(Written August 20, 1897.)
“But
of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but
my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day
that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came and
took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”
[Matthew 24:36-39]. [Mark 13:32-37, quoted.]
In the days of Noah
the world was so full of wickedness that the Lord declared that He would
not bear with it longer. Such a state of things will exist prior to the
second appearing of Christ. But though the wickedness of the world was
so great, yet the Lord gave men one hundred and twenty years of
probation, in which, if they would, they could repent. But
notwithstanding the forbearance of a good and merciful God, the people
did not improve their opportunities. For a little time they were awed,
and afraid to go on as recklessly as they had done. Then, depraved
habits prevailed over restraint. In proportion as the people resisted
conviction, their discernment was clouded, and their desire to follow a
course of ungodliness strengthened. Jude describes the condition of
things then existing:
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands
of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that
are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have
ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners
have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking
after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words,
having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” [Jude 1:14-16].
This picture the inspired servant of God has traced for the
instruction and warning of all who shall live in the last days of this
earth’s history. There are men who see the truth, and who should stand
fast in their integrity, because they are responsible before God for the
influence of their words and actions, yet who say to those who are
doing their work in the fear of the Lord, striving to prepare a people
to watch and be sober, “We cannot controvert your evidence. Your reasons
are logical, but should we work contrary to the legislative councils,
we would lose our position. We will have to go where the leaders go.”
How
closely this resembles the words spoken of some during Christ’s life on
earth. “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with
you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he
that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the
light, believe in the light, that ye may be children of light.... But
though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not
on Him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which
he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm
of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because
that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their
heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with
their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.... Nevertheless
among the chief priests also many believed on Him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”
[John 12:35-40, 42, 43].
Why were the eyes of the people
blinded, and their hearts hardened? As they listened to Christ’s words
and witnessed His miracles, they were convinced of His divinity. The
Spirit of God impressed their hearts, leading them to say, This is
indeed the Messiah, the One for whom we have looked, the Desire of all
nations. But they hardened their hearts, and refused to accept Him. To a
great degree, the priests and rulers were responsible for the people
turning away from the truth to the maxims of men. And today the
preachers of the people are following the footsteps of the priests and
elders of the Jewish nation. When conviction is trampled on, the light
that has shone into the chambers of the mind grows dim, and the darkness
of error takes the place of the bright beams of the Sun of
Righteousness. The result of this is shown in the following verses:
[Jeremiah 13:15-17, 20, 21, 23-25; 10:19-21, quoted].
This
lamentation is made for backsliding. When Christ the Majesty of heaven,
came in person to His vineyard that He might receive the first fruits
thereof, they said, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the
inheritance may be ours” [Luke 20:14]. Christ’s lamentation over
Jerusalem is the lamentation of a breaking heart. “O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not”
[Matthew 23:37].
The message of warning comes to us as it came to
Noah.
We are to warn all that the Lord is at the door. We are to urge
those who are disloyal to God to repent, and render obedience to His
law. Man was created in the image of God, but in him this image has been
sadly disfigured. The traces of God’s love in the human soul have been
nearly obliterated. Men have chosen darkness rather than light.
Obedience to God’s commands wins eternal life. Disobedience places man
on Satan’s side of the question.
From beginning to end,
God’s requirements set forth His eternal truth. His law is the test of
character. His covenant with man declares the immutability of His
counsel. God is truth. He declares that He will not alter the thing that
has gone out of His mouth.
We are not left in blindness and
deception as to God’s requirements. The third angel is represented as
flying through the heavens, proclaiming a message to the world.
[Revelation 14:9, 10, quoted.]
It is for the interest of all to
understand what the mark of the beast is, and how they may escape the
dread threatenings of God. Why are men not interested to know what
constitutes the mark of the beast and his image? It is in direct
contrast with the mark of God. [Exodus 31:12-17, quoted.]
The
Sabbath question will be the issue in the great conflict in which all
the world will act a part. [Revelation 13:4-8, quoted.]
“If
any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” This warning is given to
every son and daughter of Adam; and it is repeated over and over again.
“He
that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth
with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and
the faith of the saints” [Revelation 13:10]. This entire chapter is a
revelation of what will surely take place. [Revelation 13:11, 15-17,
quoted.]
Christ died to save sinners, not in their sins, but from
their sins. The warning given in Revelation shows us the terrible
consequence of transgression. By lips that will not lie, God’s law is
declared to be holy, just, and good. Our duty to obey this law is to be
the burden of the last message of mercy to the world. God’s law is not a
new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a
code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to
fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty
of man. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” This
command contains the principles of the first four precepts. And “Thou
shalt love they neighbor as thyself” [Mark 12:30, 31]. Upon these two
great principles, the Word of God declares, hang all the law and the
prophets.
These principles are made known by the third angel’s
message, which declares that the Creator had always required and always
will require obedience to His royal law. But this law has been
disregarded and transgressed, and is now being ignored by the churches.
Human enactments are placed where God’s law should be. Sunday, a child
of the Papacy, has taken the place of God’s holy Sabbath. As
Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image, and set it up to be worshiped by
all, so Sunday is placed before the people to be regarded as sacred.
This day bears not a vestige of sanctity, yet it is held up to be
honored by all.
By doing this, men are doing just what Satan
wished them to do. When those who claim to love God refuse to obey His
Word as plainly stated in the fourth precept of the decalogue, and
accept a common working day as their sabbath, they show respect to a day
exalted by the enemy of God. But notwithstanding this, God’s law still
stands firm. The Man of sin has thought to change this law; he has
thought to do it; but not while God holds the throne will he be able to
change one jot or tittle of His law.
He who made the world in six
days, rested on the seventh, sanctifying and blessing that day. The
Sabbath command designates God as the Creator of the heavens and the
earth. [Exodus 20:8-11; 31:16, 17, quoted.]
But these explicit
directions have been disregarded and forgotten. A common working day has
been presented to the churches by the Catholic authority, and has been
accepted. God gave the Sabbath to man as a memorial of the work of
creation; and the Lord of heaven will not hold him guiltless who sets
aside His commands, and teaches others in their place. He will regard
everyone according to his works.
“Here is the patience of the
saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus” [Revelation 14:12]. In vision John beheld the contrast between
those who worship the beast and his image, and those who worship God.
We are living under the message of the third angel; and the warning is
now to be given by all who are loyal to God’s government
[Deuteronomy
11:18-21, 26-28; 10:12; Deuteronomy 7:6, 7, 9-11, quoted.] A thousand
generations is a long time. Before it ends, the Lord will come in the
clouds of heaven, and His faithful people will be in His kingdom,
keeping His commandments faithfully.—Manuscript 88, 1897.
Ellen G. White Estate
Washington, D. C.,
May 12, 1988.
Entire Ms.
- Manusprict Releases Volume 19, pp.179-184
.