I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no
countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God
looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps-- the first, second,
and third angels' messages. Said my accompanying angel, "Woe to him who
shall move a block or stir a pin of these messages. The true understanding of
these messages is of vital importance.
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The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in which they are
received." I was again brought down through these messages, and saw how
dearly the people of God had purchased their experience. It had been obtained
through much suffering and severe conflict. God had led them along step by
step, until He had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform. I saw
individuals approach the platform and examine the foundation. Some with
rejoicing immediately stepped upon it. Others commenced to find fault with the
foundation. They wished improvements made, and then the platform would be more
perfect, and the people much happier. Some stepped off the platform to examine
it and declared it to be laid wrong. But I saw that nearly all stood firm upon
the platform and exhorted those who had stepped off to cease their complaints;
for God was the Master Builder, and they were fighting against Him. They
recounted the wonderful work of God, which had led them to the firm platform,
and in union raised their eyes to heaven and with a loud voice glorified God.
This affected some of those who had complained and left the platform, and they
with humble look again stepped upon it.
I was pointed back to the proclamation of the first advent
of Christ. John was sent in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way
of Jesus. Those who rejected the testimony of John were not benefited by the
teachings of Jesus. Their opposition to the message that foretold His coming
placed them where they could not readily receive the strongest evidence that He
was the Messiah. Satan led on those who rejected the message of John to go
still farther, to reject and crucify Christ. In doing this they placed
themselves where they could not receive the blessing on the day of Pentecost,
which would have taught them the way into the heavenly sanctuary. The rending
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of the veil of the temple showed that the Jewish sacrifices
and ordinances would no longer be received. The great Sacrifice had been
offered and had been accepted, and the Holy Spirit which descended on the day
of Pentecost carried the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary to
the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His
disciples the benefits of His atonement. But the Jews were left in total darkness.
They lost all the light which they might have had upon the plan of salvation,
and still trusted in their useless sacrifices and offerings. The heavenly
sanctuary had taken the place of the earthly, yet they had no knowledge of the
change. Therefore they could not be benefited by the mediation of Christ in the
holy place.
Many look with horror at the course of the Jews in rejecting
and crucifying Christ; and as they read the history of His shameful abuse, they
think they love Him, and would not have denied Him as did Peter, or crucified
Him as did the Jews. But God who reads the hearts of all, has brought to the
test that love for Jesus which they professed to feel. All heaven watched with
the deepest interest the reception of the first angel's message. But many who
professed to love Jesus, and who shed tears as they read the story of the
cross, derided the good news of His coming. Instead of receiving the message
with gladness, they declared it to be a delusion. They hated those who loved
His appearing and shut them out of the churches. Those who rejected the first
message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by
the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into
the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former
messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light
in the third angel's
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message, which shows the way into the most holy place. I saw
that as the Jews crucified Jesus, so the nominal churches had crucified these
messages, and therefore they have no knowledge of the way into the most holy,
and they cannot be benefited by the intercession of Jesus there. Like the Jews,
who offered their useless sacrifices, they offer up their useless prayers to
the apartment which Jesus has left; and Satan, pleased with the deception,
assumes a religious character, and leads the minds of these professed
Christians to himself, working with his power, his signs and lying wonders, to
fasten them in his snare. Some he deceives in one way, and some in another. He
has different delusions prepared to affect different minds. Some look with
horror upon one deception, while they readily receive another. Satan deceives
some with Spiritualism. He also comes as an angel of light and spreads his
influence over the land by means of false reformations. The churches are
elated, and consider that God is working marvelously for them, when it is the
work of another spirit. The excitement will die away and leave the world and the
church in a worse condition than before.
I saw that God has honest children among the nominal
Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out,
ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive
the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is
given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have
rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the
honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But
the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches,
and take their stand with the remnant.