Sabbath Afternoon - April 8
Memory Text:
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” KJV — Revelation 14:6
“God's work is the same in all time, although there are different degrees of development and different manifestations of His power, to meet the wants of men in the different ages. Beginning with the first gospel promise, and coming down through the patriarchal and Jewish ages, and even to the present time, there has been a gradual unfolding of the purposes of God in the plan of redemption. The Saviour typified in the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law is the very same that is revealed in the gospel. The clouds that enveloped His divine form have rolled back; the mists and shades have disappeared; and Jesus, the world's Redeemer, stands revealed. He who proclaimed the law from Sinai, and delivered to Moses the precepts of the ritual law, is the same that spoke the Sermon on the Mount. The great principles of love to God, which He set forth as the foundation of the law and the prophets, are only a reiteration of what He had spoken through Moses to the Hebrew people: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Leviticus 19:18. The teacher is the same in both dispensations. God's claims are the same. The principles of His government are the same. For all proceed from Him “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.” PP 373.2
Sunday - April 9
A Grace-Filled Book of Hope
Read Revelation 1:1–3 and Revelation 14:6. How do these verses together tell us about not just the book of Revelation but about the “everlasting gospel,” as well?
To receive The Revelation, the last book of the Bible, John was twice taken in the Spirit. To see this we shall read Rev. 1:10, and 4:2.
Rev. 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”
This is John’s first time in the Spirit, and while in It he received Revelation chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Rev. 4:2 – “And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”
This is John’s second time in the Spirit, the time he received Revelation chapters 4 to 22.
The first nine verses of chapter 1 contain John’s introduction to the book, and is a brief summary of what he saw. The remaining verses of chapter 1 contain the Lord’s introduction to The Revelation, after which in chapters 2 and 3 is given a special message to be delivered to the seven churches. This is all John saw while he was in the Spirit the first time.
Now coming to Revelation chapters 4 and 5, we read what John saw his second time in the Spirit.
Chapters 4 and 5, we see, contain a scene of a special event which caused the Book to be unsealed. That which came out of the Book is, in the fullest sense, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, of the One Who only was worthy to open the Book.
Thus it is that “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” begins with the sixth chapter and ends with the last chapter of the Book, the chapters in which are recorded the things which the breaking of the seven seals disclosed. Yes, The Revelation consists of the things which were sealed with seven seals.
It is clear now that It is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him”; that is, to Jesus God gave the Book. Jesus took it, broke the seals with which it was sealed and laid open the things which no one could reveal but He. The Seven Seals, therefore, cover all “The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him,” and consists of the things which came out of the Book. The Revelation, moreover, is in seven parts, because each one of the seals disclosed a certain part of The Revelation: The first seal disclosed the things recorded in chapter six, verse two; the second seal disclosed the things of verse four; the third seal disclosed the things of verses five and six; the fourth seal disclosed the things of verses 7 and 8; the fifth seal disclosed the things of verses nine to eleven; the sixth seal disclosed the things of verse twelve and down to the eighth chapter; the seventh seal disclosed the things of chapters eight to twenty-two, inclusive. That all these chapters are a continuation of the sixth chapter is seen by the fact that every chapter begins with the conjunction “And.”
The Revelation, then, is thus divided into seven parts. And so when we speak of the Seven Seals, we are in reality speaking of The Revelation.
The last of the seals, the seventh, is subdivided into still other seven divisions, the Seven Trumpets, which begin with the eighth chapter, and apparently end with the eleventh chapter.
The next thing to note is the event which caused the Book to be opened...
What is the event which caused the Book’s seals to be broken? – To find the answer to this question, we should first consider the members in the assembly. There we see One on the throne, then the Lamb, next the elders, and the myriads of angels round about the throne, also the “beasts,” who themselves testify that they are a symbolical representation of the redeemed, for they say, “for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Rev. 5:9.
What else could such an assembly as this represent but a Judgment. There we see the Judge of Justice, our great Advocate, sitting on the throne, then the Lamb, and the jury of twenty-four, also the angelic witnesses, and the four beasts representing the redeemed. Moreover, The Revelation itself most emphatically declares that the event prophetically is the Judgment in session, for it says: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev. 14:7.
Monday - April 10
The “Everlasting” Gospel
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Romans 3:24–26, and Romans 5:6–8. How is the “everlasting gospel” presented in these texts? What great hope is presented here for us?
“Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” To clear the appointed time of this message, we must take into consideration the revelation of John, which, from the fourth chapter to the twenty-second, is continuous, without a break; that is, the conjunction “and” begins each chapter, showing that all these revelations were given to John at the time that the “Voice” said to him: “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” – things that were to transpire sometime after he had the vision of them. And John having had this vision about 96 A.D., the first angel’s message therefore could not possibly have been preached before that time, for, to repeat, he is not writing of the things of the past, but of the things of the future. Again: the fact that he says, “I saw another [the first] angel…having the everlasting gospel to preach,” further shows that this angel’s message had not been preached before he had the vision, but that it was to be preached in the future from that time. Moreover, there is neither scripture nor history to show that the judgment began in or before John’s time. Still further, as the first angel’s message was never preached before 1844, then when the judgment hour came, this angel’s message – the message concerning the judgment – went forth.
As the investigative judgment is in two sections (the first, devoted to the dead; the second, to the living), the fact is evidenced that though the first, the second, and the third, angels’ messages apply directly to the period of the judgment of the living, they must also, though indirectly, apply to the period of the judgment of the dead. Thus only, except as a warning of coming events, have they been preached since 1844. Hence, when the judgment of the living commences, and when the image of the beast is fully made up, then these messages are, with a loud cry, to be repeated as present truth concerning the living instead of the dead.
Tuesday - April 11
A Story of Grace
Read Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:18–20. What do these verses teach us about the plan of salvation?
Rom. 11:6 – “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
We are called into the election of God, says the scripture, not because of any good works of our own, but through God’s grace. We are, therefore, invited to become Christians, the children of God, not because we deserve to be adopted by Him, but because of His favor toward us. Indeed, there is no other way by which we can be saved, for we all have sinned and, therefore, how can we be saved except He, through His grace, forgive us our sins and start us out anew? This is what is called a new birth, the sum of which is that we deserve no credit for coming into the household of God. The credit is His.
By our natural birth we are born sinners, but by our spiritual birth we are born righteous. As born sinners we serve sin, but as born righteous we serve righteousness. Hence it is not by works, but by “grace” that we are what we are.
Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
By faith, not by sight, we know that we are the sons of God, citizens of His government. And as such we submit ourselves to His rules and laws. As such we honor and revere Him as our Saviour and King.
Let us now for example go back to Noah’s day. Noah lived in an exceedingly wicked world, as you know. It was so wicked that, as merciful as God is, He could no longer contain Himself while the wickedness went on. At long last He commanded Noah to build an ark, and promised that all, whether righteous or wicked, who would go into the ark would find deliverance from the awful flood. Since they did not merit such a favor, they were, therefore, offered deliverance from the flood only through “righteousness of grace” – they were to be credited with righteousness and be given life which they did not merit. Thus we see “grace” taking occasion to save sinners even back in Noah’s day. And so, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Rom. 5:20.
In Abraham’s time, too, only about 400 years after the flood the world had sunk deep in idol worship, and God commanded Abraham to get out of his father’s house, out of his idolatrous country, and to go to another land, a land that was to be for his own and for God’s people only. And as any, good or bad, who joined Abraham and his God were as freely permitted to enter into the Promised Land as were the antediluvians permitted to enter the ark, they too, therefore, were given “righteousness by grace”; that is, they were privileged to take their stand for God with Abraham, and to share the blessings, but not because of any good works of theirs. Having endured to the end, Abraham, whose faith failed not, became the father of all who through “righteousness by grace” attain “righteousness by faith.” Hence you see that “righteousness by grace” starts us out into “righteousness by faith,” the reward of which is, “the righteousness of Christ.”
Later in history came the time that whosoever, good and bad alike, joined the Exodus out of Egypt, found deliverance from Pharaoh’s taskmasters and from his pursuing army. This deliverance they obtained not because they deserved deliverance, but because of the “grace” of God toward them. (See Ezekiel 20:1-8.) Thus they “all…were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Cor. 10:1-4. Yes, through “righteousness by grace” none were excluded from participating in the blessings then offered.
Having been given “righteousness by grace” sufficient to cross the sea, and having come into the desert, they were then given the finest chance to exercise “righteousness by faith.” But only those who did exercise “righteousness by faith” lived on and entered the Promised Land. Those, though, who made no more use of “faith” in the desert than they did in Egypt perished in the wilderness.
Finally, came the time for the faithful to possess the land. And so it was that only those whose “righteousness by faith” sustained them, crossed the River Jordan. None others did. And for our benefit the Apostle has left this counsel: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Heb. 4:1, 2.
So far in our study we have seen that God is impartial, that He has endeavored to save all peoples at all times in the same way as He is endeavoring to save us; that He is not experimenting with Himself – not saving us one way and others another way.
The kingdom was at last set up in the Promised Land and the people were left to continue in “righteousness by faith.” But as in times past “faith” again waned, and the nation became unbearably wicked, – so wicked that God could no longer tolerate it to be called by His name while living in His land. Forthwith both the temple and the palace – the spiritual and the physical – were leveled to the ground, and the people were carried away.
God nevertheless clung to His people as a mother clings to her children, and after seven decades, having once again extended to them righteousness by grace, God gave them the opportunity to return to their homeland where they enjoyed revival and reformation, but only for a little while. Rather than continue in “righteousness by faith,” they fell from “grace” and became seven times worse than their predecessors.
Thus it was that if God was then to save any one member of the nation He could do it only by offering another chance of “grace.” This time He gave the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour upon Whom the iniquities of us all were laid. And hence, as mean and as wicked as were both Jew and Gentile, they were all invited to the greatest gift of “grace,” the grace which only the life of the Son of God can give. The Apostles themselves were not for any good deed of their own, but through this gift of “righteousness by grace,” privileged to partake of the “righteousness by faith.”
And so the unjust, the violators of the law of God, have always through “righteousness by grace” been invited to come into “righteousness by faith,” the only righteousness that actually receives the reward of “Christ’s righteousness” and of eternal life. “Now,” says Inspiration, “the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Heb. 10:38. The just, you see, live by faith, but the unjust by grace. “Grace,” you note, is not the final touch of salvation.
“Grace” plus “faith,” plus “the righteousness of Christ,” are what earn eternal life.
Wednesday - April 12
Into All the World
Read Revelation 14:6 again. What is the extent of the proclamation of the everlasting gospel, and why is the answer important to us and our mission and calling as a church? How do Matthew 28:19, 20 dovetail with the first angel’s message?
Rev. 10:8-10 – “And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.”
To eat the book is, as it were, to “swallow” its sayings. The honey sweet must be the joy that comes from its promises, and obviously the bitter denotes inability to digest, to comprehend all, and thus a disappointment. These, you know met fulfillment in the days of the First Advent Movement, when through the study of the book of Daniel, they learned that the cleansing of the Sanctuary (Dan. 8:14) was to begin in the year 1844, but who misunderstood the cleansing to mean the end of the world and the return of Christ. The disappointment came after the set date had passed and after the expectation of the people failed to materialize.
Rev. 10:11– “And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
After the disappointment they were commanded to prophesy again; that is, again to proclaim the cleansing of the Sanctuary. This work they were to do among many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings, obviously not to all.
Thus it was that the first Advent Movement was reorganized and renamed, Seventh-day Adventists. The Seventh-day Adventist organization, therefore, will not finish the work. Its message does not go to all people, to all nations, tongues, and kings. Consequently, the Church, too, is to be reorganized if the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached to all nations. “‘A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices.’” – Christ Our Righteousness, pg. 121, 1941 edition.
How will the reorganization come about?
“For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
“They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
“And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.
“And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.” Isa. 66:15-17, 19, 20.
In these verses we see a slaughter taking place, a slaughter which takes away the transgressors of the Truth. Those that escape the slaughter of the Lord are sent to the nations who have not seen God’s glory, or heard His fame, and they are to bring all their brethren out of “all nations.” Plainly, then, the slaughter is in the Church, for those who escape are sent to preach to the Gentiles that know nothing of God. Sending the faithful to the nations, after the slaying of the unfaithful, presupposes a reorganization. And the commission at last is to go, not to many nations, but to all nations. If they are to bring all their brethren out of all nations, then they must be the last, the ones to finish the work, “the Mystery of God,” to bring probation to a close and the world to an end.
Thursday - April 13
A Mission Movement
Read Revelation 14:6, Acts 1:8, and Matthew 24:14. What similarity do you see in these verses?
In the tenth chapter of Revelation we read: "And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." (Rev. 10:10.) This scripture is rightly interpreted by the denomination to be a perfectly fitting symbolic prophecy of the indescribable happiness and the crushing disappointment of the First-day Advent movement which declared prior to 1844 the truth of the "2300" day prophecy, whose followers believed what they preached, sold everything of this world's goods, and spent the proceeds for the preaching of the Gospel that others along with them might be ready for Christ's coming in the year 1844.
Hence, the thought of taking a flight through the starry heavens and entering through the pearly gates into the eternal city of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, where there is no sorrow, nor pain, nor death, was as sweet a thought to them as is honey to the taste of the tongue. Therefore, to John, the incident was symbolically represented by eating the little book--the Word of God--and by being as sweet as honey at the first. But as the set date passed into eternity, and the Lord Whom they expected to come, did not appear, they, as John, felt their inexpressible joy turn into the gall of bitterness.
Furthermore, as the verse following the one which refers to the disappointment, says, "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (Rev. 10:11), it proves to be an accurate prophecy of the understanding and experience of the movement prior to 1844, for they thought that the Gospel work was then finished, and that probation had closed.
Therefore, the angel declared: “Thou must prophesy again;" that is, you have made a mistake, and now you must repeat the preaching of your message. Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, composed largely of those who had been First-day Adventists, arose to fulfill the heavenly commission while some of the First-day Adventists have maintained their own organization to this day.
According to the prophecies, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was commissioned to "prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." (Rev. 10:11.) The word "many" is a limited word--it does not mean all. Thus, the prophecy in no uncertain terms declares that the Gospel commission to the S.D.A. church does not extend to all the nations, but only to "many," showing that before the Gospel is proclaimed to all the nations, there must be another commission. This fact is attested also by the Spirit of Prophecy:
"God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children.
"A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit."--"Christ Our Righteousness," p. 154.
"Clad in the armor of Christ's righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. 'Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,' she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer."--"Prophets and Kings," p. 725.
We as the Seventh-day Adventist denomination were commissioned to go to "many" nations, and to gather the hundred and forty-four thousand, the first fruits, as is clearly shown in Revelation 11:1, 2: "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles."
The words "measure" and "number" are synonymous, for measuring must be accompanied by numbering. Moreover, as those who worship therein are people, they must be measured by numbering. Hence, from 1844 to the time of this prophetic "reformation and organization," is the measuring, or numbering time--the gathering of the 144,000, the first fruits, the twelve tribes, or those who worship inside the temple--whereas, "the porch that is without" is to be filled with the Gentiles--the second fruits, a great multitude which no man can number--who are to be gathered after the aforesaid reformation and reorganization is effected, just as it is stated in the Revelation. The revelator saw the 144,000 sealed and after that the great multitude. (Rev. 7:3 through 9.)
The Spirit of Prophecy declares that "only those who have withstood and overcome temptation in the strength of the Mighty One, will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming this message when it shall have swelled into the Loud Cry." (R. & H., Nov. 19, 1908.) This excerpt bears plain evidence that we are not now in the time of the Loud Cry, neither have we ever been, for the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have overcome temptation, whereas, the message has been, and is now proclaimed by both sanctified and unsanctified ministers. Therefore, if the message in the time of the Loud Cry is to be proclaimed only by those who have overcome temptation, there must necessarily be a reformation, and it shall sift out all the unsanctified ministers. (5T p. 80; G.C. 424, 5.)
Friday - April 14
Further Study
The more sure word of prophecy through the "gospel prophet" throws great light on the subject. We read:
"For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD." (Isa. 66:16, 19, 20.)
The slaughter of the Lord here brought to view must take place in His church, for those who escape must be Christians, well acquainted with the Lord, otherwise they could not proclaim His fame and His glory. Moreover, as the Gentile nations will remain after the slaying takes place, and as they will be privileged to hear the Gospel, it proves that this slaughter of the Lord shall take place before the close of probation.
Still further, the Spirit of Prophecy writes that when the sealing of the 144,000 and the slaying of Ezekiel Nine is about to take place, the ministers will have betrayed their trust (5T 211), and as the message must be preached by a pure ministry, it again proves that this purification must take place just before the commencement of the Loud Cry, thus making possible the closing of the Gospel work by a reformed and reorganized movement, commissioned to go to all the nations rather than to "many."