Bible Search
6,306 Results for "God"
Page 161 of 316Exodus 214:2
@@@^Verses 1, 3-5: “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”
Exodus 215:2
@@@^Had the “silence” of “half an hour” pointed to the coming of Christ, at which time He takes his saints with Him, there would be no necessity for the angel to offer their prayers. Furthermore, it would be unnecessary to “cast” fire, which is the Spirit of God, from the golden altar to the earth. Again, if the opening of the seventh seal means the coming of Christ, then only those under the six seals would have been considered in the judgment, and there could be no seventh seal, which would show lack of perfection and completeness of the judgment, and of the gospel. It would also be contrary to the number of seals on the book. As the six seals have reference to six periods in which the saints were sealed, the seventh must also apply to a sealing period; otherwise it cannot be called, seventh “seal.”
Exodus 216:3
@@@^In observance of the Passover, the Lord commanded Israel to celebrate that occasion seven days. (See Lev. 23:5-8.) Surely no one would say that God commanded His people to commemorate that event seven days with no object in view. Israel after the flesh going into Egypt, then out of Egypt to Mount Sinai, the passover in Egypt on the night when the death angel smote the first born of man and beast at the departure of Israel, are types of the church at the present time—the church going out of Egypt—worldliness, the purification of the church, the separation of the tares form the wheat—the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. (A complete explanation of the subject is given in “The Shepherd’s Rod,” Vol. 1, pp. 64-113; see also chart on page 224.) The Spirit of Prophecy bears witness of this by the following statement: “The Passover was to be both commemorative and typical, not only pointing back to the deliverance from Egypt, but forward to the greater deliverance which Christ was to accomplish in @9freeing@7 His people from the @9bondage@7 of sin.”—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” p. 277.
Exodus 217:1
@@@^Thus the silence of half an hour points forward to this great event for the church of God. Its fulfillment would bring us to the time of the harvest, or as it is called, the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message of Revelation 18—the last message for the world. Thus, while the five men with the slaughter weapons are taking away those represented by the tares within the church, there will be silence in heaven for about half an hour (seven days), after which the judgment will commence again for those who shall be sealed in the time of the great harvest, which is the end of the world. Said Jesus: “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn”—the church. (Matt. 13:30.)
Exodus 218:1
@@@^Had the church as a body, or at least the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination accepted the message of reform as presented to them in “The Shepherd’s Rod,” Vol. 1, there would be no necessity for that class to fall by the figure of the five men with the slaughter weapons. It is the reception or rejection of the message that will fix the destiny of the two classes as described in the following testimony: “I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the @9true witness to the Laodiceans@7. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will @9rise up against it@7, and this is what will @9cause a shaking @7among God’s people.”—“Early Writings,” p. 270.
Exodus 220:3
@@@^Is there any way whereby we can determine the time of the opening of the seal, and the commencement of the judgment for the living? If God so faithfully revealed to the living the commencement of the judgment for the dead, it cannot be possible that He would keep secret the time of the judgment for the living. If He did, we would have no present truth in the time of the last seal; neither could there be justice in such secrecy, nor could such judgment be legal. Therefore, a revelation of the judgment for the living, is of as great importance as the revelation of the gospel itself. For the judgment (blotting out the sins) is the crowning act in the gospel of Christ. Thus we conclude that when the seal is opened, and the judgment for the living begins, we must know it. The day of atonement in its type proves the same, for the Israelites were well informed of the event, their duty, and the consequence.
Exodus 220:4
@@@^The date of that most glorious event for the righteous, but exceeding solemn for the wicked, will be made known at the fulfillment of the following verse: “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings and an @9earthquake@7.” (Rev. 8:5.) The casting of the fire from the altar into the earth is the outpouring of the Spirit of God. We have stated before that the book of Revelation is a revealing of prophecies, and not a prophecy of itself. Therefore, we find the prediction of this glorious event in Joel 2:28, 29. The “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings,” denote the opening of the judgment for the living, as they also denote the opening of the judgment for the dead. (See Rev. 4:5.) The earthquake will be the sign of the event.
Exodus 225:4
@@@^With the previous explanation of Revelation 6:6, (“A measure of wheat for a penny a nd three measures of barley for a penny”), we shall endeavor to prove that the symbols point back to the parable of the householder, and Jesus allegorically looked forward to John’s vision. If the explanation perfectly fits the parable and the vision, in harmony with God’s book and law, and a present truth lesson is derived therefrom, then only must we accept it as truth.
Exodus 226:1
@@@^Matt. 20:1, 2, “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” Jesus could have no reference to any other people than Israel after the flesh, for they are the ones with whom God bargained and sent into His vineyard—world. Their labor consisted of representing the Creator or householder, and giving us the Bible. The Psalmist has made the following record of the agreement: “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac, And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant.” (Psalms 105:8-10.)
Exodus 227:2
@@@^Note that there was no bargaining with the second company. They went, having confidence in the “Goodman” that they would receive whatever was right. The call of the Gentiles was not based upon any special agreement. They responded, trusting in God’s generous promise to Israel, as it was recorded in the Scriptures. Therefore, the call of the Apostles, and the Gentiles, is represented by the “third hour call.”
Exodus 230:1
@@@^“Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.’ Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: ‘You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message’.”—“Testimonies to Ministers,” p. 475. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Mal. 4:5.) Has not God, through the “Spirit of Prophecy,” as well as by the Scriptures, plainly forewarned His people that they must expect messages at any time? “As never before, we should pray not only that laborers may be sent forth into the great harvest-field, but that we may have a clear conception of truth, so that when the @9messengers of truth shall come@7, we may accept the message and respect the messenger.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 6, p. 420.
Exodus 231:1
@@@^“Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. @9As the time comes@7 for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of Spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power,—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these. In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truths sent to her from heaven. As the people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so? the ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men, and demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan, and stir up the sin loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.”—Id., pp. 606, 607.
Exodus 232:1
@@@^The workers hired by such leadership are selected from the viewpoint of a technical education as a test of qualification, instead of Biblical knowledge, consecration, and absolute obedience to the whole truth. Such practices are contrary to Biblical instruction. We quote: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man @9know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?@7)” (1 Timothy 3:2-5.) The apostles in selecting men for sacred office, said: “Wherefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of @9honest report, full@7 of the @9Holy Ghost@7 and @9wisdom@7, whom we may appoint over this business.” (The Acts 6:3.)
Exodus 232:3
@@@^Said the householder, “Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.” God asks men and women to arise and go to work in the vineyard, trusting in the value of His Word. “Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.” (Matt. 10:9-11.) “And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing.” (Luke 22:35.)
Exodus 233:1
@@@^Mark the following point with care: From the ninth hour in 1844, to the twelfth, or close of probation, there are only three full hours. The number of hours symbolically denote that there is only enough probationary time from 1844 to the end, for one movement—three hours. The Scripture of Revelation 10:6 applies here: “That there should be time no longer.” Every movement that God has called into existence since the world began, went just so far, and when He sent a message, or new light upon His Word, the leaders rejected it, and necessity gave birth to a new movement.
Exodus 234:2
@@@^Mark that the ones hired first worked all the day, but those hired last labored only one hour. For that reason the voice said, “three measures of barley” as against “one measure of wheat” for a penny—day’s wage. The interval between each call was three hours. The “measures” denote the allegorical hours consumed in labor. The intervals of three hours between each call is a symbol of a full length of time allowed to each movement, or message, without specific meaning as to the number of years. Those called last, labored only one hour, but they too received equally as much. The generosity of the Goodman signifies that all God’s servants are equally rewarded, not in proportion to their deeds, but according to the benevolence of the householder.
Exodus 236:1
@@@^The evidence brought forth shows that the calls (messages) before Israel went out of Egypt were not included in the parable, and that the call of Israel was “early in the morning.” Jesus has divided the history of the church in this instance into two equal parts of twelve hours each. In the parable He refers only to the part called @9day@7,—the period of the Bible. “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in a day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.” (John 11:9.) Therefore, the period before the Bible came is called @9night@7. Not that God’s people were left in darkness concerning @9His word@7, but that it was orally passed from father to son, while the written word is a direct revelation—light. Thus He has portrayed the history of His church on a 24 hour clock dial. We may better comprehend the study by a brief summary as we follow the chart on page 224.
Exodus 236:2
@@@^There are only five calls in the parable; First, those who were called early—Israel out of Egypt Second, those who went to labor in the vineyard at the third hour—the early Christian church Third, the sixth hour call—William Miller and his co-workers; Fourth, the ninth hour call—the Third angel in his first cry after 1844; Fifth, the 11th hour call—the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message. As number “seven” is used in every one of God’s finished acts to denote completeness, there must have been two such calls before Israel’s time, otherwise it would show incompleteness in the proclamation of the gospel. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints.” (Jude 14.) As Enoch had a world wide message of the coming of the Lord, his message is the first call. Noah’s call is the second from creation. Therefore, “seven” in all, meaning perfect, finished, the end of the gospel.
Exodus 237:1
@@@^The time allowed for each movement is marked on God’s clock dial as three hours. The first three hours on the dial indicate from creation to the fall of Adam; consequently it leaves only twenty-one allegorical hours for human probation. @9Seven@7 times three equal twenty-one, therefore, we have another reason why the angel said, “There should be time no longer.”
Exodus 237:2
@@@^The following fact further proves that the church history in this instance is represented by a twenty-four hour clock dial. If the call came to Israel early in the morning, at the twelfth hour, and the day closed at the following twelfth hour, called day, because the written word of God was in existence for light to the church, then the period that preceded the Bible is symbolically called night.