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Now that we understand that the Bride of Christ is the 144,000, we can see what the Lord has revealed to others about this very special group. We have mentioned several times that this series is not the work of one person but of many. Not very long ago the Lord impressed a young man and his wife to move into the geographic area of this writer. They did not know just why they were to move, but in faith did what they felt the Lord asked them to do. Theirs is a very interesting experience, for the young man had been very deep into hypnotic drugs (LSD) for several years when the Lord called him. Through a series of miracles he responded. Both he and his wife have turned out to be very deep students of the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. That they respond to the unction of and hear the Holy Spirit's instructions to them will become apparent as you read this material This is an anointed couple whom the Lord has called to do a work. I know, it was through a miraculous chain of circumstances
the Lord caused this couples path to cross mine, for the Lord
has given them the specific task of helping, but they are not the
only ones. Already others are becoming involved. For this I Praise the
Lord, for it has never been my intention nor desire to be the sole
writer of this material. The Bible was written by many people
over thousands of years of time. To have more than one writer
insures that one person's thoughts will not override what the Lord
is trying to give. Several people agreeing on specific points, even
though writing entirely apart
This young man has been led for quite some time into a study of the book of Revelation, especially Revelation 14 and 11. He has been given much light and inspired material. The Lord indicated that the light given to this young man about Revelation 14 and the 144,000 is to be included in this monograph. What you will be reading for the next several pages is that material. It gives a clear picture of who the 144,000 are. When coupled with that which the Lord has given in the rest of this monograph, these pages probably comprise the most complete study of inspired material on this group that has ever been complied. It is clearly the Lord's will that we know about this group, for we are destined to be part of them if we desire. The circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the following material have been shared with you so you may see how the Lord has moved in writing this entire series, for the Lord has operated in a marvelous way from the very start of this project. By B_____ L______ The climax of the Bible is in the Last Generation Concept. Here we see an all-important and vast topic. It is the demonstration of the controversy. "The fallen world is the battle-field
for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly
powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as the theater
on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and
evil, between
"The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama." 8 Testimonies 27. "Our little world is the lesson book of the universe." Desire of Ages 19. This adventure, just before us, takes us to Revelation Chapter 14. The fourteenth chapter of Revelation is a chapter of the deepest interest. This scripture will soon be understood in all its bearings, and the messages given to John the revelator will be repeated with distinct utterance." 7 Bible Commentary 978. This statement implies more than just verses 6-12, which we know to be the three angel's messages, and makes a reference to the whole chapter. In the last part of the chapter three more angels appear. This study, therefore, will be looking into the meaning of these angels. Seven angels will render the work of God on earth complete. The first three angels give the last warning message to the inhabitants of the earth in the last days. The fourth angel is found in Revelation 18:15-20 and repeats the warning of the first three in a more startling way known as the loud cry. The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth. 7 Bible Commentary 984. This statement was made in 1892 By it we know that the message of these angels revolves around the righteousness of Christ This was the message of 1888 in verity and the beginning of the fourth angel's loud cry. Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is declared: 'Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.' Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her. But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out that they partake not of her sins and ‘receive not of her plagues.’ Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with this message the call is heard 'Come out of her, my people.' These announcements, uniting with the third angel's message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth. Great Controversy 604. Here it is made plain that the fourth angel is the last warning to go forth before the close of probation. Again on page 390: This message is the last that will ever be given to the world: and it will accomplish its work. It follows then that the last three angels (five, six, and seven) must do their work after the close of probation. They are extremely important in the finishing of God's work in the last days. We must understand their work if we are going to avoid great disappointment. In reference to the first angel's message we are told that: Those who proclaimed this warning gave the
right message at the right time. But as the early disciples
declared, 'The
Therefore both the disciples and the Millerites suffered disappointment because both thought that their work was the last to be done. This history will be repeated just before time at last is extinct. A terrible disappointment is in store for us if we do not understand the work of the last three angels. One great difference, however exists between the early believers and us. They had a second chance. We do not. We must learn from their past mistakes, and not repeat them. It is an obvious fact that the first four angels were not literal angels flying through the air visible to all men. They were symbols of movements of people, and it follows that angels five, six, and seven are likewise movements of people. These angels do their work after the close of probation for they "come out of the temple". The service of the sanctuary has consummated. (Lest the reader become confused with the work of the seven angels and the close of probation, this point needs to be clarified. Angels one, two, and three begin their work BEFORE the general close of probation, but AFTER the sealing of the 144,000. The message of these three angels swells into the loud cry of the third angel who is joined by the fourth angel of Revelation 18. The loud cry, or calling the elect out of Babylon which begins before probation's close will continue after until shortly before the plagues begin to fall. Thus the first four angels begin their work BEFORE probation's close but continue after it closes for a time. Angels one and two finish their work before the close of probation because, by this time the Gospel [angel one] will have already gone to all the world, and the world will have been warned that Babylon has fallen [angel two]. The last three angels [five, six,
and seven] join with angels three and four ONLY after probations
close. These five represent the call to come out of Babylon
and the harvest, or gathering, the separating of the wheat
from the tares. This time period is discussed in
detail in Volume One in the Chapter The Closes of
Probation. It is important to recognize that these ARE
NOT literal angels, but a movement and a call carried on by the Holy
Spirit filled 144,000 Loudcriers.) D.G.
"I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD A WHITE CLOUD, AND UPON THE CLOUD ONE SAT LIKE UNTO THE SON OF MAN, HAVING ON HIS HEAD A GOLDEN CROWN, AND IN HIS HAND A SHARP SICKLE. AND ANOTHER ANGEL CAME OUT OF THE TEMPLE, CRYING WITH A LOUD VOICE TO HIM THAT SAT ON THE CLOUD. THRUST IN THY SICKLE AND REAP: FOR THE TIME IS COME FOR THEE TO REAP; FOR THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH IS RIPE." Revelation 14:14,15 Referring to this scene, Ellen White makes the statement: "The saints will cry day and night to Jesus on the cloud, to thrust in His sharp sickle and reap." WLF 12 Here is no mistake. The fifth angel is a representation of the people of God. They come out of the temple because Jesus came out, thus the fifth angel appears after the close of probation. But how is it that the people of God, represented by the fifth angel, are said to come out of the temple. Isn't that in heaven? The marriage of Christ with His followers is to take place in the sanctuary: "They were not to be present in person at the marriage; for it takes place in heaven, while they are upon the earth. The followers of Christ are to 'wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding.' (Luke 12:36) But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by faith as He goes in before God. It is in this sense that they are said to go into the marriage. Great Controversy 427. The people of God are said to be in the heavenly sanctuary in a spiritual sense. And thus it is that the people of God are said to come out of the temple at the close of probation. Because these last five angels complete their work after probation's close we know the saints will finish their work of harvesting and gathering during the great time of trouble. Sometime during this work Christ is pictured by John after the wedding, sitting on a cloud making His return trip to earth. The saints are seen crying to Him to thrust in His sharp sickle and reap. But why do they cry? What motivates them to do this? To understand this, we are constrained to study first of all the experience of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, for the saints will repeat this same experience in their own sphere. "Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which He came to do and with His parting breath, He exclaimed, "It is finished." Desire of Ages 758. The main reason Christ came to this world was to make manifest the character of God, and by doing this He would make void the deception cast by Satan. Christ had completed this work at the cross when He cried, "It is finished," as stated in the Spirit of Prophecy. "All heaven triumphed in the Saviour's victory. Satan was defeated, and knew that his kingdom was lost. To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, 'It is finished,' had deep significance. It was for them as well as for us that the great work of redemption had been accomplished. They with us share the fruits of Christ's victory. Not until the death of Christ was the character
of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds.
The
Although Satan and one third of the angels were cast out of heaven, he had probably deceived nearly all of them. Only one third were fully decided to follow him out. The rest esteemed it wiser to wait and see; they would not cast their lot with Satan and his crew, but would remain loyal to God and wait and see what happens in the unfolding of the great controversy. Even in the confusion among them, they kept their confidence in God. "He [Satan] misrepresented God, attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men." Desire of Ages 22. This misrepresentation of God by Satan must be eliminated. But would God ever stoop to Satan's methods to vindicate Himself? No, never. From eternity past God had a solution to this problem. He would come to this world in our sinful fallen flesh to live a perfect life and show to the universe that God had not made a law that cannot be kept by man in the same sinful fallen flesh. He came that He might reveal to the universe the character of God. The great controversy is waged about the law of God. Satan charges that it is unjust and cannot be obeyed, especially by humanity. Christ abrogated this deception by living a perfect life in our sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. Perfection was manifest in His life from birth to death. HE DIDN'T SIMPLY DECLARE THE CHARACTER OF GOD; HE LIVED IT. "As Christ glorified the Father by the demonstration of His love, so the Spirit was to glorify Christ revealing to the world the riches of His grace. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people..." HC 154. Satan's character had for so long been seen and demonstrated in humanity; therefore, Christ had to demonstrate, in the very same humanity God's righteous character that all may see. He did this not only for our redemption but for the clarification of God's righteous character for the angels and the unfallen worlds. No wonder the angels had reason to rejoice at the cry, "It is finished". "Satan saw that His disguise was torn away.
His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before
the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer.
By shedding the blood of the Son of God, He had uprooted Himself
from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was
restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no
longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and
before them accuse Christ's brethren of being clothed with the garments
of blackness and defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy
between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.
"This work of Christ was to confirm the beings of other worlds in their innocency and loyalty, as well as to save the lost and perishing of this world. He opened a way for the disobedient to return to their allegiance to God, while by the same act He placed a safeguard around those who were already pure, that they might not become polluted. While we rejoice that there are worlds which have never fallen, these worlds render praise and honor and glory to Jesus Christ for the plan of redemption to save the fallen sons of Adam, as well as to confirm themselves in their position and character of purity. The arm that raised the human family from the ruin which Satan has brought upon the race through his temptations, is the arm which had preserved the inhabitants of other worlds from sin. Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of the Father and the Son, and this care is constantly exercised for fallen humanity. Christ is mediating in behalf of man, and the order of unseen worlds also is preserved by His mediatorial work." MYP 253-4 With Satan's deception annulled in behalf of the unfallen beings, conditions in heaven became more settled and the possibility of another rebellion arising had been eliminated. This is how Christ finished His work on behalf of man and the other worlds and "a loud voice" announced its completion in the following scripture: "I HEARD A LOUD VOICE SAYING IN HEAVEN, NOW IS COME SALVATION, AND STRENGTH, AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD, AND THE POWER OF HIS CHRIST: FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT." Revelation 12:10. Before Calvary, Satan had divided his deceptive efforts
between men and angels. He had a two-fold work; that
of keeping men deceived, and of trying to maintain some sympathy
with the unfallen angels. Since Christ had demolished the deception
in heaven by revealing God's character in its fullness and
in contrast to Satan's character, Satan has become very angry,
to say the least. Now he puts all his Satanic efforts to the work of keeping
men deceived and to bring about their destruction. This is
his only supposed hope of survival, for he knows that when this deception
is altogether removed from everyone in the
"WOE TO THE INHABITERS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE SEA! FOR THE DEVIL IS COME DOWN UNTO YOU HAVING GREAT WRATH, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME." Revelation 12:12. Four thousand years were allowed to pass in order for evil to fully develop before Christ came to this earth in the flesh. This period of waiting was ordered so that the contrast between good and evil would be more apparent and thus no mistakes need be made. Satan was not destroyed during those many years because his deception still held sway with men. They, too, must see the issues at stake; they too must behold the manifestation of God in humanity. But is Christ going to come a second time to repeat the demonstration of God's true character in man's behalf? Obviously not. But, as we shall see, God has a plan. Christ proved that humanity combined with divinity can obey God's law. This will be proven once again before the end of time. God will have a people in whom it will be said, "IN THEIR MOUTH WAS FOUND NO GUILE: FOR THEY ARE WITHOUT FAULT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD." (Revelation 14:15) They will keep His law and restore His character to its rightful state (elevate His character in the eyes of men). The 144,000 are instruments in the hands of God to accomplish this highly exalted work. All heaven waits "FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD." (Romans 8:19) The work that Christ had come to do, that of unveiling Satan's deception and setting God's character in its true light, He had finished just before He died at the cry of "It is finished." By a death decree the saints will be appointed to die by the laws of the land. It is at this darkest period of earth's history "that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people." (GC 636) At this time, God's voice is heard, "It is done." God's work in and through His people will be finished. This means that character has been perfected, and the same work that Christ had finished is again completed in the saints. History repeats itself in the person of His saints. "Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing for the mark set before us--perfection of His character? When the Lord's people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare, "It is finished." HC 150. Just as a declaration was not enough to vindicate God's character for the heavenly host, but rather needed a demonstration in humanity, so will it be at the end of time. God's character will be vindicated by a demonstration of His love in His people, the 144,000. Like the prophet says, "The Lord desires through His people to answer Satan's charges by showing the result of obedience to right principles." (6T 111) The contrast between righteousness and wickedness will be made plain. "Trials patiently borne, blessing gratefully received,
meekness, kindness, mercy, and love, habitually exhibited, are the lights
that shine forth in the character before the world, revealing the
contrast with the darkness that comes of the selfishness of the natural
heart." Patriarchs & Prophets 134.
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