Habakkuk's Two Tables #88
CONCLUSION
Presented by Jeff Pippenger
Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, as we are beginning to close the series of Habakkuk's Two Tables, we would ask that you help us bind off truths, the principles, the ideas that we have been putting in place for a very long time now. We want to conclude our consideration of Isaiah 66 as it applies here at the end of the world, and we would ask that you would give us discernment and wisdom concerning this chapter during this hour. We ask again that you grant us the presence of your Holy Spirit, that you would allow your angels to come and be present with us so that we might breathe the atmosphere of Heaven and that they might prevent problems in the production and the LiveStreaming and any distractions from coming in. Take control of my thought process, my words, overrule my humanity that this message might be of a benefit to your people and prepare those that are hearing these things to receive them as you see fit. And we thank you for all these things in Jesus's name. Amen.
Isaiah 66
BROTHER PIPPENGER: A couple of weeks ago we began to look at Isaiah 66 and put it into the flow of events of bringing this series to a conclusion; and, at that time we were primarily bringing out two verses: the fact that verse 4 talks about the Lord choosing their delusions, and that Sister White ties verse 4 (these delusions that the Lord is going to choose for the unfaithful Adventists) in with the strong delusions of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. So, this verse 4 is the strong delusion of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2.
And, we also discussed that the brethren in Adventism are going to cast out the brethren in Adventism; thus, verse 5 is identifying the Outcasts of Israel. And, of course, the Outcasts of Israel are those that are lifted up as an ensign, which means that those people that are lifted up as an ensign that receive the Seal of God at The Sunday Law, they will be cast out of Adventism before that time arrives. So, we have dealt with that a little bit already.
Now we are going to just read down through Isaiah 66 and make a couple of comments as we go through. The reason for this is we are heading towards the conclusion of all this entire series, and I have a couple of more prophetic lines that I want to put in place, this being one of them; the Tarrying Time being another one, and then we will be prepared (this is the way I understand that we should be prepared) to illustrate the end of Adventism on the board and bring several other lines that we have already dealt with and show that the rejection of the Foundations is the Omega Apostasy. The symbol of this rejection is the Daily; and, the 2520 is the gathering message, but it is also the scattering message, is what divides these two classes.
So, that is where we are heading.
Let us read Isaiah 66, beginning at verse 1.
"1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"—
In the Omega Apostasy there is one class in Adventism that builds their foundation upon the sand, and the other class builds their foundation upon the Rock. This is the parable that Jesus sets forth. And these two houses, the one that is built upon the sand and the one that is built upon the Rock, according to Jesus, are going to be tested by what? By the winds (Islam, the message of Islam), the rains (the message of the Latter Rain), and the floods (the message of the King of the North).
And depending on how you respond to that threefold message of the King of the North, the children of the East, there you have Daniel 11:44. The message that enrages the King of the North in Daniel 11:44 are the tidings out of the East and the North, the tidings of the King of the North in the last six verses of Daniel 11 being the first message for our history, and the tidings of the children of the East (the tidings of Islam) being the second message.
And in the two structures that are built at the end of the world (one upon the sand and one upon the Rock), three tests, according to Christ, will confront them: one being the floods, the floods being the symbol of the Papacy (the King of the North) in the Word of God; the winds being the East winds of Islam, the Latter Rain Message in the Word of God; and, the rains, the argument over the Latter Rain that takes place in connection with these two messages out of the East and the North.
So, in the Omega Apostasy time period, the question is, "Where is the structure that you have built me to stay in here?"
Verse 1:
"1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" Isaiah 66:1 (KJV).
There are two houses that are being built, but where is the Lord going to choose to rest?
Because, Sister White, when commenting on the Omega Apostasy here at the end of the world, she says storms and tempests will sweep away the structure of those people that have built upon the sand, that being The Sunday Law that sweeps away the structure of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
But here, in Isaiah He is asking the question, "Where is the place of my rest?"
We have already identified these concepts. We are just reminding ourselves of them.
All the prophets are speaking at the end of the world, and from the Book of Jeremiah we have a clear presentation. We have already put this in the record prior to now, and Sister White confirms what I am going to tell you, if you are listening to this for the first time.
The expression of the Jews—in fact, I think we can tie it in very quickly just from our last presentation. Go to Jeremiah 7.
The one class that is building upon the sand is going to make the proclamation in Jeremiah 7, verse 4.
"4 Trust ye not in lying words,"—
What are the lying words?
—"saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord are these."—
And oftentimes when Sister White quotes this, she changes Jeremiah's words. Speaking of the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, she says they claim, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we." So, they are putting their confidence in a structure and claiming that it is the structure that we would call the General Conference.
But, the way that we can tie this in without going back to the previous presentations some time ago is if you can just take and go into your mind back to the last presentation. In the last presentation, we tied the message of Shiloh into this time period. Remember?
So, if you read on in verse 5 [of Jeremiah 7], it says,
—"5 For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
"8Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit."—
And what are the lying words? They have already been identified in verse 4, "The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these."
Verse 8:
—"8Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name,"—
What house is called by His name? The Seventh-day Adventist Church.
—"and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?"—
And when God's church becomes a den of robbers, what does God do? He cleanses it. He comes in and kicks over the money changers' tables.
—"Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord."—
Now, look at verse 12.
—"12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel." Jeremiah 7:5-12 (KJV).
So, Shiloh is an illustration of the structure that is built on sand at the end of the world, and the men that are believing in that structure, their testimony is, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, The temple Lord, are these"—or "we."
Rest
Acts 7:47-53
But, go to Acts 7. We are wondering where the Lord is actually going to take His rest.
Acts 7, beginning at verse 47, speaking about the structure of the church, it says beginning in verse 47 of Acts 7,
"47 But Solomon built him an house."—
What house did he build?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The temple.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The sanctuary, the temple.
—"48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne"—
Now, what prophet is being quoted here? Isaiah 66, verse 1.
—"48 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
"51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murders: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." Acts 7:47-53 (KJV).
So, what is the place of His rest? Is it the physical structure? The place of His rest is the spiritual house, the temple of the Lord that is our body. Okay? It took Moses 46 days receiving instruction on building the earthly tent sanctuary. The temple of the Millerites, raised up from 1798 to 1844 in 46 years. Herod's remodeling in the time of Christ (John 2:20) took 46 years. But, the temple that He is going to build to dwell in, the temple that He is going to take His rest in here in the Omega Apostasy when two classes are being developed and then demonstrated, the temple that He is going to dwell in that is built upon the Rock is the temple that is made up of 46 chromosomes: it is the human temple.
Verse 2 of Isaiah 66:
—"2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and"—do what?—"trembleth at my word." Isaiah 66:2 (KJV).
Tremble
Ezra 10:3; Psalm 99:1; Daniel 10:11; Jeremiah 5:20-31
His Holy Spirit is going to dwell with those men and women who tremble at His Word. They tremble at His Word.
Go to Ezra 10, verse 3.
"3Now therefore let us make a covenant"—
When He is going to dwell with people, when He is going to take His rest in this temple in the Omega Apostasy with those people that are being cast out by those people that are building their temple upon the sand, and in Ezra 10:3, it says,
—"3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord,"—
Let us break off from all the Babylonian doctrines that we have accepted here at the end of the world, "Come out of Babylon," in that sense.
—"according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law." Ezra 10:3 (KJV).
So, in Isaiah 66, verse 2, He is telling us where He is going to take His rest. He is going to take His rest in those that tremble at His Word.
Go to Psalm 99, verse 1.
"1 The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved." Psalm 99:1 (KJV).
Those that are trembling are going to be in the Most Holy Place, where the cherubims are. They are going to tremble at His Word.
And I hope you are remembering that the fact that they are trembling at His Word is to be contrasted with those that are not trembling at His Word. And those that are not trembling at His Word are those that have set their word above His Word. And to set your word above God's Word not only is it Spiritualism but it demonstrates that you are full of self and self-exaltation. Right?
How about Daniel 10:11. We have been dealing with Daniel 10.
We are looking at those that the Lord is going to select as His temple, that He will dwell in, in contrast with those that have "The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord . . . ."
Verse 11 of Daniel, chapter 10, it says,
"11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." Daniel 10:11 (KJV).
When Daniel understood the word that he had spoken to him, he stood trembling.
And it says so. It sounds like a dumb question—I will not even make it a question; I will just make it a statement: He stood trembling. Okay? He stood trembling.
When do God's people stand up at the end of the world?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: In Ezekiel 37, when the message of the breath of the Four Winds arrives, God's people stand up a mighty army. They stand up on 9/11, and they tremble at His Word.
Jeremiah 5, beginning at verse 20:
"20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21 Hear now this, O foolish people,"—
Who are the foolish people in context with what we have been saying here in this presentation? They are the ones that are building their structure, their foundation on the sand.
—"Here now this, O foolish people, and without understanding;"—
And what understanding do they not have? The increase of knowledge, when Daniel was unsealed in 1989.
—:which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: 22 Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence,"—
The foolish virgins do not tremble at His presence or at His Word.
—"which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, 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? 23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart, they are revolted and gone. 24 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.
"25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26 For among my people are found wicked men:"—
Who are the wicked? In the context of Daniel 12, the wise are those that understand the increase of knowledge, but the wicked do not understand. So, you have got three references in here in this passage that let you tie the parable of the Ten Virgins and Daniel 12 right into this passage.
And, one of the things that the foolish virgins are being identified here, beyond not understanding the increase of knowledge from the unsealing of the Book of Daniel in 1989 (they are the wicked), but they do not tremble at God's Word.
Verse 25:
—"25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich."—
Their houses, their houses, we are talking about building of a structure on the sand.
What are their houses? Could it be their churches that are part of the structure? Because, whatever their houses are, even if you want to relate to them as their personal living quarters, what have they become, the foolish virgins' houses? They become a cage full of birds.
And what is the place that has been a cage full of birds?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Babylon.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: They have developed the character that has been represented by modern Babylon. It does not mean that they are part of Babylon. The Hebrews, when they were in Babylon for 70 years were not Babylon. They were just captives of Babylon. And these people have developed the character of Babylon because they have prepared to receive the mark of Babylon at The Sunday Law. And we are settled into our character before The Sunday Law, either to receive the mark of the beast or the Seal of God; because, The Sunday Law is simply the test where we will demonstrate the character that we prepared in our previous hours of probation because Sister White often and consistently teaches that character is never developed in a crisis; it is only demonstrated in a crisis.
So, before the crisis of The Sunday Law hits, if I am to receive the mark of the beast, I will have developed the character of Babylon, the character of the beast, and my house will be represented as a cage of unclean and hateful birds, building a structure and a temple upon the sand.
Verse 27:
—"27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich."—
Therefore, they have become what?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Great and waxen rich.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Gâdal, gâdal! Self-exaltation.
—28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. 29 Shall I not visit for these things? Saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:20-31 (KJV).
You will watch the structure get swept away by the flood of The Sunday Law. That is 'what you will do in the end thereof.'"
Okay. Back to Isaiah 66.
You know, I have been sitting, listening to Emiliano like you have for the past couple of days, until he got sick. When you listen to these speakers for a while, some of their catch-phrases pop into your head, and he has one about—and I had it. That is what made me think it, and now it is gone, of course, now that I am going to talk about it—where he asks—he does not ask, "Are you with me?" He says something like that, similarly.
Anyway, my point is, is that I was tempted there before I started this off-the-wall thought to say that. And, I thought, "Oh, that is what Emiliano would say."
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Then I thought—
FROM THE AUDIENCE: "Are you with me, Friend?"
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Are you with me, Friend?
But, what immediately came into my mind was the fact of the matter is, is this is too simple not to be with me. This message is black and white, and anyone that wants to see it can see it.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Amen.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: It does not take a whole lot of human interpretation. The structure is about to be swept away at The Sunday Law. You have got to want to see it.
And, the testimony is across the board in the Bible. This is not taking one verse and twisting it into this thought; and, anywhere you look, it is there.
So, Isaiah 66, verse 2 again.
—"2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations."—
And how many counterfeit offerings does he mention in that verse? Sacrificing a lamb, offering an oblation, burning incense: three. It is a counterfeit Three Angels' Messages in Adventism.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: I believe there are four.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Four?
He that killeth an ox, he that sacrificeth a lamb—yes, that is right—and, he that offereth an oblation, and he that burneth incense. That is four.
So, what does that mean?
If you see three in this context, it is going to be a counterfeit Three Angels' Message.
What is four?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Fourth Angel's Message?
I will tell you what it was before I was going to comment on this verse. I thought it was four and someone said three, and so I went with the Three Angels' Messages. I will stick with the four.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: I think it is worldwide.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is worldwide. This is happening worldwide. This is the four abominations in Ezekiel 8 saying that this takes place not just in Adventism in the United States; it is across the board.
And, I have had this experience that I am responsible to share, that very few people have the experience that I am going to deal with here; but, because I have seen it, then I have the right and probably the responsibility to say it.
When we run into or interact with the brethren that they live in one place and maybe they run shoulders with Adventism in the state where they live, or maybe the state where they live and another state where their family lives, and they are amazed at what has happened to the Adventist Church in those little areas; but, the natural human thought is, "Wow, it is really bad here; but, it probably is not that way everywhere."
But, I am here to tell you, Brothers and Sisters, as I have traveled around the world, it is the same story everywhere, around the world, in Adventism. And, you should not fool yourself that it is in just your own little church family. The same story comes from the faithful brethren, no matter what country they are in, in the world. The cup is almost totally full, if not already slopping over the sides!
Anyway, they are going to choose their own ways, and He is going to choose their delusions.
Notice verse 4.
—"4 I also will choose their delusions,"—
We have already dealt with this. Sister White speaks that these delusions are the delusion of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2.
—"4 I also will choose their delusions and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
"5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake,"—
What happens to those that tremble at His Word?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: They get cast out.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: They get cast out!
—"that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified:" Isaiah 66:2-5 (KJV).
While they are doing it, they actually think they are doing the Lord's work. They are casting out their brethren and saying, "Let the Lord be glorified over this action."
It reminds me of Naboth's vineyard.
Ahab is a symbol of the leadership of Israel.
And, everyone knows the story of Naboth's vineyard, right? We do not have to go there.
Ahab is the leadership of the Adventist Church, and he could not take control of Naboth's vineyard because Naboth knew that was his inheritance; and, unlike Esau, Naboth was not willing to sell his inheritance away. He knew he was to keep that inheritance. So, he said, "No," even to the king; and, the king started mourning.
But, then the king's wife comes in and says, "I can get you that vineyard. I know how to deal with Naboth; because, I am Jezebel. I understand the principles of Roman Catholicism. I understand about how to execute an inquisition."
And, sure enough, Naboth gets cast out.
How did they deal with Naboth?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: They falsely accused him.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: They stoned him.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: They stoned him; with false witnesses, but they stoned him.
Keep your finger in Isaiah 66, and go to Revelation, chapter 2, in verse 17, regarding Pergamos. It says,
"17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Revelation 2:17 (KJV).
Do you know what that stone is? It is a vote. Look it up.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: What it is called?
BROTHER PIPPENGER: A vote. When you cast a stone, you cast a vote.
When Jezebel and Ahab had Naboth stoned with physical stones, it was pointing forward to the time when the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church accepts the principles of Catholicism and begins to disfellowship people over the truth. They are casting a vote. They kick them out of the church. It has been typified by Naboth being stoned.
When you reach that point in time, you know that Catholic principles have been taken under the care and protection not of the United States as Sister White talks about but under the care and protection of Ahab.
But, that is not what we are dealing with.
Go to Isaiah 66, verse 5.
—"5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word;"—
That is us, I hope.
—"Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. 6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies."—
How are his enemies recompensed? By three messages; three voices. This is the three-step testing process in this very history where God's people are being disfellowshipped over the message of the Old Paths.
Verse 7:
—"7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God."—
Now, in this series we have referred to more than once the parable of the wheat and tares where Sister White says the wheat and tares and the parable of the net, she says these parables show—and you can type this in; these are the words—that "there is no probation after the judgment."
"Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly teach that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest. The good and the bad fish are together drawn ashore for a final separation
"Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each class is forever fixed." {Christ's Object Lessons, 123.1-2} [emphasis added]
By referring to the wheat and tares, Sister White is saying that the parables, the judgment that is illustrated in Christ's parable, is marking the close of probation.
But, in our last presentation, I think, but here recently or here in the near future, we are going to go back to a quote that we have looked at more than once that it is the Third Angel that does the work of separating the wheat from the tares; therefore, it is the Third Angel, which is the Angel of Revelation 14 that is pronouncing judgment upon those that receive the mark of the beast; it is the Third Angel that is the judgment angel; it is the Third Angel that marks the close of probation; it is the Third Angel separating the wheat from the tares.
Therefore, when you get to verse 6, where it says, "A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies," recompence to his enemies is saying where He is going to judge His enemies. He is going to judge His enemies under these three voices. So, this verse is identifying The Sunday Law, when judgment takes place.
Concerning the previous verses where judgment takes place among those that have a worldwide false system of worship, that is casting out their brethren whom they hate and the brethren whom they hate are those that tremble at His Word, and they both build a temple: one is a human structure that is called "Them temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord," and the other is the human temple that has been prepared for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the Lord says, "I am going to take my rest with that temple, the human temple. And I am going to sweep that other temple away."
And what I am saying is these verses 1 through 6 have set the context for us to understand the mini-parable that follows in the next three verses. This is about The Sunday Law, and it is saying, "Can a woman have a baby in a day?"
Okay. Let us look at it again, "Before she travailed, she brought forth."
Now, we know, at one level, that the greatest persecution comes from within. Okay? But, we know that at The Sunday Law every human support is cast off. That is the travailing. The persecution of The Sunday Law has been prefigured by the persecution of the 1260 years. Okay? And when Jesus pointed forward to the 1260 years, He said, "This is the greatest time of trouble there will ever be." But, He did not mean that that was the last. He just said, "When you get there, this will be the greatest that has ever been in history; but, the one at the end of the world is even going to be the greatest." And that is The Sunday Law crisis.
So, in verse 7, when it says, "Before she travails," before the persecution of The Sunday Law time arrives, when it arrives you are going to go into travail; the church is going to go in travail, and "she brought forth." Right at The Sunday Law she is going to bring forth.
"Before her pain comes, she is delivered of a man child." There is going to be a man born at The Sunday Law.
"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?"
What day? The Sunday Law in the United States.
"Or shall a nation be born at once?"
What nation? The ensign of those that tremble at His Word.
For as soon as Zion travailed (for as soon as the Sunday Law hits), she brought forth her children.
"Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Shall I bring you to The Sunday Law and not produce the ensign that I am going to lift up? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God."
This is a promise, Brothers and Sisters. As we approach this period, if we are among those that tremble at His Word, we are about to have the experience of receiving the outpouring of the Latter Rain without measure and perfectly reflecting the character of Christ to a dying world.
Verse 10:
—"10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:"—
Who mourns for Jerusalem? Well, those people in Ezekiel 9 sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in Jerusalem. They mourn for Jerusalem.
And what happens to them in Ezekiel 9? They receive the Seal of God. Right?
When does that happen? At The Sunday Law.
Verse 11:
—"11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees."—
Do you see how that fits in to what the scenario that we just laid forth, that at The Sunday Law at the separation of the wheat and the tares is verse 6; and, then, there is this mini-parable about before she travails a nation is born?
And then, we rejoice because the Lord is going to bring the milk of the Gentiles in, the final ingathering.
Do you see the sequences right as all the sequences of these events are set forth in the rest of the Scriptures?
Comfort Jerusalem
Isaiah 40:1-5; 52:5-11; Zechariah 1:12-17
Notice this next point, verse 13.
—"13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Isaiah 66:5-13 (KJV).
Easy one for Seventh-day Adventists: When we are comforted, what does that mean?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Holy Spirit.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Holy Spirit, He is the Comforter. This is the outpouring of the Latter Rain.
Go to Isaiah 40, beginning at verse 1:
"1 Comfort ye, comfort ye"—
What does that mean?
When you see an expression or a word repeated twice, it is a marker that is emphasizing that this is a truth that is especially relevant to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Rain during the Fourth Angel's Message.
—"1 Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned:"—
When you are being comforted in the terms of Isaiah (because Isaiah 66 is Isaiah, just like Isaiah 40 is Isaiah), both of these places are saying that when we get to The Sunday Law, if we are among those that tremble at His Word that are going to bring in the milk of the Gentiles, our sins have already been pardoned, blotted out, before The Sunday Law.
—"2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
"3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isaiah 40:1-5 (KJV).
So, if you go back to Isaiah 66, verse 13, in the context of what we are identifying, this sequence of events, a nation is brought forth at The Sunday Law, after the wheat and tares of Adventism have been separated. This nation is going to bring in the Gentiles, and then in the repeat-and-enlarge fashion, He says, "This is where you get comforted with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit." Right?
Go to Isaiah 52. Isaiah 52, beginning at verse 5.
"5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed."—
They that are ruling over them make them howl, and God's character, His name, is daily blasphemed. That is continually.
The people that are the persecutors here, the brethren that hated you and cast you out of the church continually blaspheme. The symbol of their blasphemy is the word that is translated as Daily in the Book of Daniel; and, this is taking place, to me, in the time period of the Omega Apostasy.
Verse 6:
"6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
"7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8 Thy watchmen"—in this history—"Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing:"—
What will they sing? The Song of Moses and the Lamb.
—"for they shall see eye to eye,"—
At The Sunday Law the wheat and tares are separated and there is a unity that comes into this message that is a subject of Bible prophecy. They are going to see eye to eye,
—"when the Lord shall bring again"—
And this word we have dealt with in this series that is translated as bring again means reverse.
—"when the Lord shall bring again [reverse the captivity of] Zion. 9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."—
Now, what are they going to do at this time period? They are going to give the message of good tidings and publish salvation.
Here in verse 11 is the message.
—"11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." Isaiah 52:5-11 (KJV).
Come out of Babylon!
The comforting is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit without measure when the Lord separates the wheat and tares of Adventism.
The comforting: go to Zechariah, chapter 1, beginning at verse 12. It says,
"12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?"—
We have dealt often with this.
Destruction
of
Jerusalem TOE
God's Indignation 1st 2nd 3rd Decrees
(70 years)
TOE
539 1798
God's Indignation
(1260 years)
1AM 2AM 3AM
TOE
1863 1869
2520
ADVENTISM
126 COMFORT
(1) (2) (3)
Figure No. 178.
These 70 years, Sister White tells us, parallels the 1260 years.
This [70 years] is God's indignation. It is going to say so in the verse that we just read.
Therefore, this [1260 years] is God's indignation; this is the second half of the 2520 against the Northern Kingdom, which was God's indignation.
Both of these truths are prefiguring a 2520 that takes place in Adventism at the end of the world, as illustrated by William Miller's dream.
Verse 13:
—"13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it,"—
Not the temple of the Lord, but the temple that He is going to take His rest in.
—"my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem." Zechariah 1:12-17 (KJV).
In this history, of course, those of us that are attempting to see God's prophetic word and hear God's prophetic word know that the sealing up of the foundational truths began in 1863. And 126 years later, which equates to 126 tekels, which equates to 2520 gerahs, that in 1989 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Time of the End arrived.
But, we know that at the end of the indignation that prefigured this, in 1798 the Time of the End arrived.
The Time of the End is always the end of a prophecy.
And we know that this 70 years, that this was the Time of the End for this history; and, this here [the first waymark] was the starting point for the destruction of Jerusalem.
When they came out of Babylon [the 70 years of captivity], there was the First Decree (Cyrus), the Second Decree (Darius), and the Third Decree (Artaxerxes).
But, when they came out of this captivity [the 1260 years], the First Angel's Message is right here [1798], the Second Angel's Message is right here [aligned with the 2nd Decree] and the Third Angel's Message is right here [aligned with the 3rd Decree].
So, when you came to 1989, there is going to be a threefold testing process that leads you to The Sunday Law right here [at the 3rd test].
And then, just as here [the 3rd test], just as here [the 2nd Angel's Message], and just as here [the 3rd Decree], the Lord is once again going to choose Jerusalem, build Jerusalem, and He is going to comfort it.
Jerusalem is built here [at the 3rd Decree].
And, Jerusalem is built here [at the arrival of the Third Angel's Message]; because, in Revelation 11, verse 1, after the disappointment is illustrated by John in verse 10 of Revelation 10, then he is given a line to measure Jerusalem. So, when we get to The Sunday Law here [at the third of the threefold tests], the Lord is going to comfort His people.
So, when we are talking about this issue, it is not a human conjecture. It is very well established in God's Word. He will choose Jerusalem, to do what? To take His rest.
And how is He going to rest? Through His Spirit. He is going to pour His Spirit into that ensign.
The Sign
Isaiah 5:26; 18:3; John 12:31-33
Back to Isaiah 66, let us go to verse 14.
—"14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. 15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. 17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord."—
What are they eating? They are eating swine's flesh, the abomination, and a mouse.
But, what are God's people eating?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Little Book.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Little Book.
This is the counterfeit Three Angel's Messages that they [those eating swine's flesh, the abomination, and a mouse] are eating.
Verse 18.
—"18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory."—
When do they see His glory?
—"19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, . . ." Isaiah 66:14-19, in part (KJV).
What is the sign that he sets among them? That is the ensign.
Go to Isaiah 5:26. The ensign gets lifted up right here. We are still in Isaiah: chapter 5, verse 26.
We have got to move quickly. We just got the "hi" sign.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Isaiah 5:26:
"26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: . . ." Isaiah 5:26 (KJV).
Isaiah 18, verse 3. He is going to place a sign among them in Isaiah 66. It is the ensign.
And Isaiah 18, verse 3, it says,
"3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye." Isaiah 18:3 (KJV).
And in John 12:31-33, it says,
"31 Now is the judgment of this world:"—
That is what is going on in this history when He is lifting up the ensign. Adventism's probation has already closed. The ensign, the sign that He is setting among God's people at this time period is to call the nations to Him. This is the judgment of the world.
And in verse 31, it says,
"31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die." John 12:31-33 (KJV).
And Christ is lifted up to draw all men to Himself, thus prefiguring the ensign that is lifted up to draw the nations unto Himself at the end; because, that ensign are those that perfectly reflect the character of Christ.
So, what does that tell you about this history? That it is going to be the greatest bloodbath of all time. That is why Jesus says this is the greatest time of trouble there will ever be. When this ensign is being lifted up, this is paralleling the lifting up of Christ at the cross. These people are perfectly reflecting Christ. This cross is prefiguring this time, and it is going to be a bloodbath.
Underneath those [Scriptural] references in your notes, it says, from Bible Training School, December 1, 1903,
"The work of the Holy Spirit is to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The world can only be warned by seeing those who believe the truth sanctified through the truth, acting upon high and holy principles, showing in a high, elevated sense, the line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God, and those who trample them under their feet. The sanctification of the Spirit signalizes the difference between those who have the seal of God, and those who keep a spurious rest-day. When the test comes, it will be clearly shown what the mark of the beast is. It is the keeping of Sunday. Those who after having heard the truth, continue to regard this day as holy, bear the signature of the man of sin, who thought to change times and laws. Bible Training School, December 1, 1903.
When you summarize that down into one thought, and it says that the world can ONLY be warned by seeing men and women with the Seal of God. That is the ensign that gets lifted up.
Outcasts
Isaiah 11:10-12; 53:2-3
Isaiah 11. We are dealing with Isaiah 66 where it says He is going to place a sign among them; but, Isaiah 11, verses 10 through 12, it says,
"10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse,"—
Who is the root of Jesse?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Jesus.
Okay. Why is He a root?
We do not have time to go there, but there is another place where Jesus is called a root. He is called a root out of dry ground.
FROM THE AUDIENCE: Isaiah 53:2.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. So, what does that tell you, a root out of dry ground? He is ugly. He is not like a flower.
Okay. And Sister White says that this root of Jesse here, that is us. The world is going to think we are ugly, just like they thought Christ was ugly. There is nothing in us, nothing in them that the world is going to see that it is going to appreciate or desire. In fact, it is going to dislike us so much, just like it disliked Him so much, that there is going to be a bloodbath.
Isaiah 11, beginning at verse 10:
"10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."—
Where is His rest going to be?
FROM THE AUDIENCE: In the people.
BROTHER PIPPENGER: In His people, in Jerusalem which He has chosen; and, the Jerusalem that He chooses here is the temple that consists of 46 chromosomes.
Verse 11:
—"11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel,"—
How come they are outcasts? Because, their brethren, which hated them, cast them out and said, "Let the Lord be glorified." But, He is going to appear to their shame and to our joy.
—"and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Isaiah 11:10-12 (KJV).
Isaiah 53, verses 2 and 3; we have already referenced it.
We are running out of time here.
Isaiah 53, beginning at verse 2:
"2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:2-3 (KJV).
And those people that are lifted up as an ensign are going to perfectly reflect His character, they are going to get the same treatment.
Others
Isaiah 56:8; John 10:16; Ezekiel 20:33-38
Isaiah 30:8-21
Habakkuk 2; Jeremiah 6:16-17
Isaiah 56:8:
"8 The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him." Isaiah 56:8 (KJV).
Two gatherings.
John 10:16:
"16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:16 (KJV).
Two gatherings.
Ezekiel 20:33-38:
"33 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers"—
Now, notice: He is bringing them out of a wilderness. This here [the 1260 years depicted in Figure No. 178] is the wilderness; therefore, this [the 70 years] is the wilderness; and, therefore, this [the 2520 of Adventism] is the wilderness. He is going to bring them out of this wilderness and plead with them.
Verse 36:
—"36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:"—
When He is bringing us into the bond of covenant, He also is going to do one other thing:
—"38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 20:33-38 (KJV).
Okay. Back to Isaiah 66, and we will finish this off. I will not look at the camera guys; because, I know they are probably doing this [gives a gesture across his neck indicating to bring the presentation to a close].
FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter.)
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Verse 19: In the flow of Isaiah 66, probation is already settled for Adventism. The wheat and tares are separated. He has brought forth a nation in one day. He has comforted that nation with a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Now He is talking about the ensign. He says,
—"19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord."—
And we use that proof-text to show that we will still be keeping Sabbath in the Earth made new; therefore, the Sabbath is still valid here in our history. But, in reality, this is emphasizing the rebuke of those Adventists that do not enter into the work of preparation and end up keeping up the Sunday sabbath as opposed to God's Sabbath in this history. This is a pronouncement: It does not change. This is a rebuke on the foolish virgins of Adventism.
And verse 24:
—"24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Isaiah 66:19-24 (KJV).
This is in Habakkuk's Two Tables, this particular study.
I think this is at least the third time that I have got to this last section of notes and realized that I do not have enough time to do it. It is like either the Lord saying, "Don't go there!" or He is saying, "Leave this to the very punch line." I do not know which. But, we will end right there.
[The following Biblical cites and quote were not read into the record because of time constraints, but have been included within this transcript to complete the notes for this presentation.]
Isaiah 30:8-21:
"8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. 12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. 14 And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. 15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not 16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. 17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. 18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
"19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." Isaiah 30: 8-21 (KJV).
Habakkuk 2
"1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
"4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: 6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? 8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
"9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! 10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. 11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
"12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
"15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. 17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
"18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." Habakkuk 2 (KJV).
Jeremiah 6:16-17:
"16 Thus saith the Lord, 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 rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken." Jeremiah 6:16-17 (KJV).
From Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, page 57:
"They had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an angel told me was the 'midnight cry.' This light shone all along the path, and gave light for their feet, so that they might not stumble.'
"If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the advent band, and they shouted 'Alleluia!' Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below." Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 57.
[Continuing verbatim dialogue and benediction by Brother Pippenger:]
BROTHER PIPPENGER: Shall we have a word of prayer?
Benediction: Heavenly Father, we want to be the temple that is built upon the Rock that you choose to take your rest in; but, we know there are three voices are sounding in this history, the voice from the cities, the voice from the Lord, and the voice from the temple. And we must tremble at the voice, at your Word, if our house is to be built upon the Rock. We ask for the discernment to hear that voice, understand what it means to us, and have the experience that allows us to be born in the day your nation is lifted up as an ensign to receive the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to call the nations unto yourself. We realize that already we are becoming a root cast out of dry ground, that no man appreciates or sees anything good in. We ask that you give us the forehead of flint, a diamond forehead that this is not an issue, but the only issue is the issue that motivated you to go to the cross because you saw the fruits of your labor. Give us the love for souls that you have that we might have the motivation to stand in this coming crisis, and we thank you for all these things in Jesus's name. Amen.