(Part 4 of a 4 part series on the sealing of the 144,000. Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
Partial List Of Abominations In The Church
- Lack of reverence in the house of God: Isa. 56:7; Volume 5, pages 492-500.
- Following the fashions of the world: Isa. 3:16; Volume 1, pages 269, 270; Volume 4, page 632; Volume 3, page 379; Volume 5, page 78; Volume 1, pages 189-191; Volume 1, pages 135, 136; Volume 4, page 631.
- Spending money for that which is not bread (health reform): Isa. 55:2; Volume 5, page 197; Isa. 56:12. (Many references can be given from the testimonies on this subject, but space will not permit them here.)
- Use of tithe–school teachers (those who teach the Scriptures)are not paid by the tithe as they should have been: Volume 6, page 215.
- The house of God is made into a house of merchandise by buying and selling denominational publications of all sorts: Isa. 58:3; Isa. 56:7; Volume 1, pages 471, 472; Volume 8, page 250.
- High prices in our institutions while they should be below current expenses: Volume 8, page 142; Isa. 56:12; Isa. 58.
- Disbelief in the Spirit of Prophecy: If not acknowledged by words, it is admitted by works.
- Failed to inform church members of Elijah’s message: Mal. 4:5; Testimonies to Ministers, page 475; Volume 4, pages 402, 403.
- Abraham obeyed God in all that He commanded, and was very careful even to the smallest particulars; thus it was counted to him for righteousness, but we have not done so. See Gen. 26:5; Gen. 15:6.
- The promise of the land (heavenly Canaan) is to Abraham’s seed. Jesus said, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. [If ye are not the children of Abraham] Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” See John 8:39-44. (By doing the works of Abraham), “Then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3:29
- Insisting that we have all the truth and have need of nothing.
- Turning down Scriptural claims without investigation as to its light. Volume 5 page 211: “The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed.”
Will This Sealing Continue To The Close of Probation?
The sealing of the 144,000 can not extend to the close of probation, for they must be sealed long before that time, and it must close before the loud cry of the third angels’ message. Early Writings, page 277 says: “I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven,descending to the earth, and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. . . . This message seemed to be an addition to the third message.” It seems in the expression, “the angels hurrying to and fro,” the author has reference to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9; and then follows the mighty angel of the loud cry of Rev. 18:1.
Ezekiel 9, can not meet its fulfillment at the time Christ comes in the clouds, for the slaughter is in the church. The church of Christ must be pure and clean, free from every stain long before Jesus comes. If we are not in this pure condition, we can not hope to stand in the time of trouble, nor can we escape the effects of the plagues. The church could not stand without an intercessor after probation nor before, if there is one unclean thing in the camp of Israel. “For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: Thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.” Joshua 7:13.
As an illustration and comparison of the faithfulness and unity of the people at the time of trouble during the plagues, we quote Early Writings, pages 282-3: I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst. Then I saw the leading men of the earth consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy around them. I saw a writing, copies of which were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day of the week, the people were at liberty after a certain time, to put them to death. . . . but angels in the form of men of war fought for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of destroying the saints of the Most High; but Jesus bade His angels watch over them. . . . Next came the multitude of the angry wicked, and next a mass of evil angels, hurrying on the wicked to slay the saints. But before they could approach God’s people, the wicked must first pass this company of mighty, holy angels. This was impossible. The angels of God were causing them to recede, and also causing the evil angels who were pressing around them to fall back.” It is evident here that God’s people are apart by themselves, with no wicked ones among them. Holy angels would not protect unholy people from the wicked multitude. Here we see God’s people separated from all wickedness. Therefore this shows they are in perfect unity at the time they leave the villages.
When then was this purification of the church? Ezekiel 8, tells us of the abominations done in the midst of Jerusalem (church); Ezekiel 9, reveals the consequences to those who do not sigh and cry for all the abominations. “One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the light of God from the entire congregation.” Volume 3, page 265.
Five Men Follow The One
The men with the slaughter weapons must immediately follow the one with the writer’s inkhorn. God must separate His people if the marking is to be of any value and except the separation takes place, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can not fall in its fullness upon the people of God. “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.
. . . 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, pages 270-1. It is clear that the shaking must take place before the “Loud Cry.” The men with the slaughter weapons were already slaying before the man with the writer’s inkhorn returned to report the matter that he had done as he was commanded. See Ezekiel 9:8, 11.
Distinction Between 144,000 and Other Saints
Referring to Israel (after the flesh) which is a type of the true Israel; namely, the 144,000, God said, “Israel is My first-born.” The priesthood in ancient Israel was supposed to be made up of the first-born of every family, therefore the priesthood is termed the first-born. Had Israel obeyed God in all His precepts, this plan would have been carried out, but when they reached Mt. Sinai they made the golden calf and worshipped it.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he took a record of all who had worshipped the calf. “Standing in the gate of the camp, Moses called to the people, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto Me.’ Those who had not joined in the apostasy were to take their position at the right of Moses; those who were guilty but repentant, at the left. The command was obeyed. It was found that the tribe of Levi had taken no part in the idolatrous worship.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 324. For this reason God honored the tribe of Levi. We read on page 277: “After the institution of the tabernacle service, the Lord chose unto Himself the tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary, instead of the first-born of the people.”
But God said, “Israel is My first-born”,–the true Israel–the 144,000. That promise, then, would find its fulfillment here. Of them we read “being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb.” If such is the case, then the 144,000 would be priests and Levites. Isaiah 61, could have no reference to another class than Israel by the promise the 144,000, and of the Gentiles who shall come to the Lord by their labors. We read in Isa. 66:19, 20, “And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations. . . . And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations.” These (144,000) who escape the ruin of Ezekiel 9, and Isaiah 63, to which Isa. 66:16, 17, refers, will be sent on a great missionary work during the time of the loud cry.
We read in Isa. 61:5, 6, “And strangers [Gentiles, or those who are not of the 144,000] shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.” Others than themselves (144,000) shall feed their flocks and dress their vines (do their farming) in the same manner as it was with the tribe of Levi, for they had no land. Though the Levites had no inheritance of the land, they received about 25% of the increase in tithes and offerings, thus others than themselves did their work. So with the 144,000, who will be priests in the new earth. The idea here is not that tithe and offerings from the people would be their support in the earth made new. These scriptures are merely given to illustrate the position which they occupy.
Isa. 61:7 says: “For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: Therefore in their land they shall possess the double: Everlasting joy shall be unto them.” Having two pronouns, “ye” and “they,” the pronoun “ye” receives double for their shame, but the pronoun “they” shall possess the land. “Ye” is the pronoun of the second person to whom God is speaking, and in this case refers to Israel (which is the 144,000), but the pro-noun “they” refers to the Gentiles who were not numbered among the twelve tribes and therefore are not included in the 144,000, but are saved for “they” rejoice in their portion.
In Volume 5, pages 475-6, speaking of the 144,000, we read: “They are to be as kings and priests unto God. . . . ‘These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth’.” Therefore, the 144,000 are priests, and Christ the High Priest, (and King). It may be said that when probation closes Christ takes off His priestly garments, and is Priest no longer, but there need be no confusion in this, for we read in Isa. 66:22, 23: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me saith the Lord.” Thus we see that there is to be a system of worship in the new heaven and earth which will require Priests and Levites.” — Shepherd’s Rod, Vol. 1, pp. 35-41.
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