I spent some time this week preparing a series to present here this weekend and then as Glenn and I discussed things this afternoon, we decided or I decided or the Holy Spirit directed I hope to change the subject matter and so what I intend, Lord willing, to cover this weekend, there are three primary points, we'll deal a little bit with the 1843 chart, I'm not sure that I understand even a small percentage of what's connected with that chart, but we'll spend a certain amount of our time looking at that chart. We will also look at the role of Islam in Bible prophecy, which is one of the truths of Bible prophecy that from my personal perspective, Adventism no longer understands that Islam has a specific role in Bible prophecy. And we will also look at a more provocative truth, one that I would certainly hope that you would test, and that is the truth that the latter rain is now falling. Now if you've thought of that before, you would realize that that's a pretty bold claim. This handout, I don't think I brought enough for everyone in the room and I handed them out beforehand. If you've come in just recently, I have hopefully one for each family. We'll go over the handout very quickly before we start. We, being my wife and I, are in a ministry. My daughter and son-in-law help as well. It's basically the four of us. We travel around the world and present Bible prophecy, usually in a seminar setting, like the pastor said, where our typical prophetic school will go for a week, and we usually cover at least 40 hours of material, but we never quite get through it all. And for each section of the presentation, there are certain rules that to me seem important and relevant, and I always seem to have to go back over those rules. And I've reached a point in this work to where I have set the major rules into this booklet here, and I'm handing it out to those that are in the attendance and referring to it, so I don't have to spend a complete hour just going through these rules. Not just rules, just some concepts and principles. So if you have this handout, I'm going to go through it very quickly, and I would suggest that I may only have one or two quotes to back up a point, but there are many others. Each point can be backed up by several quotes that aren't in this study. The first point on page three is prophetic study and the importance of it. The Bible promises that we will prosper if we follow the prophetic testimony. The second point is I assume that most of us, if not all of us in here, are Seventh-day Adventists, and Inspiration teaches that every Seventh-day Adventist is required to be a student of prophecy. And you can see one of the many quotes there that back this up. A connected point to that, point three, is that prophecy is the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. And when we talk about the remnant people of God and Revelation, they have three characteristics, right? They keep the commandments of God, they have the faith of Jesus, and they have the testimony, the spirit of prophecy, the testimony of Christ. And there are several passages, and you'll see a few of them here, where we are told that the faith of Seventh-day Adventists is faith that is built upon prophetic study. And the last one there on page three, from Desire of Ages, Sister White is emphasizing that when Christ was on earth, he purposely established the faith of the disciples by revealing to them himself in the prophecies. Above the miracles he performed, he built their faith, he directed their faith, he established their faith upon the prophetic word. The next page, the fourth point, is that Jesus is the author of our faith, and that he never changes. He taught the disciples to understand who and what he was upon the prophetic word, and he intends to do the same for Seventh-day Adventists living at the end of the world. In these prophetic discussions that we have around the world, one of the questions, sometimes criticisms, that we receive is that we dwell a great deal on prophecy, but we do not dwell a great deal on the righteousness of Christ. Now when people bring those accusations, I don't personally receive them, I don't think they're valid, but if you notice point five, the word of prophecy is the voice of Christ. When you and I understand what Christ is saying to us through his prophetic word, it is Christ himself that is speaking to us. And this is the kind of experience that the 144,000 will need to have if they're going to follow Christ withersoever he goeth. Point six, one of the logical reasons that we need to be students of prophecy, I will take a little bit of time here on page four, under point six, which says our greatest need, a familiar passage of Seventh-day Adventists says, to 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. This is Selected Messages, book one, page 121, and in the same passage, seven pages later, Sister White defines revival as a renewal of spiritual life. If inspiration is correct, and I know that we all believe that inspiration is correct, our greatest need and our first work is to seek for a revival. And if we understand what inspiration defines revival as, then it means that we are spiritually dead. Our greatest need is to come back to life. And this is the testimony of prophecy from the beginning of the Bible to the end. God's people at the end of the world are portrayed as sleeping virgins, as Laodiceans in need of Christ and not recognizing it. Ezekiel 37 describes God's people at the end of the world as a valley of dead, dry bones that ultimately get brought to life into a mighty army. Sister White says that valley of dead, dry bones is the Seventh-day Adventist church. And if you read Ezekiel 37, you'll find that Ezekiel is commanded to do something seven times in order to bring this valley of dry bones to life. And what is it that he does seven times that turns the valley of dead, dry bones into a mighty army? Prophesy, prophesy, prophesy. Our greatest need is for a revival, and the Bible and spirit of prophecy teach, as you'll see on page four under the subtitle there, Great Revival. It is through prophecy that the final revival to God's people is accomplished. From Testimonies to Ministers, page 113, it says, When we as a people understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival. This is the reason, one of the main reasons, that every Seventh-day Adventist is required to be a student of prophecy, because the Lord intends to bring the revival to us here at the end of the world through his prophetic word. Point number seven, and this may seem a little bit simplistic, I'm on page five now. Point number seven is that every fact in the word of God means something. And if you have opportunity to share prophecy around the world in Adventism, you'll find that there are some of us that don't believe that every fact in the word of God really means something. Some of the facts we seem to be willing to just pass over. But the reality of it is that there isn't any wasted words in God's word, and there is no accidents in God's word. And even though none of us can understand all the facts in God's word, we should approach God's word with the understanding that every fact in God's word is to be rightly divided, rightly understood. A principle that I deal with a lot, and it is point number eight. The Bible teaches, and you'll see several verses there, but this is not all the verses in the Bible that teach that upon the testimony of two or three of things established. When it comes to establishing a truth in God's word, you need to be able to demonstrate it at least twice. But if it's there twice, then it isn't you that has established it, it is God that has established it. And we intend to establish things in these studies, and this will be a rule that we refer to often. Another important principle on page six, under point nine, treasures for this last generation. And I understood this almost automatically. I don't know why I accepted this truth so easily, but I thought we all did until about, you know, six or seven years ago. And then I got confronted with some people in Adventism that have a completely different approach to this. But all the prophets were identifying the end of the world. You'll see a quote there from Selected Messages, book three, page 338, which says, each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us. And then Sister White quotes 1 Corinthians 10, 11, which says, now all these things happened unto them for in samples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. We will apply this principle in our studies. What we're saying is, is that the prophecies of the Bible are identifying what takes place at the end of the world. Now you'll notice, under the prophets, subject one to another. On the bottom of page six, it says, from 1 Corinthians 14, verses 32 and 33, and the spirits of the prophets are subject unto the prophets, for God is not the author of confusion. One of the things that this verse is teaching is that the prophetic testimonies in the Bible, the testimony of Isaiah, is subject to the testimony of Daniel, who is also subject to the testimony of John, who is also subject to the testimony of Ellen White. The prophets' testimonies are subject to one another, and what that means is they don't disagree with one another, for God is not the author of confusion. So the prophets are identifying the end of the world. Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force, but they're agreeing with one another. Now there was a point four or five years ago where we had a meeting at the Oklahoma Lifestyle Center of America in Oklahoma, where we came together to study a particular passage of prophecy, and it was by invitation only, and there was only one soul there that actually forced himself into those meetings, and there was a theologian from the general conference that had been invited to present his understanding of the last six verses of Daniel 11, and then I was presenting my understanding of the last six verses of Daniel 11, and he would present for 45 minutes, and then he'd be subject to 30 minutes of questions and answers, and then I would present for 45 minutes and be subject to questions and answers for 30 minutes, and this went on for four days, I believe, and there was only one soul there that actually forced himself into these meetings, and he came to those meetings to expose me as a heretic. I mean, that was the whole reason he was there, and when it came to 1st Corinthians 10.11, this was one of his strong arguments, so I want you to understand there is a different way to approach 1st Corinthians 10.11. 1st Corinthians 10.11 says all these things happened unto them for in samples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, and towards the end of the meeting, he looked me in the eye and he says, Pippinger, you take that and you twist that. He says, yes, all the testimony of the Bible is giving a moral lesson that we need to understand at the end of the world, but that does not mean that the testimony of the Bible is identifying what takes place at the end of the world in history. So there is a way to understand this differently than what I'm suggesting, but what I'm suggesting is that the prophets are illustrating what takes place at the end of the world, and also they are identifying moral lessons that you and I need to understand and incorporate into our experience. If we don't have this approach, if we don't understand that the Bible is illustrating the end of the world, then it means nothing to us prophetically. And brothers and sisters, we need to understand what's taking place at the end of the world because you and I are going to be held account for giving the final warning message to the world, and we can't give a warning message if we don't know what to warn the world about. The tenth point is the portrayal of prophecy. In all of these points, I'm not spending time on all these points, but I could tell you stories that seem important to me connected with all these points. But point number 10 is that prophecy is portrayed upon the rise and fall of kingdoms. The book of Daniel is talking about the rise and fall of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, pagan Rome, papal Rome. It's in that historical structure that the prophetic testimony is set forth. And there are some quotes there that will back that up, not all of them. Point 11, the point of reference. The point of reference for end-time Bible prophecy is the book of Revelation. Of course, Sister White says over and over again that Daniel and Revelation are the same book. She says the same line of prophecy that's taken up by Daniel is taken up by John. And when it comes to understanding end-time Bible prophecy, the point of reference for the prophecies of the Bible is the book of Revelation. We bring the prophecies from the Bible into the book of Revelation, and it's this place where we can bring some clarity into what those prophecies are saying. Now, in point 12, we have prophecy defined. And what that point means to me is this. Selected messages, book two, page 101. And let's just drop down to the third sentence, which says historical events. Sister White, in this paragraph, is talking about how the Millerites shared their message when they were proclaiming the message in the 1840s. And she says historical events showing the direct fulfillment of prophecy were set before the people and the prophecy was seen to be a figurative delineation of events leading down to the close of this earth's history. I'm not using this, am I? I don't have to be over here. What the definition of prophecy is, and I don't believe that Sister White here was was saying, okay, I'm going to set forth a definition of prophecy, but this is a very good definition of prophecy. She says historical events were set before the people and prophecy was seen to be a figurative delineation of events. Now, the word delineate means to set forth upon a line. And she says the line, the delineation of events, was leading down to the close of this earth's history. The line is proceeding through history towards the end of the world. And Sister White says that prophecy is illustrated as fulfilled by historical events that are set before the people upon a timeline leading down to the end of the world. But she says that these events are a figurative delineation of events leading down to the close of this earth's history, and figurative meaning symbolic. So let me give you an example of what I'm saying. The Bible predicted that if the Jews were unfaithful, that not only would they be scattered, but the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. And was the city of Jerusalem destroyed? It was destroyed in AD 70. This is a historical event. In AD 70, Jerusalem was destroyed. This is a fulfillment of prophecy, a historical event showing the fulfillment of prophecy, but it's a figurative delineation of events. And in Great Controversy, we're all familiar with the truth that the destruction of Jerusalem is what? It's prefiguring the end of the world. Historical event, the papacy receives its deadly wound in 1798. Historical event, confirming, identifying the fulfillment of prophecy, but it's figurative. The deadly wound of the papacy is pointing forward and prefiguring the final fall of Babylon. So we're on the same page on what prophecy is. Prophecy is historical events that are portrayed for people upon a timeline leading down to the end of the world. And it's portrayed upon timelines. You'll see point 13, prophetic lines on page 8 from your Review and Herald. July 31st, 1888, Sister White says, we must have a knowledge of the scriptures that we may trace down the lines of prophecy and understand the specification given by the prophets. When it comes to Bible prophecy, we need to understand that prophecy is illustrated upon a timeline. The next quote from manuscript releases says, Revelation is a sealed book, but it is also an open book. It records marvelous events that are to take place in the last days of this earth's history. The teachings of this book are definite, not mystical and unintelligible. In it, the same line of prophecy is taken up as in Daniel. Some prophecies God has repeated, thus showing the importance to be given to them. The Lord does not repeat things that are of no great consequence. There's a couple important truths there, but one is that prophecy is portrayed upon the timeline. But another thing is when you see a truth in God's Word once, it's important. But when you see that truth 10 or 15 times, it means it is much more important than a truth is only mentioned once. And some truths are mentioned over and over again. Now in Isaiah 28, on the next page, concerning lines, I would submit to you that Isaiah is speaking about the end of the world. We've already touched on that point. Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is enforced for us. So in Isaiah 28, Isaiah is setting forth a piece of information about the end of the world that you and I need to understand, and he's identifying how knowledge is going to be taught. I don't want to get off on a sermon on Isaiah 28 here. I'm just trying to go over these points. But brothers and sisters, in Daniel 12, we all know the verse 3 where it says, and the wise shall shine as stars forever and ever. You know that verse? And in the margin of reference for the word wise, what does it mean? It means teachers. The teachers will shine as stars forever and ever. And that verse is primarily identifying the work of the 144,000. And the 144,000, there isn't going to be one person that's among the 144,000 that isn't teaching the final warning message. They're going to be proclaiming the message. They're going to be teachers. And Isaiah here is talking about how knowledge will be taught at the end of the world, because he's speaking about the end of the world. And right there where the wise are mentioned in Daniel, the wise that are going to shine forever and ever. And I suppose we had to turn there, so I just quit referring to it. Turn with me to Daniel 12, if you would, verse 3. And it says, and they that be wise, and that word wise is teachers, and they that be teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as stars forever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. There's an increase in knowledge at the end of the world that the wise are going to teach. Whatever the increase in knowledge is, the wise are going to teach it. And brothers and sisters, in Adventism, Sister White teaches very clearly, the Bible teaches it too, that two classes are developed in Adventism. You ever read those quotes, those passages? Sister White says in Great Controversy, page 393, that the parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25 illustrates the experience of Adventism. And then in Review and Herald, August 29, 1890, she says, I am 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 our time, and like the third angel's message, is present truth, and will continue to be present truth until the close of time. The parable of the ten virgins is the parable of Adventism, and it will be fulfilled to the very letter here in our day and age. And in the parable, there are two groups in Adventism, the wise and the foolish. And in Daniel 12, there are also two groups. If you look at verse 10 of Daniel 12, it says, many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. There's two groups in Adventism, the wicked, the wise, at the end of the world. And the wise are going to understand what? They're going to understand the increase of knowledge. In Isaiah 28, he's speaking about the teaching of knowledge at the end of the world. If you go back to your handout, it says from Isaiah 28, whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people to whom he said, this is the rest wherewith he may cause the weary to rest. And this is the refreshing. Now, brothers and sisters, that's why I took the time to go to Daniel 12 in this point. I want you to see something here, that in Isaiah 28, Isaiah is speaking about how the final increase of knowledge among God's people is accomplished at the end of time. And the teaching technique that presents this final increase of knowledge is line upon line, prophetic line upon prophetic line, here a little, there a little, here from Daniel, here from Isaiah, here from Revelation, this line of prophecy brought together with this line of prophecy. But this takes place, brothers and sisters, according to Isaiah during the refreshing. And the refreshing, you can see just a few of many quotes where inspiration tells us that the refreshing is the latter rain. During the latter rain time period, the final warning message will be carried by people that are teaching by applying line upon line, here a little, there a little. So you'll see some 14a. This is a bigger subject than we are going to take time to look at. It goes, when you look closely at Isaiah 14, it talks about the two groups in Adventism. Point 15, the foundations. There is an argument against what I'm going to suggest here. We have been conditioned in Adventism. I meant to have this quote because I can't do this quote word for word off the top of my head, but many times we understand this quote. There is a quote in the Spirit of Prophecy where Sister White's speaking about the 1888 time period, and they were arguing about, you know, were Jones and Wagner changing the pillars of Adventism? And there's a quote that's in Councils to Writers and Editors where Sister White says, this is a broad paraphrase, she says, when it comes to the pillars, I can think of the sanctuary, the Sabbath, the immortality of the soul, and I can call nothing else to my mind that qualifies as the pillars. Do you remember that quote? It's a bad paraphrase, but that's the intent. She's saying the pillars of Adventism, the sanctuary, the Sabbath, the non-immortality of the soul, or the immortality of the soul, however she expresses it there. And I get in trouble sometimes because we have been conditioned to believe that that is the foundation of Adventism, and brothers and sisters, the foundations of Adventism is not the Sabbath and the sanctuary. Notice under point 15, the Lord has declared that the history of the past shall be rehearsed as we enter upon the closing work. Every truth that he has given for these last days is to be proclaimed. Every pillar that he has established is to be strengthened. We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. There is need now to rehearse the experience of men who acted a part in the establishment of our work at the beginning. So why am I saying that the Sabbath and the sanctuary are not the foundation of Adventism? Well, for one thing, Sister White doesn't say they are. She says they're the pillars, and if you've been in construction, you know that before you put the pillars into the house, what do you have to do? You have to establish the foundation. So what is the foundations? Next quote from Review and Herald, April 14, 1903. May God help you to receive the words that I have spoken. Let those who stand as God's watchmen on the walls of Zion be men who can see the dangers before the people, men who could distinguish between truth and error, righteousness and unrighteousness. The warning has come. Nothing is to be allowed to come in that would disturb the foundation of the faith upon which we have been building ever since the message came in 1842, 1843, and 1844. Brothers and sisters, did the Millerites understand the Sabbath? Did they understand the sanctuary? The foundation of the faith of Adventism was established in 1842, 1843, 1844. So what is the foundation of Adventism? I'd submit to you it's that it's illustrated, it's represented upon that chart, and we're going to spend some time on that chart, as we already mentioned. We sang the song about the way marks, point 16 on page 12, the way marks. The historical events that took place in the Millerite time period are the way marks that we are to guard. And brothers and sisters, it's amazing how little we remember those way marks. Particularly, it's amazing when we realize that inspiration has told us that we're supposed to guard these way marks. What are the way marks? Well, the first angel's message, when it arrived in history, that's one of the way marks. William Miller began to proclaim the first angel's message in 1831. It was empowered in 1840. The second angel's message is a way mark. The second angel's message came into history in 1842. It was empowered in 1844. The third angel's message came into history in 1844. Those are the way marks that we need to guard. And you can see some quotes about this, where Sister White confirms that these three messages are the way marks. Look at the third one under their order from Selected Messages, book 2, page 104. I can't believe how quickly time is slipping through the hourglass, not just in prophetic history, but in this presentation. The first and second angel's message were given in 1843 and 1844, and we're now under the proclamation of the third, but all three of the messages are still to be proclaimed. It is just as essential now as ever before that they shall be repeated to those who are seeking for the truth. By pen and by voice, we are to sound the proclamation showing their order and the application of the prophecies that bring us to the third angel's message. There cannot be a third without the first and second. These messages we are to give to the world in publications, in discourses, showing in the line of prophetic history the things that have been and the things that will be. And brothers and sisters, that is one of the most important principles of prophetic study, is that the history of the Millerite time period is what illustrates the end of the world. And that's what she just said. We're to continue to teach the history of when the three angel's messages came in to the Millerite time period, and by teaching that to people, we will show people what has been and what will be. The pioneers, point 17. Now, the pioneers were not inspired, but there are several quotes. These are just a few where Sister White endorses that we are to continue to consider the pioneers' reasonings and their understandings as we approach God's prophetic word. Counselors to writers or editors, page 28. God has given me light regarding our periodicals. What is it? He has said that the dead are to speak. How? Their works shall follow them. We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work who knew what it cost to search for truth as for hidden treasure, and who labored to lay the foundation of our work. Next quote from publishing ministry on the bottom of the page 12. It says, again and again, I've been shown that the past experiences of God's people are to not be counted as dead facts. We are not to treat the record of these experiences as we would treat last year's almanac. The record is to be kept in mind for history will repeat itself. Next quote, Selected Messages, book one, page 157. There is a work of sacred importance for ministers and people to do. They are to study the history of the cause and people of God. They are not to forget the past dealings of God with his people. They are to revive and recount the truths that have come to seem of little value to those who do not know by personal experience of the power and brightness that accompanied them when they were first seen and understood. In all their original freshness and power, these truths are to be given to the world. There is a book in Adventism that Sister White calls God's helping hand, and brothers and sisters, I am definitely not trying to lift myself up. But I want to be honest, I've shared the prophetic message all over the world, over and over again, to not hundreds but thousands of Adventists now. And you begin to get a sense for some of the things that are going on in Adventism when you have this responsibility and this privilege. And one of the things, this is the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith, it's taken a real bad rap. There's reasons for it, there's reasons for it, because there's guidance in that book that can be found, it can be found other places, but that book is the best representation of the pioneer understanding of Daniel and Revelation that's ever been written, in spite of some of the problems in that book. But you'll see the quote there, what Sister White says is that every one of us should own that book because she says we should be giving it to our neighbors, and she calls it God's helping hand. The grand instruction contained in Daniel and Revelation has been eagerly pursued by many in Australia. This book has been the means of bringing many precious souls to a knowledge of the truth. Everything that can be done should be done to circulate thoughts on Daniel and Revelation. I know of no other book that can take the place of this one. It is God's helping hand. And there are a lot of arguments about why we're not supposed to worry about that book anymore, but brothers and sisters, it's a good book. It's not inspired, it has problems with it, and you'll see a comment in the next quote where Sister White's answering the questions, were the pioneer inspired? This is from Councils to Writers and Editors, page 34. She says, a brother asked, Sister White, do you think we must understand the truth for ourselves? Why cannot we take the truths that others have gathered together and believe them because they have integrated, investigated the subjects, and then we shall be free to go on without taxing the powers of the mind in the investigation of all these subjects? Do you think that these men who have brought out the truth in the past were inspired of God? I dare not say they were not led of God, for Christ leads into all truth, but when it comes to inspiration in the fullest sense of the word, I answer no. Pioneers weren't inspired. Uriah Smith was not inspired, but both the pioneers and Uriah Smith have the endorsement of inspiration. And this is in agreement with the Bible, point number 18. The 144,000, God's people living at the end of the world. And brothers and sisters, on this Sabbath evening in the year 2007, I hope everyone in this room has enough information to recognize that we are at the end of the world. This is the end, brothers and sisters. We are the final generation. We're the generation in Luke 21 that does not pass. We'll show you that, Lord willing, this weekend. We are that generation that does not pass until Christ comes. And one of the works that's accomplished by that final generation is that they return to the old paths. That's what Isaiah 56 says. They're the restorer of the paths to dwell in. And what are the paths to dwell in? Well, according to Jeremiah 6.16, it's the old paths. There's a work that is carried out among God's people at the end of the world that is connected with returning to the foundational understandings of God's people. And the foundations of Adventism were set up in 1842, 1843, and 1844. The 1843 chart, point 19. This is what I was going to deal with tonight, but the time is rapidly slipping away. Early writings, page 74. When it comes to this chart over here, it says, I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord and that it should not be altered, that the figures were as he wanted them, that his hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures so that none can see it until his hand was removed. I wasn't raised a Seventh-day Adventist. I wasn't raised a Christian of any kind until I was 25 years old. When I accepted the Lord, I immediately came into the Adventist church. So I don't have the blessed heritage that many of you may have, being raised as a Seventh-day Adventist. I haven't had the theological training that some of you may be blessed with. So I personally just take some things on the simple face value. And this quote here says, that chart there was directed by the hand of the Lord and it should not be altered. That says something to me. Now, there was a time, brothers and sisters, in 1850, when Sister White received a vision. And in that vision, she told her husband, James, that he needed to start the Review and Herald magazine. How many remember reading about that vision or reading that vision? The vision that Sister White received that told her husband to start the Review and Herald was in 1850. And in that same vision, she was told to tell her husband, James, that he needed to make a new chart, which he did. He hired a man named Otis Nichols. And in 1850, Otis Nichols finished the 1850 chart and they began to sell it in 1851. I don't have that chart with me. I do have that chart as well. But there are two charts in Adventism that have an inspired endorsement. That one and the 1850 chart. And the 1850 chart, the purpose of it was to correct the mistakes that were on that 1843 chart. And what is the obvious well-known mistake that is on that 1843 chart? It's the year zero, right? William Miller and the Millerites weren't understanding the year zero correctly. So, they started the 2300 year time prophecy in 457 and added 2300 years to it. And they forgot about the year zero and they came to 1843. The 1850 chart corrects that problem. But how many of you are prepared tomorrow afternoon to go out to your non-Adventist neighbor and give a Bible study on the 2520 time prophecy of Leviticus 26? Any hands? I want to point out that on the 1851 chart, the 2520 is still there. They still understood it in 1850, that it was still present truth. Notice what James White says about the 1843 chart. The second quote on the top of page 14 is from James White in connection with this chart. There are other quotes in connection with this chart, but notice what he says about this chart. It was the united testimony of this of second Adventist lecturers and papers when standing on the original faith that the publication of the chart was the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2 verses 2 and 3. If the chart was a subject of prophecy, and notice what James White then says, if this chart was actually something that was brought about by a prophetic fulfillment, he says, if the chart was a subject of prophecy and those who deny it leave the original faith. Pioneers of Adventism believed that that chart was brought about by a fulfillment of prophecy, and to reject the truth about that chart being a fulfillment of prophecy was to leave the foundational faith of Adventism, according to James White. You know what Sister White says about James White, don't you? James White fulfilled the role of Moses to the Advent people in terms of Bible doctrine. James White's got a pretty strong endorsement upon his role, so when he's saying that, he wasn't inspired, he was a pioneer, but his word is valuable. Point 20, the Alpha and the Omega. The book of Revelation begins in chapter 1. We don't have time to go through the revelation here, we're going to just take some selected subjects this weekend, but chapter 1 of Revelation is where Christ introduces himself to the reader. There isn't any word in the Bible, let alone in Revelation chapter 1, that is accidental. In chapter 1, Christ purposely identifies the characteristics about himself that the student must understand if he's going to correctly understand the book of Revelation. Chapter 1 of Revelation is the key to understanding the book of Revelation, and if you read very carefully chapter 1 of Revelation, you'll find that there is one characteristic above all the others that Christ identifies about himself, and we've already read a quote that says, the Lord does not repeat things that are of no great consequence, so the fact that Christ in chapter 1 of Revelation repeats something about himself above and beyond any other is something that the student of prophecy wants to take note of, and what is it that Christ speaks about himself in chapter 1 more than any other? It's that he's the first and the last. He's the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending. He expresses it in more than one way and in more than one verse, and if you want to understand what the book of Revelation means, then what we have to do as students of prophecy is acknowledge what the Bible scholars have pointed out, that two out of every three words in the book of Revelation come from the Old Testament. So if you're going to understand a truth in Revelation, then you've got to figure out if it has some connection to the Old Testament because that's where the foundational point of that truth is, and if you would take the book of Isaiah from chapter 40 and read all the way to the end, you will find that Isaiah is, from my human perspective, he is the prophet above any other that identifies what it means to be the first and the last, and you'll see some quotes from Isaiah that follow. According to the Bible, if you've ever interacted with someone that doesn't believe there's a God, you know, a true atheist, I don't know that you ever find a true atheist. My father pretends he's an atheist, but he's not. But if you ever find one, you know, you're in the dilemma, how do you prove to someone that there is a God? I mean, as Christians, we need to know how to prove, if you can, to someone that there is a God. And what the Bible says in the book of Isaiah is the premier proof above everything else that shows that God is God is his ability to illustrate the end from the beginning. He's the Alpha and the Omega. He's the first and the last, and that's what Christ is saying in chapter one, is that he is the God that illustrates the end of the world from the beginning of the world, and you'll see several quotes that deal with that. Brothers and sisters, this is important for Seventh-day Adventists to understand, because without a doubt, inspiration, the Bible, the spirit of prophecy, Christ, through his prophetic word, teaches that the end of Adventism has been illustrated with the beginning of Adventism. The history of the Millerites is repeated, and this is, in our time period, this is in agreement with the fact that Christ is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. Christ speaks through the technique of the first and the last over and over again. It's his signature in Bible prophecy. I've got to get through these. Point 21, Christ operates upon the rule of repeating and enlarge. Classic example for Seventh-day Adventists, if you maintain the pioneer position. Now, brothers and sisters, when I say, if you maintain the pioneer position, in Adventism today, there's a lot of strange ideas about what the seals and the trumpets of the book of Revelation represent. Pioneers had a very definite and specific understanding of what the seals, the trumpets, and the churches in the book of Revelation represented, and the pioneers correctly understood that the churches, the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3, represented the history of the Christian church from the time period of the disciples to the end of the world. But the pioneers also understood that the seals covered that same history. They were representing not the church, they were representing the enemy of the church during that time period, and this relationship between the churches and the seals is the rule of repeating and enlarge. The seals is simply repeating the history that is illustrated by the churches, but it's enlarging upon it, and the pioneers correctly understood that the trumpets did the very same thing. The trumpets were dealing with the same history, but they were dealing with a different aspect of that history. They were repeating upon it and enlarging upon it, and the reason I'm walking over here as I'm saying this, if you maintain the pioneer position of prophecy, then you see down here on this 1843 chart, you see very clearly endorsed the pioneer understanding of the trumpets, and we've already read from early writings, page 74, where Sister White says, I was shown that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and it should not be altered. The pioneers of Adventism had a specific understanding of the churches of the seals and the trumpets, and those three symbols were operating upon the rule that is so often employed in Bible prophecy, which is repeat and enlarge. Line of prophecy set forth, the next line of prophecy repeats upon and enlarge upon it. This is standard Adventist understanding. We all know this as Seventh-day Adventists, that Daniel chapter two gives the kingdoms of Bible prophecy, and Daniel chapter seven repeats that history and enlarges upon it, and Daniel eight repeats that history and enlarges upon it, and Daniel 11 repeats that history and enlarges upon it. The rule of Bible prophecy that a student of prophecy needs to understand is repeat and enlarge. The banner of the third angel's message is simply the historical event of the three angels' messages. It takes a little bit of time to explain that one. I'll touch upon that this weekend, Lord willing. Point 24, the Millerite history repeated. There are several places in Inspiration where you can show that the history that transpired in the Millerite time period is repeated. There are some examples here starting on page 19. In Daniel chapter 12, you have an illustration of the Millerite time period, but you have an illustration of the time period when the 144,000 are developed, and what you see in these notes here are some of the places where terms from Daniel 12, such as Daniel standing in his lot, Sister White applies the term Daniel standing in his lot in the Millerite time period, and then she applies it at the end of the world. She takes the term from Daniel 12, the increase of knowledge, and she applies it in the Millerite time period, and then she applies it at the end of the world. Daniel 12 is an illustration of Adventism, both the beginning and the end of Adventism. There was a sealed book in the Millerite time period. There is a sealed book for God's people at the end of time. As the book is unsealed in the Millerite time period, there's an increase of knowledge, and the experience of the Millerite is brought about. There is a book that is unsealed for God's people at the end of the world that brings about this same experience. What book is unsealed for God's people at the end of the world? Pardon me? The book of Daniel. Any other thoughts? What is unsealed for God's people just before human probation closes? Let me ask it that way. Turn with me, if you would. Getting off the subject, but we got six minutes and eight seconds. Turn with me to Revelation 10, verse four. We'll spend some time on this this weekend, but verse four of Revelation 10 says, And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not, brothers and sisters. In verse four of Revelation 10, whatever the seven thunders are, John is told to seal them up. It's the only thing in the book of Revelation that is sealed up. Turn with me, if you would, to Revelation 22. Very, very familiar verse. Revelation 22, verse 11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. Brothers and sisters, what is that verse identifying? A close of human probation, correct? What happens just before human probation closes? Look at verse 10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Of what book? The book of Revelation. There's only one prophecy in the book of Revelation that is sealed up, and it's the seven thunders. And whatever the seven thunders represent, they are unsealed just before the close of probation. And brothers and sisters, when they're carefully looked at, you realize that the truce of the seven thunders accomplished the same experience in the 144,000 that was accomplished when the book of Daniel was unsealed to the Millerites. Because the Millerite history is repeated to the very letter. You know what one of the strongest arguments of this is? If you have an Ellen White study Bible, you will find that Sister White has a comment on Revelation 10 in Ellen White's study Bible. It's from Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, page 961, I believe. 971. And it's a pretty long quote. Let me read you something. She's talking about the seven thunders here. From Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, page 971. She says, A 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. When were the events of the first and second angels' messages? 1840 to 1844. Sister White says the seven thunders represents a delineation of events that took place in the Millerite time period. In this same article, brothers and sisters. Notice what she says in a different paragraph. After these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered. First thing I hope you would see is when Sister White's commenting on John being told to seal up what the seven thunders uttered, she purposely makes a connection to the book of Daniel being sealed up. She says after these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered. These relate to future events that will be disclosed in their order. Sister White says the seven thunders represent future events, and this manuscript, by the way, was written in 1900. The seven thunders represent future events after 1900 that will be disclosed in their order, but they also represent the history of the Millerite time period. The seven thunders is emphasizing for us that the Millerite history is repeated at the end of the world. You'll notice on page 21 what we're saying is that the Millerite history is repeated at the end of the world. This is one of the points of prophecy that need to be understood, and if you take the characteristics that are located in Daniel chapter 12, such as an increase of knowledge, a book that is unsealed, Daniel standing in his lot, you'll find that Sister White applies all those terms from Daniel 12 to the Millerite time period, and she also applies them to the end of the world. She's teaching that Daniel 12 is illustrating not only the Millerite time period, but the time period when the 144,000 are developed, and I've already referred to the parable of the 10 virgins, and if you look on the top of page 21, you'll see the quotes that I mentioned. Great Controversy 393, the parable of the 10 virgins of Matthew 25, also illustrates the experience of the advent people, and from Review and Herald, August 19, 1890, she says, I'm often referred to the parable of the 10 virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish. This parable has been and will be fulfilled to the to the very letter. Now brothers and sisters, how many of you have read the Great Controversy? Then you know, as I know, that in the Great Controversy, when Sister White's talking about the history of the Millerites, she places it in the context of the fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins. The Millerites understood they were fulfilling the parable of the 10 virgins. They were understanding the work they were doing as a fulfillment of the parable of the 10 virgins. Go look at William Miller's lectures, and they did. They fulfilled the parable of the 10 virgins to the very letter, but it's fulfilled again to the very letter at the end of the world for the parable of the 10 virgins. It's what illustrates the experience of you and I, of Adventism. The three angels' messages of Revelation 14 are also illustrating the Millerite time period, because the first angel's message came into history when William Miller began to proclaim it in 1831. The second angel's message came into history in 1842. The third angel's message in 1844, that's when they arrived in history. But Sister White is clear that those messages need to be repeated. Revelation 14, among other things, Revelation 14 and the three angels' messages are teaching many things. This is God's Word. It's infinite. It's not a singular thought, but one of the things that it is teaching, like Matthew 25 and the parable of 10 virgins, and like Daniel 12, and like the seven thunders, is that the Millerite history is repeated at the end of the world. And we've already looked at Revelation 10. If we're in Revelation 10, let me make one more point in closing out this thought. In verse 1 of Revelation 10, it says this, And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with the cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth. Sister White comments on these two verses. She says this angel that comes down is Christ. The little book he has in his hand is the book of Daniel. And the action of placing his foot upon the land and his foot upon the sea is representing a message that would be carried to the world. So this here is a description of what took place during the Millerite time period, when the first angel's message was carried to every mission station in the world. And when was the first angel's message carried to every mission station in the world? According to the Great Controversy, this took place from August 11, 1840 onward. The first angel's message was empowered on August 11, 1840. How was it empowered? Anyone want to comment? How was the first angel's message empowered? With the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. What Bible prophecy? Now, I have the privilege. It's a privilege. It's also a responsibility. It's also a work. I have the privilege, responsibility, and work, until the Lord takes it away, to share these things with Seventh-day Adventists. So I understand that, particularly in the United States, on Friday night, that one hour is a long time. If you were in different countries on Friday night, you can go till midnight, no problem. But this is the United States. We've got things to do. But I want you to understand, if you're getting a little bit anxious in your seat, that it's not really 10 to 9. It's 10 to 11. My body clock says I was in bed already. I called my wife before I drove here, and she was getting in bed. So I understand where we're at. I understand that it's a little bit sleepy after a long week's work, and that we need to get home. But brothers and sisters, when Sister White says the seven thunders represent a delineation of events that would transpire under the first and second angel's message, and in the same passage, she says it represents a delineation of future events that would be disclosed in their orders, she is teaching the truth that the Millerite history is repeated at the end of the world. But the seven thunders are what represent this truth, and what happened to the seven thunders? They were sealed up. And brothers and sisters, when it comes to the history of the Millerites, when it comes to the history of the pioneers here at the end of the world, from my experience of sharing these truths with Adventists all over the world, we no longer understand that history. It has been sealed up. How many of you knew that James White was born blind? Raise your hand. One hand, two hand, three hand, four hand. Four hands. Five hands. How old was he before his sight was given to him? He was 17 or 18 years old. Now, I don't think from the record that he was totally blind. I think he's what we would call legally blind, but he couldn't go to school until he was 17 or 18 years old. And suddenly, his sight was returned to him, his sight was returned to him, and he went to school. And by the end of the first year of school, he had entered kindergarten, and by the end of that first year, he was tutoring the other students because he'd graduated high school. This is a man that was hungry for education, and all he wanted to do was go away to the university and become a teacher. That's what James White wanted to do. He had a godly mother that says, well, I want you to go down the road and hear this guy that's preaching. So in obedience to his mother, he went down the road, and he heard the Millerite message. And after he heard the Millerite message, you know what he wanted to do? He wanted to be a Millerite preacher. So he made a covenant with the Lord and said, if you'll give me an invitation to go present this message that I've just come to understand, I will do it. And shortly thereafter, he has a knock on the door, and he has an invitation out of the clear blue sky to go present this Millerite message. And he went and did, I think, a two-week effort. Could be wrong on that. And when he was done presenting the Millerite message, he was a complete and utter failure. You know what he did? He went and locked himself in his bedroom, and he put that chart upon the wall, and he did not leave his bedroom until he understood every aspect of the 1843 chart. And when he came out of the room, he was one of the most powerful Millerite preachers that there were. And they estimate there was 200 Millerite preachers. How many of those Millerite preachers used that chart? All of them. All 200 of them. Brothers and sisters, that is the Millerite message. That message there that's on that chart is the message that was being proclaimed in the history, which Sister White says is symbolized by the seven thunders, but what Revelation 10 verse 4 says is sealed up. And sure enough, we can go to places on this chart today, and the easy one, the fun one, is you can go to Seventh-day Adventists, and you can say what I said. Are you prepared to give a Bible study on the 2520 today? It was part of the Millerite message. It's an easy study to give, by the way, and it's biblically sound, and it hasn't changed through the years. I mean, we don't teach it anymore. We don't understand it anymore, but it's just as simple to see in the Bible. The point is this. One of the points about the 2520 is in Revelation 10 verse 4, the seven thunders, which represent the history of the Millerites, is sealed up. But according to Revelation 20 to 10, just before human probation closes, there's a command, a divine command, that says the time is at hand to unseal the sayings of the prophecy of this book, and the only prophecy in the book of Revelation that's been sealed up is the seven thunders. Brothers and sisters, just before human probation closes, there's going to be an awakening among God's people about what took place in the Millerite time period, because that's the foundations of Adventism, and the 144,000 are going to do a work of returning to the foundations of Adventism. And what I'm here tonight telling you is that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is now unsealing the seven thunders, and the unsealing of that truth accomplishes the same thing in God's people at the end of the world that the unsealing of the book of Daniel accomplished among the Millerites. But there will be one group that will understand this truth in Adventism, and one group in Adventism that will not understand this truth. That's not me, that's not my commentary, that's the biblical commentary. You and I, and Sister White's very, very clear, you and I can't tell who's the wise and foolish virgins. We may outwardly look like the wise, but we're the foolish. When it comes to Daniel 12, it's not the wise and foolish virgins, what is it? It's the wise and the wicked. And what is it that makes the distinction between the wise and the wicked in Daniel 12? It's the increase of knowledge. The wise understand the knowledge. What's the next book after Daniel? Notice Hosea. Next book after Daniel. Remember, the prophets are speaking about the end of the world, right? So Hosea is speaking about the end of the world. And in Hosea 4.6, what does he say? My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. What knowledge? The knowledge that's increased at the end that the wise understand, but those among us in Adventism that don't understand it, we're the wicked in Daniel 12, we're the foolish virgins in Revelation 25. And we're those that get destroyed here at the end of the world when the increase of knowledge takes place. And the increase of knowledge in the Millerite time period came from the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel was unsealed. There was an increase of knowledge. That history is repeated to the very letter at the end of time. But what's unsealed at the end of time is the truth of the seven thunders. And the truth of the seven thunders is simply that, hey, the events that took place in the Millerite time period, they get repeated at the end of the world. Brothers and sisters, they're repeating as we speak. How is it that truth becomes sealed up? You'll notice if you turn to Revelation 10 again, just to put this in context, I'm winding down in terms of I'm not going to keep you here much longer. I want to want to prepare the way for tomorrow. But I don't want us to be so tired tonight that we don't show up tomorrow. Revelation 10, Sister White's clear that this angel that comes down is Christ. But notice in verse 3, this angel that is Christ, he says, and he cried with a loud voice is when a lion roars. And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not. Now, brothers and sisters, Christ is the angel that comes down and he cries and then the seven thunders come forth. But when he cries, he cries as a lion. And if you turn to chapter 5 of Revelation, chapter 4 in Revelation is the throne room scene where we see God the Father setting upon the throne. He has a book in his hand that's sealed with seven seals. And if you read the Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary, they will lead you to believe that this book that is sealed with seven seals is a history book. But Sister White is very clear. She says in more than one place, the book that's sealed with seven seals is the Bible. So in chapter 4, God the Father has the Bible in his hand and it's sealed up. And in chapter 5, John's seeing this scene. And for whatever reason, he is inspired to begin weeping because he realizes that no human being has the ability to unseal the truths of God's word. Notice in verse 3, let's start in verse 3. And no man in heaven nor on earth, neither under earth, this is chapter 5, verse 3, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals. Brothers and sisters, the lion of the tribe of Judah here is Christ. Christ is the one that unseals the word of God to his people. And then in the book of Revelation, he begins to unseal these truths. But what does it mean that the Bible is sealed up? Several places where Sister White comments on this. Because the Bible has been sealed up at different times. It was sealed up to the Jews when Christ was on earth. They didn't understand the Bible had been sealed up. Daniel was sealed up, was unsealed in the middle of the right time period. Sister White says the Bible was sealed during the dark ages of papal rule. What is it that seals up the Bible? This is Spaulding McGann, page 58. When Christ came to this earth, the traditions that had been handed down from generation to generation and the human interpretation of the scriptures hint for men the truth as it is in Jesus. The truth was buried beneath a mass of tradition. The spiritual import of the sacred volumes was lost. But the lion of the tribe of Judah prevailed. He opened the seal that closed the book of divine instruction. The world was permitted to gaze upon pure unadulterated truth. Truth itself descended to roll back the darkness and counteract error. A teacher was sent from heaven with the light that was to light every man that comes into the world. There were men and women who were eagerly seeking for knowledge, the sure word of prophecy. And when it came, it was as a light shining in a dark place. Brothers and sisters, what seals up the Bible, according to Sister White, is traditions and customs that are handed down from generation to generation. Signs of the Times, July, well, Signs of the Times, May 17th, 1905. The scribes and Pharisees professed to explain the scriptures, but they explained them in accordance with their own ideas and traditions. The customs and maxims became more and more exacting. In a spiritual sense, the sacred word became to the people a sealed book. What seals up the Bible, according to Sister White, is the reception of customs, traditions, customs and traditions that are handed down from generation to generation. And brothers and sisters, at the end of the world, the lion of the tribe of Judah, in chapter 10 of Revelation, he cried as a lion, and the seven thunders uttered their voices, and then the seven thunders are sealed up. But just before the close of probation, once again, the one who prevails to open the book cries, or unseals, begins to unseal the seven thunders. I want to do one thing before we close here, if you don't mind, and I truly am closing here. Just before the close of human probation, whatever the seven thunders represented to be unsealed, according to Revelation 22.10, seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand. Sister White says the seven thunders represent a delineation of events that transpired under the first and second angels' message. She does not say a delineation of events that transpired under the first and second and third angels' message. She says the history of the first and second angels' message. She's teaching us, brothers and sisters, that the history of the Millerite time period is sealed up to God's people until the end of the world, when, once again, Christ is going to bring this foundational understanding to our attention. So, when you get to the point where it's starting to be pointed out again in Adventism, you know that you've reached the time period where probation is about to close. That's the significance of Revelation 22.10 and 11. The light of the seventh thunder arrives just before the close of probation. So, it's essential that you and I here at the end of the world, just before the close of human probation, we really need to understand what the seven thunders represent. And it represents this history. The message of this history is represented on this chart, the 1843 chart, which Sister White says was directed by the hand of the Lord. And you'll notice that there's so much to say about this. I have a tendency to go off on tangents. Let me point out one more thing before I close this up. You'll notice in Revelation 5 that John is inspired to cry. He's weeping because no one can unseal the book, right? You all saw that, right? And then he begins to unseal the book. We know the story. And then we have the story of the seven seals, seven trumpets. And it's those seven seals and seven trumpets. It's that message that brought revival, brought the experience of the Millerites to being. So, Christ unsealed these prophetic truths to the Millerites in response to John weeping. Who was it? Who's the man associated with bringing these truths together in the Millerite time period? Who's the primary human being that's associated with assembling the truths of the Millerite time period? William Miller. Remember William Miller's dream? How long since you read William Miller's dream? I'll tell you just a brief overview of William Miller's dream. You'll remember it. He saw a beautiful box, a casket he calls it. And there was some beautiful jewels in it, remember? And he wanted to show the world these jewels. How many are familiar with this dream, even if you haven't read it for a while? And he puts the box of jewels on a table, and then people begin to come in and investigate the jewels, right? And before long, they begin scattering them around, and they begin bringing in debris, and they cover up the jewels, and they get spread all over. And what's William Miller start doing? He starts weeping. And as soon as he starts weeping, just like John was weeping, what happens? The dirt brush man comes in, and he sweeps all the rubbish out the window, and he takes all the jewels, and he places them back in the box. And William Miller is amazed, because not only are the original jewels there, but there's some other ones there. And they shine a hundred times brighter than before. William Miller's dream is incorporated into inspiration by Ellen White. Okay, so this is a prophecy about the end of the world. See, William Miller was the human being that was used, not only himself, but he's the historical figure representing those people that were used by Christ to assemble the jewels at the beginning of Adventism, that were assembled immediately after John wept, because the book was sealed. And at the end of the world, there's a book unsealed again, and it corresponds with William Miller weeping, because the truths that he'd been apart assembling, they had been come what? Sealed up with rubbish. Human traditions and customs that had been handed down from generation to generation. And just before the close of probation against unsealed again, and one of the things that the seven thunders represents, is the delineation of events that transpired during the first and second angels' messages. Brothers and sisters, William Miller began to proclaim his message in 1831. He received his credentials in 1833. Probably not important to make this point, but I like the fact that in 1833 he received his credential, which is the same year that the falling of the stars took place, announcing the return of Christ. And William Miller was preaching the first angel's message of Revelation 14. But the first angel's message of Revelation 14, brothers and sisters, it was not empowered until August 11, 1840. And I know that you've all read that in the Great Controversy, a fulfillment of Revelation 9.15, the 391-year, 15-day time prophecy identifying the collapse of the Ottoman Empire that all the Millerites preached. But Josiah Litch took it upon himself to make a publication predicting the collapse of the Ottoman Empire based upon Revelation 9.15, using what principle of Bible prophecy to make that conclusion, the year-day principle of Bible prophecy. And he was scoffed at, but when the Ottoman Empire came to its end on August 11, 1840, a power came into the Millerite movement. The first angel's message had been empowered, and Sister White says it was carried to every mission station in the world. The mighty angel of Revelation 10 had come down and placed his foot upon the land and upon the sea with the book of Daniel open in his hand. Sister White says in June of 1842, the majority of the churches closed their door on the Millerite message. The Millerites didn't understand what that meant. It wasn't until later on in 1844 that they even began proclaiming the second angel's message, but it arrived in history in 1842. When was it that the second angel's message was empowered? The second angel's message was empowered by the midnight cry. That took place on August 12 through 17, 1844 at the Exeter camp meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, and the second angel's message had been empowered. Notice, notice, first angel's message begins here 1831. It's not empowered, it's not empowered till here, I'm sorry, in 1840. Bad illustration there. Second angel's message arrives in history in 1842. Millerites don't understand it's the second angel's message yet, but the second angel's message is ultimately empowered at the midnight cry in 1844. Then the third angel's message arrived in history on October 22, 1844. When Sister White says that the seven thunders represented delineation of events that would transpire under the first and second angel's message, she's teaching us that the seven thunders represent this history, but she also teaches us that the seven thunders represent future events that will be disclosed in their order. In this history represented by the seven thunders, the parable of the ten virgins was fulfilled to the very letter, and Sister White says the parable of the ten virgins is going to be fulfilled again to the very letter. In this history, when the mighty angel of Revelation 10 came down with his foot upon the land and his foot upon the sea, it represents a message that's carried to the entire world. And what message are we waiting for here today, brothers and sisters? As Seventh-day Adventists, we're waiting for the fourth angel's message of Revelation 18, correct? And the fourth angel's message of Revelation 18, what is it? It's a mighty angel that once again comes down out of heaven, and once again the earth is lightened with his glory. Revelation 18 is simply the beginning of the repetition of this history. We need to understand this history, not because I'm saying anything, but because it is obvious now that Christ, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, which is the characteristic that Christ identifies of himself, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as the one that unseals his words to God's people at the appropriate time in history. He did it with the book of Daniel, with the Millerites. He's doing it now at the end of the world to Seventh-day Adventists. And what has been sealed up to us, brothers and sisters, is that history of the Millerites. And tomorrow, we'll take you through a study on the 1843 chart. And I mean, we've shared this study around the world now. Easy study. It's not controversial, but you will see that there's things about that history that you didn't understand that are now being unsealed. And hopefully the Holy Spirit will convict us that this is just another evidence. That probation's about to close, and that you and I need to have a character prepared for the seal of God instead of having a character prepared for the mark of the beast. Shall we pray? Heavenly Father, we thank you for the easy times that we have to come together and study these things. We know that in the very near future, we're going to be in difficult times. Troublesome times are ahead. Times that Sister White has told us are impossible for a human pen to even describe. We wish to take advantage of this time, this weekend, and allow your Holy Spirit and your angels to abide with us and instruct us. We wish to be awakened, and if there are truths that you wish to unseal before our eyes, we ask that you would make that happen. We wish that these prophetic truths would accomplish their intended goal of bringing revival in each and every one of us, that we might be fully awakened to our personal responsibility for preparation, and our personal responsibility to be about our business of giving a clear and faithful warning message to our neighbors and those that know nothing of these things. Help us to be blessed by what you have for us by keeping our minds clear and focused. And we ask that the words that are spoken from up front here would not be corrupted or held back by human influence, but that it will be the words and the thoughts that you would intend for us. And we thank you for the privilege of prayer. We thank you for the Sabbath. We ask a double blessing upon this sacred time. Now we ask for traveling mercies as we part and go home on these slick roads. And we also ask for a good night's sleep, that we might come back refreshed in the morning. In Jesus' name, Amen.