Good afternoon. This presentation, of course, is going to be one of the most difficult because it's right after lunch, but it's a little bit more difficult for another reason. I had a truth that I hope you'll see in this presentation that I wanted to make a defense for, so to speak. And when I began putting the material together for this, I was searching for it primarily from the Old Testament. I purposed, I wanted to focus on the Bible more than the spirit of prophecy. And I started putting together the material for this, and when I gathered together out of the Old Testament, the passages that relate to this subject, I had 118 pages, and I thought, well, you know, I can barely get through eight pages of notes, so 118 is certainly way too many. So I cut it down to 18 pages, and after I got it down to 18 pages, I realized that's still way too much. So what you're looking at is probably ten pages, and you'll notice that the font size in this ten pages has kind of shrunk, but I'm saying that for this reason. What we're going to present here to you, if it happens to be new, it is identified in the Old Testament over and over and over again. This is, the themes we're going to touch on here are, it just runs through the Old Testament and the spirit of prophecy. And there are some truths that we're going to identify in here that are very important truths to Adventism, and sometimes when you haven't been confronted with some of these truths, then you haven't thought about what the dynamics of that truth is when it comes into the Advent message. You haven't maybe thought out why that's important to understand this way or that way. Sometimes even though we know the truth, we don't carry it to its full extreme. And as an example, so I don't, so I'm not completely vague, some of us do understand that at the Sunday Law, our probation closes, but some of us that even understand that don't take it to the next step, well what kind of implication does that have for God's church? And there are these truths, if you look at them more closely, they're much broader than a surface view, and so some of the things you may be familiar with in here, but some of the things that we're familiar with in here, I think that if we look deeper, they just keep getting more and more significant to our end-time understanding of things. Now, what I'm suggesting to you in this presentation is that the focus of end-time Bible prophecy, the centerpiece of end-time Bible prophecy is the last six verses of Daniel 11. What I'm suggesting to you is that in the Old Testament when the prophets were recording information that was illustrating the end of the world, that the place that the Lord wants us to take those pieces of information and align them with is the last six verses of Daniel 11. Now that shouldn't be too much a stretch for us to believe that that was so, because as Adventists, we've taught from the very beginning that the outline of Bible prophecy is found in the book of Daniel, Daniel 2, there you have your thumbnail sketch of Bible prophecy, Daniel 7 just overlays on top of it and expands it, Daniel 8 overlays on top of it and expands it, and Daniel 11 does the very same thing. But the thing about Daniel 11 is it's the passage of prophecy that give us some sequence of events just before the close of probation. Of all of Daniel's prophecy, it's the one that gives us certain stepping stones there at the very end, and I believe that it was the Lord's design that as we begin to try to identify what's going to take place at the end of the world, that just like Daniel 2, is the pattern that we use. For instance, we've already touched on a bit that in Daniel 11, the subject is the King of the North. Well, you go to the Bible prophets and you'll see them referring to this northern king. Well, if you really want to bring that truth into clear perspective, bring those testimonies together with the story of the King of the North in Daniel 11, and the picture seems to develop even better. Now what I'm suggesting to you in the sequence of events that I'm going to speak to right here is the sequence of events that's found in the last six verses of Daniel 11, and this sequence means everything in the world to Seventh-day Adventists. And here's the sequence that I would suggest to you that Daniel 11, 40 to 45, describes for us. Verse 40 describes the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. This verse, its purpose, among other things, I don't profess to understand all of God's purpose on any item, but one of the purposes of verse 40 is that it was to tell us that verse 41 was about to take place. In fact, verse 41 is the next thing to happen in Bible prophecy, and verse 41 is describing a Sunday law in the United States. Now, there's much in verse 41, but what I want you to see about verse 40 is verse 40, the purpose of verse 40 was to tell us verse 41 was coming. And the reason for that is because it was information that is designed to be given to a people that are in a Laodicean state. They're asleep. They need to be awoken. And the collapse of the Soviet Union was enough prophetic information that should you choose to see it in Bible prophecy, you can wake up that these final movements are underway. The next movement, the Sunday law in the United States, probation closes. So from that verse, you can see that what it is designed to do is bring about a revival. So one of the sequences, part of the sequence that we're going to show you in the Old Testament is that God's people are asleep. They need to be awoke. They need to be revived. Now when you get to verse 41, another thing that happens in verse 41 that is relevant is that at the Sunday law, God's church is purified, brothers and sisters. When the Sunday law arrives that fulfills Bible prophecy, that being two parts, when you are persecuted for keeping Sabbath and forced to observe the Sunday, those two conditions are met. If you choose to keep Sunday at that point, you receive the mark of the beast. If you choose to observe Sabbath, you're faithful, you receive the seal of God. The only other possible position at that time period is for those that have never had opportunity to understand the distinction between Sabbath and Sunday. They still have a time period to choose, but for Seventh-day Adventists, we're not judged simply by the light that we have, we're judged by the light that we could have had if we would have availed ourselves. We'll be without excuse when that Sunday law arrives. So when that Sunday law arrives, and I'm saying that's what's portrayed in verse 41 of Daniel 11, one of the other things that happens is God's church is purified. And in Testimonies, volume 5, page 214, it says that when we receive the seal of God, then the latter rain is poured upon us. So at the Sunday law, we receive the seal of God, then the latter rain is poured upon us, which empowers us to give the loud cry message, which has come out of Babylon. So one of the other truths that is found in verse 41 of Daniel 11, at the Sunday law in the United States, the church is purified, and the message then goes to the world. So part of what you can see in Daniel 11, 40-41, is a people in need of a revival, a revival being brought about by God. Nothing that we do on our own, it's through His prophetic word, He brings about the revival. He brings about the revival by identifying the approaching event of the purification of God's church. When the event does arrive, the church is purified, and then it takes the message to the world. Now in verse 42 and 43, you see the king of the north, his next step after the Sunday law in the world, is he conquers Egypt, which is the world. And remember, what's being portrayed here is the final war. So as you see the king of the north conquering the world, in verse 42 and 43, symbolized by Egypt, you need to recognize that in this warfare there's obviously somebody he's in war against, and that's God's people. The very same time that the king of the north is conquering Egypt, conquering the world, then we automatically assume that the opposing force to that is God's people are carrying the message to the world. So first verses, people need to be revived. God's prophetic message revives them. The fulfillment of the message that was the warning that revived them, purifies the church, which allows God to take the message to the world at the same time the king of the north is conquering the world, the papacy. And then verse 44 and 45 are describing this same thing. This message that God's people have been carrying to the world enrages the king of the north. He goes out to utterly destroy and make away many, and in the Hebrew that implies martyrdom, we know there will be many martyrs, but he comes to his end between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. Now if God's church has been purified in verse 41 in order to receive the seal of God in the latter reign, is God's church down here in verse 45 impure? No, it's still pure, and that's part of what we were touching on in our last presentation. The attack comes to Jerusalem, but the king of the north this time doesn't sweep away Jerusalem. So what I'm suggesting to you is that sequence is the very sequence that is portrayed over and over and over again in the Old Testament prophets. So let's look at that and see if you don't recognize that as well. And we're going to go of course, pardon me, we're going to go through this fairly quickly. You want me to have some water? The handouts, if you don't have one, are right back there in front of the video camera on the corner there. And the title of this is The Whole Progress and Outcome Has Been Traced in the Pages of His Word, and as we get into these notes, you'll see that's something I pulled out of the Spirit of Prophecy. But let's look at the first page of this under the subtitle, In the Last Days, it says, But in the last days, our time, it shall come to pass that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it. Now brothers and sisters, based on our presentation last time, what's being discussed here? Jerusalem, Zion, the glorious holy mountain, these are all terms. The mountain of the Lord is speaking about Jerusalem being placed upon the mountains of the world. Mountains symbolizing churches in this context, and this church is going to stand out above all of them because out of this church goes forth the law and truth from Zion. The law, you can see that in that one line, the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem in that day. In what day? In the last days. In that day, in the last days, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that's driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that halteth a remnant. So we know that in the last days, God's people are going to be a remnant, but here what is being said is that in the last days, whoever the remnant are, they've been driven out, they're halting, they're stumbling, and I would suggest to you as you go through the Old Testament prophets that one of the terms that most commonly is applied to our condition as a people is that we've been scattered. We've been spiritually scattered, and here Micah is expressing it as those that have been driven out, they've been scattered, they've halted. So in the last days, the Lord's going to take these people that have been spiritually scattered, and he's going to gather them together, and we're going to look a little bit more closely at that gathering. Next quote. Gather yourselves together. This to us today, brothers and sisters, is probably the most important quote experientially for us in this room today. Gather yourselves together. Yea, gather together, O nation not desired, before the decree bring forth. Before the day passeth, chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you, seek ye the Lord, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment, seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.

This decree that it's saying here gather together before the decree sister white clearly identifies as the Sunday Law. We are to gather together before the Sunday Law. Now we're talking spiritual Israel here so we're talking about a spiritual gathering together we're talking about being spiritually scattered this isn't a physical gathering together it's a spiritual and we have been called to gather together spiritually before the decree. Why? Why do we want to gather together before the decree? Because the Lord intends for us to be prepared for that time period prepared in the sense that we'll have a character prepared for the seal of God not for the mark of the beast. That unity is one of the main themes in the Old Testament prophets I don't touch on it much in this presentation there's many many important truths in this that just we don't have time to bring into this presentation but I'll touch on it briefly and I'll take your question but I won't do a whole lot of that because you get sidetracked on the people that are correct. Now when we see Zephaniah saying gather together before the decree gather together before the Sunday Law if you drop down to a solemn assembly there the subtitle Sister White says a revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs to seek this should be our first work. Zephaniah is basically saying the same thing we need to gather together we need a revival of true godliness this should be our first work and this solemn assembly. Another theme that you can the question is what is the term the nation not desired mean another term that you'll find in the Old Testament prophets is that that Israel modern Israel is the the nation at the end of the world that has been everyone's speaking against everybody is down there all the whole world is against them including many within their midst so in that sense it's a nation not desired because you know who wants to be the the poor kid on the block so to speak and that's a term that isn't just found here in Zephaniah we're a nation not desired from kind of a negative perspective in reality there's nothing more desirable than to be in this nation. yes let's cut the questions off till the end that's that's a better plan now let's look at Joel Joel 2 15 through 18 and I and I forewarned you in the last presentation about this particular passage even though you didn't know it blow a trumpet and Zion sanctify us call a solemn assembly gather the people notice this term gather gather the people sanctify the congregation assemble the elders gather the children and those that suck the breasts let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber of his chamber and the bride out of her closet let the priest and the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar and let them say spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people where is their God then brothers and sisters catch that then then will the Lord be jealous for his land now what I was mentioning is there's a time period at the end of the world in our last presentation when the the Lord promises he will have mercy upon Jerusalem and he will be jealous for Jerusalem and this is telling us when it's going to take place he's going to be jealous for Jerusalem again when we meet the conditions of the solemn assembly when we gather together in repentance in sackcloth for our condition as the people then he is going to lift Jerusalem up on the top of the mountains again and this is just what sister white says our greatest need is for a revival and reformation we need to seek the Holy Spirit I mean this is in agreement with common Adventist understanding but brothers and sisters there there is a sequence being portrayed here God's people in need of a revival verse 40 fulfilled in Daniel 11 telling us the next thing to happen is a Sunday law where probation is closing and through the prophecies God is trying to bring about this revival trying to gather us together spiritually why because probation is about to close and at the close of probation you will have a purified church and we're going to look at that now here's the part of the passage where the Lord is jealous here underneath it Zechariah 1, 14-16 and we'll catch the second paragraph, Therefore thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my house shall be built in it saith the Lord of hosts and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem cry yet saying thus saith the Lord of hosts my cities through prosperity shall be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and he shall yet choose Jerusalem and if you go back to that first verse now the paragraph I didn't read he's going to choose Jerusalem again and he says so the angel that communed with me said unto me cry thou saying thus saith the Lord I am jealous for Jerusalem with with great jealousy his jealousy is brought about when we meet the conditions of the solemn assembly by being gathered together this isn't a literal gathering together this is a spiritual gathering together when we meet those conditions as his people then Jerusalem will be lifted up you know how sister White would say that where we would all understand it the Lord is waiting for his people to perfectly reflect his character then he will come that's that's the the principle that set forth right here and his character we can't deny that you know the essence of his character is humility self-sacrificing love when we meet that condition then he'll come when we meet that condition he will be jealous for Jerusalem next page page 2 the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious and when I there's something here let's read it first in that day and if you go back into Isaiah you'll find that Isaiah 4 here is just a continuation that begins in Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 2 says and in the last days so here we are once again in the last days and in that day the last days so the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel and it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Zion shall be called holy even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem now stop there I want to share something with you important truth from my perspective in something that that we may not have seen if we haven't been looking at the Old Testament a great deal recently in our last presentation we read a passage out of Zechariah where it says in this time period the Lord is going to raise up his branch you know the only way that I can understand that branch is Christ in the Old Testament Christ is the branch correct well not necessarily this branch here isn't Christ this branch we just read about here is his people and if you drop down below it in Isaiah 60 21 it says thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land forever the branch of my planning the work of my hands that I may be glorified now here's the point I want you to see there are several ways that the Lord is symbolized in the Old Testament prophecies one of them is that he's the branch but you will find passages in the Old Testament prophecy where God's people are symbolized as the branch and it's the very truth that we know we are reflecting the character of Christ if we're among that righteous group at the end and therefore sometimes the prophecy will be calling God's people the branch another time it'll be identifying Christ as the branch because there's another part of the picture that is trying to be emphasized by the Prophet at that time and you have to by context determine what's being emphasized at that particular passage but my point is this on this is less to do with the branch than this truth as you go through the Old Testament prophecies you'll see that in the last days the Lord's going to lift up an end sign and all the nations are going to come to the end sign sometimes he's going to lift up a sign and there's a verse in the Bible that says an end sign and the sign are the very same thing sometimes he's going to lift up the standard and as you go through and look at these terms that are used these symbols the end sign and the sign and the standard you can go through and show how those are the law of God or you can go through and show how they are Jesus Christ or you can go through and show how they are God's people just like this branch it depends on the context of the passage but it's in total agreement with what we understand what the Lord is working to achieve is to have a group of people that perfectly reflect his character and what did Christ say to Thomas have you been so long with me that you haven't seen the Father that's what the Lord wants to bring about in his people is that yes Christ is the end sign and the Sabbath is the end sign and the law of God is the end sign but so is his people the end sign so you have to recognize this this layover of symbols with the different prophets in the Old Testament so when you're confronted with these you can look by context to understand who and what's being identified so back to this first passage on the branch let's start at the beginning in that day at the end of the world the branch of the Lord God's people will be beautiful and glorious next paragraph and it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy there's going to come a point in the last days where God's church Jerusalem is holy now let's drop down to the last part of this he tells us when it's going to be made holy it says when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by a spirit of judgment and burning see in the Old Testament prophets it's very clear that there's going to come a time when the Lord will purify his church sister white says it over and over again but you don't need her to see that and when the church is purified then God's people are going to be glorious and beautiful now the reason that I'm trying to emphasize these things as we go through his brothers and sisters once again here is the sequence in Daniel 11 40 to 45 collapse of the Soviet Union telling us probation's about to close we need to gather together spiritually get our characters prepared for the seal of God before the Sunday law because character is never developed in a crisis it's only demonstrated in a crisis in the Sunday law save that question write it down the Sunday law is a crisis you're going to demonstrate character mark the beast is still God so the Lord at the same time that he is gathering his people so that they can be beautiful and glorious is purging those in his church that are no longer written in the book of life that's what this passage is saying and that's in agreement with verse 41 of Daniel 11 now next one Ezekiel 11 17 to 21 therefore sayeth thus saith the Lord God I will even gather you from the people and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered and I will give you the land of Israel and they shall come thither and they shall take away the detestable things thereof and the abominations thereof from thence now brothers and sisters we'll read some more of that in a minute but he's saying Ezekiel here saying is I'm going to gather you and when I gather you what's he going to do he's going to take the detestable things out he's identifying the purification of the church one more time at the gathering the gathering takes place when the church is purified reading on at that point what takes place and I will give them one heart here's the unity you were referring to this one heart it's not simply the the heart of the covenant for me individually when he gives us one heart we're going to be in unity because the the purified church goes forth as an army with banners and they are unified at that point so I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and we'll take away the stony heart out of their flesh and we'll give them the heart of flesh that they may walk in my statues and keep my ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God but as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of the detestable things and their abominations I will recompense their way upon their own heads sayeth the Lord purification of God's church right there and right there illustrated once again he's gathering them he's pure faith purifying out the rebels

I have been instructed to direct the minds of our people to the 56th chapter of Isaiah. This chapter contains important lessons for those who are fighting on the Lord's side in the conflict between good and evil. Thus saith the Lord, Keep judgment and do justice, for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it, that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbath, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Notice that verse. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And she continues on. Also the sons of a stranger. Now is being identified people outside of Adventism. The sons of a stranger. Also to the sons of strangers that joined themselves to the Lord to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants. Everyone that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted of me. And upon my altar for my house shall be called a house of prayer. And what I'm suggesting to you is that the Old Testament prophets clearly identify that first God's people are gathered and then others are gathered afterwards. But I want you to see how Sister White addresses this. So let's continue on. She quotes part of it. She says, And taketh hold of my covenant. This is the covenant spoken of in the following scriptures. And then she quotes Moses' covenant about keeping the law in the next two paragraphs. And then she says this three paragraphs below. She says, This is the pledge that God's people are to make in the last days. The pledge of the covenant. Their acceptance with God depends on a faithful fulfillment of the terms of their agreement with him. God includes in this covenant all who will obey him. She's really making a distinction between two groups of people if you're reading this correctly. And you'll see it more fully in a moment. To all who will do justice and judgment, keeping their hand from doing any evil, the promise is, even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than the sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Now she quoted that verse already and I pointed it out to you as we were reading this passage. At the end of the third paragraph in this passage she quoted this verse and she continued on into the next verse. And this verse being, I will even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than that of the sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the first time she quoted that she just followed on in the next verse. But this time she's trying to emphasize that there's even going to be another group. So she skips two verses. She skips verse six and seven and she goes right into verse eight. And what's verse eight sayeth? The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, that's you and I, sayeth, yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered unto him. Now brothers and sisters when you're considering this remember when are we gathered? We've already identified that from the scriptures. We're gathered when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem. Our gathering takes place when the church is purified. But the Lord will gather others besides those that were gathered. And this sequence is very essential to see in end time Bible prophecy. And brothers and sisters there are books in the ABC and there are many in Adventism. And I don't think it's because they oppose this truth. I think it's because they haven't ever looked closely at this truth. But in Adventism today it's pretty common understanding that everybody receives the seal of God just before Michael closes probation. All at the same time. And there are passages that you can read where it seems to say that. And if they were the only passages that were recorded for us then we would have to go on that. But they're not. They're simply recording one part of the truth and when you look at the other passages it's very clear that first we are gathered, the church is purified, and then others are brought in. And that sequence is very clearly identified in the Old Testament prophets. And it's also the sequence that's found in Daniel 11, 40-45. It's the most clear passage of that sequence in the scriptures. Now, drop on next page. There's a lot in here. But in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, the sixth paragraph is where we get the title for this particular presentation. It says, And it's clear, but that the pattern that allows you to bring the here a little and there a little together is the last six verses of Daniel 11. This is where the battle of the king of the north is most clearly portrayed. This is where human probation coming to a close is most clearly portrayed. Now, very quickly, stand up. There are many of us that are getting sleepy here after dinner. And stretch for a moment. Take some deep breaths. Underneath that quote, you can sit down whenever you feel like it. Now, underneath that quote is a quote from Early Writings, page 74. I'm on page 3. And the third paragraph from the bottom, right above the subtitle that says, I will sift the house of Israel, is a passage from Early Writings. And it says, Efforts made to spread the truth had but little effect, accomplished but little or nothing. But in the gathering, when God has set his hand to gather his people, efforts to spread the truth will have their design effect. All should be united and zealous in the work. I saw that it was wrong for any to refer to this gathering for examples to govern us now in the gathering. For if God should do no more for us now than he did then, Israel would never be gathered. I have that quote in there because we've been seeing the prophets talking about God's people being gathered. And I want you to see there's a distinction made between the scattering and the gathering. And as I was putting this material together, a couple weeks before I came out to Southern California, someone sent me an audio tape of a brother from that particular church that was given prayer meeting. And essentially, teaching the church's Babylon, although he would deny that he was really doing that, but he was calling it Babylon. But he was qualifying that he didn't really think it had come to Babylon at this point, but nevertheless, listen to all these characteristics. And one of the points he made, and this is a point that's commonly made on those among us that develop on the subject, who and what is the church? This is one of their angles that they approach. And he did this on this tape. So I felt compelled to at least address this. And I'm going to address it for you, not because I have any sense that anybody's worried about calling the church Babylon here, but you may see part of the distinction that I'm trying to make between scattering and gathering. He went through on this presentation, as many do, and he said, well, look at the condition of the church today and remember that during the time of the disciples that the Jewish church was so corrupt that God allowed persecution to scatter the Christians away from Jerusalem and get away from the Jewish church. And then he went into the Reformation time period and he said it came a point that the Christians of that time period realized that the Roman church had been corrupt and they were forced to separate from the Roman church. And once again, they scattered away from the church. And then the obvious conclusion that he really was drawing is that here's an example of God's people at a time period when the church becomes so corrupt that what you need to do is separate. Now, what I did, and you'll see it at the back of this, it wasn't for you. I especially put these quotes in here to address that in this other church. I went through and showed that when the disciples fled Jerusalem and the Christians during that time period that that has been identified as a scattering. When the children of Israel were carried into Babylon, they were scattered among the nations. That's what a scattering is. And when the Christian church fled the Roman persecution, that is identified in the spirit of prophecy as a scattering. So scattering is identifying something literal that happens, but it also has a prophetic truth connected to it. Scattering is when you're scattered. You're scattered away from the main point of reference, so to speak. But the gathering is different. And you'll notice in this last sentence that we just read from early writing, she said, I saw that it was wrong for any to refer to the scattering for examples to govern us now in the gathering. You see, we're in the gathering. And the examples for God's people today, she's given us the examples. What's the primary example for the Adventist church today that Sister White refers us to over and over again? It's when they came and rebuilt Jerusalem. And she specifically will talk about how that is our work today, is paralleling the work that Nehemiah and those in that time period did in Zerubbabel. And many times when she's doing that, she'll go into Isaiah 56, 57, and 58 and say, we are the restorers of the past to walk in, the repairers of the breach. Well, this repairers of the breach is just a term that is associated with when they went back to Jerusalem out of Babylon and repaired the walls. They repaired the breach. This was a gathering. They came out of Babylon. They gathered together and did the work. This is our example. If you're going to talk about the condition of God's church today, then the examples you're to use are not examples of the scattering. You don't go back into sacred history, the times that God's people did have to flee a corrupt church because that was a scattering. You go back into sacred history where a gathering is illustrated. And the gathering, the most common one, is the rebuilding of Jerusalem after they came out of Babylon. Now, what happened during that time, brothers and sisters? They came back. They began to build Jerusalem, but they went into a spiritual slump. In fact, spiritually, they got scattered. And Nehemiah had to come along and bring about the final reformation to finish that work. In that story of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, you see a work that is begun, and then God's people going into a backslidden condition, and then a revival that finishes the work. And brothers and sisters, you can go into another example of a gathering in the Bible, which is when the Lord gathered the children of Israel out of Egypt. And He made a covenant with them at Sinai. And they were His people, but what happened after the covenant? None of them wanted to go into the Promised Land, but two. And their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. But finally, they did go into the Promised Land. So the illustration of the gathering is the illustration for us. In an Adventism today, the Lord gathered together His people on October 22, 1844, and the work of rebuilding Jerusalem got underway. Or, He gathered us together October 22, 1844, and we received the law as we did at Sinai. But, the work has went by the wayside. We already read a quote today. That it wasn't His intention that ancient Israel wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, nor was it His intention that we stayed so long in this world. But, we're wandering in the wilderness. We're not finishing the work of rebuilding Jerusalem. But at the end, the Lord, once again, is to gather His people. There's our example of the work. And where we are today, brothers and sisters, we are spiritually scattered. And what we need to do is call a solemn assembly. Gather together. Gather the children. Blow a trumpet in Zion. Because when we do that, then the Lord will be jealous for Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be lifted up to the top of the mountains. That's the sequence.

in the Prophets of the Old Testament. Bottom of page 3, I will sift the house of Israel. For lo, that's us. We've already read a quote today that we are modern Israel. For lo, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall on the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the swords, put saith the evil shall not overtake or prevent us. In that day, in what day? No, in this one it's the last days definitely, but the context of that day is in the day that the sinners of my people die by the sword. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David. Here's another way of saying that when the church is purified I will lift up Jerusalem to the top of the mountains. In that day that the sinners of my people die by the sword I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. Do you think Adventism spiritually is fallen today? Brothers and sisters, if you don't your discerner is broken. It just flat is. We're not given the message. You know why we're not given the message? You know why you can say that without without being criticized? Because all who would live in God and Christ Jesus are going to suffer persecution and we're not suffering any persecution. So something's not right here. We've fallen. In that day that I clean out the sinners, that they die by the sword, I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruins and I will build as in the days of old that they may possess the remnant of Edom. Now Edom, brothers and sisters, many times and in this passage Edom represents mankind. Edom is Esau. It's another word for Esau and it wasn't the Lord's intent that any human being was burned with the devil and his angels. It's Lord's intent that all mankind would be saved and the mankind that is lost is the mankind that chose to sell out their birthright for a mess of pottage. In that sense Edom in many prophetic passages represents mankind and that's what's being discussed here. He's going to raise up the ruins that those that aren't the sinners that die by the sword in Jerusalem may possess the remnant of Edom. The rest of the people outside of Israel and of all the heathen which are called by my name and the heathen they will possess, by the way, will be the ones that are called by his name. Other sheep I have that are not of this flock and they will come when I call. That's what's being described here by the prophets. Now when you go through these passages where it's talking about God's people possessing the heathen, it's always in a military type scenario. This is the last spiritual battle. You'll see them possessing them. You'll see those that respond to the loud cry message portrayed by the prophets as coming into obedience to Israel. You'll see them sometimes portrayed as trophies that you would take in a war. What do they call that? The booty that you take. Spoil. Sometimes the heathen that come to the truth at the end are portrayed as the spoil and that's what's being suggested here. They're going to possess Edom but only the part of Edom that is called by his name. The ones that will hear his voice. Now let's look at the next page. Ezekiel 20, 34-38 and I will bring you out from the people and will gather you out of the countries where ye are scattered. Brothers and sisters, today in Adventism we are scattered. That's where we're at. He's going to bring us out with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people and there will I plead with you face to face. If you look at this term plead throughout the Old Testament prophets, it's identifying judgment. Brothers and sisters, when we're talking about the purification of God's church it's directly related to the judgment that's going on in heaven. In fact, it's a subject you don't want to get too often to because it raises, it's not the focus of our presentation. It gets into the judgment of the living time. Anyway, and there will I plead with you face to face like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord, and I will cause you to pass under the rod, another biblical term of judgment, and I will bring you into the bond of covenant and I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgress against me. I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn and they shall not enter into the land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord. The Bible prophets are clear that the Lord is going to purify his church. He's going to take the rebels out. Brothers and sisters, in the environment of Adventism today, we need to understand this. It's the rebels that go out of Adventism. There is no message to call the true and faithful out of Adventism. This doesn't deny the apostasy and the problems in Adventism. It's just being accurate with the prophetic testimonies. They go out. Christ is saying to the Laodiceans, people that don't think they need anything, if you will repent, I will come in. He doesn't say, if you will repent, I'll take you out. It's always in those terms the wicked are taken out. Underneath that you see a couple quotes out of the New Testament about the purification of the church, but notice this one, under a sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain. The great issue near at hand. What is the great issue near at hand, brothers and sisters? The Sunday Law is the great issue at the end of the world. This is the issue by which every human being in the world will demonstrate his choice for or against the Lord and then probation will close. The great issue is the Sunday Law test. It's the issue of the tree in the Garden of Eden that has been prepared that it can be an issue that circles the whole world. It had to be of that nature. And the great issue near at hand will weed out those whom God has not appointed and he will have a pure true sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain. There is going to be a pure ministry prepared for the latter rain. That means there's going to be a ministry ready to receive the latter rain and what do we do in the latter rain? We go out and give the final warning message. Therefore, this pure ministry that is prepared for the latter rain is brought about while probation is still open because they have a work to do during the latter rain of calling God's other children out of Babylon. There's the sequence over and over again. Isaiah 14, Strangers shall be joined with them for the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land and the strangers shall be joined with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob and the people shall take them and bring them to their place and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids." Here's this warfare illustration. People that come out of Babylon are going to be servants and handmaids. You know that that isn't so literally. It's just the illustration of warfare making a distinction between them and us. Some don't like to make any distinction because they want to believe that everybody is sealed at the same time. "...for the Lord will have mercy on them and handmaids and they shall take them captives who captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors." And what that's saying is that when we're in our scattered spiritual condition today brothers and sisters we are captives of the world. And Sister White plainly says that. That we've been wandering in the wilderness longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt and Egypt is the world. That's where we're at today. That's what's been preventing Adventism from finishing the work. Those are our oppressors but there's going to come a time where we're going to take people from the world and rule over them in a spiritual setting this is. It's not really that they're going to be slaves or anything like that even though it's portrayed that way. Next quote, Evangelism 612 613, "...in our day as in Christ's days there may be a misreading and misinterpreting of the Scriptures. If the Jews had studied the Scriptures with earnest prayerful hearts, their searching would have been rewarded with the true knowledge of the time and not only the time but also the manner of Christ's appearing. They would not have ascribed the glorious second appearing of Christ to His first Advent. They had the testimony of Daniel. They had the testimony of Isaiah and the other prophets. They had the teachings of Moses and here was Christ in their very midst. And they still were searching the Scriptures for evidence in regard to His coming. And they were doing unto Him, doing unto Christ the very things that had been prophesied they would do. They were so blinded they knew not what they were doing." Now the reason I put that there is from one of my personal observations. Today in Adventism you have people teaching that here at the end of the world that what is to take place is what took place at the first time Christ came to the world in this way. The first time Christ came to the world and He brought about a purification of the church, the church scattered from a corrupt apostate church. That's what took place in the first time. And you have people today in Adventism that are saying this is what's to take place again. They're applying the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ. And see that's what the Jews were doing. They were applying the second coming of Christ with the first coming of Christ. So I mean we're, there's some opposition, there are parallels there that are worth considering. Brothers and sisters, I was shown that it is wrong to use the scattering as an example during the gathering time. We're being gathered. And next quote, we want to understand the time in which we live. We do not have to understand it. We do not have to take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of the foe we have to meet and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ. How the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God's servants that they may not be able to discern precious truth. Brothers and sisters, that's where we are. And a way to describe that, there's so many ways to describe that. One of them is Laodicean condition. But another one is spiritually scattered. We no longer have the focus of what the message is and because we're not understanding the message, then we don't have the experience that goes along with the message. Because brothers and sisters, the message is, it's the third angel's message. It's a warning against receiving the mark of the beast, which means it's a warning to the fact that probation is about to close. That's our message. Probation is about to close. If we understand that message, then we are supremely foolish not to have the experience that corresponds to that message. And if we have the experience that corresponds to the message that probation is about to close, then we're prepared for the seal of God. And we're not there because we've been told plainly when God's people develop His character, He will come. He's just waiting on us. The fact that we're still here, it gives us the perfect logic to say we're spiritually scattered. And what must we do? We must gather. And when we do what takes place, then the Lord is jealous for Jerusalem. And when the Lord is jealous for Jerusalem, He gathers us. And at the same time, He purges out the sinners in Zion. And then others are gathered unto Him. See the sequence? And once you see this sequence, brothers and sisters, it's throughout the Old Testament. It's throughout it. If you're willing by faith to take the passages in the Old Testament and say, well, we've been told this passage here was more for our day than the days in which the prophet spoke these words. If you have that kind of faith and you bring that to end the world, then you have to say, well, what does this mean? And when you do that, you'll see that over and over again, this sequence we're going on is portrayed there. It's not a minor theme. It's such a major theme that if you're going to present it, you start with about a hundred and some pages and have to just force it down. Next page, page eight, top of the page, running out of time. There are diligent students of the word of prophecy in all parts of the world who are obtaining light and still greater light from searching the scriptures. This is true of all nations, of all tribes, and all peoples. These will come from the grossest error and will take their the places of those who have had opportunities and privileges and have not prized them. Who is it in the writings of Ellen White that have great opportunity and great privileges? Seventh-day Adventists. There are places that are going to be lost to those that come from the outside. These have worked out their own salvation with fear and trembling, lest they become deficient in doing the ways and will of God, while those

Those who have had great light have through perversity of their own natural hearts turned away from Christ because displeased with the requirements. But God will not be left without witness. The one hour laborers will be brought in at the 11th hour and will consecrate ability and all their entrusted means to advance the work. These will receive the reward for their faithfulness because they are true to principle and shun not their duty to declare the whole counsel of God. When those, here's a when, and you should always watch for the when and then in the spirit of prophecy. She says when, when, when, when, and then she'll go then. This is, oh, just a when there, but when those who have had abundance of light, that's us, throw off the restraint which the word of God imposes and make void his law, other will come in to fill their places and take their crown. Great is the work of the Lord. Men are choosing side, even those supposed to be heathen will choose the side of Christ while those who become offended as did the disciples will go away and walk no more with him and others will come in and occupy the place they have left vacant. This sequence is easily illustrated in the spirit of prophecy. This is one of the several places you can illustrate it, but this is the sequence in the Old Testament prophets as well. But more important to the overall study here, this is the sequence of the last six verses of Daniel 11. And if you recognize that sequence in the spirit of prophecy and the rest of the Old Testament, then when you come to Daniel 11, 40 to 45, and you also see that sequence, then you realize these verses are important to understand correctly and that these verses are telling us that probation is about to close. There's some good quotes there that we'll pass over because of time and I would ask you on your own as we bring this to a close, if you turn to page six and you, there's a phrase here. Let me turn you back to page five. Under the title, Terrible as an Army with Banners. In fact, let's read this one on page five because this is one that sometimes, I believe, is misunderstood. On page five, under the title, Terrible as an Army with Banners, the Great Controversy, page 425 says this. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification. Gather together, brothers and sisters. There's to be a special work of purifications of putting away of sin among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14. When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for his appearing. Now, many will take that and say, this is describing the very close of human probation because you can read that and honestly get that out of that passage. I don't deny that. But you can't do it if you look at other passages of scripture in the spirit of prophecy because it gives a broader picture. But follow even in this one where sometimes this is interpreted this way. When this work shall have been accomplished, the follower of Christ will be ready for his appearing. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, as in the former years. Then the church which our Lord at his coming is to receive to himself will be a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Then she will look forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. Brothers and sisters, the next quotes that you'll find on these pages will show you that when the church goes forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army of banners is when the church is going forth under the latter rain, finishing the work during the loud cry time period. So you can't assign that passage there to the very close of human probation. How you need to understand that when you bring all the testimony together is that when we make ourself ready through the power of Christ at the gathering and the church is purified, from that point on, the scriptures say, the church remains holy. Even though there's going to be many people that come from out of Babylon and join the church, they're not gonna come in and corrupt it any longer. It remains holy from that point over. Once you see that, then you can see that yes, the church, when God's people make themselves ready, has prepared for the second coming of Christ, but at that time, it's also gonna go forth as an army. It's gonna remain holy, and it's gonna bring people to it, and you can see several passages into the next page on the term fair as the moon. Look at page six. The very center of the page, there's a short quote from Prophets and Kings 725. 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. This is not the close of human probation when she becomes in this condition. This is when she reaches the condition where she can take the message to the world. Brothers and sisters, in Daniel 11, 40 to 45, verse 40 is a verse designed by God to tell God's people probation's about to close in verse 41. And in Testimonies, volume nine, the first chapter, when Sister White refers to Daniel chapter 11, is also where she says the final movements will be rapid ones. So when you recognize that the first of the final verses of Daniel 11 got underway in 1989, 1991 time period, and the next thing to take place is verse 41, is Sunday law in the United States, at which point our probation closes, then you have the perfect logic to see how the Lord intends to bring this final gathering about, this final revival, and at the same time, purify His church. The whole system we're looking at here in the Old Testament prophets is right there in those verses. And the next area, the next focus in those verses is Egypt, the world. Verse 41, the church is purified. It's the church has become fair as the moon, clad in the armor of Christ's righteousness, and it goes forth to conquer and conquer at the same time that the king of the north is being portrayed in verses 42 and 43 of conquering the world. That's what it is. And when you get to verse 45, you see the world divided into two classes. The glorious holy mountain, God's church is over here, and over here is the seas. And Revelation 17 tells us the seas is the people of the world. And in between them is the pope of the Roman, and what he's symbolizing as much as anything else is the Sunday, the mark of the beast, the issue that has divided the world into two groups. So when you see this warfare illustrated in those verses, you are seeing the clearest portrayal of end time events in the word of God and brothers and sisters, all the other prophetic testimony is directly related to those verses, brothers and sisters. I had a sister who's a good friend of mine, although I've never met her, but she corresponds with me a lot, I have the letter here, but I won't read it. But she gave me some minor rebuke on a couple points. Telling me in her minor rebuke, so to speak, is that even though this may be an important truth, and I agree with you, this is not the foundation of Adventism. And I agree, brothers and sisters. The foundation of Adventism is the prophetic messages that William Miller brought. And Sister White was warned in dreams and visions that we should understand that at the end, and during the whole time of Adventism, people were gonna come along and try to tear down the foundation. There's something to watch out for. And she was saying, certainly this is an important message, but it isn't the foundation of Adventism, so it isn't, it's not on that level, so you shouldn't be so earnest and sincere where you can cause somebody to stumble over how you're presenting it. And here's my response to her, although I haven't written her back. And I'm not trying to argue with her, but I want you to understand this from this point. When they came out of Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem, there was a promise given to Zerubbabel that he would be the one that laid the foundation stone, and he would be the one that laid the capstone. It's emphasized in the story of rebuilding Jerusalem. There would be a foundation stone and a capstone, and Zerubbabel would put both of them on. And when you look at what the foundation stone and the capstone means, it means a number of things. But one of the things it's talking about is the foundation of Adventism. There was gonna be a foundation to Adventism, which is the message that the Millerites brought, and that is our foundation. But brothers and sisters, in Adventism today, we haven't ever thought about it, but there's a capstone message. There's a message that is the very capstone of our message to the world. It doesn't deny or belittle or weaken the foundation. It brings it to a conclusion, and brothers and sisters, it's the last six verses of Daniel 11. These are the verses that say the message that you have been raised up to proclaim is underway. This is the sequence of events that all the prophets gave testimony to. And in that sense, no, it's not the foundational message, but brothers and sisters, it's just as important to understand, just as important to bring into our experience. For instance, if it's true, what we're saying about those six verses, then probation's about to close. How can not that be of serious, serious, eternal consequences to us? So even though I was losing it there at the end, let's bring this to a conclusion and take a break here. And when we come back, I'll try to address the questions before we start, if there's not a whole bunch of them. ["The First Noel"] ["The First Noel"] ♪ If my people ♪ ♪ Which are called by my name ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves and pray ♪ ♪ If my people ♪ ♪ Which are called by my name ♪ ♪ Shall seek my face ♪ ♪ And turn from their wicked ways ♪ ♪ Then will I hear from heaven ♪ ♪ Then will I hear from heaven ♪ ♪ Then will I hear and will forgive ♪ ♪ Forgive their sin ♪ ♪ Forgive their sin ♪ ♪ If my people ♪ ♪ Which are called by my name ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves and pray ♪ ♪ I will forgive their sin ♪ ♪ I will forgive their sin ♪ ♪ I will forgive their sin ♪ ♪ I will forgive their sin ♪ ♪ And heal their land ♪ ♪ If my people ♪ ♪ Which are called by my name ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves ♪ ♪ Shall humble themselves ♪

And pray.