Before we begin part two of Adventism's parable I'd like to have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father we ask that your Holy Spirit would guide and direct in this presentation that it might be for your glory and honor and that the information that is shared would be of such a nature that it would inspire us to surrender those things in our lives that are still preventing us from being fully used by you and that it would draw us into a deeper study of your word that it would better prepare us to share with those around us give us the motivation to do so. Please accompany these presentations wherever they might go empower them with your spirit let your angels touch hearts that listen to them and help us be among those that are identified as the wise virgins in the parable that is set forth as an illustration of Adventism. We thank you for privilege of prayer we thank you for the word the spirit of prophecy where you left so much light for us help us be willing and obedient to that word in Jesus name amen. We began this series by sharing a sermon by A.T. Jones it was an untitled it was simply number one in the series that he was doing on the third angels message but we titled it new light and this will this part two of this of our series we're going to call the midnight cry but with a subtitle new light the reason that we began there is to get get A.T. Jones sermon behind us because it's something we will refer to as we proceed through the parable of the ten virgins but many may not have come to understand as they say the parable of the ten virgins that the midnight cry which is one of the the characteristics of that parable is definitely connected to the understanding of new light and in Adventism today it seems as though there isn't a open-mindedness for the idea of new light in fact it's almost a closed mindedness to that to that idea but in reality in the pioneers and in the time period of A.T. Jones we find the what we believe to be the accurate understanding of God's Word and that is that when any human being comes to God's Word the reality of who we are and who God is identifies that we should expect to discover new light we're finite God is infinite and if we are truly prayerfully coming to his Word and meeting the standards which he's sharing with us in his Word growing from glory to glory then the promise is is that he will continue to unfold truths to us that we haven't recognized before and that is just on our regular experience with the Lord but in terms of end time Bible prophecy we're going to identify in this study that the midnight cry that took place in the 1843 1844 time period pointed forward to a similar event that will take place in our day and age and that the midnight cry was at that time what would be defined as new light and therefore we should expect new light here at the end of the world now all we're going to do is look at the midnight cry primarily in this study and in a later presentation we're going to actually identify what that new light is from God's Word but we need to see that it is part of the parable of the ten virgins I'd like to begin with a passage from manuscript releases volume 16 page 267 and onward and if you have the newsletter accompanying this tape you'll see this entire passage in there I'm simply going to take one paragraph out of it to emphasize one point the reason the entire article is in the newsletter is one of the the things that we will attempt to address as we go through the parable of the ten virgins is that it has the parable an application to the world at large and an application to Adventism in this particular passage it is in the newsletter from manuscript releases clearly identifies that the parable of the ten virgins is for the world at large where in other places we're told it's for Adventism and we'll try to come to grips with what that is telling us but outside of that what I want to share here is this one paragraph where we're told that we need to study every specification of the parable of the ten virgins manuscript releases volume 16 page 270 the parable of the ten virgins was given by Christ himself and every specification should be carefully studied a time will come when the door will be shut we are represented either by the wise or the foolish virgins we cannot now distinguish nor have we authority to say who are wise and who foolish there are those who hold the truth in unrighteousness and these appear outwardly like the wise so we've been told to study every characteristic of the parable of the ten virgins carefully and there's other passages where sister white tells us that and we'll look at some as we proceed through this series but one of the the keys to understanding this parable and this prophecy is a prophetic key that history repeats itself in introducing the last presentation where we read AT Jones sermons we read from publishing ministry 175 I'd like to read that again again and again I've been shown that the past experiences of God's people are not to be counted as dead facts we are not to treat the record of these experiences as we would treat a last year's almanac the record is to be kept in mind for history will repeat itself the darkness of the mysteries of the night is to be illuminated with the light of heaven history will repeat itself and this principle and prophetic understanding is one that we must apply we must understand if we're going to take the parable of the ten virgins recognize its fulfillment in the pioneer movement and then bring it forward to our day and age and that's what we're going to attempt with this overall study is we're going to glean the historic way marks that have taken place in the time period of the pioneers align them with the parable and then set forth a sequence that we should expect to see develop in our day and age not simply a sequence but some of the characteristics of the circumstances in that sequence still in in line with this history repeating itself and try to and an attempt to try to defend what I just said about the pioneer time period being repeated here at the end is a familiar quote to those that have listened to my material this is one I go to quite a bit it's from Review and Herald August 19th 1890 when the third angels message is preached as it should be power attends its proclamation and it becomes an abiding influence it must be attended with divine power or it will accomplish nothing I'm often referred to the parable of the ten virgins five of whom were wise and five foolish this parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very letter for it has special application to this time and like the third angels message has been fulfilled and will continue to be present truth to the close of time in the parable the ten virgins had lamps but only five of them had the saving oil with which to keep their lamps burning this represents the condition of the church the wise and the foolish have their Bibles and are provided with all the means of grace but many do not appreciate the fact that they must have the heavenly unction they do not heed the invitation come unto me all you that are labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light the parable of the ten virgins she says in this passage has been fulfilled to the very letter but it will be fulfilled to the very letter again so the the parable itself is what will demonstrate to us what's going to take place and in our church and our movement here at the end of the world but it also illustrated the history of the pioneer movement so if we're going to understand what takes place at the end of the world we can look at the parable but we can also look to the history that unfolded during the pioneer movement now we've already looked at a quote which says that we should study all the characteristics in the parable of the ten virgins and we will do that maybe not all of them but many of them that's going to be the purpose of this series and this one that we're going to look at here the midnight cry is one that must be understood correctly I believe it's not simply an adjective in the parable the midnight cry is a movement but it's a movement that is brought about by a message a message that comes from Bible prophecy and the message that comes from Bible prophecy is new light when it arrives on the scene of history and we will seek to establish that by identifying that that's what took place with the pioneers and therefore we should look for that to happen again the great controversy 393 says the parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25 also illustrates the experience of the Adventist people let's look at the midnight cry and I there's maybe a few quotes in several quotes we're going to look at as we proceed through this that you're not familiar with I I'm quite sure great controversy early writings familiar passages but it was a blessing to me to go over the these again and I think as we go through them even if they're familiar to you and isolate some of these characteristics associated with the midnight cry and that you may receive a blessing too and further on in the series when we're dealing with what the actual message is that makes up the midnight cry then the importance and relevance of this study I hope will even be more completely understood from testimonies volume 1 page 58 it says this and now we're going to go back into the history of the pioneer movement it was not long after the passing of time in 1844 that my first vision was given me I was visiting a dear sister in Christ whose heart was knit with mine five of us all women were kneeling quietly at the family altar while we were praying the power of God came upon me as I've never felt it before I seem to be surrounded with light and to be rising higher and higher from the earth I turned to look for the Advent people in the world but could not find them when a voice said to me look again and look a little higher at this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path cast high above the world on this path the Advent people were traveling toward the city behind them at the beginning of the path was a bright light which an angel told me was the midnight cry this light shown all along the path that their feet might not stumble Jesus himself went just before his people to lead them forward and as long as they kept their eyes fixed on him they were safe but soon some grew weary and said the city was a great way off and they expected to have entered it before then Jesus would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm from which a light that waved over the Advent band and they shouted from which came a light that waved over the Advent band and they shouted hallelujah others rashly denied the light behind them and said it was not God that had led them out so far the light behind them went out leaving their feet in perfect darkness and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below here we see Sister White identifying the midnight cry as a light at the beginning of the Advent movement at the beginning of the path but the light illuminates the path all along the way and a very solemn conclusion to this paragraph to deny that light to deny the midnight cry whatever we find it to be is to go off into darkness very clearly illustrated here but let's go back into early writings page 14 and 15 and look a little bit more at this vision in this passage we just read she was commenting on that vision this is the vision part of the vision itself while I was praying at the family altar the Holy Ghost fell upon me and I seem to be rising higher and higher far above the dark world I turned to look for the Advent people in the world but could not find them when a voice said to me look again and look a little higher at this I raised my eyes and I saw a straight and narrow path cast high above the world on this path the Advent people were traveling to the city which was at the farther end of the path they had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path which an angel told me was the midnight cry now I want to emphasize that because this midnight cry is at the beginning and when we start drawing the the historical repetition we're going to find that the loud cry at the end is parallel paralleling the midnight cry at the beginning in a number of ways and this is the light that is the truth of these message are what the Lord uses to keep us on the path on our way to heaven early writings 238 more about this light near the close of the second angels message I saw a great light from heaven shining upon the people of God the rays of this light seemed bright as the Sun and and I heard the voices of angels crying behold the bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him this was the midnight cry which was to give power to the second angels message angels were sent from heaven to arouse the discouraged Saints and prepare them for the great work before him the most talented men were not the first to receive this message angels were sent to the humble devoted ones and constrain them to raise the cry behold the bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him those entrusted with the cry made haste and in the power of the Holy Spirit sounded the message and aroused their discouraged brethren this work did not stand in the wisdom and learning of men but in the power of God and his Saints who heard the cry could not resist it the most spiritual received this message first and those who had formerly led in the work were the last to receive and help swell the cry behold the bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him

In every part of the land, light was given upon the second angel's message, and the cry melted the hearts of thousands. It went from city to city, and from village to village, until the waiting people of God were fully aroused. In many churches, the message was not permitted to be given, and a large company who had the living testimony left these fallen churches. A mighty work was accomplished by the midnight cry. The message was heart-searching, leading the believers to seek a living experience for themselves. They knew that they could not lean upon one another. Now, much information to point out here to build the foundation for what's coming further down our study. At the close of the second angel's message, she starts by saying, there's a great light that comes from heaven. This is in agreement with the past two quotes we read. The midnight cry is a great light. But here she's going to get more specific about this great light, and she calls it a message. Throughout this passage, at least three times, she talks about it being a message, and it's a message that's designed to arouse the saints. This is in agreement, of course, with the parable, but what I'm hoping you're seeing here is that when in Ellen White's first vision, she's identifying the midnight cry as light at the beginning of the path, and a light that illuminates the path to heaven, that here this light is specifically called a message, and we'll see that she even identifies what this message was. Also notice that this light comes and joins the second angel's message. A second angel's message is distinct in one sense, and the midnight cry message comes and joins with it. We will see that the midnight cry coming after the second angel's message began has a parallel at the end, but with a slight variation. We're going to find that the second angel's message began in the pioneer movement, and the midnight cry joins it, and the midnight cry is paralleling the sequence of the loud cry of the fourth angel joining the third angel's message, because when they come together, the third angel's message swells into a loud cry. The variation that is there in prophecy is that in the pioneer movement, the second angel's message, which is a call out of Babylon, receives the midnight cry, whereas in our day and age, the third angel's message will receive the loud cry, and the loud cry is the call out of Babylon. So the message that's the call out of Babylon begins, receives the midnight cry, in our day and age, the third angel's message begins, and it receives the loud cry, which is the call out of Babylon. So there's a slight variation, but nevertheless, these are clearly paralleled from a variety of ways, and we will see this. A theme that is also in this passage we just read is a very solemn theme, and it's a theme that is illustrated throughout Bible prophecy, if you do more than a surface reading, is that the humble spiritual people are the ones that will be willing and ready to receive this message, this light, when it arrives in earth's history, and those that had formerly been the leaders will be the last to receive it, and in some places you can identify that many of them will not receive it, they will resist it. But we're going to look here at a passage from the Great Controversy, 398 through 402, but we're going to skip some parts, we're going to read this entire, go through these pages, but not catch every paragraph, we're going to catch the paragraphs that we need to further develop our subject here. The Great Controversy, 398 to 402. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps, Matthew 25, 5 through 7. In the summer of 1844, midway between the time when it had first, when it had been first thought that the 2300 days would end, and the autumn of the same year, to which it was afterward found that they extended, the message was proclaimed in the very words of scripture, Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Now the next paragraph is perhaps the most important paragraph to our study. She's talking here in this paragraph we just read, certainly about the parable of the ten virgins being fulfilled in the 1844 time period. And now she's going to tell us what brought about this movement. Now that's another part of the midnight cry that we need to look at as we go through. It's a bright light, but this bright light, the midnight cry, is a message. It's a message of arousal, but it also produces a movement. And when she's telling us what leads to this movement and this passage in the Great Controversy, we're going to find that it's a specific piece of information out of Bible prophecy. It's not simply a piece of information out of Bible prophecy, but it's a piece of information from the very prophecies that the Millerites had been proclaiming prior to that time. They had been proclaiming the 2300 day prophecy, and then the first disappointment in 1843 slowed down their zeal, if that's the way to describe it. And what brought about the midnight cry was an understanding from Bible prophecy, it was a message, and it can only be understood in the times that they were in as new light. It was new light, but it was new light from the very message of the 2300 days that they'd been proclaiming for probably at least 13 years, if you use 1831 as the time that William Miller began. But in any case, next paragraph. That which led to this movement was the discovery that the decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem, which formed the starting point for the period of the 2300 days, went into effect in the autumn of the year 457 BC, and not at the beginning of the year, as had been formally believed. Reckoning from the autumn of 457, the 2300 years terminate in the autumn of 1844. That piece of prophetic information, which was new light, is what brought about, which it is what the midnight cry was at that time, and brought about the movement that compelled those that heard it to go out in the very words of Scripture, Behold, the Bride proclaimed. In the very words of Scripture, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh. She continues on in this passage of the Great Controversy, given the biblical support for that position over the next few paragraphs, and I'm going to skip over those, but four paragraphs down, I'm just going to catch the first sentence to make a point before we move on. It says, after touching on some of the prophecies and the types that had confirmed that their understanding of the starting point from the 2300 days was accurate, and that this new light brought about the manifestation of the movement that went out and proclaimed, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, and as she's mentioning the different festivals and how they were to be fulfilled perfectly during that history, she says this, in like manner, the types which relate to the second advent must be fulfilled at the time pointed out in the symbolic service. Now, I know in Adventism today that that particular sentence is one of the main sentences that is used by those that want to uphold feast days, that we should still be worshiping the feast days here at the end of the world, but that's not the point that I want to draw from this, so don't get sidetracked with that thought if you're familiar with that. What I want to see as we go down here is that she's saying, in like manner, and points to the second advent. In another sense, what she's saying here is just what took place when this new information from prophecy brought about the fulfillment of the midnight cry in 1844, in like manner, as we come to the second advent, it will be repeated again, in like manner, because that's what we're looking at here is how this parable will be fulfilled again. Now dropping down after she, in the rest of that paragraph, keeps elaborating on the biblical proofs for this, the next paragraph she says, in the parable of Matthew 25, the time of waiting and slumbered is followed by the coming of the bridegroom. This was in accordance with the arguments just presented, both from prophecy and from the types. They carried strong conviction of their truthfulness, and the midnight cry was heralded by thousands of believers. Like a tidal wave, the movement swept over the land, from city to city, from village to village, and into remote country places it went, until the waiting people of God were fully aroused. Fanaticism disappeared before this proclamation, like early frost before the rising sun. Believers saw their doubt and perplexities removed, and hope and courage animated their hearts. Their work was free from those extremes which are ever manifested when there is human excitement without the controlling influence of the word and spirit of God. It was similar in character to those seasons of humiliation and returning unto the Lord which among ancient Israel followed messages of reproof from his servants. It bore the characteristics that mark the work of God in every age. There was little ecstatic joy, but rather deep searching of heart, confession of sin, and forsaking of the world. A preparation to meet the Lord was the burden of agonizing spirits. There was persevering prayer and unreserved consecration to God. Now in those two paragraphs, several points we need to pick up. When this new light came to them, new light that was directly related to the message they had been carrying, and this new light was established from Bible prophecy, it created a movement, a movement of people that went out in the very words of Scripture and proclaimed, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh. But in her description, it's easy to see that she's describing a movement that is empowered by the outpouring of the Spirit, and we'll look at some passages that establish that even more specifically, but we need to see this because this movement, in that time period of the Pioneer Movement, this was a movement that was typifying the latter rain of our time period. The midnight cry is typifying, pointing forward to the loud cry, the loud cry is the latter rain. So we're seeing here, illustrated back in 1844, a miniature, if you will, of the latter rain movement that will take place. So not only are we going to see that the midnight cry is a specific message that is identified as new light, but this message is what brings about the final revival here at the end of the world, and in order to see that established from the Bible and the Parable of the Ten Virgins, we need to see that that's what took place when the Parable of the Ten Virgins was fulfilled in the Pioneer Movement, and not only does she describe how the message was carried during that time period, she points back to other times in history, in biblical history, when there were revivals and reformations that were brought about from messages of reproof, and she speaks to the fact that the genuine revivals are not those that produce fanaticism, and they bring about the very solemn heart-searching that typifies a genuine revival. The next paragraph, she talks about William Miller and other pioneers, how they describe this solemn revival that took place, we're going to skip over those, to the third paragraph after which we just read, and she says this. Of all the great religious movements since the days of the apostles, none have been more free from human imperfection and the wiles of Satan than was that of the autumn of 1844. Even now, after the lapse of many years, all who shared in that movement, and who have stood firm upon the platform of truth, still feel the holy influence of that blessed work and bear witness that it was of God. Of course, you can hear me emphasizing, it's a movement among other things. The new light that they received that fulfilled the midnight cry brought about a movement. Next paragraph, at the call, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him, the waiting ones arose and trimmed their lamps. They studied the word of God with an intensity of interest before unknown. Angels were sent from heaven to arouse those who had become discouraged and prepare them to receive the message. The work did not stand in the wisdom and learning of men, but in the power of God. It was not the most talented, but the most humble and devoted who were the first to hear and obey the call. Farmers left their crops standing in the fields, mechanics laid down their tools and with tears and rejoicing went out to give the warning. Those who had formerly led in the cause were among the last to join this movement. The churches in general closed their doors against this message and a large company of those who received it withdrew from their connection. In the providence of God, this proclamation united with the second angel's message and gave power to that work. The message, behold the bridegroom cometh, was not so much a matter of argument, though the scripture proof was clear and conclusive, there went with it an impelling power that moved the soul. There was no doubt, no questioning. Upon the occasion of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the people who were assembled from all parts of the land to keep the feast flocked to the Mount of Olives. And as they joined the throng that were escorting Jesus, they caught the inspiration of the hour and helped to swell the shout, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matthew 21.9 In like manner did unbelievers.

who flock to Adventist meetings, some from curiosity, some merely to ridicule, feel the convicting power attending the message, behold the Bridegroom cometh." Now once again she goes back into Bible history to look at the history of Christ entering Jerusalem and compares that with the history of 1844 and the summer of 1844 which is a fulfillment of the parable of the ten virgins which will be fulfilled again to the very letter. So when we discuss the history of ahead of us where the Lateran movement is going forward it's these histories she's taking us back to in the Bible in the history of the pioneer movement that are illustrating that time period. But the thing, the catalyst that brought that about was this discovery of the starting point of the 2300 days. It was a piece of information, prophetic information out of the book of Daniel that brought about the revival. Of course this is, we've been told and we understand the books of Daniel and Revelation as we should, they'll be seen among us a great revival. Today we've been told in advance that there would be some type of information in the books of Daniel and Revelation that would bring about a revival and that concept is nothing more than paralleling what took place in the summer of 1844. Let's look a little bit closer at this movement and this message. This is Spirit of Prophecy volume 4 page 429. The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third message is to lighten the whole earth with its glory. A work of worldwide extent and unwanted power is here brought to view. Now what we're talking about here is the fourth angel's message of the latter reign, the loud cry time period continuing on. Notice the history she goes back to to illustrate this time period. The advent movement of 1840 to 44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God. The first message was carried to every missionary station in the world and in this country there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the 16th century. But these are to be far exceeded by the mighty movement under the loud cry of the third message. The work will be similar to that of the day of Pentecost. Servants of God with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration hasten from place to place to proclaim the warning from heaven by thousands of voices all over the earth. The message will be given. Miracles are wrought, the sick are healed, and signs and wonders follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing fire down from heaven in sight of men. Thus the inhabitants of earth are brought to take their stand. The message will be carried as was the midnight cry of 1844, not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented, the seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose mind have been impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. The truth is more precious than all besides, notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord's side. So I hope we're seeing that in our day and age there's going to be a message carried that will parallel the message of the midnight cry in 1844. Now if you take that history of 1844 and go back into the parable of the ten virgins, you get to a very solemn understanding, and it's an understanding that is stumbled over in Adventism, and it's not the point of this particular study to elaborate too fully on this, but I don't want to pass this point without at least alluding to it, and it is this. 1844, in the doldrums following the disappointment in 1843, there comes new light upon the very prophecy that they've been proclaiming, and this new light is a message that brings about a movement that carries the message, and this, these circumstances are a fulfillment of the midnight cry, behold the bridegroom cometh. Now if you go back into the parable of the ten virgins, and we'll show this in later studies more clearly if you haven't understood this, when the midnight cry is given in the parable, all the virgins awake, but it is too late at that point for the foolish virgins. It's too late. They're counseled to go and try to find oil, and it's later when the door is closed, but at the midnight cry, the foolish virgins find there without the oil, particularly the oil in their vessels. Now here's my point. As we come forward to the loud cry of the fourth angel, which we just read here in the Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, 429, you see Sister White paralleling the message that will be carried under the latter rain during this future time period with the midnight cry of 1844, which means those that are carrying this message, as those that were carrying the message in the 1844 time period, they have already been awoken by the midnight cry. They've already been awoken by the message of new light that is the fulfillment of the midnight cry, and the fulfillment of the midnight cry allows them to go forward and proclaim this message, and that's what the seeds of the missionary work then spring up. That's what the people respond to is this message, but the midnight cry begins before the message goes to those that are seeds waiting to sprout. So therefore, when the midnight cry arrives in our point in history, there will be awakening of the virgins, and there will be wise and foolish, and at that point the foolish virgins are going to recognize they have no oil in their vessels, and the wise virgins go out and proclaim this message of new light, and therefore we see that there is still a time period of probation open for those that are outside Adventism, and the foolish virgins have recognized that they're without oil even before that time period closes for those outside of Adventism. Anyway, that's another understanding that I just didn't want to pass by there, but in this passage of Spirit of Prophecy, note that she parallels the loud cry of the fourth angel's message with the movement of the midnight cry in 1844, and with Pentecost once again going back to biblical history to establish these things, and Pentecost truly the biblical history that points forward to the latter reign. More on this subject. Early Writings 277. I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven, descending to the earth and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth to unite his voice with the third angel and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, and he cried mightily with a strong voice, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devil, the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel's message as it swells to a loud cry, and the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel's message. Angels were sent to aid the mighty angel from heaven, and I heard voices which seemed to sound everywhere, come out of her my people, that you be not partaker of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. This message seemed to be an addition to the third message, joining it as the midnight cry joined the second angel's message in 1844. The glory of God rested upon the patient waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon and calling upon God's people to come out of her that they might escape her fearful doom. Now brothers and sisters, there's some very interesting things to see in here. We've mentioned them already, but we'll go through it. She's speaking about the midnight cry in 1844, of course, and she's comparing it with what's ahead of us when the third angel's message swells to a loud cry, and the swelling of the third angel's message to a loud cry is when the fourth angel's message joins it. 1844, the second angel's message is a call out of Babylon, and it is joined by the midnight cry. In our day and age, we're not in the message that is the call out of Babylon. We're in the third message, which is a warning against receiving the mark of the beast, and there comes a point in that message when it swells to a loud cry, and at that point, that's when this fourth angel joins the work, and the fourth angel is also a call out of Babylon, as was the second angel's message. So one thing to note here is you can see that there's definitely a repeat of events symbolically illustrated in the book of Revelation simply by the repetition of the content of the message of the second angel being the content of the message of the fourth angel. There's a historical repetition symbolized there, and one of the distinctions is that in the beginning, the second angel's message is empowered with the midnight cry. In other words, the call out of Babylon receives extra power, but in our day and age, the third message, the warning against the mark of the beast, receives extra power with the call out of Babylon. Very similar, though a little bit different. Now, if, and I don't say if as if it's possible, the fact of the matter is, is the midnight cry is clearly identified as a piece of prophetic information, which when it arrives in history is understood is defined as new light. So there will come a point in history when there will be new light, and I would add a specification that I'm under conviction is accurate. This new light will be the same type of new light as in the summer of 1844, that being that it'll be new light on the very prophecy that has been being proclaimed. You see, in summer of 1844, the new light was on the starting point of the 2300 days. The new light wasn't on some biblical doctrine not associated with the 2300 days. It was new light directly connected to it. In our day and age, I would submit to you that the message that we are giving to the world is summarized. All the truth that we're giving can be placed under the message of the third angel. The third angel's message is our message, and therefore, I would submit to you that when the midnight cry arrives in our time period, that it will be new light on that very message. It will, the message that will fulfill the midnight cry and bring about the movement of the latter rain, the content, the biblical prophetic content of that message will have Sabbath Sunday issue. In fact, if you were investigating this, I would say that if someone was telling you that the new light that was going to bring about the latter rain was thus and so, and that thus and so had no obvious connection to the Sunday law issue and the Sabbath, that would be your first warning sign that this certainly wasn't it. And when we get further into our studies, we'll show you what we believe the prophetic information is from the book of Daniel, chapter 11, and that it is directly related to the Sunday law, to the third angel's message. But that's a ways off. Now, there was something that was accomplished by this series of events in the pioneer movement, which is outside simply the fulfilling the characteristics of the parable of the ten virgins. It's below the surface, and we want to look at that because this too will be repeated, and you'll see what I mean as we look at a couple quotes. This is from Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 7, 971. The special light given to John, which was expressed in the seven thunders, was a delineation of events which would transpire under the first and second angels' messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested. In the order of God, most wonderful and advanced truth would be proclaimed. The first and second angels' message were to be proclaimed, but no further light was to be revealed before these messages had done their specific work. In that time period where we find the parable of the ten virgins reaching the point of

of the midnight cry, the second angel's message, and the first angel's message, and the first disappointment. In that time period, there was a testing of the faith that had to take place, and it was in the Lord's providence that it was to take place, and it was the events, according to what Sister White's commenting on the seven thunders that John heard, but was not allowed to write, those thunders were describing the sequence of events, or at least the events during that time period, and those events brought about a testing of the faith, which must take place, and therefore, we would expect, if that parable, if that was part of the fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins, and it certainly was, and if that was fulfilled to the very letter, and it's gonna be fulfilled again, then we should expect to see a sequence of events, or at least circumstances, that will take place at the end of the world, that also will bring about a testing of our faith, and remember that one of the ways that you demonstrate, or can see that this history is repeated, is in the second and fourth angel's message themselves. The very fact that the content of the message is so similar tells you there's something that is repeated there, and we're gonna look at some passage where Sister White talks about that, but at the same time, she talks about testing or purification process, which would also tie in to the passage we just read, and this is from Selected Messages, book two, page 118. Once again, she's gonna go back into biblical history to illustrate not only what took place in 1844, but what takes place at the end. When Jesus began his public ministry, he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of his ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and in the loud cry of the third angel's message, a voice is heard from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins that you receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. So here we see Sister White divinely pointing us to the two times that Christ cleansed the temple, and these two cleansing, she says, are symbolizing the cleansing, two distinct calls to the churches, but they are symbolized and they take place during the second and fourth angel's message. The Crest Collection, 114, says this. God's love for his church is infinite. His care over his heritage is unceasing. He suffers no affliction to come upon the church, but such as essential for her purification, her present and eternal good. He will purify his church even as he purified the temple at the beginning and close of his ministry on earth. So John's thunder, seven thunders that he wasn't allowed to write that were describing events that were designed to test God's people during the 1844 time period are pointing forward to a similar set of circumstances that will test his people, but if you focus more closely at this test, it's tests or circumstances that are designed to purify his people. The Publishing Ministry, 170. The Lord will work to purify his church. I tell you in truth, the Lord is about to turn and overturn in the institutions called by his name. Just how soon this refining process will begin, I cannot say, but it will not be long deferred. He whose fan is in his hand will cleanse his temple of its moral defilement. He will thoroughly purge his floor. Now, when I address this subject as I do in some of my presentations, I point out something and I'll point it out here again, but I'm not sure that this is all there is to understand about it. But on October 21st, 1844, some estimate there was 50,000 people in the Advent movement. In October 22nd, 1844, it went down to 50. Those circumstances and events tested the faith of the people involved with that movement and purified that people on a 1,000 to one ratio. And as we come to the end of the world, we should expect to see the same type of process take place when the Lord purifies his temple once again, and it will be very, very good for us. If the ratio is only 1,000 to one, because humanly, we can look at the condition of the church today and wonder if the ratio isn't gonna be much higher. And I would submit to you, although this is a study farther down from this particular study, this cleansing that takes place in our day and age is a cleansing that is directly related to the message that we're involved with, which is a warning against receiving the mark of the beast, which is the Sunday Law, and it's at that Sunday Law, when it arrives in history, that we'll do this faith testing that will parallel the test of faith that went on in the pioneer movement. It's the Sunday Law that will purify as the disappointment purified in 1844. Now, from Special Testimony Series A, page 54 and onward, it says this. We are not to drift into worldly channels. Consider the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Christ's ministry and at the close of his life, his personal labors in the guise of humanity. Whom did he find intent on gain? The Jews had made the courts of the temple a scene of sacrilegious traffic. They had turned the ancient and sacred institution of the Passover into a means of vile profit. They bartered deep, turning the once sacred service instituted by Christ himself into a worship of mammon. But Christ came suddenly into the temple courts. Divinity flashed through humanity and raising a whip of small cords in his hands with a voice that will hear again in the execution of judgment, he said, take these things hence. It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. These priests and rulers saw, as it were, an avenging angel with a flaming sword such as guarded the way to the tree of life. Today, this sacrilegious work is being more than repeated. There will be messages born, and those who have rejected the messages that God has sent will hear most startling declarations. The Holy Spirit will invest the announcement with a sanctity and solemnity which will appear terrible in the ears of those who have heard the pleadings of infinite love and have not responded to the offers of pardon and forgiveness. Injured and insulted, deity will speak, proclaiming the sins that have been hidden. As the priests and rulers fled of indignation and terror, sought refuge in flight at the last scene of the cleansing of the temple, so will it be in the work for these last days. The woes that will be pronounced upon those who have had the light of heaven and yet did not heed it, they will feel, but will have no power to act. This is represented in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. They cannot obtain a character from the wise virgins, and they have no oil of grace to discern the clear light or to accept it. They cannot light their lamps and join the procession that goes into the marriage supper of the lamb. Study the revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated. We must be true and faithful amid the abounding iniquity that prevails, and at no period of time are we in such danger as when prosperity seems to crown our efforts. Self must be hidden in God. We are living amid the perils of the last days, and many are insensible to the perils that threaten our world. We, with all our religious advantages, ought to know far more than we do know. Watch and pray, said Jesus, for you know not when the time is. Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not. Repentance is not a desirable emotion. Christ said, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. The right eye is to be plucked out, the right hand is to be cut off. There is hidden depravity that needs to be carefully considered and uprooted. God help us to individually purify our own souls by obeying the truth. Just as Christ cleansed the temples, the temple two times, under the second and fourth angel's message, he will once again purify his church, and Sister White here clearly identifies this into the parable of the 10 virgins, and that those that will flee under fear, they'll flee for one thing, it's very clear, under messages that are born. There's gonna be a message that comes that causes them to flee, and brothers and sisters, it's really noteworthy to pay attention to these little glimpses of prophetic truth and the spirit of prophecy in the Bible that deal with this time when the church is being purified, because invariably, and this is one of them, invariably there's a very easily missed truth that is woven into these, and I say that because there's so many people in Adventism today that don't seem to be catching that, and that is this. When Sister White is talking in this passage about the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, and that it's obvious that the foolish virgins are the ones that are gonna hear this message, and it's going to frighten them because they haven't prepared for this event by having a vessel full of oil during that time period. What they do is they flee the temple. They leave the temple, and invariably, in Bible prophecy, when this purification process is being described, you see those that are in the temple that ultimately are going to be lost. Doesn't matter which biblical symbol you look at, whether you're speaking about the tares, or the dross, or the Laodiceans, or the foolish virgins, they go out of the temple, and you don't have to use the statements of Sister White that says there will never come a time when the Adventist church is Babylon. You can see it portrayed very clearly in Bible prophecy that yes, the church is going to become full of sacrilegious desecration, but the Lord will purify it, and those that are involved in this sacrilegious sinning in the different ways that are taking place in the church today, they go out of the church. No message to leave the church. The message is to receive Christ, that your vessel may have the oil, and that you won't be found a foolish virgin when the message of the midnight cry arrives in history, and we're all awoke at that time, and when we're awoke, it's too late to buy the oil. Manuscript Releases, Volume 21, page 436 to 438. All the messages given from 1840 to 1844 are to be made forcible now, for there are many people who have lost their bearings. The messages are to go to all the churches. Christ said, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear, for verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them, Matthew 13, 16, and 17. Blessed are the eyes which saw the things that were seen in 1843 and 1844. The message was given, and there should be no delay in repeating the message, for the signs of the times are fulfilling. The closing work must be done. A great work will be done in a short time. A message will soon be given by God's appointment that will swell into a loud cry. Then Daniel will stand in his lot to give his testimony. Now, there's more to this passage, and we're gonna keep reading, but one of the main points of this passage is that there's a message, a specific message, that will arrive by God's appointment. God has designed that a message is going to come in to Adventism that swells into a loud cry, and this is directly paralleling what happened in the pioneer movement. Now, once you see this principle, even if you're not sure what message it's gonna be that finally arrives in Adventism at the end, at least it should stimulate your holy curiosity to begin searching for what that message is. This is the message that we need to understand at this time of Earth's history. This message, whatever it is, is of supreme importance to understand correctly and bring the truth of that message into our life. So the midnight cry, symbolizing a message of new light, at the end of the world, is something that is of supreme importance to understand both the effect it brings and what the message is itself. Now, back to the passage. The attention of our churches must be aroused. We are standing upon the borders of the greatest event in the world's history, and Satan must not have power over the people of God, causing them to sleep on. The papacy will appear in its power. All must now arouse and search the scripture for God will make known to his faithful ones what shall be in the last time. The word of the Lord is to come to his people in power. The sign of the ends are fast fulfilling. The time of trouble is very near us now. We are to be brought into straight places in a way in which we can be saved.

which we have not been brought heretofore. The time of trouble is near, and we are to awake to a realization of this. We are to be sure that our feet are in the narrow path. We need an experience that we have not yet had, that we may have the assurance that the God of all grace is a very present help in time of need. The time of trouble, trouble such as not since there was a nation, is right upon us, and we are like the sleeping virgins. We are to awake and ask the Lord to place underneath us his everlasting arms and carry us through the time of trial before us. Let us turn our attentions away from unimportant things and give ourselves to God. We scarcely dream of the destroying angels that already are permitted to bring disaster and destruction in their path. Shall my life be spared to act a part in the closing scenes of this earth's history? How little we know of what is going on in heaven. What fearful indifference those on this earth show to eternal realities. Souls are unprepared for what is about to take place in our world. The warning must be given. The end of all things is at hand. Again, I say to my ministering brethren in Battle Creek, preach the word. The last message of mercy is to be given to prepare a people to stand in these last days. Everything is to be shaken that can be shaken, that those things that cannot be shaken may remain. This is what has been presented to me, that we are asleep and do not know the time of our visitation. But if we humble ourselves before God and seek him with whole heart, he will be found of us. Manuscript releases, volume 21, 436 and onward. Very important passage there, but notice in this scenario that she's speaking about, after referring to the significance of those that were blessed because they seen the events of 1843 and 1844. And the height of that experience was the midnight cry. As you go back in, that's what opened the doors to this movement that was inspired by the Holy Spirit, this movement that left a holy influence upon those that were involved in it, if they stayed faithful until they were laid to rest. That was the height of that 1843, 1844 time period. And then after she refers us back to this, she says, a message will soon be given by God's appointment that will swell into a loud cry. Now, this is just another way that she says, parallels where she says, when we understand the books of Daniel and Revelation as we should, there'll be seen among us a great revival. There is a message, a piece of information, and prophecy that will fulfill the parable of the 10 virgins in our day. It will fulfill it in the sense that it will be the midnight cry message. And brothers and sisters, when that message arrives, this is where this gets serious. When that message arrives, it is too late for the foolish virgins. Because the midnight cry in the parable is when they all awake. So a very important understanding about what this midnight cry message is and the position it has in the sequence of events that are outlined in the parable of the 10 virgins. Review and Herald, February 11, 1896. Today, the question is to come home to every heart. Do you believe in the Son of God? The question is not, do you admit that Jesus is the Redeemer of the world and that you should repeat to your soul and to others, believe, believe, all you have to do is believe. But she said, that isn't the question. But here is the question. Do you have practical faith in the Son of God so that you bring him into your life and character until you are one with him? Many accept the theory of Christ, but they make it manifest by their works that they do not know him as the Savior who died for the sins of men, who bore the penalty of their transgression, in order that they might be brought back to their loyalty to God and through the merits of a crucified and risen Savior might find acceptance with God in their obedience to his law. Christ died to make it possible for you to cease from sin, and sin is the transgression of the law. There is a world lying in wickedness, in deception, and delusion. In the very shadow of death, asleep, asleep. Who are feeling travail of soul to awaken them? What voice can reach them? My mind was carried forward to the future. When the signal will be given, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him. But some will have delayed to obtain the oil for the replenishing of their lamps. And too late they will find that character, which is represented by the oil, is not transferable. Review and Herald, February 11, 1896. Brothers and sisters, further in our studies, we're going to look at some of the differences and distinctions of the wise and foolish virgins. And we're going to look at the oil in the vessels. And in Adventism today, I would suggest to you that if you ask your typical Adventist audience what the oil in the parable of the 10 virgins represents, the majority of people are going to say, well, it represents the Holy Spirit. And that's only a partial truth. It's true. But when we look closer in the spirit of prophecy, Sister White, as in this passage, says that the oil also represents character. You see, for a foolish virgin in Adventism today, to look at the parable of the 10 virgins and simply say, well, the oil in the parable is the Holy Spirit can be a bit deceptive in my mind. Because in Adventism today, the wise and the foolish virgins, they all have the oil in their life, if that's the definition. Because the Holy Spirit, whether you truly have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in your life or not, the Holy Spirit is, if you don't have the Holy Spirit in your life, the Holy Spirit is still speaking to your heart, saying, come unto me. Come unto me. Surrender. Receive me. Be born again. So all the virgins are having an experience with the Holy Spirit. The wise virgins are having an experience that consists of the Holy Spirit living within them and guiding their life. The foolish virgins are having the experience of the Holy Spirit trying to woo them to the truth before it's too late. But oil isn't simply, in this parable, the Holy Spirit. It's character, as we just read. The wise virgins have the oil as part of their character. And we're going to look at that further. But brothers and sisters, the one thing that I wanted to pull out of this passage and tie it in with the last passage, the last passage, she said from the last passage from Manuscript Release, Volume 21, she said, a message will soon be given by God's appointment that will swell into a loud cry. In here, she says, my mind was carried to the future when the signal will be given. Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go you out to meet him. Sometime in the future, the midnight cry is once again going to take place. And that midnight cry will be just like the midnight cry of the summer of 1844, in the sense that it will be considered a new light. It will be a further clarification of the very message that we've been proclaiming. And brothers and sisters, the pioneers, though there's parallels and similarities, there are some differences. The pioneers were not proclaiming the third angel's message. William Miller brought the first angel's message to the world. And there came a point where they began being involved with the second angel's message when it arrived in history. And the churches shut their doors to them. And then came the midnight cry, and then the great disappointment, which began the understanding of the third angel's message. But the pioneers were proclaiming the first and second angel's message. Now, the third angel message arrives in history. And here at the end of the world, we also have a message to take to the world, as did the pioneers. But our message is not the first and second angel's message, even though we are to explain and repeat that message. But the message that we carry to the world is the third message. So the piece of new light that came in the pioneer movement had to do with the message they were taking to the world, which was Daniel 8.14, the 2,300-day prophecy. We've already read how that was fulfilled. And our message is not Daniel 8.14. Our message is the third angel's message, a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. So at some time in the future, Sister White's mind was carried to the future, she says. The signal will be given for the midnight cry once again. And that is symbolizing that sometime in the future, there's going to be a message, new light, new light on the message we've been proclaiming, new light on the third angel's message. New light, something to do with what the very third angel's message is, something to do with the Sunday law. And brothers and sisters, new light can't be separated from the parable of the 10 virgins. Oh, yes, we can take a shallow reading of the parable of the 10 virgins and not recognize that. But we can't begin to study the fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins in the pioneer movement and then look at all the information telling us how it will be repeated again without recognizing that new light is one of the characteristics of the midnight cry. And that's why we started in our last presentation with A.T. Jones' sermon. There was a time period in Adventism where someone like A.T. Jones, someone, brothers and sisters, let's face it, he brought a message in 1888 that was not received. There was controversy. There was resistance, not minor resistance, no matter what the Adventist historians tell us today. If you go back to the information that was recorded during that time period, there was tremendous resistance and not holy resistance to Jones and Wagner. And five years later, he's in front of the general conference meeting in 1893. And the dynamics there, here's the leadership of the church. And he's standing up giving a message. And you can't believe that everybody out there is just sympathetic and supportive of this man. And the opening statement he has to make to them is how we should come to God's word as little children expecting to receive new light. Point being is that we don't have any record of those that were listening to this message standing up and protesting, that this man, oh, he's always trying to find something new and different. That's the whole focus of his ministry. They didn't stand up and protest it because back then, even though there was controversy among them, they all understood that. They all understood that when someone humbly and in the spirit comes to God's word, that you should have an expectation of God telling you something that you didn't understand. And here at the end of the world, we should not only have that humble reverence and expectation for what the Lord would teach us out of his word. But more than that, we have the historical record of the fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins where we should be able to see that there is a specific piece of new light that God's going to use to finish this work. And therefore, we should be humbling ourself to try to come to understand that and understand the implications of it. If there's anyone that understands what we're saying here, it's Satan. And Satan does not want this new light, this message that will fulfill the midnight cry to be understood and received by God's people. So when the time period approaches for this to come into history, we should also expect that one of the manifestations that will be taking place at that time is a resistance to that message that is orchestrated from the dark side of the controversy. Signs of the Time, January 3, 1878. As the time of Christ's second appearing draws near, the Lord sends his servants with a warning message to the world to prepare for that great event. As the world have been living in transgression of the law of God, in mercy he sends a message of warning to arouse their attention and hold before them the law of God as a mirror into which they can look and discover the defects in their moral character. If they will at once make earnest efforts to remedy these defects by repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, they will be pardoned through the merits of his blood. For this is the only hope of the transgression of the law of God. But as in the days of Noah, there is, with the majority, a total disbelief of the testimony God in his mercy sent to warn the world of her coming destruction. Now, I wanted to end there for this reason. This message is also a message that gets taken to the world. And in one of our opening quotes in this study, where we're told to study every characteristic of the parable of the 10 virgins, and you have this complete passage in the newsletter you receive with this tape, you'll notice that I believe it's the first paragraph, I don't have it in front of me right now, that she tells us that the parable of the 10 virgins describes the world, not the Adventist church. And we read a quote from Great Controversy where the parable of the 10 virgins illustrates the experience of the Advent people. How do we bring these things together? Well, the way I understand that they're brought together is that.

This message first comes to the advent people, but the very same message, ultimately, under the loud cry, gets taken to the world. And it's this understanding that allows us to more focus in on what the content of this message is, because the third angel's message is what we've been preaching, and it's a message against receiving the mark of the beast. And I would suggest to you that there's going to be a new light, and we're going to discuss that later, about that Sunday Law time period that will fulfill the parable. It will be the midnight cry message for Adventists, at which point the foolish virgins in Adventism will have no more time to obtain the oil. But the wise virgins will understand the message, and as the illustration is clearly identified in the 1844 time period, the wise virgins go out in the various words of scripture and proclaim, Behold the Bridegroom cometh to the world. And in this time period of Earth's history, the Behold the Bridegroom cometh will be identifying the return of Jesus Christ, but associated with it will be the content of the third angel's message, a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. In the 1844 time period, we're told they went out in the very words of scripture and proclaimed, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, and they believed it was the second coming of Christ, but in reality, it was Christ coming to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. But this time, it will truly be the second coming of Christ, but the content will have to do with the message of the third angel, a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. So as we go through the parable of the 10 virgins, we need to understand that there's a direct and specific application to God's people, but that this process of purification that takes place through the experience illustrated will also proceed through the Earth, and the Earth will also have opportunity to receive this message or reject it. And as we were just told from another passage of biblical history, that it will be as the days of Noah were, not many will receive it, though we're also told that during the latter reign, many will come to the truth. But look at how many people are in the world today. In our next presentation, at least at this time, I'm planning the next presentation, we're gonna look at the parable of the 10 virgins as symbolized in the Old Testament, particularly by Zachariah the prophet. It's in that passage where we can see very clearly that the oil, and we've already mentioned that the oil in the parable of the 10 virgins represents the Holy Spirit, and we've represented it also from a passage here as character. But perhaps the most important definition of what the oil symbolizes in the parable of the 10 virgins can be established from the book of Zachariah, where Zachariah is clearly being used to represent those that take part in the fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins, and you can find this in chapter four. And as we look at these golden pipe through which the oil is conveyed, and we look closely, we're gonna find that the oil represents something else in the parable of the 10 virgins beyond simply the Holy Spirit, and beyond simply character. But as we've been trying to emphasize here, the oil represents messages, and the oil in the parable, as it symbolizes a message from God, only heightens the importance of understanding what the midnight cry is. And brothers and sisters, if you're hearing things here that are new, well, praise the Lord, but go test them. Don't be, as some are in Adventism today, unwilling to even consider the idea of different understandings. But let's take the attitude that we heard so clearly conveyed in the last presentation on this series by the sermons of A.T. Jones. Let's take the attitude that when we come to the word of God, the spirit of prophecy, we need to come as little children expecting that the Lord would teach us things, especially at this point in Earth's history, when it's clear by what's going on in the world today that the Lord is about to return.