Habakkuk's Two Tables #87
CONCLUSION
Presented by Jeff Pippenger
Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, we ask that once again you would bless us with your presence, that you would grant us the Holy Spirit, and that you would open up our understanding to your Word through the outpouring of the Latter Rain. We want the atmosphere of Heaven to be with us; so, we would ask that you would fill this room with holy angels that they might bring an influence that would be holy and sweet and sanctifying and that they would be given permission to hold off the distractions that sometimes come in to meetings like this. We would ask that you take control of my humanity, overrule it for your glory and your honor that what is conveyed is a message from the Throne upon High; and, we would ask that you would prepare the hearts and minds of those that are hearing these things, to receive it in agreement with your will. We have another long day of service here in this meeting place, and we would ask that you watch over the production that we are doing with the DVDs and the broadcasting in LiveStream. We thank you for all these things in Jesus's name, amen.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. Because Emiliano was sick yesterday, we do not know his status yet today. But, I was not very happy about the last two presentations yesterday, so we still have not decided whether we are going to keep those in Habakkuk's Two Tables, although some of the points that I made yesterday are points that I wanted to have in Habakkuk's Two Tables. That is still up in the air.
But, in any case, this presentation is #87, even though the last two presentations yesterday were 87 and 88. We are right now figuring out what we are going to do; but, it is too busy around here to pull the trigger on that decision yet. So, this is #87.
What yesterday did for me is that it brought me into focus. I now see how I can conclude Habakkuk's Tables in a very short fashion and be happy with how I am going to do it; not that it is going to happen right away. But, there is probably not that more presentations left.
Conclusion
Understanding the Mareh Vision
Daniel 10:1, 16; Revelation 10:5-7; 11:14-15, 19
So, we are going to start back into Daniel; because, I definitely wanted to finish off Daniel.
And if you remember, as I am sure you do, in Daniel, chapter 8, Gabriel came to make Daniel understand the mareh vision; and, by verse 27 of Daniel 8 at the conclusion of Daniel 8, Daniel tells us that no one understood the mareh vision. So, Gabriel's work was not finished in Daniel, chapter 8. There was more light that had to be brought forth about the mareh vision to bring that to a conclusion.
And, if you go to Daniel 10:1, we are going to start working on bringing that thought to a close.
Daniel 10:1 says,
"1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision." Daniel 10:1 (KJV).
And, we have already dealt a little bit with this; because, the "thing" here in verse 1 is the dâbâr, which is the Word. And dâbâr as the Word is a verb; and, of course, Christ is the Word. He is the Dâbâr. But, in the context here, this word dâbâr is the oracle, the word, meaning a vision.
So, when we understand from the context of Daniel's full testimony that there are two visions that he deals with—primarily in Daniel 8 the mareh and the châzôn; and, the mareh is the vision of the appearance of Christ in the Most Holy Place on October 22, 1844; and, the châzôn is the vision of prophetic history—then we see in verse 1 of Daniel 10 that Daniel has understanding of the mareh vision in that last phrase. He has finally reached an understanding. At the end of chapter 8, he did not yet understand it; but, the first thing that we are told about Daniel in verse 1 of Daniel 10 is that now he has this understanding, but he also understands the dâbâr. The dâbâr is the thing and the characteristic of the "thing" is that the time appointed for the "thing" was long.
And, in our study of the châzôn, we realized that one of the characteristics of the châzôn is that it was going to be shut up for many days (it was long).
So, we are saying the dâbâr is simply another expression of Daniel's to identify the châzôn; therefore, in Daniel 10:1, Daniel is representing one who understands both the châzôn vision (the vision of prophetic history) and the mareh vision (the vision of Christ's appearance in the Sanctuary).
And Daniel here is doing what John does in chapter 10, verses 8 through 10, when he takes the Little Book out of the Angel's hand and eats it, and it is sweet in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. Daniel here is becoming part of the prophecy; and, therefore, he is illustrating God's people at the end of the world, therefore he is illustrating the people of God at the end of the world that understand both the châzôn vision (the vision of prophetic history) and the appearance of Christ in the Most Holy Place [the mareh vision]. So, here, the climax of Daniel's testimony, his last vision in Daniel 10, 11, and 12, the first thing that Daniel is representing is God's people at the end of the world that understand both visions.
But, that is just the starting point. We have already looked at the fact that in the next three verses (2, 3, and 4) Daniel is portrayed as fasting and afflicting his soul, which is evidence that he is representing God's people at the end of the world, but not the Millerites; because, the Millerites were not in the Day of Atonement. He is being specifically applied to you and me here at the end of the world in a time period of the Day of Atonement.
And, we know in the Day of Atonement at the end of the world that the Everlasting Gospel is going to be accomplished, and the Everlasting Gospel is the work of Christ in producing two classes of worshippers, based upon the introduction of a testing prophetic message.
And, therefore, if you go down to verse 7, it says,
"7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking"—
And if you look that up, a quaking can be a shaking. This is the shaking of Adventism.
—"but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hid themselves." Daniel 10:7 (KJV).
This is Adventism. There is one class that is going to refuse to see Christ in the Most Holy Place, and the reason they refuse to see Christ in the Most Holy Place is they refuse to enter the Most Holy Place and, they are going to be shaken out; but, at the same time, Daniel is representing those that see Christ in the Most Holy Place.
Now, I am aware that this word in verse 7 is not mareh; it is marah. Okay? It is the feminine of mareh, and we have things to study about this; but, right now, I am just showing the distinction of the two classes being separated by the mareh vision of Christ in the Most Holy Place.
And, you can see in verses 5 and 6 the illustration of the appearance, the mareh, that does the separation. It says,
"5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning"—
And that word appearance is mareh.
—"and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Daniel 10:5-6 (KJV).
So, this is an illustration of the appearance of Christ, the mareh.
And in the next verse, verse 7, it talks about the separation, the shaking of Adventism.
Of course, these verses 5 and 6, Sister Ellen G. White tells us this is the same vision that John has in Revelation when he hears a voice behind him and he turns and he sees this pretty much same description of Christ, once again in the Sanctuary because He is there among the golden candlesticks.
Go to verse 16 of Daniel 10. And it says,
"16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision"—
This is the mareh vision.
—"my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength." Daniel 10:16 (KJV).
Okay. So, Daniel is giving testimony of what happened to him when he entered into the Most Holy Place experience and sees the appearance of the High Priest (of Jesus Christ).
And if you go to Revelation 10:5-7, we will see when the time came in history where men and women could go into the Most Holy Place.
In Revelation 10, beginning at verse 5, it says,
"5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." Revelation 10:5-7 (KJV).
And then if you go to chapter 11 of Revelation, verses 14 and 15, it says,
"14 The second woe is past; and, behold the third woe cometh quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded;"—
This is the same angel as verse 7 of chapter 10, the seventh angel, the Seventh Trumpet.
—"15 And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:14-15 (KJV).
Then if you drop down to verse 19, it says,
"19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." Revelation 11:19 (KJV).
The point in history where mankind could move into the Most Holy Place and see the appearance of Christ there is October 22, 1844. And these verses we just read are marking that.
What we are looking at in Daniel 10 is the experience when it happened; but, now I have taken you to the point in time where it could happen for mankind, for the purpose of trying to show you the congruity of the prophets that illustrate this experience.
Notice this next quote from Testimonies, volume 5, page 753:
"In the visions given to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, and to John we see how closely heaven is connected with the events taking place upon the earth and how great is the care of God for those who are loyal to Him." Testimonies, volume 5, 753.
And if you type in "Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John" into the CD-ROM, Sister White gives you abundant testimony that where they are connected, where they are illustrating the identical vision is in the Most Holy Place.
And in Isaiah 6, when Isaiah is humbled into the dust; and in Ezekiel 2 and 10, when Ezekiel sees the cherubims, with the wheels within the wheels; here in Revelation, where John sees the ark of His testament, these are all the Most Holy Place experiences of these prophets; but, this is the same experience that is being illustrated by Daniel in Daniel, chapter 10.
Are you with me?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay.
Daniel 10:1-6; Revelation 1:10-17
Go back to Daniel 10 now, if you would.
What I am saying is the prophets provide abundant testimony of this experience of the Most Holy Place, and although we have already kind of reviewed it, in Daniel 10:1-6, the first thing we are told—and in the Bible there is a thing of first mentioned. The first time a thing is mentioned is the most important. And Jesus said the Word of God is a . . . ?
Nobody knows that one?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: A lamp.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: A what?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: A lamp unto our feet.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: A lamp, but that is not what I am looking for.
What is the Word of God? It is a seed, right?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: All right. And a seed has all the genetic information in it that it needs to produce a complete plant; and, the Word of God is a seed, so the first time a subject is mentioned in the Bible, it has the entire story of that subject. That is the Rule of First Mentioned.
The most important time a subject is mentioned in the Bible is the first time; and, the second most important time is the last time. The information in between is all important, but the first and the last is the most important because the Word of God is Jesus, and He is the First and the Last.
So, this principle, it also works in passages of the Bible. Okay? Jesus is the First and the Last, so He illustrates the End from the Beginning; and, the Book of Daniel begins with Babylon conquering Jerusalem, but it ends in Daniel 11:45 where Babylon is attempting to attack Jerusalem but fails. In the beginning Babylon wins; at the end it does not win, but it is the same story at the beginning and the end of the Book of Daniel.
But, also in Daniel's last vision, the first thing that we are told about Daniel's last vision in verse 1 is the most important thing about this vision, is that Daniel is here representing God's people at the end of the world that have the understanding of both the mareh and the châzôn visions.
All right. Then in verses 2, 3, and 4, he is illustrated as fasting for three weeks, thus telling us that he is representing God's people at the end of the world who are in the Day of Atonement.
Then in verse 5 and 6, he sees Christ (the same Christ that John sees in chapter 1).
And, then in verse 10 of Revelation 1—go to Revelation 1—and we will show you that this is the same vision, the same appearance, to Daniel that John has. In chapter 1 of Revelation, starting at verse 10, it says,
"10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw even gold candlesticks;"—
So, where is John?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: In the Holy Place.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: He is in the Holy Place.
—"13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead."—
When John sees this vision, he falls at His feet as dead.
—"And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last: . . ." Revelation 1:10-17 (KJV).
And if you would go back to Daniel 10, verse 5, he says,
"5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Daniel 10:5-6 (KJV).
And Sister White plainly tells us that this is the same vision for both of these prophets.
So, in Signs of the Times, April 7, 1887—what I am doing, what I am trying to do, is show you that this experience of the mareh, of the appearance of Christ in the Most Holy Place, has been illustrated by several prophets; and, upon those prophetic testimonies (upon the testimony of two or three a thing is established) the truths that are contained in these experiences as they are illustrated in the Word of God become established as the experience that you and I have to have here in the time period of the blotting out of sin in the Investigative Judgment when we move into the Most Holy Place with Christ.
Sister White says in Signs of the Times, April 7, 1887,
"How many cling with great tenacity to their self-styled dignity, which is only self-esteem."—
What is that?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Self-esteem?
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes. What is it?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Gâdal.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Gâdal.
So, what is the symbol of this?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Daily.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Daily. Okay? This is the Daily. If you are clinging to your self-righteousness, your self-exaltation, then in the terminology of Daniel 8, it is the Daily. And if you cling to that in the time of the Investigative Judgment, the blotting out of sin, when you are supposed to be humbled in the dust as these prophets are illustrated so that the Lord can take a coal from off the altar and purify you and use you as a tool to finish His work in Righteousness, but you cling to your self-esteem, then the deception that you are under, the Omega deception because this is the last deception before probation closes, that deception is symbolically represented by the Daily in the Book of Daniel.
—"How many cling with great tenacity to their self-styled dignity, which is only self-esteem. In conversation, more time is spent in talking of self than in exalting the riches of the grace of Christ. These persons seek to honor themselves instead of waiting in humbleness of heart for Christ to honor them. They would teach others how to perfect a Christian character; but they have not such a character themselves. They have not learned of Him who says, 'I am meek and lowly of heart.'
"Humility is inseparable from holiness of heart. The nearer the soul comes to God, the more completely is it humbled and subdued."—
So, I am hoping you are seeing here now that the two principles is what Sister White is dealing with: the principle of self-exaltation, which is a counterfeit religion that is represented in Daniel 8; and, the principle of humility, which is the true religion. Okay? So, in that context, then she says this:
—"When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed, 'I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' It was when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, and heard the cherubim crying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts,' that he cried out, 'Woe is me, for I am undone!'"—
Now, prophetically, Sister White just said that this experience of Job parallels the experience of Isaiah. There are the two witnesses about this experience.
But, she goes on and says,
—"Daniel, when visited by the holy messenger, says, 'My comeliness was turned in me to corruption.'"—
This is Daniel 10. Now we have Job, Isaiah, and Daniel.
—"Paul, after he had been caught up into the third Heaven, and heard things that it was not lawful for a man to utter, spoke of himself as 'less than the least of all saints.'"—
When was Paul caught up into the Third Heaven?
You do not know, do you? There is a good answer, though.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: 2 Corinthians, chapter 12.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: That is where it is set forth in the Bible, but when?
In the 1st Century is the best I can do; in the 1st Century. In the 1st Century Paul was caught up into the Third Heaven; and, when he was there he heard things that it was not lawful for a man to utter.
Now, why what it not lawful for a man to utter these things?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Several responses.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Because, if you go to Revelation 10, Revelation 10 says that John, he sees the same thing. We are going to find this out right now. He sees the same thing. In verse 3, after Christ has set his left foot upon the land and his right foot upon the sea, in verse 3 it says,
"3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 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." Revelation 10:3-4 (KJV).
What was uttered was sealed up. Until when?
Revelation, chapter 22, verse 10, says,
"10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: . . ." Revelation 22:10-11, in part (KJV).
The only thing that is sealed up in the Book of Revelation is what the Seven Thunders uttered, and it is sealed up just before the close of human probation. What the Seven Thunders uttered is sealed up until our generation, because probation is about to close.
But, Paul lived in the 1st Century and he heard this history; but, it was not lawful for him to utter it, because he was living in the 1st Century and it was sealed up until our Century.
So, when he was carried to a Third Heaven, Paul was having the identical experience that Job and Isaiah, and Daniel, and John had. And when he was there, one of the things that we are told is that he heard things that were not lawful to be uttered. He heard the history of the Seven Thunders.
So, go back to your quote:
—" Paul, after he had been caught up into the third Heaven, and heard things that it was not lawful for a man to utter, spoke of himself as 'less than the least of all saints.' It was the beloved John, that leaned on Jesus's breast, and beheld his glory, who fell before the angels as one dead. The more closely and continuously we behold our Savior the less we shall see to approve in ourselves." Signs of the Times, April 7, 1887.
So, this about the distinction between gâdal and true humility; and, this distinction is made in Daniel 10:7 when Daniel sees this vision, and he has this experience, but the men that were with him are shaken out. And the reason they are shaken out is because they are holding onto self-exaltation. Do you see that?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: And this is the testimony of the prophets about our time period, as they describe their experience that we are to have.
Vision
MARAH: Strong's Concordance, H4759—Feminine of H4758; a vision; also (causatively) a mirror: -looking glass, vision.
Now, mareh is the vision of the appearance; but, marah is the feminine of this same word. And in your notes you will see a definition of marah. It says, feminine of H4758, which is mareh; a vision; also a mirror, a looking glass.
So, the mareh is the vision of Christ in the Most Holy Place; but, when you see Christ in the Most Holy Place, you are to experience the marah, and that experience is the looking-glass experience. Right?
Daniel 10:7-8; Exodus 30:17-21; 1 Corinthians 13:9-13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; James 1:22-25
Look at Daniel 10, verses 7 and 8.
"7 And I Daniel alone saw the [marah, the feminine, the looking-glass] vision: for the men that were with me saw not the [looking-glass] vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone,"—
There is the separation between the wheat and the tares, spiritually.
—"and saw this great [marah] vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength." Daniel 10:7-8 (KJV).
Go to Exodus 30. We want to look a little bit, briefly; other people have dealt with the marah, so it is already in the record of this message. So, this will be brief.
Beginning at verse 17 of Exodus 30 says,
"17 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord: 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations." Exodus 30:17-21 (KJV).
Before you go into the Sanctuary, you need to wash yourself in the laver.
And what was used to make the laver? The women's mirrors were taken and turned into this laver. The laver is the looking glass.
1 Corinthians 13:9-13:
"9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish tings. 12 For now we see through a [looking] glass, darkly;"—
This looking glass we see through, when we come into the Most Holy Place, we are going to see the appearance of Christ, the mareh, but we are going to have to clean ourselves to go in there. We are going to have to look into the looking glass. We are going to have to have our personal marah experience; and, when we do it says,
—"but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of theses is charity." 1 Corinthians 13:9-13 (KJV).
This is the experience of looking face to face with Jesus Christ and being made aware, being made undone as Isaiah says, seeing how worthless that we are, in order that we can be humbled into the position where the Lord can lift us up and use us.
Go to 2 Corinthians 3:18. We are looking at the looking glass, which is the marah vision, the feminine of the mareh.
Verse 18 says,
"18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a [looking] glass the glory of the Lord,"—
Is that what Isaiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and John, and Job, and Paul illustrate when they move into the Most Holy Place and see the mareh appearance of Christ?
—"the glory of the Lord, are changed"—
This experience is going to change us.
—"into the same image"—
What image? What image is that? The image of Christ.
—"from glory to glory,—"
How is it done?
—"even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV).
That is the marah vision.
And in James 1, more light on the looking glass, the marah vision, verse 22 says,
"22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,"—
And this is a common consideration in this Movement, is it not? There are some of us in this Movement that we have the intellectual understanding, but we do not have the experience. Our life does not correspond with what we know. It is all head knowledge. And, it is the marah experience that turns the intellectual understanding into the experience. That is what James is talking about.
—"22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."—
You just cannot understand this message; you have to allow the Holy Spirit to turn it into an experience.
—"23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a [looking] glass:"—
The marah.
—"24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,"—
Ah, this marah vision, this looking glass, is not simply the glory of the Lord; it is God's Law.
—"and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:22-25 (KJV).
So, when we pull together the marah vision that is illustrated repeatedly by the various prophets, we realize that the mareh vision is the vision of Christ; the marah is our experience when we compare ourselves with Christ and are changed from glory to glory into His image through the Spirit of the Lord, being not a forgetful hearer but an actual doer of the Law of God, in all that it represents.
Notice this next quote from Review and Herald, December 22, 1896.
"The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days. They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary."—
And what work is going forward in the Heavenly Sanctuary in the Last Days? It is the Investigative Judgment; but, when you take it right down to the very last days, it is the blotting out of sins in the Investigative Judgment in the time of the Judgment of the Living, which is the time of the Latter Rain.
—"They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary. 'And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.'"—
That is why we started there in Revelation 11, is because here Sister White is saying Revelation 11 is Isaiah 6. Okay? She is tying it together, and she does it other places, too.
—"As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips,—a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God."—
Now, it is not enough to look into the Heavenly Sanctuary. You must see the work of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary. That is what she says; they look by faith into the Heavenly Sanctuary and see by faith the work of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary. You have to see the work He is doing. And I mean: You have to see it.
In Early Writings, page 259, the Jews were left in perfect darkness because they rejected the three-step testing message of John the Baptist and Christ that would have led them into the Heavenly Sanctuary. They were led into perfect darkness, with Satan in full control of them; but, what they were not seeing was the work of Christ had changed from the earthly sanctuary to the Heavenly Sanctuary. And then in the very next paragraph, she goes to the Millerite History and says, "Those that rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second message, neither were they benefited by the Midnight Cry that was to prepare them to enter by faith into the Most Holy Place." And there she says Satan began to answer those people's prayers. But, what they did not see was that the work of Christ had moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place.
So, those two histories are pointing to our history, and in our history it is not enough just to look into the Heavenly Sanctuary—all Adventists look into the Heavenly Sanctuary—but we must see the work of Christ. We must see that His work has proceeded from the Judgment of the Dead to the Judgment of the Living. And if we are not correctly passing the three-step testing process in our history that has been prefigured by the three-step testing process in the Millerite History and the History of Christ and all the sacred histories throughout time, if we are not correctly navigating that three-step testing process, then we will not be able to see that Christ has begun the Judgment of the Living. But, we have to see that.
—"As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips,—a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may they despair as they contrast their own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ. But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them. The bow of promise is above the throne, and the work done for Isaiah will be performed in them. God will respond to the petitions coming from the contrite heart."—
I received an email last night from a very, very close relative of mine, and he says, "I'm lost! I need to connect with Christ. What do I do?"
So [crying], I sent him an email and tried to convey this truth, "But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them."
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: It continues on.
"The object of this great and solemn work of God is to gather together the sheaves for the heavenly garner;"—
And I am emphasizing that expression on purpose.
—"for the earth is to be filled with the glory of the Lord."—
When is the Earth going to be filled with the glory of the Lord?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: September 11th.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: September 11, 2001, when the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18 comes down.
—"Then let none be dismayed as they see the prevailing wickedness and hear the language coming from unclean lips. When the powers of darkness set themselves in array against the people of God; when Satan shall muster his forces for the last great conflict, and his power seems to be great and almost overwhelming, the clear view of the divine glory, the throne high and lifted up, arched with the bow of promise, will give comfort, assurance, and peace." Review and Herald, December 22, 1896.
Sheaves
But, I want you to see that the object of the work that is going on in the Most Holy Place during the blotting out of sins during the Judgment of the Living, during the sprinkling of the Latter Rain, when we enter in and see the mareh and have the marah experience for ourselves, that work is to gather together the sheaves for the heavenly garner.
Notice the next quote, from The Great Controversy, page 341.
"To John were opened scenes of deep and thrilling interest in the experience of the church. He saw the position, dangers, conflicts, and final deliverance of the people of God. He records the closing messages which are to ripen the harvest of the earth, either as sheaves for the heavenly garner or as fagots for the fires of destruction. Subjects of vast importance were revealed to him, especially for the last church, that those who should turn from error to truth might be instructed concerning the perils and conflicts before them. None need be in darkness in regard to what is coming upon the earth." The Great Controversy, 341.
So, if the work that is going on in the Most Holy Place is to gather the sheaves, we need to understand that the message that is connected with this work is found in the Book of Revelation. It is the prophetic message.
And what is it, in the Biblical narrative, that ripens sheaves or the fagots? It is the Latter Rain.
Therefore, the message that is in the Book of Revelation is the Latter Rain Message that is poured out during the Judgment of the Living and the blotting out of sins. And, if you do not understand that, if you think that the Gospel is the gospel of W. W. Prescott, The Doctrine of Christ, that takes the prophetic message out of Christ, then you are following a false Christ, and you are not going to be in the Most Holy Place receiving the Latter Rain, and your sins are not going to be blotted out, and you are going to die. And, that is where we are at here in Adventism at the end of the world.
Notice the next quote, from Early Writings, page 119.
"I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, 'Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.'" Early Writings, 119.
So, now it is getting even more specific about the messages in the Book of Revelation. It is the Third Angel's Message in the Book of Revelation that does this work in the Most Holy Place during the time of the blotting out of sin.
Okay. Notice the next quote, The Desire of Ages, page 392.
"'Whose fan is in His hand,"—
Whose fan is in His hand?
Who has a fan in His hand?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Christ.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Christ . . . Who has a fan in His hand?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Dirt Brush Man.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Dirt Brush Man. This is also the Dirt Brush Man; it is definitely Christ.
But, what does the Dirt Brush Man do? He sweeps out the traditions and customs that have been covering up the jewels—that are represented on this [1843] Chart—and brings in counterfeits.
—"Whose fan is in his hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner.' Matthew 3:12. This was one of the times of purging. By the words of truth, the chaff was being separated from the wheat."—
Okay. The Third Angel's Message does this work. It gets done in the Most Holy Place experience; it gets done by the messages of Revelation; it gets done by the Words of Truth, by the Prophetic Word of Truth.
—"Because they were too vain and self-righteous"—
They were what?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Too vain and self-righteous.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Self-righteous. The reason they will not receive the Third Angel's Message (the Words of Truth from Revelation) is because of self-exaltation, because of the Daily.
—"Because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive reproof, too world-loving to accept a life of humility, many turned away from Jesus. Many are still doing the same thing. Souls are tested today as were those disciples in the synagogue at Capernaum."—
Okay. Now, when Sister White is talking about the purging of Adventism and the gathering of the sheaves by the Words of Truth, she is comparing it to Capernaum. Right?
Continuing on:
—"When truth is brought home to the heart, they see that their lives are not in accordance with the will of God. They see the need of an entire change in themselves; but they are not willing to take up the self-denying work. Therefore they are angry when their sins are discovered. They go away offended, even as the disciples left Jesus, murmuring, 'This is an hard saying; who can hear it?'" The Desire of Ages, 392.
When did they say that? At His sermon at Capernaum.
Capernaum
Manuscript Releases, volume 16, 106-107:
"One matter burdens my soul: The great lack of the love of God, which has been lost through continued resistance of light and truth, and the influence of those who have been engaged in active labor, who, in the face of evidence piled upon evidence, have exerted an influence to counteract the work of the message God has sent. I point them to the Jewish nation and ask, Must we leave our brethren to pass over the same path of blind resistance, till the very end of probation? If ever a people needed true and faithful watchmen, who will not hold their peace, who will cry day and night, sounding the warnings God has given, it is Seventh-day Adventists. Those who have had great light, blessed opportunities, who, like Capernaum,"—
Now she is comparing Capernaum with you and me.
—"have been exalted to heaven in point of privilege, shall they by non-improvement be left to darkness corresponding to the greatness of the light given?"—
That is scary.
—"I wish to plead with our brethren who shall assemble at the General Conference to heed the message given to the Laodiceans. What a condition of blindness is theirs! This subject has been brought to your notice again and again, but your dissatisfaction with your spiritual condition has not been deep and painful enough to work reform. 'Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' The guilt of self-deception is upon our churches. The religious life of many is a lie." Manuscript Releases, volume 16, 106–107.
Of course, the scornful men that ruled the people in Jerusalem in Isaiah 28:14 were told that they hide themselves under falsehood and lies. But here, I am wanting you to see that Capernaum is illustrating the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the time of Laodicea and that at Capernaum Christ gave the message of the manna that came down out of Heaven and said, "You must eat my flesh and drink my blood," and this is where He lost the most of the disciples in John 6:66: they turned "and walked no more with him," illustrating that the majority of Adventism goes out at The Sunday Law, at John 6:66.
His Own City
Capernaum was His own city.
The Desire of Ages, page 252:
"At Capernaum Jesus dwelt in the intervals of His journeys to and fro, and it came to be known as 'His own city. It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and near the borders of the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, if not actually upon it." The Desire of Ages, 252.
A city in Bible prophecy, a kingdom, a church—"Babylon is that great city that ruleth." The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a kingdom; it is Christ's City, it is Capernaum.
The next quote, from Review and Herald, August 1, 1893:
"Among the professed children of God, how little patience has been manifested, how many bitter words have been spoken, how much denunciation has been uttered against those not of our faith. Many have looked upon those belonging to other churches as great sinners, when the Lord does not thus regard them. Those who look thus upon the members of other churches, have need to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. Those whom they condemn may have had but little light, few opportunities and privileges. If they had had the light that many of the members of our churches have had, they might have advanced at a far greater rate, and have better represented their faith to the world. Of those who boast of their light, and yet fail to walk in it, Christ says, 'But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light],"
I did not put that in. What is in brackets was put in by Ellen White. Okay?
—"and thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege],"—
She put that in, too.
—"shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.' At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent [in their own estimation], and hast revealed them unto babes.'
"'And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;"—
What does it mean, He "rises up early"? It means this, Brothers and Sisters: What is going on in Adventism today has been set forth in God's Word a thousand years ago. He rose up early, from the very beginning, and told us what is going to be happening right now.
But, even though He has rose up early, giving us the message, "We want the Gospel. We don't want the Prophecy."
—"but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh."—
Now He is comparing what is going to happen to Adventism in the very near future, to Shiloh; and, that brings us to Eli.
—"And I will cast you out of my sight,"—
He is going to spew them out of His mouth.
—"as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.'
"The Lord has established among us institutions of great importance, and they are to be managed, not as worldly institutions are managed, but after God's order. They are to be managed with an eye single to his glory, that by all means perishing souls may be saved. To the people of God the testimonies of the Spirit have come, and yet many have not taken heed to reproofs, warnings, and counsels.
"'Here now this, O foolish people,"—
And who is the "foolish people"? The foolish virgins.
—"and without understanding;"—
What understanding do they not have? They do not understand the increase of knowledge that comes when the Book of Daniel is unsealed in 1989 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
—"Here now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:"—there is Isaiah 6— "fear ye not me saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence,"—
"Fear God" does not mean "reverence God." It means fear God!
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen!
BROTHER PIPPENGER: You must tremble at God's presence. All the prophets that illustrate this time, this experience, fall into the dust. They do not just reverence God; they fear God! They tremble at His presence.
And, this is the distinction between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins. The wise virgins are those that tremble at His Word.
We will deal with that in the following presentation.
—"fear ye not me saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual degree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? but this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. . . . They judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my soul be revenged on such a nation as this?'"—
What nation is He talking about?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Adventism.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Adventism (Laodicea, Capernaum).
—"Shall the Lord be compelled to say, 'Pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee'? 'Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain. . . . Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?'" Review and Herald, August 1, 1893.
Do you want the Latter Rain? You need to cry, "My Father, You are the guide of my youth!"
What does that mean: "My Father, You are the guide of my youth"?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The early days.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The early days.
Shiloah
1 Samuel 3:15; Isaiah 6:3-13
1 Samuel 3:15.
Is that not what Jeremiah says: "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find . . ."?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Rest.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Latter Rain, ". . . rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16).
Do you want the Latter Rain? Acknowledge that He is the Father of your youth.
1 Samuel 3:15 says,
"15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision." 1 Samuel 3:15 (KJV).
What vision was he given? The vision that told Eli that, "You and your sons are going to be removed," that Shiloh is going to be set aside as the place of God's sanctuary, and the Lord was going to choose Jerusalem.
And here, Sister White has just referenced Shiloh with Capernaum (the Seventh-day Adventist Church).
And when Samuel gets this vision, to carry this message to Eli, this is the marah vision. Okay? Right at the beginning, Samuel has the marah vision. He sees himself in the looking glass.
But, what I want you to see is when you go into the Most Holy Place experience in the time of the blotting out of sins and the Latter Rain, to see Christ, the mareh vision, and have the marah looking-glass vision experience for yourself, there are certain components of that experience that are marked by Inspiration. One of them here that we are dealing with is that it is going to be this separating of the sheaves and the fagots in this time period, in that experience. That is accomplished by the words of Revelation, the Third Angel's Message. We have looked at that. And, as that message is accomplishing this separation, as the Dirt Brush Man is sweeping out the traditions and customs that is going on in that history, it is also revealed to those people that are having the experience of Daniel when he saw this vision and all the other men fled away, what Daniel was also seeing is that the Seventh-day Adventist structure was about to be swept away. That is part of the message in there, that Shiloh, and Eli, and Hophni, and Phinehas are going to be removed: "Ichabod: the glory has departed!"
Go to Isaiah 6, in closing; Isaiah 6, beginning at verse 3.
"3 And one cried unto another,"—
And Sister White has already compared this experience of Isaiah with the experience of the Most Holy Place that we are dealing with. We do not have to put that in place. This is the same experience of Daniel, John, Paul, Job have all had.
And in verse 3, it says.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."—
So, where is verse 3? 9/11/2001. The Earth is filled with the glory of the Lord on 9/11, when the Mighty Angel of Revelation 18 comes down, and the Earth is lightened with His glory. Sister White says so. You do not need Sister White, but she has a passage where she ties verse 3 of Isaiah 6 in with Revelation 18's Angel that comes down.
So, verse 3, if we are going to approach these verses as a sequence of history, starts at 9/11. Right?
Verse 4:
—"4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone;"—
He is having the marah, a vision right now. He is being humbled into the dust as he looked at his own self-righteousness.
Sister White, we just read, he here illustrates our condition; and, she further says in another place that he had been—well, she does not say it like this, but she says this—he had been functioning as a prophet before chapter 6. And we understand that holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; so, for the first five chapters, he is a prophet. He is a holy man.
And when Isaiah goes into the Most Holy Place with Christ here, he realizes that he has the same sins that he has been rebuking. That is why Sister White says he illustrates our condition, because our condition is as Laodiceans; and, that is a beautiful promise. It means that right now, in our condition, you and I, if we want to set aside our own self-righteousness and move into the Most Holy Place with Jesus Christ, He is fully willing and capable of purifying us with a coal from off the altar that we can stand up and carry this message to a stiff-necked people that have ears that will not hear and eyes that will not see.
And as we do that work, we will obtain the experience that we need that is represented by being a hard forehead of diamond, which is the Seal of God. That experience is produced by our receiving the intellectual knowledge and following on and delivering that knowledge to an obstinate people; and, that work changes us into His image—
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: —and prepares us to stand at The Sunday Law when Shiloh is swept away and every earthly support is cut off.
But, back to verse 5 of Isaiah 6.
—"5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."—
Let me drop down in here in the Ellen White Study Bible. From Review and Herald, June 4, 1889, it says, "Isaiah had a wonderful view of God's glory. He saw the manifestation of God's power, . . ." And one of the things that Isaiah is seeing here is the manifestation of God's power.
Sometimes the prophets disagree with each other, right?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (A collective, "No.")
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Never!
And Sister White, in The Great Controversy, page 611.1, says, "The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God."
And the Advent Movement of 1840-44, that is the Seven Thunders!
And, Paul was lifted up to the Third Heaven and saw the Advent Movement of 1840-44, but he was not allowed to utter it, because he was living in the 1st Century, and it was not going to be unsealed until just before probation closes.
And here, another illustration of the same experience, the mareh/marah experiences in the Most Holy Place, Sister White tells us that Isaiah saw a manifestation of the power of God.
One of the things that you see when you move into the Most Holy Place is the history of the Millerites from 1798 to 1844, with a special emphasis on 1840 – 1844 when the Mighty Angel came down and began to do this work that illustrates the work that He is doing right now.
Going back to verse 6:
—"6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."—
And another word for purged there is atoned or blotted out. This is the blotting out of sins.
—"8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"—
And this is a wonderful question. When was it first asked? When the Plan of Salvation was instituted, the Father asked, "Whom shall I send?" He could not send an angel. All He could send was His Son.
And Jesus said similar to Isaiah but not quite the same if you go look at the record. Isaiah says in verse 8,
—"Then said I, Here am I; send me."—
"Here am I; send me. Here am I; send me," is what Isaiah said.
When Jesus answered that question, when the Plan of Salvation was first instituted, He said, "Here I am. Send me."
That is showing us that here Isaiah has achieved the perfect reflection of Christ's character. That is what is going on here; because, he is prepared to take this message to Adventism and then the world.
And then he is forewarned. It says in verse 9:
—"9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people [of Capernaum, of Laodicea, of Adventism] fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I,"—
Then says Isaiah, "How long? How long do I have to struggle with this rebellious Seventh-day Adventist people?"
—"Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant,"—
What cities? The cities [churches] of Adventism.
Where are they represented? Shiloh.
—"Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 2 And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."—
Samuel sees the mareh vision; Isaiah sees the mareh vision; and, among other things, one of the things that both of them see is that the Seventh-day Adventist structure gets swept away at The Sunday Law; and, this is part of the Latter Rain Message.
And verse 13 says,
—"13 But yet in it"—in Adventism—"shall be a tenth,"—a symbol of a remnant—"and it shall return,"—to the Old Paths—
That remnant is going to return to the Old Paths.
—"and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves:"—
They are going to eat this experience when they return to the Old Paths.
—"so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." Isaiah 6:3-13 (KJV).
And, this is The Sunday Law where the Everlasting Gospel is finished in Adventism, and the Everlasting Gospel of the First Angel is the same gospel that was preached in Eden in Genesis 3:15. Sister White says so in Selected Messages, book 2. And, the Gospel in Genesis 3:15, the first mentioned of the Gospel, says it is the work of Christ putting enmity between the seed of Satan and the seed of Christ. And, here we see this tenth which is the remnant in Adventism that Isaiah is representing: They have the holy seed in them. The Everlasting Gospel has just been accomplished on Adventism.
So, when you move into the Most Holy Place and have the marah experience of looking into the looking glass, not only do you see the Law of God that humbles you in the dust, not only does this experience change you from glory to glory through the Holy Spirit so that you reflect Christ's character perfectly but you are also going to see what cannot be uttered in Paul's day and age, the history of 1840-44; but you are also going to understand that the Seventh-day Adventist Church structure gets swept, like Shiloh did, at The Sunday Law. And the two seeds are there, separated.
Shall we pray?
Benediction: Heavenly Father, we understand that you as the Dirt Brush Man are cleaning house, bringing to light the jewels of our Foundation and bringing other jewels and putting them in place that shine ten times brighter than the glory of 1840-44. We understand that at this time there is a separation going on among your people, and that there is a work that you are calling us to enter into that is part of this separation process in terms of delivering the Third Angel's Message, the messages from the Book of Revelation that prepare us either for fagots prepared for the fire of destruction or sheaves for the heavenly garner. We want to be on the right side of this experience. We want to move into the Most Holy Place, eat that Little Book, be humbled in the dust, see ourselves for what we are, and allow your Holy Spirit to remove all of the Daily (the gâdal, the religion of Satan} from us, that we might stand up as Isaiah did and said, "Send us." Lord, we wish for this experience, and we pray for those in Adventism that do not understand that we are in the final moments, the final opportunity to enter into this experience and be part of that number. We pray that somehow, some way, that those of our relatives, of our friends, and those that we do not know in Adventism would be brought into a position where they can hear this truth and respond the way that Isaiah responded. And we thank you for all these things, and we thank you also for the physical food that you provided that we are going to partake of here in a moment. In Jesus's name, amen.