"I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people." {EW 270.2}

We are now in the time of the shaking. Our message as Seventh Day Adventists of the state of the dead will warn the world that the current tide of events were prophesied in scripture and in the testimonies, and this will cause persecution to build against us.

"The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; (THEN) they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.—The Great Controversy, 588 (1911). {LDE 144.4}

The rights of our freedom of conscience is our right to keep the Sabbath.

So the Sabbath issue comes after our warning the world about spiritualism, just like God showed me.

Then after the unsanctified are shaken out of the true church, persecution begins to build over the Sabbath issue.

"I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect.... I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”—Early Writings, 271 (1858). {LDE 186.5}

The loud cry of the third angel is "Babylon has fallen and has become the habitation of demons". So when demons are appearing as angels of light to deceive the world and we are warning everyone, the world begins taking notice of our doctrines and begins persecuting us over the Sabbath issue.

“I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God’s dear, waiting saints. I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.” {EW 85.2} (so the latter rain falls at the same time as the little time of trouble or persecution begins and THEN we start to proclaim the Sabbath issue more fully, so the Spiritualism issue is what begins the little time of trouble and then we receive the latter rain and begin to proclaim the Sabbath more fully)continuing...
This view was given in 1847 when there were but very few of the Advent brethren observing the Sabbath, and of these but few supposed that its observance was of sufficient importance to draw a line between the people of God and unbelievers. Now the fulfillment of that view is beginning to be seen. “The commencement of that time of trouble,” here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check (holding the 4 winds during 9/11) so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the “latter rain,” or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out." {EW 85.3}

Notice the bible quotes she inserts here. "At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry". The nations being angry is part of the prophecy that Jesus told us in Matthew 24;3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them...28 Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.

This is the sign that these events are about to be fulfilled.


“See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

THEN

15 “... when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel (Sunday Law), standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Here are the two great issues, first Spiritualism and then the Sabbath.

"I saw that soon it would be considered blasphemy to speak against the rapping, and that it would spread more and more, that Satan’s power would increase, and some of his devoted followers would have power to work miracles, and even to bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men. I was shown that by the rapping and mesmerism, these modern magicians would yet account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, and that many would believe that all the mighty works of the Son of God when on earth were accomplished by this same power. I was pointed back to the time of Moses, and saw the signs and wonders which God wrought through him before Pharaoh, most of which were imitated by the magicians of Egypt; and that just before the final deliverance of the saints, God would work powerfully for His people, and these modern magicians would be permitted to imitate the work of God.
That time will soon come,(It's now here) and we shall have to keep hold of the strong arm of Jehovah; for all these great signs and mighty wonders of the devil are designed to deceive God’s people and overthrow them. Our minds must be stayed upon God, and we must not fear the fear of the wicked, that is, fear what they fear, and reverence what they reverence, but be bold and valiant for the truth. Could our eyes be opened, we should see forms of evil angels around us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also see angels of God guarding us from their power; for God’s watchful eye is ever over Israel for good, and He will protect and save His people, if they put their trust in Him. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. {CET 170.1}
Said the angel, “Remember, thou art on the enchanted ground.” I saw that we must watch and have on the whole armor, and take the shield of faith, and then we shall be able to stand, and the fiery darts of the wicked cannot harm us. {CET 170.2}

The angel that strengthens the third angels message is proclaiming the visions of Mary as Satan appearing as an angel of light and this will soon be called blasphemy, and this is what attracts the wicked to persecute God's saints, which is when the latter rain falls and we proclaim the end time message with power proclaiming the Sabbath more fully.

I agree, not only for people, but mainly for what happened. What I see is two things that happens when Jacob arrived in Canaan.

1. He settle there to enter his rest for his long wilderness journey was over.
2. He build succoths for his animals.

What's odd is the most important of these events is himself entering the Lord's rest after 98 years of wrestling. However, the name came from the Lord and it is prophetic. So, I see that there's something else from this story that would reveal the reason why it was call Succoth.

Oh??? As far as the Bible reveal about what Jacob did and his walk during his first 98 years does not support what you are claiming above. Be careful James, it is a sin to extract from the Bible what is not there.

Here is what the Bible says :

A. Jacob fought Esau starting at the womb. Of course, he’s just a fetus then. But it does show that Jacob’s genetic makeup had a predisposition to fight his brother before he was even born.

B. Jacob started 3 main fights or contentions(2 with Esau and 1 with Laban). The Bible doesn’t tell us any fight Esau had instigated with Jacob; however it does show that Esau did fight back Jacob’s offenses.

C. For sure, the Bible does tell us that Jacob cared for the spiritual things more than Esau; however, Jacob was far from “hungering and thirsted after righteousness” as you worded. He used deceipt and cunning trickeries to get the birthright illegally.

D. The Bible tells us that he took advantage of his brother’s hunger to cut a deal

E. The deal was illegal for it was not Esau to give or to own the birthright. The birthright was to go to the eldest by law. Only the Lord had the authority to remove Esau from his birthright. Just because the Lord spoke the prophecy to Rebecca that Jacob was going to rule over Esau doesn’t give any man the right to fulfill the prophecy deceitfully and illegally. It was the Lord to disqualified Esau by His providential hands to prove Esau unworthy of the birthright and then give it to Jacob. All prophecies needs to be fulfilled by the Lord in His appointed time and in His ways(always according to the law) via His works.

F. Then we see Jacob going along with his mother’s plot to deceive Isaac in giving him the blessings. I think I don’t need to comment there, but that shows to me that Jacob did not have any “IMMENSE faith” not did he ”hungered and thirsted after righteousness” there either.

G. Because of his deceiving treacherous actions, he had to flee from his family and homeland immediately for Esau had valid reasons to be angry at him.


H. He arrived at Laban’s house without a dowry to get himself a wife. These details are not mentioned in the Bible but it is in the book of Jasher. Also we know that the Lord’s law talks about a dowry. Customs of the land of that time show the dowry was necessary. Not to enrich the father of the bride, but it was so the father could safe keep that money away to give insurance for the daughter in case something happens that she would find herself without a husband whether it be by loss(death) or divorcement. This was the purpose of the dowry by which in those days was the only way to protect the woman and her children.

So for Jacob, to come empty pocket, had to sell himself as a slave-laborer so that his labor would be banked to provide Rachel a dowry by the Lord’s law and by the custom of the land. Yes, what Laban did in giving him Leah instead Rachel was not right. But that was the Lord’s doing and His requirement of Jacob to work more years as a slave-laborer to train him further.

It was because of Jacob’s sins to Esau and his family that the Lord arranged circumstances so Jacob had to be sold to Laban. This is how the Father’s ways to correct us when we disobey His laws(=ways).

I. He left Laban with his children & grandchildren without letting him know and giving him a chance to say goodbye. Where was Jacob’s immense faith there? The Lord never told him to do that. Yes, the Lord did command him to return to his family’s land, but there wasn’t any instruction to escape Laban like he did. Here again he is being deceitful and using his .


I don’t see where in the Bible Jacob had this “IMMENSE faith in God” that you talk about in those beginning 98 years of his life. What the Bible describes is a man that contended with his brother & Laban all his life. It was the Lord’s mercy on Jacob by sending him an Angel that got him out of that rut he was in.

J. Tell me, where was Jacob’s faith that he didn’t even know that it was an angel of the Lord he was fighting? How embarrassing. He was so preoccupied with fear to be killed by Esau, that he thought the angel was a man coming to kill him(probably he imagined it was one of Esau’s men or Esau himself). He fought all night thinking it was a man. Only at day break when the angel touch his hip; he realized it was not a man. Some faith.

Then he held on a little longer demanding a blessing from the Lord. More of his trickeries and his fighting used on the Lord this time. Good thing the Lord was merciful and open his mind to the revelation that entitle Jacob to his new-name.

This new-name describes the Lord (Isra(rule)-el(Elohim)) not Jacob. His new name means that it is the Lord that rules and not Jacob; thus it is like a statement made about the Lord via the name. As long as you fight or try to rule the Lord and circumstances – you are by definition an usurper (anti-Christ) not in agreement with the Lord and not an Isra-el(someone that let the Lord rule) by definition. Anyone that let the Lord rule, are those who enter the Lord’s real rest by definition and become part of the body of overcomers named Isra-el who follow the circumstances that the Lord set in their lives and know He is behind those.

K. The Bible mentions that Jacob fought against the Lord. Is it a good thing to fight the Lord? No. never is and never was and never wll be. Jacob ended up cripple for the rest of his life as a reminder. Anyone fighting with the Lord is proof of their lack of faith. Those who are in faith, agrees with the Lord and become His amen on earth. We are call to fight with the Lord in His battles in spiritual warfare, but never fight against the Lord or men or authorities as Jacob was doing there.

L. Jacob was just like one of us who had a lot of things to learn in what constitute having faith in the Lord. James, you have blown Jacob as a super holy guy(contrary to what scriptures shows) with this "IMMENSE faith" and this “hunger and thirst for righteousness” by which you are saying that these entitled him to become an overcomer. This is pure righteousness by works. This whole concept is embracing being born with some super quality or by your own choices that pre-dispose you to be an overcomer or saved. If this is the case, then Christ died in vain. The story shows here that Jacob became an overcomer once he stop fighting man or the Lord and understood that the Lord is behind all circumstances including Esau & Laban. This is something all people can attain regardless of their level of faith, genetic disposition, and past evil records.

The bottom line is that the time of trouble has begun. The LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE that will progress into the Bib time of trouble.

Did I state that right?

The USA has not formed an image to the beast. The Papal Roman Wound has not been healed. Sunday Laws are not being enforced. The sealing of the 144,000 has not started. The shaking of Seventh-day Adventists has not started. The little time of trouble has not started. Probation has not closed. The seven last plagues are not being poured out. Jacob's time of trouble has not started. The great time of trouble has not started.

I wouldn't be so sure.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

In ancient Israel, what determined the beginning of the year, the need of an intercalary month and, consequently, the date of the feasts, was the barley harvest.

Do tell.

Well that would mean that one couldn't say some thing started in September of this year or in October, but the year would start at different times at different places. Unless one were to hold Jerusalem sacred and need to send people over there to find out when the "year" starts.