, disheartened. He has little control of his mind, his world—over all evil—he is ready for translation. He has been tried in
will fails him, and with the best of intentions he is unable to do what he all points. The evil one has come to him and found nothing. Satan has
knows to be right. He feels that there is no hope. He knows that he has no more temptations for him. He has over-come them all. He stands
himself to blame, and remorse fills his soul. To his bodily ailments is without fault before the throne of God. Christ places His seal upon
added the torture of conscience. He knows that he has sinned and is to him. He is safe, and he is sound. God has finished His work in him. The
blame. Will no one take pity on him? demonstration of what God can do with humanity is complete.
Then comes the gospel. The good news is preached to him. Though Thus it shall be with the last generation of men living on the earth.
his sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be Through them God’s final demonstration of what He can do with hu-
red like crimson, they shall be as wool. All is forgiven. He is “saved.” manity will be given. He will take the weakest of the weak, those bear-
What a wonderful deliverance it is! His mind is at rest. No longer does ing the sins of their forefathers, and in them show the power of God.
his conscience torment him. He has been forgiven. His sins are cast They will be subjected to every temptation, but they will not yield.
into the depths of the sea. His heart wells with praise to God for His They will demonstrate that it is possible to live without sin—the very
mercy and goodness to him. demonstration for which the world has been looking and for which
As a disabled ship towed to port is safe but not sound, so the man God has been preparing. It will become evident to all that the gospel
is “saved” but not sound. Repairs need to be made on the ship before really can save to the uttermost. God is found true in His sayings.
it is pronounced seaworthy, and the man needs reconstruction before The last year of the conflict brings the final test; but this only proves
he is fully restored. This process of restoration is called sanctification, to angels and to the world that nothing that the evil one can do will
and includes in its finished product body, soul, and spirit. When the shake God’s chosen ones. The plagues fall, destruction is on every
work is finished, the man is “holy,” completely sanctified, and restored hand, death stares them in the face, but like Job they hold fast their
to the image of God. It is for this demonstration of what the gospel can integrity. Nothing can make them sin. They “keep the commandments
do for a man that the world is looking. of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.
In the Bible both the process and the finished work are spoken of Throughout the history of the world God has had His faithful ones.
as sanctification. For this reason the “brethren” are spoken of as holy They have endured affliction and great tribulation. But even in the midst
and sanctified, though they have not attained to perfection. (1 Cor. of Satan’s buffetings they have, as the apostle Paul says, through faith
1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Heb. 3:1.) A glance through the Epistles to the “wrought righteousness.” “They were stoned, they were sawn asun-
der, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in When Satan thus established his government in heaven, the issue
sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom was clear cut. The angels understood clearly the issue. All must take
the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in moun- their stand for or against Satan.
tains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Heb. 11:37, 38. In the case of rebellion there is always some grievance, real or
And in addition to this galaxy of faithful witnesses, many of whom fancied, given as the cause. Some become dissatisfied, and, failing to
were martyrs for their faith, God will have in the last days a remnant, a have matters remedied, they resort to rebellion. Those who sympa-
“little flock,” in and through whom He will give to the universe a dem- thize with the rebel cause join it. The others remain loyal to the govern-
onstration of His love, His power, His justice, which, if we exempt ment, and must, of course, take their chance on its survival.
Christ’s godly life on earth and His supreme sacrifice on Calvary, will It apparently came to just such a pass in heaven. The result was
be the most sweeping and conclusive demonstration of all the ages of war. “There was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against
what God can do in men. the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.” Rev. 12:7. The out-
It is in the last generation of men living on the earth that God’s come could have been foreseen. Satan and his angels “prevailed not;
power unto sanctification will stand fully revealed. The demonstration of neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon
that power is God’s vindication. It clears Him of any and all charges was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
which Satan has placed against Him. In the last generation God is vindi- deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
cated and Satan defeated. This may need some further amplification. angels were cast out with him.” Verses 8, 9.
Though Satan was defeated, he was not destroyed. By his act of
Rebellion in Heaven rebellion he had declared God’s government at fault, and by the setting
The rebellion which took place in heaven and introduced sin into up of his own throne he had made claim to greater wisdom or justice
the universe of God must have been a fearful experience both for God than God. These claims are inherent in rebellion and in the establish-
and for the angels. Until this time all had been peace and harmony. ment of another government. God could ill afford not to give Satan an
Discord was unknown; only love prevailed. Then unholy ambitions opportunity to demonstrate his theories. To remove every doubt in the
stirred the heart of Lucifer. He decided that he wanted to be like the minds of the angels—and later of man—God must let Satan go on
Most High. He would exalt his throne above the stars of God; he with his work. And so Satan was permitted to live and set up his gov-
would sit “upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” ernment. For the last six thousand years he has been giving the uni-
(Isa. 14:12–14.) This declaration of intent was tantamount to an at- verse a demonstration of what he will do when he has the opportunity.
tempt to depose God and usurp His place. It was a declaration of war.
Where God sat, Satan would sit. God accepted the challenge. Satan’s Demonstration
We have no direct Biblical statement as to the means used by This demonstration has been permitted to continue until now. And
Satan in winning over to his side a multitude of angels. That he lied is what a demonstration it has been! From the time Cain killed Abel there
clear. That he was a murderer from the beginning is likewise indisput- have been hatred, bloodshed, cruelty, and oppression in the earth.
able. (John 8:44.) As murder has its beginning in hatred, and as this Virtue, goodness, and justice have suffered; vice, vileness, and cor-
hatred found its fruition in the killing of the Son of God on Calvary, we ruption have triumphed. The just man has been made a prey; God’s
may believe that Satan’s hatred was directed not only against God the messengers have been tortured and killed; God’s law has been trampled
Father, but also—and perhaps especially—against God the Son. In in the dust. When God sent His Son, instead of honoring Him, evil
his rebellion Satan went further than a mere threat. He actually did set men, under the instigation of Satan, hanged Him on a tree.
up his throne, saying boastfully, “I am a God, I sit in the seat of God.” Even then God did not destroy Satan. The demonstration must be
Eze. 28:2. completed. Only when the last events are taking place, and men are on
the point of exterminating one another, will God interfere to save His mercy seat were in the immediate presence of God. These angels were
own. There will then remain no doubt in the mind of anyone that, had the special guardians of the law. They watched over it, as it were.
he the power, Satan would destroy every vestige of goodness, hurl Lucifer was one of them.
God from the throne, murder the Son of God, and establish a kingdom Ezekiel 28:12 contains an interesting statement concerning Luci-
of violence founded in self-seeking and cruel ambition. fer: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.”
What Satan has been demonstrating is really his character and the The meaning of the expression, “Thou sealest up the sum,” is not en-
lengths to which selfish ambition will lead. In the beginning he wanted tirely clear. The reading is capable of varied interpretations. It seems
to be like God. He was dissatisfied with his position as the highest of evident, however, that the intent is to show the high position and ex-
created beings. He wanted to be God. And the demonstration has alted privilege that were Satan’s before he fell. He was a kind of prime
shown that when he set his mind upon this goal he would stop short of minister, a keeper of the seal.
nothing to attain it. Whoever stands in the way must be put out of the As in an earthly government a document or law must have the seal
way. If it be God Himself, He must be removed. attached to it in order to be valid, so in God’s government a seal is
The demonstration shows that high position is not satisfactory to used. God seems to have apportioned to the angels their work, the
the ambitious individual. He must have the highest, and even then he is same as He has given to man his work. One angel is in charge of the
not satisfied. Often a person in a lowly position is tempted to believe fire. (Rev. 14:18.) Another angel has charge of the waters. (Rev. 16:5.)
that he would be satisfied if his position were improved. He is at least Another has charge of “the seal of the living God.” Rev. 7:2. Although,
sure that he would be satisfied if he had the highest position possible. as stated above, the reading of Ezekiel 28:12 is not entirely clear, some
But would he? Lucifer was not. He had the highest position possible. feel justified in translating it, “Thou attacheth the seal to the ordinance.”
But he was not satisfied. He wanted one still higher. He wanted to be If this position is tenable, if Lucifer were prime minister and keeper of
God Himself. the seal, it gives an additional reason why he should wish to substitute
In this respect the contrast between Christ and Satan is pro- his own mark for that of God’s seal when he left his first abode.
nounced. Satan wanted to be God. He wanted it so much that he That Satan has been very active against the law is evident. If God’s
was willing to do anything to attain his goal. Christ, on the other law is a transcript of His character, and if this character is the very
hand, did not consider it a thing to be grasped to be like God. He opposite of Satan’s, Satan stands condemned by it. Christ and the law
voluntarily humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even are one. Christ is the law lived out, the law become flesh. For this
the death of the cross. He was God, and He became man. And that reason His life constitutes a condemnation. When Satan warred against
this was not a temporary arrangement only for the purpose of show- Christ, he warred also against the law. When he hated the law he also
ing His willingness, is evidenced by the fact that He will ever remain hated Christ, Christ and the law are inseparable.
man. Satan exalted himself; Christ humbled Himself. Satan wanted An interesting statement is found in the fortieth psalm. Christ speak-
to become God; Christ became man. Satan wanted to sit as God on ing, says, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My
a throne; Christ, as a servant, knelt to wash the disciples’ feet. The heart.” Verse 8. Though this is doubtless a poetic expression and should
contrast is complete. not be pressed too far, it is interesting, nevertheless, as an indication of
the exalted position of the law. “Thy law is within My heart.” A stab at
Lucifer the law is a stab at the heart of Christ. A stab at the heart of Christ is a
In heaven Lucifer had been one of the covering cherubs. (Eze. stab at the law. At the cross Satan so intended. But God meant the
28:14.) This refers to the two angels who in the most holy apartment of outcome to be otherwise. The death of Christ was a tribute to the law. It
the sanctuary stood on the ark, covering the mercy seat. This was immeasurably magnified the law and made it honorable. It gave men a
doubtless the highest office an angel could occupy, for the ark and the
new vision of its sacredness and worth. If God would let His Son die; if statement and challenge are issued by Satan: “No one can keep the
Christ would willingly give Himself rather than abrogate the law; if it is law. It is impossible. If there be any that can do it or that have done it,
easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one jot or tittle of the show them to me. Where are they that keep the commandments?”
law to fail, how very sacred and honorable the law must be! God will quietly answer, Here they are. “Here are they that keep the
When Christ died on the cross He had demonstrated in His life the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.
possibility of keeping the law. Satan had not succeeded in leading Christ Let us say it reverently: God must meet Satan’s challenge. It is not
into sin. Possibly he did not expect to be able to do that. But if he could God’s plan, or a part of His purpose, to subject men to tests that only
have induced Christ to use His divine power to save Himself, He would a chosen few can survive. In the Garden of Eden, God subjected Adam
have accomplished much. Had Christ done so, Satan could have claimed and Eve to the lightest test conceivable. No one can say that our first
that this invalidated the demonstration God intended to make, namely, parents fell because the test was too hard for them. If they fell, it was
that it was possible for men to keep the law. As it was, Satan was de- not because the test was hard or because they had not been provided
feated. But till the very last he continued the same tactics. Judas hoped with strength to resist. The temptation was not held before them con-
Christ would free Himself, thus using His divine power to save Himself. stantly. Satan was not permitted to molest them everywhere. He had
On the cross Christ was taunted: “He saved others; Himself He cannot access to them at only one place, namely, at the tree of knowledge.
save.” But Christ did not falter. He could have saved Himself, but He did That place they knew. They could stay away from it if they wanted to.
not. Satan was baffled. He could not understand. But he knew that when Satan could not follow them everywhere. If they went where Satan
Christ died without his having been able to make Him sin, his own doom was, it was because they wanted to. But even if they went there to
was sealed. In His death Christ was victor. examine the tree, they need not have remained there. They could walk
But Satan did not give up. He had failed in his conflict with Christ, away. And even if Satan offered them the fruit, they need not take it.
but he might yet succeed with men. So he went to “make war with the But they took it and ate. And they ate it because they wanted to, not
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and because they had to. They deliberately transgressed. There was no
have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17. If he could overcome excuse. God could not have devised an easier test.
them he might not be defeated. When God commands men to keep His law, it does not serve the
purpose He has in mind to have only a few men keep it, just enough to
God’s Demonstration
show it can be done. It is not in line with God’s character to pick
The demonstration which God intends to make with the last gen- outstanding men of strong purpose and superb training, and demon-
eration on earth means much, both to the people and to God. Can
strate through them what He can do. It is much more in harmony with
God’s law really be kept? That is a vital question. Many deny that it
His plan to make His requirements such that even the weakest need
can be done; others glibly say it can. When the whole question of
commandment keeping is considered, the problem assumes large pro- not fail, so that none can ever say that God demands that which can be
portions. God’s law is exceedingly broad; it takes cognizance of the done by only a few. It is for this reason that God has reserved His
thoughts and intents of the heart. It judges motives as well as acts, greatest demonstration for the last generation. This generation bears
thoughts as well as words. Commandment keeping means entire sanc- the results of accumulated sins. If any are weak, they are. If any suffer
tification, a holy life, unswerving allegiance to right, entire separation from inherited tendencies, they do. If any have an excuse because of
from sin, and victory over it. Well may mortal man cry out, Who is weakness of any kind, they have. If, therefore, these can keep the
sufficient for these things! commandments, there is no excuse for anyone in any other generation
Yet, to produce a people that will keep the law is the task which not doing so also.
God has set Himself and which He expects to accomplish. When the But this is not enough. God intends in His demonstration to show,
not merely that ordinary men of the last generation can successfully immediately departs on his mission.
pass a test such as He gave to Adam and Eve, but that they can survive All that the evil one can do, Satan does to Job. But Job stands fast.
a test much harder than such as falls to the lot of common men. It will His wife counsels him to give up, but he does not waver. Under intense
be a test comparable to the one Job passed through, and approaching physical pain and mental anguish he remains steadfast. Again it is re-
that which the Master underwent. It will test them to the utmost. corded that Job stood the test. “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”
“Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of Job 2:10. Satan is defeated and does not appear any more in the book.
the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James In the succeeding chapters in the book of Job we are given a little
5:11. Job passed through some experiences that will be repeated in insight into the struggle going on in Job’s mind. He is greatly perplexed.
the lives of the chosen ones of the last generation. It may be well to Why has all this calamity come upon Him? He is not conscious of any
consider them. sin. Why, then, should God afflict him? He, of course, does not know
of the challenge of Satan. Neither does he know that God is depend-
Job’s Test ing upon him in the crisis through which he is passing. All he knows is
Job was a good man. God trusted him. Day by day he offered that out of a clear sky disaster has come upon him till he is left without
sacrifices for his sons. “It may be that my sons have sinned,” he said. family or property, and with a loathsome disease that nearly over-
Job. 1:5. He was prosperous and enjoyed the blessing of God. whelms him. He does not understand, but he retains his integrity and
faith in God. This God knew he would do. This Satan said he would
Then came “a day when the sons of God came to present them-
not do. In the challenge God won.
selves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.” Verse 6. A
Humanly speaking, Job had not deserved the punishment that came
conversation is recorded between the Lord and Satan that concerned to him. God Himself says it was without cause. “Thou movedst Me
Job. The Lord says that Job is a good man, which Satan does not against him, to destroy him without cause.” Job 2:3. The whole experi-
deny, but urges that Job is God-fearing merely because it pays him to ment can therefore be justified only by considering it as a specific test
be so. He states that if God will take away His mercies, Job will curse devised for a specific purpose. God wanted to silence Satan’s charge
God. The statement is in the form of a challenge, and God accepts it. that Job served God only for profit. He wanted to demonstrate that
Satan is given permission to take away Job’s property and otherwise there was at least one man whom Satan could not control. Job suf-
to cause him sorrow, but not to touch Job himself, Satan immediately fered as a result of it, but there seemed to be no other way. A reward
proceeds to do what he is permitted to do. Job’s property is all swept was afterward given him.
away, and his children are killed. Job’s case is recorded for a purpose. While we grant its historic-
When this happened, “Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved ity, we believe that it has also a wider meaning. God’s people in the last
his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, and said, days will pass through an experience similar to Job’s. They will be
Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return tested as he was; they will have every earthly stay removed; Satan will
thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the be given permission to torment them. In addition to this the Spirit of
name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God fool- God will be withdrawn from the earth, and the protection of earthly
ishly.” Job 1:20–22. governments removed. God’s people will be left alone to battle with
Satan is defeated, but he makes another attempt. At the next meet- the powers of darkness. They will be perplexed, as was Job. But they,
ing with the Lord, without admitting defeat, he claims that he had not as did he, will hold fast their integrity.
been permitted to touch Job himself. If he had, he claims, Job would In the last generation God will stand vindicated. In the remnant
have sinned. The statement is again a challenge, and God accepts it. Satan will meet his defeat. The charge that the law cannot be kept will
Satan is given permission to torment Job but not to take his life. He be met and fully refuted. God will produce not only one or two who
keep His commandments, but a whole group, spoken of as the 144,000. ordinary rules. He demands a clear-cut case where there can be no
They will reflect the image of God fully. They will have disproved Satan’s doubt, and where God has not interfered. Can such an instance be
accusation against the government of heaven. produced?
God’s Government on Trial The Last Generation
A serious situation arose in heaven when Satan made his charges God is ready for the challenge. He has bided His time. The su-
against God. The accusations in reality constituted an impeachment. preme exhibition has been reserved until the final contest. Out of the
Many of the angels believed the charges. They ranged themselves on last generation God will select His chosen ones. Not the strong or the
the side of the accuser. One third of the angels—and that must have mighty, not the honored or the rich, not the wise or the learned, but
been millions—faced God with their leader, the highest among the an- common, ordinary people will God take, and through and by them
gels, Lucifer. It was no small crisis. It threatened the very existence of make His demonstration. Satan has claimed that those who in the past
God’s government. How should God deal with it? have served God have done so from mercenary motives, that God has
The only way the matter could be satisfactorily settled so that no pampered them, and that he, Satan, has not had free access to them. If
question would ever arise again, was for God to submit His case to the he were given full permission to press his case, they also would be
ordinary rules of evidence. Was, or was not, God’s government just? won over. But he charges that God is afraid to let him do this. “Give
God said it was; Satan said it was not. God could have destroyed me a fair chance,” Satan says, “and I will win out.”
Satan. That would not prove His cause just but would, in fact, count And so, to silence forever Satan’s charges; to make it evident
against Him. There was no other way than for each side to present its that His people are serving Him from motives of loyalty and right
evidence, produce its witnesses, and rest its case on the weight of without reference to reward; to clear His own name and character of
testimony adduced. the charges of injustice and arbitrariness; and to show to angels and
The picture, then, is that of a court scene. God’s government is men that His law can be kept by the weakest of men under the most
at stake. Satan is the accuser; God Himself is the accused and is on discouraging and most untoward circumstances, God permits Satan
trial. He has been charged with injustice, with requiring His creatures in the last generation to try His people to the utmost. They will be
to do that which they cannot do, and yet punishing them for not do- threatened, tortured, persecuted. They will stand face to face with
ing it. The law is the specific point of attack, but the law being merely death in the issuance of the decree to worship the beast and his im-
a transcript of God’s character, it is God and His character that are age. (Rev. 13:15.) But they will not yield. They are willing to die
the points at issue. rather than to sin.
In order for God to sustain His contention, it is necessary for Him God removes His Spirit from the earth. Satan will have a greater
to show that He has not been arbitrary, that the law is not harsh and measure of control than he has ever had before. True, he may not kill
cruel in its requirement, but contrariwise, that it is holy, just, and good, God’s people, but that seems to be the only limitation. And he uses
and that men can keep it. It is necessary for God to produce at least every permission he has. He knows what is at stake. It is now or
one man who has kept the law. In the absence of such a man, God never.
loses and Satan wins. The outcome therefore hinges on the production God, to make the demonstration complete, does one more thing.
of one or more who keep the commandments of God. On this God He hides Himself. The sanctuary in heaven is closed. The saints cry to
has staked His government. God day and night for deliverance, but He appears not to hear. God’s
While it is true that many from time to time have dedicated their chosen ones are passing through Gethsemane. They are having a little
lives to God and lived without sin for periods of time, Satan claims that taste of Christ’s experience—those three hours on the cross. Seem-
these are special cases, as was Job’s case, and do not come under the ingly they must fight their battles alone. They must live in the sight of a
holy God without an intercessor. forth: “Only the 144,000 enter this place.”—Early Writings, p. 19.
But though Christ has finished His intercession, the saints are still By faith they have followed the Lamb here. They have gone with Him
the object of God’s love and care. Holy angels watch over them. God into the holy place; they have followed Him into the most holy. And in
provides them shelter from their enemies; He provides them with food, the hereafter only those who have thus followed Him here will follow
shields them from destruction, and supplies grace and power for holy Him there. They will be kings and priests. They will follow Him into the
living. (See Psalms 91.) Yet they are still in the world, still tempted, most holy, where only the High Priest can ever enter. They will stand in
afflicted, tormented. the unveiled presence of God. They shall follow Him “whithersoever
Will they stand the test? To human eyes it seems impossible. If He goeth.” They will not only be “before the throne of God” and “serve
only God would come to their rescue, all would be well, They are Him day and night in His temple,” but they will sit with Him in His
determined to resist the evil one. If need be they will die, but they will throne, even as He also overcame, and is set down with His Father in
not sin. Satan has no power—and never has had—to make any man His throne. (Rev. 7:15; 3:21.)
sin. He can tempt, he can seduce, he can threaten; but he cannot com- The matter of greatest importance in the universe is not the salva-
pel. And now God demonstrates through the weakest of the weak that tion of men, important as that may seem. The most important thing is
there is no excuse, and never has been any, for sinning. If men in the the clearing of God’s name from the false accusations made by Satan.
last generation can successfully repel Satan’s attack; if they can do this The controversy is drawing to a close. God is preparing His people for
with all the odds against them and the sanctuary closed, what excuse is the last great conflict. Satan is also getting ready. The issue is before us
there for men’s ever sinning? and will be decided in the lives of God’s people. God is depending
upon us as He did upon Job. Is His confidence well placed?
The 144,000 It is a wonderful privilege vouchsafed this people to help clear
In the last generation God gives the final demonstration that men God’s name by our testimony. It is wonderful that we are permitted to
can keep the law of God and that they can live without sinning. God testify for Him. It must never be forgotten, however, that this testimony
leaves nothing undone to make the demonstration complete. The only is a testimony of life, not merely of words. “In Him was life; and the life
limitation put upon Satan is that he may not kill the saints of God. He was the light of men.” John 1:4. “The life was the light.” It was so with
may tempt them, he may harass and threaten them; and he does his Christ, it must also be so with us. Our life should be a light, as His life
best. But he fails. He cannot make them sin. They stand the test, and was. To give people the light is more than to hand them a tract. Our life
God puts His seal upon them. is the light. As we live, we give light to others, Without life, without our
Through the last generation of saints God stands finally vindicated. living the light, our words abide alone. But as our life becomes light, our
Through them He defeats Satan and wins His case. They form a vital words become effective. It is our life that must testify for God.
part of the plan of God. They go through terrific struggles; they battle May the church of God appreciate the exalted privilege given her!
with unseen powers in high places. But they have put their trust in the “Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord.” Isa. 43:10. There must be “no
Most High, and they will not be ashamed. They have suffered hunger strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord,
and thirst, but now “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; that I am God.” Verse 12. May we be witnesses indeed, testifying
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is what God has done for us!
in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto All this is closely connected with the work of the Day of Atone-
living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their ment. On that day the people of Israel, having confessed their sins,
eyes.” Rev. 7:16, 17. were completely cleansed. They had already been forgiven; now sin
They “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” Rev. 14:4. When was separated from them. They were holy and without blame. The
at last the doors of the temple shall swing open, a voice will sound camp of Israel was clean.
We are now living in the great antitypical day of the cleansing of Appendix B
the sanctuary. Every sin must be confessed and by faith be sent be-
forehand to judgment. As the high priest enters into the most holy, so
God’s people now are to stand face to face with God. They must
THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF QOD
By Ron Spear
know that every sin is confessed, that no stain of evil remains. The
cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven is dependent upon the cleansing
of God’s people on earth. How important, then, that God’s people
R
be holy and without blame! In them every sin must be burned out, so ECENTLY, we have received word that the General Confer-
that they will be able to stand in the sight of a holy God and live with ence, through its Adventist News Network on November 18,
the devouring fire. “Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, 2003, announced the reprinting of the book, Questions on
ye that are near, acknowledge My might. The sinners in Zion are Doctrine (QOD). We look back at the years 1956 and 1957 and
afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall review the main players in the book, as well as the meetings with Dr.
dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with ever- Donald Gray Barnhouse and Walter Martin. Elder Unruh, president of
lasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaking uprightly; the Pennsylvania Conference, introduced Barnhouse and Martin to
he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from the leading brethren. Elders L. E. Froom, W. E. Read, and R. A. Ander-
holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and son were then designated by the General Conference Committee (R.
shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high: his place of R. Figuhr was president) to meet with these leaders of the Evangelicals.
defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great turmoil and debate be-
waters shall be sure.” Isa. 33:13–16. cause of the QOD which was published as a result of the meetings. Up
M. L. Andreasen, The Sanctuary Service, (Washington DC: Review and
to this point (the 1950s), we had been designated by the evangelicals
Herald Pub. Assn., 1947), Chapter 21, pages 299–321.
as a cult or a sect not worthy of the name Christian. In remembering
back to those days, as a young minister, I especially remember R. A.
Anderson, one of the main players in the meetings with Barnhouse and
Martin. He was then ministerial secretary of the General Conference.
His great passion was to see the Seventh-day Adventist Church ac-
cepted by the mainstream evangelicals. He was more than delighted
for this opportunity to explain to these Evangelical leaders that our
doctrines were based on prophecy and Scripture. As a result of these
meetings with these leaders, Froom, Anderson, and Reed, as primary
authors, presented the answers to the main concerns of Evangelicals.
Two Main Differences
The reasons why the Evangelicals could not accept us as a Chris-
tian denomination was for two main reasons.
1.—Our position on the atonement, which Evangelicals believe
was completed at the cross.
We believe that Christ’s death on the cross was a complete sub-
123
124 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE G REAT T RAGEDY OF QOD 125
stitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the world, and that, inspiration “But it is equally true that we were not at first united on
teaches that the atonement is not completed until the heavenly sanctu- certain of the saving provisions and Divine Persons of the
ary is cleansed at the end of the antitypical day of atonement which Everlasting Gospel. . . . There were variant views of the
began in 1844. Godhead, the Deity of Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and on
2.—Our position on the human nature of Christ, which Evangelicals aspects of the Atonement, as well. . . . A majority of our
believe was unfallen like Adam’s before the fall. founding fathers had a true concept of the eternal Christ and
Because of Romans 1:3, 8:3; Philippians 2:5, 6.; Hebrews 2:14– the Godhead. . . . And they sensed the atoning Act as made
18, with other supporting scriptures and some 400 inspired statements on the Cross, with its benefits then ministered by Christ as
in the Testimony of Jesus, we believe, in brief, that Jesus took a fallen our Heavenly High Priest. . . . Ellen White was of this group.
nature like we receive at birth. He never sinned—rebelled against His But a minority of strong minds held and came to teach pub-
Father’s will—and thus never had any taint of sin, or evil propensity licly certain variant views on these great gospel primaries. . . .
from personal sin. [T]hese were their personal views. And decades were re-
quired before we came into unity thereon.” [capitalization
Manifesto of the New Theology and emphasis in the original]. LeRoy E. Froom, Movement
On November 27, 2003, David Qualls published on the web site of Destiny, (Washington DC: Review and Herald Pub. Assn.,
www.greatcontroversy.org, an article entitled “QOD: Minor Aberra- 1971) 35.
tion, or Manifesto of the New Theology?” His article tells the story of Notice how he lumps the authentic Adventist view of
our dangerous journey to the Evangelical world. We will quote exten- the atonement (which he characterizes as a “variant” and
sively from it: “personal view”) in with the anti-trinitarianism and Arianism
The events surrounding the publication of QOD are not that was found in certain of our earlier pioneers. Later in the
totally obscure. One of the most prominent and vigorous pro- book, Froom will include the “sinful nature of Christ” in with
ponents of the new view was none other than Adventist scholar this set of “variant views.” Continuing,
and church historian Le Roy Edwin Froom. In his large vol- “Though long since repudiated, these early defective
ume, Movement of Destiny, Froom lays out a painstaking views, because they were found upon the pages of certain of
case for the publication of QOD and related material. De- our published books, came to be regarded by non-Adventist
voting a whole chapter to the subject of QOD, he speaks critics as constituting the real . . . Adventism.
glowingly of the events surrounding its publication. “It was this unhappy situation that gave rise to the wide-
But earlier in the book, Froom gives us a snapshot pre- spread misconception, bandied about in the theological circles
view of his spin on the history of Adventism as it culminates of the religious world, that we were actually an ‘anti-Chris-
in QOD. tian cult’—for a cult, according to the definition of many
“We started out as a ‘Little Flock’. . . under a dis- Evangelicals, is a religious body that denies (1) the eternal
tinct handicap. In our formative stage we as a people were pre-existence and complete Deity of Christ, (2) that His Act
clear and united on our special separative doctrines—the of Atonement was completed on the Cross. [capitalization
‘testing truths’ that made and have kept us distinct from and emphasis in the original].
all other Christian bodies . . . our ‘Present Truth’ mes- “Other divergencies might be noted, but these were the
sage for the world today. . . . These specific doctrinal two primary points by which the Christian integrity of a reli-
truths . . . were sound and true. . . . gious group was judged. It was the variant views among us
on these two points—more than our Sabbathkeeping, ‘soul
sleep,’ and ‘investigative judgment’ positions—that consti- ment, the nature of Christ, and so forth, were distorted in the book
tuted the real reason for such a regrettable classification and QOD, and that this tragic step towards the churches of Babylon was
castigation, with resultant prejudice and ostracism. [empha- neutralizing the doctrine of the three angels’ messages. If we were to
sis in original]. fraternize closely with the Evangelicals, how could we preach Revela-
“We have come, thank God, to a new day of frankness tion 14:6–12 with our understanding of the first angel’s message—the
and soundness, with resultant better understanding, recogni- everlasting gospel—the true righteousness by faith, and the judgment
tion, and acceptance that is preparing the way for the tre- hour message, and that the churches of Babylon are falling into the
mendous world witness and triumph that now lies shortly devil’s gospel—saved in sin?
before us. We are no longer regarded as mere doctrinarians Brother David Qualls again puts our compromise with the
and legalists, but increasingly as true Christians, with our hope Evangelicals in a proper perspective, we quote:
and our teachings centered wholly in Christ and the fullness Why the controversy? If the book is not teeming with
of His Deity, His complete Act of Atonement on the Cross, error, if it’s not teaching Sunday-sacredness or unconditional
His atoning ministry in heaven, and with salvation by faith in immortality of the soul or something of that nature, then, why
Christ and His righteousness as primary in the broadest and the fuss? Isn’t QOD just some minor aberration that we should
fullest sense of the term. Happy day!” Ibid., 35-37. ignore and forget about?
In examining the voluminous writings of L. E. Froom, an To assist us in answering this question, we turn to the
overriding theme emerges. Dr. Froom’s writing career is in- evangelical friends who encouraged the Adventist authors of
tent on proving that Seventh-day Adventism is legitimate, QOD to produce it in the first place. We can sense the enor-
belonging well within the stream of true Christianity. This is mous significance they have placed on the book by quoting
demonstrated in his massive 4-volume Prophetic Faith of from an article [by Kenneth R. Sample] published by the
our Fathers, his 2-volume Conditionalist Faith of Our Christian Research Institute (CRI) Journal in 1988.
Fathers, his 700 page Movement of Destiny, and his in- “The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great turmoil
volvement in the publishing of Questions on Doctrine. In all and doctrinal debate within SDA [their abbreviation for
of these works, Froom sets out to prove from history that Seventh-day Adventism], with the common denominator
the truths of the Advent movement had, at least to some de- being the question of Adventism’s uniqueness. Would Ad-
gree, good company in the shared beliefs of Christians down ventism continue in the same direction established under
through the centuries. the [R. R.] Figuhr administration in QOD, or would the
denomination return to a more traditional understanding of
Much Truth With Deadly Error the faith? The debate over this question would give rise to
The book Questions on Doctrines is probably over 95 percent two distinct factions within SDA: Evangelical Adventism and
correct. There is a lot of good information in its pages for Adventists Traditional Adventism. . . . It is our position that the evalu-
and non-Adventists, but within its pages, there is deadly error. We can ation given by Barnhouse and Martin still stands for that
see an attempt by Froom and R. A. Anderson to satisfy Barnhouse segment of Adventism which holds to the position stated in
and Martin. A very careful transition is made not to alarm the Seventh- QOD, and further expressed in the Evangelical Adventist
day Adventist constituency and its leaders, and pastors. A careful word- movement of the last few decades.” [Kenneth R. Samples,
ing was selected. Dr. M. L. Andreasen was the first to sound an alarm “From Controversy to Crisis: An Updated Assessment of
that the great doctrines of the Sanctuary, its cleansing, the final atone- Seventh-day Adventism,” Christian Research Journal,
Summer 1988, Vol. 11, Number 1, p. 9.] sown within the denomination via the book QOD in 1957,
Unquestionably, the prestigious evangelical CRI Jour- and the seed-plot was watered by the public ministries of
nal identifies QOD as the watershed event in the emerging such men as R. A. Anderson, H. M. S. Richards, Sr., Ed-
new views within Adventism. QOD is the dividing line; it is ward Heppenstall, Robert Brinsmead, Desmond Ford, Smuts
seen as the basis and foundation for all that has transpired in van Rooyen, and others.’ This movement continued to grow
the division of Adventism into the two camps spoken of above. and evolve throughout the 1970s, with the main spokesmen
It is the manifesto of the new views. . . . being two Australian SDA scholars named Robert Brinsmead
We return to the 1988 article by Samples for his de- and Desmond Ford. . .”
scription of the trend line coming down to us from QOD: This amazing admission is most revealing. Questions on
“The roots of Evangelical Adventism can certainly be Doctrine was the means of sowing the seed. But QOD by
traced to the Adventist scholars who dialogued with itself was not enough. That is why it is a mistake to take the
Barnhouse and Martin. When QOD repudiated such com- book, examine its contents, declare that it is not really that
monly held traditional doctrines as the sinful nature of Christ, bad, and castigate those who find serious fault with it. We
literalistic extremes of the heavenly sanctuary, and the writ- must recognize that the mature poisonous plant came from a
ings of Ellen White as an infallible doctrinal authority, they small, benign seed. Questions on Doctrine links to the the-
laid a critical foundation for those who would later carry the ology of Desmond Ford and the Robert Brinsmead of the
torch for this reform movement.” 1970s (and beyond). In light of these facts, why would any
This amazing portrayal of events unabashedly traces the true friend of the Remnant church choose to dust off a 40
modern evangelical movement within Adventism (essentially year old controversial book and republish it?
the New Theology) to the QOD event. Notice the lineup of Perhaps the associate editor of Ministry magazine un-
“traditional doctrines” that had to be repudiated. The “repu- wittingly frames the problem best when she announces the
diation” of the sinful nature of Christ destroys the true gospel reason for our relations with “our evangelical brethren in
and tarnishes the truth of what Christ is trying to do with His Christ” from whom “we are trying to learn some lessons.”
people to prepare them for the final hour. The “repudiation” Those words come from an editorial titled, “Adventism’s New
of “literalistic extremes of the heavenly sanctuary” greatly al- Milestone.” [Louise C. Kleuser, “Adventism’s New Mile-
ters the distinctive truths of the sanctuary and the prophetic stone,” Ministry, April 1957 (as quoted in J. R. Zurcher,
significance of 1844. The “repudiation” of the “writings of Touched With Our Feelings, (Hagerstown, MD : Review
Ellen White as an infallible doctrinal authority” (code phrase and Herald Pub. Assn., 1999), p. 159).] Trying to learn some
for our high regard for her doctrinal authority), is an obvious lessons from our evangelical brethren? Of course, we should
attack on the Spirit of Prophecy, one of the identifying char- always be humble and willing to learn from anyone, including
acteristics of the Remnant. Some of these were not “repudi- from outside our church. But never, ever should we go to our
ated” quite as vigorously in QOD as they would later be by evangelical brethren to “learn” how to water down our dis-
other means. Questions on Doctrine, was nevertheless the tinctive doctrines and the finer points of the truths entrusted
starting point, the opening wedge, the manifesto that set the especially to this church by God Himself so as to meet with
new order moving on its way. their standard of approval.
Continuing, the article tells us: What starts out as an admirable and desirable thing (dem-
“Former editor of Evangelica, Alan Crandall, comments: onstrating to non-SDAs that we are legitimate Christians and
‘The seeds of this movement [Evangelical Adventism] were not a cult) can easily turn into a sell-out. Having once tasted
of the gratifying effects of convincing non-SDA scholars and worldly policy and are sinning against Jehovah? Oh, it is a
others that we are indeed not a cult, the temptation to take a great deception, a fascinating delusion, that takes possession
step further becomes overwhelming. In our dialoging, we end of minds when men who have once known the truth, mistake
up making changes that we never otherwise would have the form of godliness for the spirit and power thereof; when
made. Our books change, our beliefs are modified, our di- they suppose that they are rich and increased with goods
rection alters. The bright line of distinction between Advent- and in need of nothing, while in reality they are in need of
ism and the other churches begins to blur. The sharp focus of everything.”
the picture of our unique beliefs grows fuzzy. In place of truth, God has not changed toward His faithful servants who
we substitute an emotional experience of “brotherly” love are keeping their garments spotless. But many are crying,
with our evangelical friends. Our mission suffers. Our reason “Peace and safety,” while sudden destruction is coming upon
for existence diminishes. We settle down to life in this world, them. Unless there is thorough repentance, unless men
living comfortably alongside our fellow Christians. humble their hearts by confession and receive the truth as it
is in Jesus, they will never enter heaven. When purification
The Strongest Delusion shall take place in our ranks, we shall no longer rest at ease,
We are now Evangelicals in most everything we are doing—edu- boasting of being rich and increased with goods, in need of
cation, medical, publishing, and evangelism—because of the great com- nothing.
promise with the churches of fallen Protestantism, a major component Who can truthfully say: “Our gold is tried in the fire; our
of Babylon. We have lost our vision and clear understanding of what garments are unspotted by the world”? I saw our Instructor
we, the remnant church of God for this final generation, are to be. pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Strip-
We have a trained ministry, many with PhD’s from the institutions ping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He
of Babylon. And many of our other leaders and pastors hold Masters said to me: “Can you not see how they have pretentiously
of Divinity degrees from our own universities, which are now almost covered up their defilement and rottenness of character?
completely secular, according to the General Conference web site. ‘How is the faithful city become an harlot!’ My Father’s house
This is a major reason why many of our pastors and leaders no longer is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine
believe, preach, and teach the great doctrines of the investigative judg- presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is
ment, the cleansing of the sanctuary, the final atonement of our High weakness, and strength is lacking.”
Priest Jesus Christ, the continuing mediation of Christ for the faithful, Unless the church, which is now being leavened with
loyal, and obedient Seventh-day Adventists, and the faithful in other her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she
churches who are seeking God’s truth, but are left in dangerous dark- will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor
ness because of the apostasy in God’s remnant church. See Testimo- herself. When she resists the evil and chooses the good,
nies, vol. 6, 70–71, 371. when she seeks God with all humility and reaches her high
The following is a true picture of the remnant church in the final calling in Christ, standing on the platform of eternal truth
phase of the great controversy: and by faith laying hold upon the attainments prepared for
her, she will be healed. She will appear in her God-given
The heavenly Teacher inquired: “What stronger delu- simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements,
sion can beguile the mind than the pretense that you are building showing that the truth has made her free indeed. Then her
on the right foundation and that God accepts your works, members will indeed be the chosen of God, His represen-
when in reality you are working out many things according to tatives. Testimonies, vol. 8, 249–251.
New Annotated Edition of QOD Those who have held the beginning of their confidence
The new edition has been edited, we understand, by a professor firm unto the end will be wide awake during the time that the
at Andrews University, who has been responsible for neutralizing the third angel’s message is proclaimed with great power. Re-
great message of 1888—righteousness by faith—in his books and view and Herald, October 13, 1904.
writings. We are then not encouraged to believe that he will have cor- As Laodiceans, we must anoint our eyes with the heavenly eyesalve
rected the tragic errors of QOD. We must believe it will continue to in order that we may see the tragedy of reprinting this book QOD,
carry the very same errors of the first edition, but probably in even which now is responsible for much of the misunderstanding of the great
more subtle, harder to expose, wording. God help us! end time truths which separate us from the churches of Babylon.
How can we possibly make the call to come out of her my people— But, while Satan intensely works to obliterate the truth, the mighty
out of Babylon—when we are agreeing with some of her fatal doc- fourth angel will lighten the earth with the gospel message:
trines—saved in sinning till Jesus comes? The book, Questions on
Doctrine is partially responsible for downgrading Ellen White, our last- Satan and his angels are wide awake and intensely ac-
day prophet, as a prophet that can not always be relied on. They admit tive, working with energy and perseverance through human
she was a great help for the 19th century, but not for the 21st century. instrumentalities to bring about his purpose of obliterating from
When you say that her four hundred statements that support the truth the minds of men the knowledge of God. But while Satan
that Christ took man’s fallen nature is/was a “variant” teaching in Ad- works with his lying wonders, the time will be fulfilled fore-
ventism, and that SDAs now believe that Christ took man’s unfallen told in the Revelation, and the mighty angel that shall lighten
nature, you are saying that E. G. White was/is a false prophet! the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of Babylon, and
Yes, QOD prepared the way for the New Theology—saved in call upon God’s people to forsake her. Ibid., December 13,
sinning. It has been greatly responsible for preventing the formation of 1892.
the final generation—the fourth angel of Revelation chapter 18 that is The Laodicean message calls for repentance, and the placing of
to join with the third angel’s message to swell into the loud cry move- the spiritual eyesalve on our rebellious eyes in order that we can see
ment. our horrendous mistakes and rebellion, and be counted as overcom-
Then QOD is greatly responsible for the Omega of Apostasy, ers in the Lamb’s book of life, and thus be saved at last:
with its irreverent Pentecostal celebration worship and music, that is
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
now raging through our churches worldwide,. See Selected Messages,
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
book 1, 193–205; Ibid., book 2, 35–37.
beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that
Then, QOD is greatly responsible for the most recent fifty-year
thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
delay in completing the true gospel commission—saved from all sin by
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
the grace of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I
Spiritual Eyesalve Needed am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of noth-
Spiritual blindness is responsible for the Laodicean condition. ing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
When a leader is over-taken with this spiritual blindness, the majority and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me
of those infected with his blindness, tragically, will reject the only solu- gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white rai-
tion—the eyesalve of the True Witness. Those who survive these end- ment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
time deceptions of Satan must be wide awake: nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chas-
ten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the I warn our people that right among us some will turn
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the away from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits and
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with doctrines of devils, and by them the truth will be evil spo-
me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my ken of. . . .
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my A marvelous work shall take place. Ministers, lawyers,
Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the doctors, who have permitted these falsehoods to overmas-
Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:14–22. ter their spirit of discernment, will be themselves deceivers,
united with the deceived. A spiritual drunkenness will take
God warns and rebukes all who have been responsible for the
possession of them. To the unfaithful stewards the Lord says,
Omega of Apostasy. His sober words, to those who have engineered
“Take your pleasure and walk in blindness as drunken men,
apostasy, or tolerated it without speaking out against it; to those who
for, after having many opportunities, and refusing to improve
have failed to defend the sacred truth given by God to His remnant
them, you will act at last as the drunkard acts, throwing away
people; to those who are responsible for the printing of QOD with its
your hope of eternal life.” Seeking deep to hide their counsel
destructive concepts of God’s special message for the remnant church,
from the Lord, and making lies their refuge, they will misin-
can be found in these inspired statements from our prophets:
terpret the warnings and messages God has sent, placing on
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they these warnings their false statements, to make God’s Word
are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with of no effect. The Upward Look, 317.
strong drink. Isaiah 29:9.
The mind of which error has once taken possession can
It is presented to me that in our experience we have never expand freely to after-investigation. The old theories
been and are meeting this very condition of things. Men who will claim recognition. The understanding of things that are
have had great light and wonderful privileges have taken the true and elevated and sanctifying will be confused. Supersti-
word of leaders who think themselves wise, who have been tious ideas will enter the mind, to mingle with the true, and
greatly favored and blessed by the Lord, but who have taken these ideas are always debasing in their influence. Christian
themselves out of the hands of God and placed themselves in knowledge bears its own stamp of unmeasured superiority in
the ranks of the enemy. all that concerns the preparation for the future, immortal life.
The world is to be flooded with specious fallacies. One It distinguishes the Bible reader and believer, who has been
human mind, accepting these fallacies, will work upon other receiving the precious treasures of truth, from the skeptic
human minds, who have been turning the precious evidence and the believer in pagan philosophy.
of God’s truth into a lie. These men will be deceived by fallen Cleave to the word, “It is written.” Cast out of the mind
angels, when they should have stood as faithful guardians, the dangerous, obtrusive theories which, if entertained, will
watching for souls, as they that must give an account. They hold the mind in bondage, so that man shall not become a
have laid down the weapons of their warfare, and have given new creature in Christ. The mind must be constantly restrained
heed to seducing spirits. They make of no effect the counsel and guarded. It must be given as food only that which will
of God and set aside His warnings and reproofs, and are strengthen the religious experience. Review and Herald,
positively on Satan’s side. November 10, 1904.
Spiritual drunkenness is now upon men who ought not
to be staggering as men under the influence of strong drink. . . . The church is Christ’s fortress in a revolted world, and
it must be strictly guarded against the enemy’s wily arts. In it as a part of Himself, and holy men who are its strict ob-
no laws are to be acknowledged but the laws of God. Those servers will alone honor Him by teaching it to others. Early
whom God has set as watchmen are not to look on quietly Writings, 101–102.
while efforts are being made to lead men and women away It is true, we are no longer considered a cult or a sect, but what a
from the truth into false paths. Careful watch is to be kept price we have paid! How can a gospel acceptable to the fallen evan-
against seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. God calls gelical churches of Babylon give an effective, loud cry call to come out
upon ministers and medical missionaries to take a firm stand of that spiritually blind body? May God help us now!
for the right. The severe denunciations that Christ uttered
against the Pharisees for teaching for doctrine the command-
ments of men show the necessity for guarding against all theo-
ries that are not in harmony with the truth of God’s word.
Medical Ministry, 89–90.
I saw that we are no more secure from false teachers

now than they were in the apostles’ days; and, if we do no
more, we should take as special measures as they did to
secure the peace, harmony, and union of the flock. We have
their example, and should follow it. Brethren of experience
and of sound minds should assemble, and following the Word
of God and the sanction of the Holy Spirit, should, with fer-
vent prayer, lay hands upon those who have given full proof
that they have received their commission of God, and set
them apart to devote themselves entirely to His work. This
act would show the sanction of the church to their going forth
as messengers to carry the most solemn message ever given
to men.
God will not entrust the care of His precious flock to
men whose mind and judgment have been weakened by
former errors that they have cherished, such as so-called
perfectionism and Spiritualism, and who, by their course
while in these errors, have disgraced themselves and brought
reproach upon the cause of truth. Although they may now
feel free from error and competent to go forth and to teach
this last message, God will not accept them. He will not
entrust precious souls to their care; for their judgment was
perverted while in error, and is now weakened. The great
and holy One is a jealous God, and He will have holy men
to carry His truth. The holy law spoken by God from Sinai
Appendix C
The Cleansing of the Sanctuary*

By Ron Spear
I
T IS A WONDERFUL THING to be a Seventh-day Adventist
Christian in these early years of the twenty-first century. Let me
tell you dear ones, the most distinct message that God gave to His
remnant church in this remnant time is the Sanctuary. Many other
churches are preaching the Sabbath. Many other churches have the
non-immortality of the soul as we do, but none have the sanctuary as
God has given it to us. It is a message that separates us from other
denominations. The tragedy is, that we Seventh-day Adventists have
largely lost our appreciation for, and understanding of, this distinct
message. It was a message that made Adventism back in our begin-
ning. And the understanding of this marvelous message, my friends, is
what separated the first-day Adventists from the Seventh-day
Adventists. Am I right? Those back in the 1844 disappointment that
did not follow Jesus into the most Holy Place as our Mediator and our
High Priest, we are told, were left in darkness. In a statement that Ellen
White made, that can be found in the book, Selected Messages, book
1, 63, we read:
All who saw the light of the first and second angels’
messages and rejected that light were left in darkness.
In the Sanctuary
And because those angels are so closely related to the sanctuary
message that we have, it means to me that those that did not under-
stand what Jesus was doing (because the first and second angels’ mes-
sages had a direct relationship to the sanctuary) went back into dark-
ness. And Seventh-day Adventists today who do not understand what
Jesus is doing in the Most Holy right now, if we are not following our
High Priest in every movement that He is making, it means that as the
*Adapted from a recent sermon.
139
140 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE C LEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY 141
Advent believers were left in darkness because of their misunderstanding ness, she is indeed found wanting. . . . We profess to know
of the sanctuary, that we today as Seventh-day Adventists, if we refuse God, and to believe the truth, but in works deny Him. Our
to understand this sanctuary message, there will come a day when we deeds are directly adverse to the principles of truth and righ-
will be left in darkness. Every Seventh-day Adventist is going to be teousness, by which we profess to be governed. Ibid., vol.
weighed in the balances of the sanctuary: 5, 83–84.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a Now in the light of those statements, it means to me dear ones
God as our God? Psalms 77:13. that you who are reading this article at this moment are being weighed
in the balances of the sanctuary. And that is an awesome thought, don’t
This is the great day of atonement, and our Advocate is you believe? We do not know when the judgment of the living will take
standing before the Father, pleading as our intercessor. In place. The only thing that we know is that Jesus today; by all the evi-
place of wrapping about us the garments of self-righteous- dences that we have in the world and by what is happening in the
ness, we should be found daily humbling ourselves before church, that Jesus is just about ready to throw down that censer and
God, confessing our own individual sins, seeking the pardon cease His work as our Mediator and High Priest, and step into the
of our transgressions, and cooperating with Christ in the work Holy Place in preparation to come into the outer court, which is this
of preparing our souls to reflect the divine image. Unless we world. And it is very evident to me that possibly God has given us
enter the sanctuary above, and unite with Christ in working some additional time. Would you say that might be right? It could be
out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we shall be that the situations which have developed in our world in the last few
weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and shall be pro- years are evidence that Jesus has brought us back from the very brink
nounced wanting. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Com- of total chaos for one reason. That reason is because there are so
mentary: Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 7, 933–934. many unprepared in the church and in the world, and His great love for
His church in this final moment is such that He has given us some addi-
In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day tional time to make preparation. It is important, dear ones today, that
Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the we understand the sanctuary, Why?—Because, as just quoted in
privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual Psalms 77:13 He says:
experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ,
at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings con- Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary.
ferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her,
on her will be pronounced the sentence: “Found wanting.” Cleansing Soul Temples
By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be And if we are going to be saved at all, it will be because we
judged. Testimonies, vol. 8, 247. know God’s way. And the only way that you will ever understand
God’s way is to come to an understanding of the beautiful sanctuary
The church will be weighed in the balances of the sanc- message. You see, I believe that where we have failed is that we have
tuary. If her moral character and spiritual state do not corre- studied Daniel 8:14 and just believed that that was only a judicial act of
spond with the benefits and blessings God has conferred upon God—that sometime down here in the near future, God and the Son
her, she will be found wanting. The light has been shining would become so weary of the great controversy, that suddenly the
clear and definite upon her pathway, and the light of 1882 censer would fall and probation would close, thus leaving the cleansing
calls her to an account. If her talents are unimproved, if her of the sanctuary as only a judicial act of God, totally outside of, and
fruit is not perfect before God, if her light has become dark- apart from, our personal lives. But, what many Seventh-day Adventists
have not apparently understood is that there has to be a work done would dwell with Him in the Most Holy Place. In the sacrificial system,
here in the soul temple of God’s people in this final moment, and that, in its beginning, let me tell you friends, I can see Adam standing there
dear reader, is the only thing that I see that God and our High Priest is with trembling hands. What he used to slay that first little lamb, I do not
waiting for today. He wants us to understand that the cleansing of the know. He had never seen death, but he had been instructed by our
sanctuary is not just a judicial act of God, but that it includes a work on Saviour that this sacrifice had to be made, and that that lamb was only
earth in the soul temples of God’s people which must be accomplished a symbol of Himself the great God of heaven, who would actually
before the great scene in heaven can cease in the Most Holy Place. He come in human form; come down to the level of the fallen human race,
must have a cleansing of His people upon the earth, so they no longer accepting both the physical and the moral nature of man.
will send their sins into the Most Holy. This is the everlasting gospel And you know much is being said today about the incarnation,
which is to be preached to the church and to the world, that God has and men of great minds have struggled to try to find a way to explain it.
all the power in the world to keep every human being from sin, if he No man can fully explain it. Great is the mystery of godliness, God
will give his will to God. That great marvelous teaching my friends is manifested in the flesh. Do not try to explain it. It must be accepted by
the very key to the salvation experience, to the sanctuary experience. faith friends. And this great God of ours, who laid aside His crown,
If you go to Revelation 11:1, you will find God’s remnant people there: and who laid aside His robe, and became an embryo in the womb of a
woman, and went through every trying experience from the prenatal
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the
on through the postnatal into youth and manhood, He gave three and a
angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God,
half years of ministry, my friends, as the Lamb slain from the founda-
and the altar, and them that worship therein.
tion of the world. See The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commen-
And in Revelation 13:6 we see a similar thought: tary: Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 5, 1128–1131. He subjected
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to Himself to everything that the human race must be subjected to, and
blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell even went beyond, because at His fingertips was His own divinity of
in heaven. which He could not use for His personal benefit, and still be our Ex-
ample and the Lamb of God. And that was the devil’s greatest tempta-
Now in both of these verses, these people were not actually bodily tion to Him.
in heaven, but in their spirit—in their whole being and mind, their souls At the final scene on Golgotha’s hill, my friends, a million demons
were dwelling there. They were following their High Priest in every or more were there coaxing that crowd into a frenzy to try to force
movement that He was making because they were discerning the signs Jesus to retaliate against this terrible injustice, and to use His own di-
of the times, and they knew that they were being measured in the Most vinity, which would nullify the plan of salvation. That is our God. That
Holy. And let me tell you that today, the devil hates this message more is our High Priest.
than he hates anything else. He hates the Spirit of Prophecy, because Oh friends, in the sanctuary is where we are going to be weighed.
the Spirit of Prophecy gives a clear explanation of the sanctuary mes- And let me tell you, as God puts us into the balances today, He sets us
sage supported by everything that God has given to us in the books of on one side, and the law, and the plan of salvation, that is so perfectly
Exodus, Leviticus, and Hebrews. and beautifully portrayed, on the other side. As we are weighed, Where
But you do not have to turn to the Spirit of Prophecy to under- do we stand today? In that beautiful sanctuary service, my friends, is
stand the sanctuary message, Do you?—No. It was beautifully given the perfect character of Jesus, and as you are placed on the balances,
by God in the Bible, but God wanted to be absolutely sure that we did it is the character of Christ that stands on the other side to weigh you.
not misunderstand it, and so He under girded it with the Spirit of Proph- And, it is only as we are willing to participate with Him in this great
ecy in order to make sure that we, as the Seventh-day Adventist people, plan by giving our will to Him, that our minds become His, that our
thoughts are controlled by Him, and that our lives are now His life. It is Their faith will go with Him into the sanctuary, and the wor-
all made possible because the power that He used to live a perfect life shipers on earth will be carefully reviewing their lives and
has come to those who surrender and submit themselves completely. comparing their characters with the great standard of righ-
And everything that Jesus did, we can do. The same power by teousness. They will see their own defects; they will also see
which Jesus resisted sin and transgression of God’s holy law is ours. that they must have the aid of the Spirit of God if they would
He never used any power that He could not extend to the fallen race to become qualified for the great and solemn work for this time
live a victorious life, as He lived a victorious life. Yes, victorious living is which is laid upon God’s ambassadors.
a fruit of Christ’s heavenly ministry through the Holy Spirit working in Elsewhere we read:
us, and it is a requirement for salvation. And so the way my friends to
salvation is in the sanctuary. And the great antitypical day of atonement The significance of the Jewish economy is not yet fully
that began in 1844, and in which we are in this very hour, is a day of comprehended. Truths vast and profound are shadowed forth
bringing God’s people into atonement in a great judgment scene. Atone- in its rites and symbols. The gospel is the key that unlocks its
ment my friends, is to bring the soul, the character, and the mind so mysteries. Through a knowledge of the plan of redemption,
closely into resemblance to the great Example, that the world will look its truths are opened to the understanding. Far more than we
upon us in these final moments and have to confess that we have been do, it is our privilege to understand these wonderful themes.
with the great High Priest in His sanctuary. We are to comprehend the deep things of God. Angels de-
Oh, God in heaven, this day, please, in these final moments we sire to look into the truths that are revealed to the people
weak frail mortals, we need thee oh God. We need thee, and we must who with contrite hearts are searching the word of God, and
have thee. And the only way we can have you and find you is in the praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and
sanctuary. heights of the knowledge which He alone can give.
As we come down to the final scene, zero hour is here, and we As we near the close of this world’s history, the
are now on borrowed time. In Testimonies, vol. 5, 575, we read this prophecies relating to the last days especially demand
important statement: our study. The last book of the New Testament scriptures is
full of truth that we need to understand. Satan has blinded
The great plan of redemption, as revealed in the closing the minds of many, so that they have been glad of any excuse
work of these last days, should receive close examination. for not making the Revelation their study. But Christ through
The scenes connected with the sanctuary above should make His servant John has here declared what shall be in the last
such an impression upon the minds and hearts of all that they days. Christ’s Object Lessons, 133.
may be able to impress others. All need to become more
intelligent in regard to the work of the atonement, which is And so, if we are going to understand the sanctuary, we must
going on in the sanctuary above. When this grand truth is understand Revelation. And here my friends, is where we have been
seen and understood, those who hold it will work in har- very defunct in our approach of study, that we have been going
mony with Christ to prepare a people to stand in the great along with what others have said, and what others have written,
day of God, and their efforts will be successful. By study, rather than sitting down carefully and taking Scripture by Scrip-
contemplation, and prayer God’s people will be elevated ture, text by text, line upon line, precept upon precept, and on our
above common, earthly thoughts and feelings, and will be knees pleading with God to send His Holy Spirit to us to teach us.
brought into harmony with Christ and His great work of See Isaiah 28:9–14.
cleansing the sanctuary above from the sins of the people. Let me tell you friends, that the only way you will make all of these
things important to you, is that daily you are opening the Word of God, LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day . . . ? Malachi
and you are comparing with it the accumulated knowledge that God 3:1–2.
sends through men, and asking God to send His Holy Spirit into your Who is going to abide in that day? My friends as we stand on the
life, so that you can discern the great things that God has for us in this precipices of a great volcano that is ready to erupt, I see the majority
great sanctuary message. The problem as I see it with the Adventist of God’s people standing there watching television instead of on their
people in this great study of the sanctuary service, is that we are asking knees pleading with God for an understanding of, and an experience
men to spoon-feed us, and that is part, but what we need today is the in, these great dynamics of the Adventist message—the three angels’
greatest Teacher in all the world to explain it to us. And every day my messages, and the sanctuary truths:
friends, you must be approaching this dynamic subject before God,
and asking Him to send His Spirit to teach you what you should know, But who may abide the day of his coming? and who
and then to indelibly write it into your soul, because the sanctuary mes- shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire,
sage, my friends, is a cleansing message from sin. Do you believe that? and like fullers’ soap. Malachi 3:2.
Malachi 3:1–3 says: What is a refiner’s fire? Does it take a lot of heat to melt metal?
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare When you put the metal above the burner and turn the heat up, imme-
the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall sud- diately, if the fire is hot enough, the metal melts. But also immediately is
denly come to his temple, even the messenger of the cov- seen the impurities of that metal. Have you seen that? In the good old
enant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the days, some of us who have gray hair, use to do our plumbing with lead.
LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? And as you heated the lead, we found that the slag came up, and I can
and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a remember standing there and skimming it off with a little stick. And the
refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a re- hotter the fire, the more impurities came up until you could look into
finer and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, that metal and almost see your reflection.
and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto In Malachi, my friends, I see a similar scene on a divine level,
the LORD an offering in righteousness. because it is Jesus who controls the heat. The fire burns hot in afflic-
tion, trials, and temptations that God allows to pass upon His people in
PROBATION CLOSES SUDDENLY, UNEXPECTEDLY order to perfect them and to bring them into such a relationship to Him
What does the above scripture tell you?—It tells me, my friends, that they can respond to life as Jesus responded to life when He was
that what God is going to do one day is going to be very quick. If you on earth. And above this scene my friends, we see the great God of the
look at The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary: Ellen G. universe, and He stands there skimming off the slag. And as the fire
White Comments, vol. 7, 989, she says: gets hotter, and hotter, the more impurities appear, and Jesus, lovingly,
and tenderly, and kindly stands there and takes off the impurities and
When probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpect- the slag until He can look into that metal and see His own reflection of
edly—at a time when we are least expecting it. His people. Their characters are as perfectly developed as His in or-
der that they can respond to all the things that the devil will bring upon
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare them just as He would do it:
the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall sud-
denly come to his temple, even the messenger of the cov- And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he
enant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the shall purify the sons of Levi . . . Malachi 3:3.
148 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE C LEANSING OF THE S ANCTUARY 149
Who are the sons of Levi?—My friends, that is God’s faithful and the world and in the church to awaken His faithful and loyal to the
loyal people. All through time God has had faithful and loyal people, emergency that we are in. And, in this great emergency, my friends, the
and He has allowed them to pass through the afflictions. The heat has only ones that will endure on, and be saved, are those who understand
become intense, but as a faithful High Priest, He has stood above the this marvelous, dynamic message centered in the High Priesthood of
fire and scraped away the slag, until He had a people that could en- the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary. And when God has a
dure anything by the power that he provided for them. Even from the people on earth that understand that they do not have to sin, that God
martyr’s grave, they would not turn away. My friends, that is what in this moment is ready, and has always been ready, to provide us
God had at the first Pentecost, and God is only waiting today to have power to overcome every weakness, every deficiency of character—
a people like that for the second Pentecost. And today the great High both hereditary and cultivated sins—until the slag is burned away, the
Priest of heaven, my friends, is standing over the fire, and the devil, as world and the universe will then confess that we have been with our
God allows, turns up the fire hotter and hotter in the hope that he can High Priest.
take the saints away from God. And in this great shaking moment, The Day of Atonement in the camp of Israel was a day of judg-
that we are in right now, many are falling by the way. “Oh, God in ment. And let me tell you, that the three days of preparation that went
heaven, preserve us now.” into getting ready for that day was an awesome time. Their clothes
The false theories among us, my friends, have demanded a were washed. Everything was prepared. They went back over the
straight testimony from the lips of God’s servants. And in this phase of year, and they sought the Lord and they tried to find out if there was
the shaking, many rise up against that testimony. And that straight tes- anything in their hearts and souls that brought guilt. They went to their
timony will be followed by the third phase of the shaking, which is the friends, their neighbors, and their relatives, anybody that they felt that
persecution. See 2 Timothy 3:12; Maranatha, 199; The Great Con- they might have offended or had a problem with. I mean there was
troversy, 608–609. I believe that in some areas, we may have already contrition, and a repentance of all sins. And with awesomeness on that
begun the third phase of the shaking. As God allows the devil to turn day, as the Day of Atonement was coming, and the sun would set to
up the heat, you can be sure that every one faithful to Christ is going to usher in that day, I mean the church stood in prayer and fasting. They
be afflicted. Some may be martyrs. Some may be finding yourself in had great evidence that God was their God. They had watched what
the courts, and in dungeons, and the only way you will endure such had happened at the Red Sea. They had seen water gushing up out of
terrible afflictions or such death is to understand where your High Priest the ground to take care of the thirst of themselves and their animals, to
is—in the Most Holy Place. Now with that, let us read the following wash their cloths, it took millions of gallons, my friends.
quotations to help solidify the above statements: If you have been in the Middle East, as I have, and seen that dried
up old ground, let me tell you, it took a great miracle of God. It must
Christ is cleansing the temple in heaven from the sins of
have been a very impressive experience to watch that river of water
the people, and we must work in harmony with Him upon
come up. They watched, my friends, as the manna—angel food—
the earth, cleansing the soul temple from its moral defilement.
came down, and you can imagine what it took to feed an encampment
Review and Herald, February 11, 1890.
of nearly two million people. You think of a city as large as Los Ange-
We are in the day of atonement, and we are to work in les, my friends, and to think of the trains and the trucks that come into
harmony with Christ’s work of cleansing the sanctuary from that city to keep some three million people alive. And God had every
the sins of the people. Ibid., January 21, 1890. day the responsibility of raining down that food to sustain them in their
wilderness wandering. Did you know that to pass across the Red Sea
As I have said, we have come nearly to zero hour; how close, in 24 hours, it took five thousand abreast? Let me tell you friends, the
only God knows, but God, my friends, is allowing things to develop in miracles that were being wrought for the children of Israel, were abso-
lutely fantastic. They could not deny that God was there, because ev- come into the churches, and into the hearts of those who
ery night when they went to bed the pillar of fire stood above them. claim to be God’s peculiar people. Many who have received
They could not have denied God’s presence, because during the day, the light exert an influence to quiet the fears of worldlings and
with the burning sun boiling down upon them, God overshadowed formal professors. There are lovers of the world even among
them by the pillar of cloud. And yet, with all this tremendous evidence, those who profess to be waiting for the Lord. There is ambi-
my friends, so many times they forgot of God’s loving care and mur- tion for riches and honor. Christ describes this class when
mured against Him. And today, we Seventh-day Adventists say, “Oh, He declares that the day of God is to come as a snare upon
if I had been there, I would have never done it.” But my friends, we all that dwell upon the earth. This world is their home. They
have done worse today. If you will look in Testimonies, vol. 1, 129, make it their business to secure earthly treasures. They erect
she says we have done worse than they. costly dwellings and furnish them with every good thing; they
Elsewhere, she says: find pleasure in dress and the indulgence of appetite. The
things of the world are their idols. These interpose between
God has called His church in this day, as He called an-
the soul and Christ, and the solemn and awful realities that
cient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the mighty
are crowding upon us are but dimly seen and faintly realized.
cleaver of truth, the messages of the first, second, and third
The same disobedience and failure which were seen in the
angels, He has separated them from the churches and from
Jewish church have characterized in a greater degree the
the world to bring them into a sacred nearness to Himself.
people who have had this great light from heaven in the last
He has made them the depositaries of His law and has com-
messages of warning. Shall we, like them, squander our op-
mitted to them the great truths of prophecy for this time. Like
portunities and privileges until God shall permit oppression
the holy oracles committed to ancient Israel, these are a sa-
and persecution to come upon us? Will the work which might
cred trust to be communicated to the world. The three an-
be performed in peace and comparative prosperity be left
gels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the
undone until it must be performed in days of darkness, under
light of God’s messages and go forth as His agents to sound
the pressure of trial and persecution?
the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth.
There is a terrible amount of guilt for which the church is
Christ declares to His followers: “Ye are the light of the world.”
responsible. Why are not those who have the light putting
To every soul that accepts Jesus the cross of Calvary speaks:
forth earnest efforts to give that light to others? They see that
“Behold the worth of the soul: ‘Go ye into all the world, and
the end is near. They see multitudes daily transgressing God’s
preach the gospel to every creature.’ ” Nothing is to be per-
law; and they know that these souls cannot be saved in trans-
mitted to hinder this work. It is the all-important work for
gression. Yet they have more interest in their trades, their
time; it is to be far-reaching as eternity. The love that Jesus
farms, their houses, their merchandise, their dress, their tables,
manifested for the souls of men in the sacrifice which He
than in the souls of men and women whom they must meet
made for their redemption, will actuate all His followers.
face to face in the judgment. The people who claim to obey
But very few of those who have received the light are
the truth are asleep. They could not be at ease as they are if
doing the work entrusted to their hands. There are a few
they were awake. The love of the truth is dying out of their
men of unswerving fidelity who do not study ease, conve-
hearts. Their example is not such as to convince the world
nience, or life itself, who push their way wherever they can
that they have truth in advance of every other people upon
find an opening to press the light of truth and vindicate the
the earth. At the very time when they should be strong in
holy law of God. But the sins that control the world have
God, having a daily, living experience, they are feeble, hesi-
152 T HE F INAL G ENERATION T HE C LEANSING OF THE S ANCTUARY 153
tating, relying upon the preachers for support, when they ous, because of His full trust and faith in His Father.
should be ministering to others with mind and soul and voice Dear ones, as we now approach the final phases of the Day of
and pen and time and money. Testimonies, vol. 5, 455–457. Atonement, the evidence is so clear. As the world is now in such chaos
with the economy hanging by nothing. The world is frightened today,
Weighed In the Balances and the only thing that holds the economy together is the hand of God.
The evidence today of what God has given to us, and what we as And God will not let it go friends, until He is ready. When He has a
Seventh-day Adventist have turned away from, makes us greatly re- people ready for sealing, it will all happen. And let me tell you, the
sponsible, and we will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. economy is not the message for today. The message for today my
And so dear ones, what happened to the children of Israel on that day friends, is that Jesus is coming. He is coming soon, and He is our High
as they made that preparation? They came up to that moment with fear Priest. Probation soon closes, and God must have a holy people be-
and trembling, because let me tell you that day was a day of sealing. fore Jesus can throw down the censer. That is the message for today.
And my friends that day has been going on, we are told by the Lord’s Wouldn’t you agree?
messenger, since 1844. And let me tell you, that with the same awe- The closing activities of the earthly tabernacle’s Day of Atone-
someness with which the children of Israel approached that day, Sev- ment services involved two he goats. The two goats are lead to the
enth-day Adventists ought to be approaching that day every morning, door of the tabernacle, and the high priest casts the lots. The Lord’s
knowing that our lives are being weighed in the balances of the sanctu- goat is taken and sacrificed. Already tremendous preparation has been
ary in heaven. God has us on one side of the scale, and He has His made in the encampment. The high priest and his family are purified by
character on the other side of the scale, and friends the question that the sacrifice of the bullock. And as the blood of the Lord’s goat is
you and I must ask ourselves today is, How are we as we are weighed taken upon the high priest, the whole church stands waiting as he dis-
in the balances? appears behind the curtain. And they listen. Not a voice is raised. Not
Let us consider further the experience of the children of Israel. even a child is allowed to cry, because the church is about ready to
Daily they came with their sacrifices—the leading of the little lamb in close its probation. And they wait and they listen because they know
plain view of the entire church, long lines must have been formed as the that if God has not accepted them, the life of the high priest is at stake.
priest waited upon them. All day many of them must have stood pa- Tradition says that they even tied a rope to his foot, in case something
tiently in the heat of the day waiting with their little lambs, and you can went wrong. And they wait and they listen because they must hear the
hear the baaing of those little lambs calling for their mothers. Finally, bells on the garment of their priest. And as they hear the continual
the repentant sinner was ushered into the court, and there he stood as tinkling of the bells, you can almost hear the gasp of relief, “We are
he tied that little lamb to the altar, and then he took the knife and cut the accepted by God.” The record of the confessed and repented of sins
throat of that little lamb. And the little lamb, finally with glassy eyes of the past that has been carefully kept is now clean, and they are
would collapse as the blood came forth, signifying, my friends, the accepted as children of God, purified, and sealed. And oh, my friends,
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. we have come to the antitypical day of that day. Wouldn’t you agree?
Abraham was put to the test on Mt. Moriah. Asked of God to We are here; this is it!
sacrifice his own son, Abraham went faithfully forward in full obedi- The goat of the Lord was sacrificed, and now there is only one
ence. As his hand with the knife was raised, it was stayed by the angel, goat remaining, and as we approach zero hour, my friends the devil
my friends. Abraham was put to the test and he was victorious be- has come down to Christ’s church like a roaring lion. Oh, if you do not
cause of his faith. And on that same mountain, my friends, the Son of believe that, just spend a few days and follow me around, and let me
God was put to the test. Praise the Lord, He also came away victori- tell you, I can tell you stories of what the devil does. And I am sure you
are experiencing similar things in your lives. He is terrorized because
he knows that now, God, through the righteousness by faith message, which had been freely forgiven of those who during the year had ac-
is stirring up a people that will understand victory over sin. Satan has knowledged their wrong and for which atonement had just been fully
tried to keep it away from the church for 158 years. And out there in made. These were not the unatoned for sins. They needed not to be
the grassroots of the church, my friends, men and women, and young more fully atoned for by the death of the scape goat.
people are hungering and thirsting after righteousness. And in the On the Day of Atonement, the lots were cast, the Lord’s goat and
churches that were once dying for the want of the teaching of righ- the scape goat were chosen. The choice is made at the direction of,
teousness by faith, and kindred truths, men and women are today ris- and by the authority of, the Lord. The scape goat had no part in the
ing up with this beautiful experience of righteousness by faith. I see it pardoning of the repentant sinner, nor in the blotting out of sins in the
everywhere. Do you? sanctuary. The life of the scape goat is not taken, nor is his blood
needed for sacrificial purposes. The scape goat is caused no suffering
No one has said that we shall find perfection in any
during this holy day because of the sins of others. The scape goat had
man’s investigations; but this I do know, that our churches
no part during the affliction of the congregation. Since the scape goat’s
are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righ-
blood was not shed, he could not be used for the remission of sin. And
teousness by faith in Christ, and on kindred truths. Gospel
without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. See He-
Workers, 301.
brews 7:8. Therefore, the scape goat makes no propitiation for sin.
And let me tell you, this is a great signal to the church. A signal that The scape goat is not used as man’s substitute as is the Lord’s
the greatest moment lies just before us. Just on the tip of the horizon goat—the sin offering. The scape goat is given no consideration in the
now. And it means that you and I must be so faithful in every little detail exercises of the Day of Atonement until the services are completed in
of our lives day by day that we are asking God for the power of the the Holy of Holies. After the sanctuary is cleansed, the scape goat is
Holy Spirit to keep us from sinning. And then we are having that mar- brought alive to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Atone-
velous victory in our lives so that we can take that experience to the ment has already been made for the sins which are placed upon the
world. These angels of Revelation 14:6–12, and chapter eighteen, head of the scape goat by the high priest. These sins have been brought
verses 1–3, are not literal angels. They are symbols of you and I, with out of the sanctuary. The scape goat does not die that day. The Lord’s
this victory over sin experience in our lives. And by our voices, we are goat for the sin offering accomplished all that was essential and neces-
going to take this message to the world. Do you believe that? And this sary to make amends for the broken law in the Holy of Holies, and for
is the hour right now that it must go. If we do not do it my friends, the the sins of the people. The goat chosen to be the Lord’s goat was of-
rocks will do the preaching, and the literal angels will stand on the fered as a sin offering. The sin offerings noted in chapter four of Leviticus
street corners with the message, and will come to our churches to were all offered to bear the sins of the people. The penitent sinner recog-
revive men and women. As Jesus steps from the Most Holy Place into nized in this sin offering, his substitute, and he was pardoned of his sin
the Holy Place in preparation for coming to this earth again, at that when the blood of the animal was sprinkled in the Holy Place. Atone-
moment, probation having already ceased for the Adventist Church, ment was completed for the repentant sinner on the day of atonement
now ceases also for the world. Then Christ Jesus places upon the through the shed blood of the Lord’s goat—the sin offering. And so
devil, in that final moment, all the confessed sins of the righteous. The those who make the scapegoat our Saviour, do not understand what the
unconfessed sins of the unrepentant, they themselves will bear, but the sanctuary stands for. They have been surface readers.
blotted out sins of the saints, the devil will bear; not only his part, but But let me tell you in closing, we are standing awfully near the final
our part. What was placed on the head of the scape goat were the sins scenes. The important thing is not that the devil will bear our sins; the
of the people which had been confessed and pardoned, and blotted important thing is that Jesus bore our sins. And upon Golgotha’s hill, my
out. The priest’s confession upon the scape goat represented the guilt, friends, God paid an infinite price for us. You cannot comprehend what
a sacrifice heaven has made. Our minds are too frail to fully understand to say everything, but they will not let you say anything. They will cast
the great Day of Atonement that is now going on. No one knows the day you out of the synagogues—churches—and my friends, those who
or the hour, but I can tell you that we are in the time when the censer will are faithful and loyal to God in these final moments will be an offscouring
be cast down and our probation will be closed. Oh, friends, today is a of the earth. That is what is before us.
day of preparation for that day, and our only hope which we have right But my friends, just as God has had faithful and loyal in every age;
now is to cast ourselves at the feet of our Saviour Jesus Christ: God has faithful and loyal today in this church—Seventh-day Adventists.
As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches He has some faithful men in leadership. He has some faithful pastors.
the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a God has a faithful people in the grassroots who are on the move now.
new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new There is “the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees.”
creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing The evidence is coming to us today that Jesus is about ready to
more to require. Christ’s Object Lessons, 163. leave the Most Holy, and just as the children of Israel approached that
awesome moment in the Day of Atonement, my friends, this Seventh-
This Day of Atonement, my friends, which is going on right now, is day Adventist Church should approach this day with fear and trem-
calling you and I to repentance from our sins. Do you believe that? It is bling. We should be weeping between the porch and the altar for our
a call to us today to give up sin completely by the power that Christ own sins so that we can weep between the porch and the altar for the
provides. It is calling upon you and I to make a corporate repentance, sins of the church, and crying as Daniel cried, but did not leave the
as did Daniel, for the sins of the church—to weep between the porch church.
and the altar for everything that is going on. Read the sealing in Testi- Listen friends, condemning will never bring revival and reforma-
monies, vol. 5, 207–216. tion. We can talk about what the brethren have done, but it won’t
bring revival and reformation. It is true that the Apostasy of Omega is
THE SEALING in the church. The only thing that will bring revival my friends today, is
Let me tell you, something is going on that we do not fully under- a contrite heart that weeps between the porch and the altar for one's
stand, because once the mind moves so far away from the Holy Spirit, own sins and for the sins of the church, and prayer to God for the
the Spirit can no longer touch that life, and the door goes closed. And salvation of souls. Oh, that my confessed sins may be resting upon
let me tell you, a shut door is nothing new to Adventist theology, be- Satan at the end of that day is my prayer. And oh, today as I come to
cause as we look at Cain who closed his door, as we look at the the close of this message, how many will say, “God purify me. Make
antediluvians that closed their door, as we begin to look at Esau who me holy as Jesus is holy?” Oh, that we might stand in this world today,
closed his door, as we begin to look at Sodom and Gomorrah who in such a beautiful relationship with God that the world will say that we
closed their doors, Ellen White tells us that the Jewish nation closed have been with Jesus Christ.
their door. We even read a statement from E. G. White where she says Shall we pray: “Father we thank you for your blessings. We pray
that those in 1844 who turned back from belief in the first and second for your Spirit to be with us. Lord, we pray for a deeper conversion
angels’ messages closed their door. Why?—Because their minds moved and a more full experience with Christ. Thank you Father for this mes-
so far away from the truth that the Spirit of God could not touch them sage as it has been presented. Amen.”
any more, and the door went shut, and an evil spirit then has the op-
portunity to take full control of that mind and convince the mind that it
is the Holy Spirit now speaking. And when he does that friends, you
will find that he will not allow you to speak any more the truth. See
Selected Messages, book 1, 63. Those doing the work of Satan want
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1

The Final Generation

After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all

ROOTS AND REASONS FOR A

Latter Rain Rejection Delay

WHERE WE ARE TODAY

The Path Before Us

Temple Cleansed Twice

I saw that we are no more secure from false teachers

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary*

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