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05/13/26 01:00 AM
We read that man will be changed to what some call a 'glorious body" based on Philippians 3:20?21:
Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Some say man will be raised with a 'Glorious Body' others go with "spiritual body" based on
1 Corinthians 15:35-44:
1 Corinthians 15:35-44
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
How is the body to be changed, what manner will it be after the resurrection?
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05/12/26 12:55 PM
Here is also a very good explanation on Daniel 11.. "The contents of Daniel form a prophetic pattern. The various prophecies start at the time, or near the time, when Daniel was living, and they proceed forward from that point until the second coming of Christ, with each subsequent prophecy giving greater detail about the future. Daniel 2: the multi-metal man prophecy starts with Babylon and goes through Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, fractured Europe, and the coming of Christ. Daniel 7: the four beasts prophecy starts with Babylon and goes through Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, fractured Europe, then papal Rome and the coming of Christ. Daniel 8 & 9: the ram and the goat prophecy starts with Medo-Persia being overthrown by Greece, followed by the initial rise of pagan Rome and its eventual transformation into its papal form. But this prophecy gives more detail, specifying how long until the Messiah would come and revealing Satan's counterattack to infect the minds of people with a false understanding of God?s law and what Christ achieved, which is then followed by the end-time people of God being cleansed from sin and being made ready to meet Jesus and, finally, culminating in the second coming of Christ. Then Daniel 11, our focus for this blog, is the last in this series of prophecies and begins again with events occurring in Persia at the time of Daniel. Daniel 11:1-4: The vision is given during the third year of Cyrus's reign and references three more kings to arise, followed by a fourth king more powerful than the rest, but who would have his empire broken up and parceled out to the four winds ? i.e., four points of the compass. The three kings to follow Cyrus were Cambyses (530?522 B.C.); the False Smerdis (522 B.C.); and Darius I (522?486 B.C.). The fourth was Xerxes (486?465 B.C.), who stirred up the Greeks (vv. 2) and eventually, the empire was conquered by Alexander the Great (336?323 B.C.), who died at the height of his power and whose kingdom was broken into four regions (vv. 3, 4). Daniel 11:5-14: Depicts the battles between the Hellenistic dynasties after the death of Alexander. There are various Bible commentaries that can give the specific historical events corresponding to these verses. The king of the North represents the portion of Persia corresponding to ancient Babylon, the Syrian portion, while the king of the South represents Egypt. Daniel 11:16-28: In verse 16, we have the appearance of Rome, the kingdom that establishes itself in the ?Beautiful Land,? which refers to the place where God dwells with His people. In verse 22, this power kills the prince of the covenant, which is a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus, thus confirming this section refers to pagan Rome. Daniel 11:29-39: These verses transition us from literal Israel to spiritual Israel, those who are like Abraham in character and faith, and from pagan Rome as the king of the North to Christian Rome as the king of the North. The theme that emerges is that the two kings (North and South) represent two philosophies that carry down through time. The North (Babylon/Persia/Rome) represents powers that claim to believe in God but that use the methods of this sinful world, specifically the imposition of law and the coercive force of the state. Nebuchadnezzar claimed to believe in Daniel's God yet used imposed law to enforce it (Daniel 3:28, 29); Darius claimed to believe in Daniel's God yet used imposed law to enforce it (Daniel 6:23?27); and eventually pagan Rome became papal Rome, which claims to represent God but infects all Christianity with the imposed-law lie that leads to legal religiosity in Christianity, thus mispresenting God (Daniel 7:20-25). So the king of the North is the system that merges a belief in God (church) with human imposed-law methods (state) forming religious imperialism. The South (Egypt) signifies powers that deny God, as Pharaoh famously said, "who is God that I should obey him"? (Exodus 5:2). The king of the South began its final (end-time) assault on the king of the North with the French Revolution, which denied all gods and enthroned the goddess of reason, laying the foundation for the rise of atheism, humanism, and secularism in the Western world, which has been advancing against the king of the North ever since. One of the founders of the Adventist church wrote in the book, The Great Controversy, the following: 'The great city' in whose streets the witnesses are slain, and where their dead bodies lie, is 'spiritually' Egypt. Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly answered: 'Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.' Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. This is atheism, and the nation represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance. 'The great city' is also compared, 'spiritually,' to Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifications of this scripture (p. 269). The writer then goes on to identify the French Revolution as fulfilling this description. France was the power that entered Rome and took the pope captive in 1798, ending the 1260-year reign of the church-state union and ushering in the rise of atheism, humanism, and secularism. The king of the South, which represents atheism, secular humanism, godless liberalism, and progressivism, began its final assault against the king of the North (church-state imperialism) with the French Revolution. Today, the king of the South is continuing its strong push against the king of the North, but things are about to change. Let's examine the final verses of chapter 11. Daniel 11:40-45: These verses describe the events pertinent to our world today. There are a variety of interpretations and applications from various Bible scholars, which I reviewed in a previous Bible study. Here, we will examine what I think is most likely depicted in these verses, yet I remain open to updating my views as history unfolds. I am not being dogmatic, but I?m putting these ideas out for study and consideration by others. So please, if you have insights to improve this explanation, please share them. *** Verse 40: "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood." (NIV84). The time of the end refers to the period before the second coming of Christ. The king of the South (atheism, secular humanism, godless liberalism, progressivism) will attack the king of the North (Christianity and its various agencies that seek to promote their religion via coercive governments such as prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century, laws restricting marriage to one man and one woman, laws against abortion, laws limiting homosexuals in the military, etc.). Over the past two centuries, we have seen the king of the South (secular humanism) pushing hard against the king of the North (religious imperialism) and making major gains. Yet the prophecy doesn?t end there. It says that the king of the North will storm out against the king of the South. And if our understanding of this prophecy is correct, that means we are on the cusp of seeing a resurgence of religious conservatism gaining political power, which will aggressively overthrow and destroy the king of the South (secular humanism). A majority of people in America are going to get pushed too far by the extremism of the godless to the point that they aggressively react and storm out against it, ultimately taking control of the government to pass and enforce their religious laws. Nationalism is conservatism (self-protective, in-group survival, strong boundaries, isolating, withdrawing), which is king of the North activity. As events occur that increase the sense of chaos, threat, insecurity (pestilence, food shortages, financial pressures, war, climate change, violence, riots, etc.), fear will drive people back toward conservative stances (king of the North). When times are good, such as periods of relative peace and prosperity, cultures tend to move toward progressive agendas. Thus, as the king of the South gains power and moves its agenda forward, society becomes more decadent, overextending until its economy falters, then, when this is combined with the biblical events of the last-day 'time of trouble' (increasing violence and natural disasters, pestilence, wars, terrorism), it will build support for a conservative agenda that empowers the forces of the king of the North to storm back. *** Verse 41: "He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand" (NIV84). The Beautiful Land refers to the place where God dwells with His people. The philosophy of the king of the North seeks to invade the hearts and minds of God's commandment-keeping people because they value conservative principles and a belief in God. If they are not careful, many of God's people will be caught up in the religious power-play that seeks to oppose the king of the South. People from around the world will fall for this approach and join in the Christian church-state resurgence. Throughout Daniel 11, the kings of the North and the South fight one another, with the Beautiful Land (God's people) caught in the middle. God's people are not to be identified with either the king of the North (religious imperialism) or the king of the South (secular humanism) but are to be separate and distinct. It is one of Satan's traps to seduce people into one of these two philosophical and political camps. Edom (descendants of Esau), Moab, and Ammon (descendants of Lot) were nomadic and represent people who did not join with fixed human nations or governments. Thus, those who retain their independence, liberty, and freedom, and therefore think for themselves, do not go along with the merging of church and state and will not come under the power of the king of the North. *** Verses 42, 43: "He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission" (NIV84). Egypt is synonymous with the king of the South and, thus, with atheism, secular humanism, godless liberalism, and progressivism and will not escape the counterattack of the king of the North (religious imperialism; church-state union). The king of the North will take control of the assets previously controlled by the king of the South ? media, commerce, and property. In the Bible, Libya and Nubia (or Ethiopia) represent Africa (excluding Egypt), which represents that various racial groups will submit to the authority of the king of the North. It may also mean that much of the support for this worldwide resurgence in religious imperialism will come from people of color. In fact, the nations today with the highest percentage of people that remain religiously conservative and are supportive of church imperialism are found in Africa and Latin America. *** Verse 44: "But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many." In Scripture, the east and the north are often associated with God: "Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden" where God created humankind (Genesis 2:8 NIV84). God's glory is described as coming from the east: "I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east" (Ezekiel 43:2 NIV84). God's glory is another way of saying God's character of love. Thus, the character of God, His true methods and principles, being proclaimed and revealed will alarm the king of the North. Jesus describes His second coming as coming from the east: "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (NIV84). Revelation describes God's angels as having the seal of God and coming from the east to seal the people of God: "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ?Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God" (7:2, 3 NIV84). The king of the North is alarmed at the messengers from God who bring the truth that seals God?s saints. Moses was instructed to place the table that contained the showbread and wine on the north side of the sanctuary: "Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side" (Exodus 26:35 NIV84). The showbread and wine represent the body and blood of Jesus, our Savior. Job tells us that God comes out of the north: "Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty" (37:22 NIV84). Isaiah describes that Lucifer wanted to ascend to God's throne, which is in the north: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ?I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north" (Isaiah 14:12, 13 NKJV). As the king of the North (religious conservatism united with state powers, forming religious imperialism) assails the forces of the king of the South (secular humanism), the people of God are caught in the middle of these two forces. A message from God goes to the world revealing that He is not in either of these movements ? that His law is not like human law. It is a message that illuminates the truth about God as Creator, showing that His laws are design laws ? the protocols upon which life is built to operate. It is a message that gives glory to God because it reveals His true character of love. It is a message that exposes both the lies of godlessness and the lies of false Christianity. It exposes as false the Christianity that teaches that God's law functions like human law and, thus, worships a god who is the source of inflicted pain and suffering as punishment for sin. The true people of God cannot align with either of these human movements and are called by God to come out of them ? to be separate (Revelation 18:4). This message of God's true character and His design law alarms the king of the North (religious imperialism) and threatens his power, so he seeks to use all the means at his disposal to silence and destroy the voices of heavenly truth. *** Verse 45: "He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him" (NIV84). The tent here represents the king of the North's system of beliefs, ideas, concepts, protocols, and authority. The seas represent the sea of humanity, the peoples of the world. The beautiful holy mountain represents the place where God dwells, the source of godly truth, the gospel. The king of the North puts his power, claims, lies, distortions, demands, threats, imposed laws, false theologies between God and the people of the earth. Yet he will ultimately fail and be destroyed by the second coming of Christ. Both the king of the North (religious imperialism) and king of the South (secular humanism) represent Satan's agencies, with God's people caught in the middle. Satan uses these two sides against each other as a trap to seduce or trick God's people into choosing one of the two sides, when both sides are actually his. Are we as Christians able to recognize that participating with either the king of the North or the king of the South is a trap of Satan, in which he gets people to think they are fighting for what is right while, in reality, they are joining with him?" https://comeandreason.com/daniel-11-end-time-events/
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05/10/26 04:48 AM
A time is coming when
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
How do we prepare?
As one person put it --
before we prepare for the end time crises
What we really need to prepare for, is to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Without the Holy Spirit -- we are doomed.
But with the Holy Spirit we can stand and encourage many others to stand.
But what does it mean to prepare to receive the Holy Spirit?
Conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit 1. To be seeking to know God.Deut. 4:29 But if you shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Psalms 34:10 they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing]. Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Eph. 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 2. RepentanceRomans 2:4 Would you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Acts 2:37 Now when they heard [Peter's message], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ezekiel 18:30-31 Saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Matt. 4:17 Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3. Faith and TrustHebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (ESV) Feeling is not faith, Too often people look for signs and wonders, for something spectacular that would indicate they have the Holy Spirit. But we are to trust (have faith) that God will send the Spirit, claiming His promise. Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Ephesians 1:13 In Christ you also trust, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, John 7:38-39 Jesus cried out, saying, He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. He was speaking of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given. 4. ObedienceActs 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him. Hebrews 11:5 By faith Noah...prepared an ark Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go... obeyed Romans 6:16 Do you not know, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. i Peter1 :2 Elect ..., through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Eph. 4:22-23 That you put off concerning the former life style of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph. 5:9-10 For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 5. Prayer (Communication with God) Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Eph 5:18-20 be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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05/09/26 05:48 PM
And there's some saying that urban agriculture contributes more to CO2 than conventional farming. Like they want to ban gardens. Where does all our oxygen come from? From all the plant vegetation including the trees. Where does all our carbon dioxide come from? From all non-plant sources including ourselves. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide and plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. On the earth made new we will still be breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide and the plants will still be breathing in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen. So we have a connection with the plants just as much as the animals from Creation..
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05/07/26 02:49 PM
The biggest issue I see in the various attempts to lift the trumpets out of the historicist setting and place them all in the final days, is their failure to see they reach a climax at the end of the 2300 years with trumpet six. The sixth trumpet does NOT end with the close of probation, it brings prophecy to the end of the 2300 day/year prophecy and the beginning of a fuller understanding of Christ's sanctuary work which must yet be preached to all the world before the second coming. (Rev. 10:11) The 1260 years of "trampling" have ended (Rev. 11:2-3) It includes Christ moving away from the altar of incense, taking the golden censor into the Most Holy Place and beginning the pre-Advent judgment. Though the revisionists may see there is some kind of a climax with trumpet six, most do not see that the section of Rev. 10:1 to 11:14 is very much connected with what happens at the end of the six trumpets, and thus do not connect it with the ending of the 2300 years, nor the transition that takes place leading into the seventh trumpet. These Rev. 10:1 to 11:14 texts tend to be dismissed as not part of the sequence within the trumpets, even though Rev. 11:14 states the end point of the sixth trumpet comes after these verses. The sixth trumpet marks the ending of both the 1260 day/years and the ending of the 2300 day/year periods. In Revelation ten, the sixth trumpet is ending and a mighty heavenly Messenger declares under oath "and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be time no longer" Rev. 10:6The message of Revelation 14, proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment is come, is given in the time of the end; and the angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning to our world...." that there should be time no longer." This message announces the end of the prophetic periods. The disappointment of those who expected to see our Lord in 1844 was indeed bitter to those who had so ardently looked for His appearing. {1MR 46.1} There has always been a strong resistance to the importance of the ending of the 2300 years and the transition into the "judgment hour" in 1844. Yet the bible shows it to be very important. Daniel 7 shows Christ, as the "son of man" representing the human race, appearing before the ancient of days in the heavenly court, to be declared as the rightful owner of the dominion of this earth. He presents the names of all who overcome in His name as heirs of this kingdom along with Him. (Rev. 3:4-5) Daniel 7 shows this takes place sometime after the 1260 years are completed, and Daniel 8 places it at the end of the 2300 years. After the "end of timelines" there is a time when truth is to be restored, a short window in earth's history when the gospel goes to all the world in the light of glory, it's called the three angel's message, but satan comes with full fury against it (Rev. 12:17) and all the evil forces developed during the six trumpets, though temporally held back, will make one last attempt to stamp out the truth. Yes, the nations will be angry (as we read in the seventh trumpet) BUT Christ will win! Ellen White writes a lot concerning those verses included in the sixth trumpet leading into seventh trumpet. Many rashly cut the knot of difficulty by denying that the 2300 days ended in 1844. No reason could be given for this, except that Christ had not come at the time they expected him. They argued that if the prophetic days had ended in 1844, Christ would then have returned to cleanse the sanctuary by the purification of the earth by fire; and that since he had not come, the days could not have ended. {GC88 409.2}
To accept this conclusion was to renounce the former reckoning of the prophetic periods. The 2300 days had been found to begin when the commandment of Artaxerxes for the restoration and building of Jerusalem went into effect, in the autumn of B. C. 457. Taking this as the starting-point, there was perfect harmony in the application of all the events foretold in the explanation of that period in Daniel 9:25-27. Sixty-nine weeks, the first 483 of the 2300 years, were to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One; and Christ's baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit, A. D. 27, exactly fulfilled the specification. In the midst of the seventieth week, Messiah was to be cut off. Three and a half years after his baptism, Christ was crucified, in the spring of A. D. 31. The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to pertain especially to the Jews. At the expiration of this period, the nation sealed its rejection of Christ by the persecution of his disciples, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles, A. D. 34. The first 490 years of the 2300 having then ended, 1810 years would remain. From A. D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. ?Then,? said the angel, ?shall the sanctuary be cleansed.? All the preceding specifications of the prophecy had been unquestionably fulfilled at the time appointed. With this reckoning, all was clear and harmonious, except that it was not seen that any event answering to the cleansing of the sanctuary had taken place in 1844. To deny that the days ended at that time was to involve the whole question in confusion, and to renounce positions which had been established by unmistakable fulfillments of prophecy. {GC88 409.3} Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly, at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the sanctuary. {EW 253.1}
?The temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.? [Revelation 11:19.] The ark of God's testament is in the holy of holies, the second apartment of the sanctuary. In the ministration of the earthly tabernacle, which served ?unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,? this apartment was opened only upon the great day of atonement, for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and the ark of his testament was seen, points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, in 1844, as Christ entered there to perform the closing work of the atonement. {GC88 433.1} We can see in the years 1798 to 1844 the world was changed -- the anti-righteous developments in the history of the six trumpets were all restrained so the last gospel could go to all the world -- and it will, but the forces of evil are also at work, for all the evil of the six trumpets will again descend in full fury against truth to try and seal it off. But Christ will win and His followers will be sealed for His everlasting kingdom! | Identity | Problem | Crises | Transition after 6th trumpet | | Trumpet 1 and 2 | Nationalism | Both in Judaism and Roman empire, political power determine and enforce a religious view as the proper and national religion to which all must adhere--persecution results. | Near end of sixth trumpet -- American constitution, brings separation of church and state, offering freedom to worship. The power of monarchs was also greatly reduced. |
Trumpet 3 and 4 | The development of the powerful, counterfeit religion. | Bore the name Christian, but Christ's atonement, priestly ministry and grace were hidden. Spiritual darkness reigned. | The Reformation opened the way, bringing light, but it was at the end of the sixth trumpet that papal power received a fatal wound, and Christ's sanctuary work was revealed and understood in it's cleansing, sanctifying wholeness. Rev. 10 happened as a result of understanding the ending of the 2300 years. |
Trumpets 5 and 6 | Powers with a religious flavor, but anti-Christian, not recognizing Christ as Savior and Lord, based on works and reason and humanism. | Released a lot of knowledge into the world. Reason becomes "god", which was often used for destructive purposes both physical and spiritual. | The French Revolution near the end of the sixth trumpet, gives a horrifying picture of what happens when God's ways are replaced with human passion and reason. Rev. 11: 4-13 happened. The "old world" system disrupted. But God used the disruption to allow truth to also be taken world wide like never before. |
Trumpet 7 | Nations are angry, but Christ is finishing the work | The dead are judged. The righteous in Christ vindicated. Those who studied the book open in Rev. 10, have taken their mission to prophecy again seriously and take the three angels' message to the world, they have realized Christ is in the most holy before the ark of the covenant in which are the ten commandments. (11:17) They must "prophecy again" and then Jesus, in all His glory will come. Praise to our Savior, Jesus! | These truths were "discovered" at the end of the sixth trumpet and beginning of the seventh. The seventh trumpet begins in 1844, covers the judgment hour, and takes us to the end when there will be thunders and lightnings when the censor is cast down and probation has closed. | | , |
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05/06/26 06:58 PM
Prayer Warriors
Moses
We have much more information on Moses than we have on Enoch.
Moses was chosen for a very difficult, challenging task. He was to lead a huge crowd of rather unruly people out of Egyptian Bondage and on into the promised land.
Moses was born in bondage but miraculously he was sent to the best schools in the known world. He was trained to lead, trained to command, trained to possibly be the next pharaoh. Everything the world could give in preparation, Moses received in the first 40 years of his life.
Not only was he given the top education the world could give in the arts of leadership and command positions, he was smart and a very strong man. Strong enough to single handedly kill an Egyptian guard, or drive away a whole group of shepherds harassing seven young girls. At age 40 he was wanting to get on with his task of freeing people -- but was he ready? He was young, strong, well educated for the task and eager. No, he was not ready, he was acting on impulse and his strength rather than communicating with God as to how to go about the task. His rashness in attacking the Egyptian forced him into fleeing.
Moses first had to learn, to not only believe in God, but to fully rely on God and seek God's wisdom continually if he was to be successful in this huge mission.
When we see Moses again (in the story in scripture) forty years later, he is now 80 years old, and no longer trusts self. He is now ready to listen to God, and constantly turn to God. This is something he does consistently throughout the next 40 years as he leads Israel out of Egypt and on to the borders of the promised land. Moses speaks to God in a very real way. He is almost continually in God's presence. Asking for help and direction, pleading for the people, and seeking to know God better, longing to be in His presence.
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05/06/26 11:09 AM
Well this is interesting... 'Major city bans ads for meat, fossil fuels in sweeping crackdown critics call overreach Amsterdam has reportedly become the first capital city in the world to ban public ads for meat and fossil fuels ? wiping burgers, gas-powered cars, and airline promotions from billboards, tram stops and metro stations. Since May 1, the Dutch capital and tourist hotspot?s advertising landscape has undergone a dramatic shift. Ads once showcasing chicken nuggets, SUVs, and budget flights have been replaced with promotions for museums and concerts, according to BBC News. Local politicians say the sweeping move is part of an aggressive climate agenda, with goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and cut meat consumption in half, the outlet reported. "The climate crisis is very urgent," Anneke Veenhoff from the GreenLeft Party said. "I mean, if you want to be leading in climate policies and you rent out your walls to exactly the opposite, then what are you doing?" But critics argue the policy crosses a line ? calling it an overreach that attempts to engineer personal choices, according to BBC News...." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...fb1dd5c6ba4990b228e146298b6749&ei=12
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05/06/26 05:33 AM
John 8:37-41 I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.
8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father.
8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
8:40 But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
8:41 You do the deeds of your father. .
The big question here --
Who is actually your Father?
What is the DNA test that proves who is your real father.
Jesus is basing it on character. Children inherit their nature from their fathers. So, those who are true children of Abraham should exhibit Abraham's character of faith and obedience. Abraham obeyed God and responded to His message.
But these men were plotting to kill Jesus. They could not, or refused to see the message and life of Jesus as coming from the God of heaven. It was Satan who has rebelled against Christ and sought to destroy Christ's influence. In the same way these men plotting to kill Jesus were listening to "their father" who wanted Jesus quenched.
Jesus points out that their actions reflect their father?and neither God nor Abraham are associated with lies and murder.
When people maintain the selfish, mean and sinful spirit of the world, God counts them as the children of this world, not as His sons and daughters.
In like manner the Lord encourages His followers to show His character shining through them. They are to stand distinct from the world in their manner of dealing with fairness and understanding. Their words are honest and pure, and their whole demeanor reflects characteristics that they have been in communion with God.
"The world will see the difference, they will see that the truth, which they conscientiously believe, makes them honest in their dealings; that those with whom they are connected may see that believers of truth are sanctified through the truth, and that the truth received and obeyed makes the receivers as sons and daughters of God, children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family, faithful, true, honest, and upright, in the small as well as the great acts of life. . . ". {CTr 352.4}
By their fruits you shall know who their father is!
Matt. 7:20-21 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
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05/05/26 06:29 PM
The Euphrates Motif in the Sixth Trumpet and Sixth Plague
Revelation 9:13?14 introduces a significant element within the trumpet sequence. A voice proceeds
from the four horns of the golden altar?the locus of intercession in the heavenly sanctuary?commanding
the release of the four angels who had been bound at the river Euphrates.
This scene must be interpreted with precision. It does not describe an ongoing or partial loosening of
restraint at that moment; rather, it functions as a prophetic declaration that the appointed time for
release has been determined.
Within the framework of the seven trumpets as a unified warning message, the sixth trumpet does
not narrate the execution of judgment, nor does it depict restraint progressively diminishing.
Instead, it announces with certainty that the boundary between mercy and judgment has been fixed,
and that the transition will occur at the divinely appointed time. The emphasis is not on process, but on divine determination.
The reference to the river Euphrates is central to this declaration. In the biblical narrative, the Euphrates
serves as a boundary marker (Gen. 15:18), representing the limit of the promised land and, by extension,
the limit of divine forbearance.
In the apocalyptic context, this imagery is appropriated to signify the eschatological boundary?the point
at which the era of mercy reaches its divinely set conclusion and gives way to judgment.
This symbolic function becomes clearer when compared with Revelation 16:12. Under the sixth plague,
the Euphrates is dried up, preparing the way for the kings of the earth. At this stage, the removal of restraint
is no longer announced but fully realized. The emergence of the three unclean spirits (Rev. 16:13?14) and
their gathering of the nations for the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16) demonstrate that the final phase
of conflict has begun.
The relationship between the sixth trumpet and the sixth plague may therefore be understood as follows:
Sixth Trumpet (Rev. 9:13?21): declaration that the appointed time for release has been fixed; warning intensified
Sixth Plague (Rev. 16:12?16): execution of that release; final global alignment and conflict
Thus, the sixth trumpet does not describe the gradual withdrawal of restraint, but rather proclaims the certainty
of its future removal, while the sixth plague depicts that removal as an accomplished reality.
Between these two stands the crucial work of sealing (Rev. 7:1?3). The winds?symbolizing destructive forces?are
held until this sealing is complete. The sixth trumpet, therefore, must be read in relation to this prior condition:
it announces that once the sealing is finished, the boundary will be crossed and the release will occur according
to divine command.
The Euphrates motif, viewed in this light, underscores the concept of a fixed eschatological boundary.
It does not suggest a gradual transition already in progress, but rather a divinely established limit beyond
which events will unfold decisively. The prophetic emphasis is on certainty, not immediacy; on determination, not process.
A historical analogy may be observed in the account of King Josiah (2 Kings 23; cf. 2 Chron. 35), whose confrontation
with Pharaoh Necho occurred in the broader geopolitical sphere associated with the Euphrates. While not functioning
as a direct prophetic fulfillment, the narrative illustrates the gravity of decision-making at critical boundaries,
where issues of loyalty and discernment become decisive.
In summary, the Euphrates in the sixth trumpet and sixth plague serves as a theological marker of finality.
The sixth trumpet announces that the moment of transition from mercy to judgment has been fixed,
while the sixth plague reveals that this transition has been carried out. Together, they frame the final stage
of the prophetic narrative, in which the warning phase gives way to the unrestrained execution of divine judgment.
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05/05/26 12:08 PM
My reaction was, don't download the app, don't carry your phone. I don't know if it was the same person, but heard on the news, that some woman was arrested for failing to install an/the app on her phone. Try to tell that to the youth and young people who cant live without one glued to their ears or in their hands. It just not gonna fly...
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05/05/26 12:06 PM
It just seems that nothing can stop these conflicts and if they add in nuclear weapons, we get to what can only be the time such as never was...
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05/04/26 05:31 AM
The Sabbath is memorial of Creation.
To worship God on the Sabbath is remembering that He is our Creator.
It is because God is our Creator that He is worthy of our worship.
God explicitly tells us that He blessed and sanctified a specific day as the memorial of His creation, and asks us to remember that day, because He created us.
Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Psalms 100:3-4 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates (come to His place of worship) with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Gen. 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Psalms 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he has established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together,... they that set up their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save have no knowledge.
45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
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05/01/26 06:58 PM
As Jan quoted before
"The precious record of the law was placed in the ark of the testament and is still there, safely hidden from the human family. But in God's appointed time He will bring forth these tables of stone to be a testimony to all the world against the disregard of His commandments and against the idolatrous worship of a counterfeit Sabbath."--Ms 122, 1901 (1BC 1109).
I get the feeling the implication it will be revealed only at the last days, when it's too late for misusing for the wrong purposes. Yes, that quote seems to indict the earthly ark of the covenant will be brought forth. But I wonder if it will be too late at that point? Or is it the last call, before the heavenly copy of God's law is revealed? I believe (this is my personal belief ) that there are three different events concerning this. One before probation closes, and two after probation has closed. 1. THE EARTHLY ARK WILL BE BROUGHT FORTH The earthly ark of the covenant will be brought forth when the Sunday law issues are gaining legal ground. People will be preaching the three angel's message in a powerful way. This is just before the whole world is brought to their final irrevocable decision. They will be aware the ark is found. It will be big news, the ten commandments inside the ark will be seen. The people will be convicted -- it is God's revelation to call them for the last time to turn and follow Him -- the commandments are still under the mercy seat. True, many will already have hardened themselves to a point of no return, but there is still probation. Just like in 31 AD as the evidence that Christ was the Messiah mounted, (especially with the resurrection of Lazarus) the ire of the rejecters turned deadly and they set plans in motion to have Christ executed. In the same way, the very strength of the evidence of God's will concerning the Sabbath, will result in the death decree. The evidence of the ark and the commandment contained in that ark, will be twisted to uplift Sunday and trigger the law of death on all who follow God's command. "The holy law of the ten commandments, written on tables of stone by the finger of God, and placed in the ark, is the standard of righteousness. Before the obedient and the disobedient it will appear in the last great day, and all the wicked will be convicted. (13 MR, 381 MS 5. 1904 2. THE ORIGINAL COMMANDMENTS REVEALED (the commandments, not the ark) Then probation closes, and as the death decree is about to be executed, God brings forth the ORIGINAL ten commandments (no longer in the ark under a mercy seat) but the gleaming, heavenly, original, held in His own hands! The sky rolls back as a scroll and in burning letters people can see the true call. With sudden memory the people remember when just days (or weeks) earlier they had seen the earthly copies brought forth, but they had rejected the call and hardened themselves against it. They could have turned then, but now it is too late. Too llate as they finally realize God meant what He had written. ?The clouds sweep back, and the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably glorious in contrast with the black and angry firmament on either side. The glory of heaven is beaming from the gates ajar. Then there appears against the sky a hand holding two tables of stone folded
together. The hand opens the tables and there are revealed the precepts of the Decalogue, traced as with a pen of fire. The words are so plain that all can read them. Memory is aroused, the darkness of superstition and heresy is swept from every mind, and God's ten words, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, presented to the view of all the inhabitants of the earth!"--4SP 456, It's interesting to note that the passage says that when the people see the tables of stone in the sky, their " memory is aroused". Have they seen something like these before? That fits in with a previous bringing forth of the earthly tables of stone from the ark found in the cave? Psa 85:11, "Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven."3. THE ORIGINAL COMMANDMENTS HELD BY CHRIST AFTER MILLENNIUM Those commandments appear again in the hands of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, after the millennium. When Christ sits on the great White Throne during the final judgment in Rev. 20. "As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, `Marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints (Rev. 15:3);' and falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life."--4SP 484; GC 668, 669
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05/01/26 03:51 PM
Rick, now that it's been a couple of months, how's the fasting working?
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04/30/26 12:41 PM
We all read about the battle of Armageddon, but there is another battle that will occur and this is when the New Jerusalem comes down. We find it in Revelation 20:8:
Revelation 20:8
"8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."
In Revelation 20:8, Gog and Magog are identified as they fight on the side of Satan in the very final battle against God. But if you look at the text, they are sent out into the earth to gather nations after the 1000 years of millennial reign of Christ for one last battle just before Satan is cast into the lake of fire. f we look in the Bible, we see Revelation 19 and 20 belong together, and describe Christ's Second Coming and immediately continue with the Millennium, their sequence indicating that the millennium begins when Christ returns.
What follows in Revelation 20, deals with the fate of the devil or the dragon. He is taken captive and cast into the bottomless pit, where he remains for 1000 years. The earth becomes desolate, since the righteous ascend to be with the Lord and the wicked are destroyed at His appearing. So the earth stands for a time without human inhabitants. Scripture points to such a situation. Jeremiah said, "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man" (Jer. 4:23-25). Jeremiah's use of the terminology found in Genesis 1:2, "without form, and void," indicates that the earth is to become as chaotic as it was at the beginning of Creation.
Then during the during the 1000 years of the millennium, we see the judgment of the wicked. John saw that during the millennium the saints would be involved in judgment; he saw "thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them (Rev. 20:4). This is the time of the judgment of Satan and his angels that Scripture notes (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). It's the time when Paul's declaration that the saints would judge the world and even the angels (1 Cor. 6:2, 3) will come to pass.
So after the 1000 years of the millennium when wicked dead are resurrected, Satan now has people once again to deceive; thus he is, in effect, 'loosed'; from his chains. Satan then 'will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea';(vs. 8). The 'sand of the sea'; means myriads of people. These will be all the lost of the earth, from the days of Adam down to the last person who were struck down at Christ's return). During the 1000 years, they remain in their graves; now, they are raised to life in 'the resurrection of damnation';(John 5:29).
Immediately after the lost are resurrected, Satan gathers 'them together to battle', and has them gather round God's holy city to make war against it in the battle of Gog and Magog.
Ezekiel 38 and 39 gives context on this future battle as it presents an ideal and conditional scenario which we will see. Here the if restored people remained faithful, there would be a final attack from pagan forces, but God would intervene supernaturally to defend them. We will see this when the nations attack the New Jerusalem. Lets see how the scenario is framed in Ezekiel 38:1-2
Ezekiel 38:1-2
"1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,:"
And more in Ezekiel 38:8-9 & Ezekiel 38:18:
"8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee."
"18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face."
It tells you in part that an enemy called 'Gog of . . . Magog' invades 'the land' of God's people. But that attack causes Jehovah's wrath to flare up, and Jehovah steps in and defeats Gog.
Magog was a grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:2). The descendants of Magog settled to the far north of Israel, likely in Europe. Magog seems to be used to refer to "northern barbarians" in general, and the people of Magog are described as skilled warriors
The New Testament takes up Ezekiel's language. In Revelation 20, 'Gog and Magog' appear again, but with significant expansion. It places the event after the 1000 year millennium. The Battle of Gog and Magog occurs at the very end of the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20. It takes place after the Holy City (New Jerusalem) descends from heaven to the renovated Earth, but before the final cleansing of the planet. Gog and Magog are not considered literal nations but instead, they represent the "nations which are in the four quarters of the earth", the resurrected wicked people from all of human history, gathered by Satan for a final assault.
Revelation 20:8-10
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
After being resurrected, Satan deceives the wicked into believing they can capture the Holy City. They march and surround the camp of the saints (the saved) and the Beloved City. The battle will be won as the wicked surround the city, God sends fire down from heaven to consume them, which is the final destruction of sin and Satan in the "lake of fire".
This event is the final resolution of the "great controversy" between Christ and Satan. It vindicates God's justice, showing that the wicked, even after a 1000 year millennium of death in the grave, are still in rebellion as shown when they surround the' beloved city', the New Jerusalem.
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04/27/26 05:00 PM
Many good thoughts and valuable observations in the above article.
Indeed "God's Law is critically important."
-- revealing His will for His people
-- teaches God's people to love the Lord and to love others.
-- The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24)
-- The Law is a mirror when looked into reveals our sin and our need for the Savior
-- shows followers of Christ what God expects of us, what brings glory to His name and pleases HIM.
What has always been rather puzzling, when discussing the ten commandments with Christians of various denominations, is their positive comments on the ten commandments. They want to see them back on the wall in the schools and government type buildings. They see God's ten commandments as good --
UNTIL one starts pointing out that the 4th commandment is not about Sunday. It is about remembering to keep holy the seventh day which the Lord blessed and sanctified at creation. Then we hear all kinds of rationalization that the ten commandments no longer have to be observed, at least not in a strict adherence to what it actually says.
NATURAL LAW or SPECIFIC LAW.
What I've found -- and there may be other opinions on this --
Is that these Christians believe in what is called "Natural Law".
Natural law is "sensible law" a law that everyone should be able to understand thanks to the conscience God has put in people's minds.
First, I think we need to step back and think about natural law --good, sensible law. If God is the author of both the ten commandment law and natural law, those laws cannot contradict one another."
Conscience already helps people know there is something wrong with lying, stealing, killing, adultery, betrayal, etc. God, has given people a conscience, He has also made laws that are non negotiable because it's just right, good and obviously makes society a better place when people adhere to these laws.
However, a large majority of Christians still see the ten commandments as the "Mosaic" covenantal law, the covenant made with ancient Israel. The Ten Commandments, in their minds, though exhibiting natural law good for everyone, yet they were given as a covenant between God and his people, literal Israel.
What happens with this thinking is that even though they believe the principles in the ten commandments are all part of God's "natural law", which is important for all, yet, for them, the ten commandments are still specifically a legal document God made with the children of Israel. As Christians, they see the ten commandments as representing a different covenant, even though they still hold the "natural law" concept as important to all, but the specific legality of it was for ancient Israel.
In this line of thinking, they look at the fourth commandment as yes -- the principle of resting on one day in seven is part of "natural law", for people need periods of rest, and that God desires people to take time to slow down and rest, for it has natural benefits, BUT the time or day itself isn't important.
The ten commandment law is seen as a legal document for the Israelite nation, given specifically for them, thus those commands don't hold that same legal binding nature over Christians, who only accept those commandments as they fit into the "natural law" paradigm.
This line of thinking will grow more pronounced as we head into the final crises. The "natural law" concept of the ten commandments will be heralded, and we, as Adventists will recognize the truth that indeed the ten commandments are sustained by the fact God's law is naturally the best way to live.
BUT if that's all people see, they will fail to see that God has also set a SIGN in the fourth commandment -- a sign to show who is just sort of acknowledging His law because it's reasonable for good life and it sounds like good "natural law", or if they have made HIM their LORD and Master and Savior.
Sunday will be made to sound like the "natural" way to better the world situation, but is the fourth commandment still binding as it was written? Or is it just a good "natural law" with no binding specifics, by which we can keep any day, like Sunday, as the "day of rest"?
The move to seeing God's Ten Commandments as good natural law, isn't a bad thing, as God's commands are good and right, but they also contain specifics that may not "feel" natural. For those who go beyond just "natural law" and take the step to seek to "Find out what pleases the Lord" , will also choose the day the Lord has blessed and made holy and asked them to remember.
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04/24/26 01:15 AM
Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20: 20.
BUT Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed.
We can't just sit back and say, "I go to church every Saturday" therefore all is well. We are told that there are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. Why? Even though they had the light of truth, even though they knew their Master's will and they understood the theory and importance of God's Sabbath, but they didn't really know Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath, to them it was all just a ritual. They weren't growing in grace, being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The third angel sounds the warning that "We feel rich and increased with goods, and know not that we are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Revelation 3:17. Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True Witness: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Verse 18.
"Oh, for living, active, faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path must not discourage us, or drive us to despair."
"Those who are uniting with the world, are receiving the worldly mold, and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth,--these are receiving the heavenly mold, and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. Now is the time to prepare.
{Points from Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen White 2022, p189 -191}
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04/21/26 05:19 AM
That's like Robin Hood hitting the bullseye by spliting an arrow and saying "Oops, wrong target."
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04/17/26 10:48 AM
It's not just Adventists that are seeing the erosion of the wall separating church and state.
Others are seeing it as well.
The difficulty comes because some see the wall of separation as a wall that outlaws Christians to express their values in public.
Somehow people need to understand that the purpose of the wall is "freedom of religion" the freedom to live and express religion according their personal convictions, which means the state can't make laws enforcing everyone to observe one religion. The wall is not placed their to deny people religious expression.
Of course so many grey areas have been brought in that there is much confusion.
Freedom of Religion has been used to enable people who are against Christianity to put down Christian principles, values and beliefs and enforce their sinful ways to be accepted as normal, and demand no one has a right to uphold or even voice Christian values in public, or condemn sinful values in public.
That's not freedom of religion. It has actually torn down part of the wall by getting the state to deny religious expression, and sharing of one's values.
For example -- if a person sets up a nice display of the nativity on their front lawn or in some visible place, (in December) they may be criticized and told to take it down, as it is "offensive" to some people. While others can decorate visible places with grave stones with simulated body parts laying about and ghost like objects hanging from trees (in October) but that must not be criticized, even though it is very offensive to some people.
It's actually by misusing "freedom of religion" and turning it into a "freedom to promote sin" and hush up any people who may express concern, that causes the back lash -- when people WANT the state to start enforcing Christianity.
The scary part --
Those who oppose the move to take down the wall of separation, will be classified with the mobs who want "freedom to promote sin", even though they agree with Christian values, but oppose the separation because they want freedom to obey God's law as He gave it, and live according to His will. When governments start making laws on how and when to worship, persecution is not far behind.
And then after attacking the wall separating church and state, the conservative Protestants are feasted to a war of words between the leader of the 'free' world and the Pope. The Image showing its power by taking on and clashing with the Beast. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...es-tyrant-using-god-for-gain/ar-AA213xsdhttps://newrepublic.com/post/208941/pope-leo-message-donald-trump-pentagon-threathttps://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-delivers-holy-warning-to-trump-in-blistering-address/https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/04/middleeast/pope-leo-iran-war-analysis-latam-intlAnd they use what is holy in the profane much like the sons of Aaron who offered strange fire before the Lord
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04/17/26 10:40 AM
Yes, we can definitely see the writing on the wall. We have been in our Laodicean condition so long that our spiritual muscles have weakened and we hurt to even move it seems..
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04/17/26 10:36 AM
Will the Adventist church ever be "in one accord" concerning the "prophetic message" that is the very foundation of Adventism?
When browsing forums it seems impossible as everyone who has a unique "study" is pushing their "new light", and prophecy begins to sound very confusing with nothing solid to stand on, yet, if we step back and view the core bases of where the church stands in it's prophetic understanding, there is a foundation.
A story of encouragement. God has given us precious light, but powers are trying to bury this light, yet, the promise -- the spurious will be taken away and the truths will shine brighter than ever before.
William's Dream
Found in "Early Writings" pages 81-83
I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.
I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.
The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.
... I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on every piece of furniture in the room.
I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.
I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my casket
and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept.
While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.
Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, the people all left; and he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room. I cried to him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish.
He told me to "fear not," for he would "take care of them".
Then, while he brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over the room.
He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin.
He then called upon me to "come and see."
I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory. I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy, and that shout awoke me. Ive never seen that before, but let me tell you I am now seeing that happen online. All over the Chirstian sites, the old distortions and concocted prophecies and false religious frameworks are disappearing as at the same time that the core of Gods truth is being brought back before them with great power, such as the truth of the Sabbath impact that Charley Kirk brought and the meltdown over the truth of the state of the dead that Kirk Cameron has put before them. It is Gods hand moving these things as the Holy Spirit begins to be poured out. We shall see even more, we need to prepare ourselves...
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Here is the link to this week's Sabbath School Lesson Study and Discussion Material: Click Here
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