Exodus 32:1 4. IMITATION: That which is made or produced as a copy; likeness; resemblance. Webster s 1828 Dictionary.

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1 Habakkuk s Two Tables #66 PART SEVEN: JOSIAH AARON S FOUNDATIONAL REJECTION EXODUS 32 Upon us is shining the accumulated light of past ages. The record of Israel s forgetfulness has been preserved for our enlightenment. In this age God has set His hand to gather unto Himself a people from every nation, kindred, and tongue. In the advent movement He has wrought for His heritage, even as He wrought for the Israelites in leading them from Egypt. In the great disappointment of 1844 the faith of His people was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Testimonies, volume 8, Exodus 32:1 4 SELF-PRESERVATION; AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST AND A FALSE ALTAR Aaron feared for his own safety; and instead of nobly standing up for the honor of God, he yielded to the demands of the multitude. His first act was to direct that the golden earrings be collected from all the people and brought to him, hoping that pride would lead them to refuse such a sacrifice. But they willingly yielded up their ornaments; and from these he made a molten calf, in imitation of the gods of Egypt. The people proclaimed, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And Aaron basely permitted this insult to Jehovah. He did more. Seeing with what satisfaction the golden god was received, he built an altar before it, and made proclamation, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. The announcement was heralded by trumpeters from company to company throughout the camp. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play. Under the pretense of holding a feast to the Lord, they gave themselves up to gluttony and licentious reveling. Patriarchs and Prophets, 317. IMITATION: That which is made or produced as a copy; likeness; resemblance. Webster s 1828 Dictionary. A FALSE CHRIST Anciently it was a great sin for the people of God to give themselves away to the enemy, and open before them either their perplexity or their prosperity. Under the ancient economy it was a sin to offer sacrifice upon the wrong altar. It was a sin to offer incense kindled by the wrong fire. We are in danger of mingling the sacred and the common. The holy fire from God is to be used in our efforts. The true altar is Christ; the true fire is the Holy Spirit. This is our inspiration. It is only as the Holy Spirit leads and guides a man that he is a safe counselor. If we turn aside from God and from His chosen ones to inquire at strange altars we shall be answered according to our works. Selected Messages, book 3,

2 WORSHIPPING THE IMAGE... eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Exodus 32:5 6. SUNDAY WORSHIP The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. The Great Controversy, 437. SELF, IMAGE OF THE BEAST, A FALSE CHRIST THEN FALSE WORSHIP SELF-EXALTATION; SPIRITUALISM, A FALSE CHRIST AND SUNDAY WORSHIP And when the people saw that Moses delayed... Exodus 32:1. When the ten virgins went forth to meet the bridegroom, their lamps were trimmed and burning. Apparently there was no difference between the five who were wise and the five who were foolish. To outward appearance all were prepared, robed in white, and carrying their lighted lamps. But only five of these virgins were wise. These anticipated delay, and filled their flagons with oil, ready for any emergency. Five of the number had not this foresight; they made no provision for disappointment or delay. Review and Herald, October 31, as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Exodus 32:1. LITERAL AND SPIRITUAL John 6: make us gods, which shall go before us... Exodus 32:1. DENIED THE MIDNIGHT CRY They had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path, and gave light for their feet, so that they might not stumble. If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the advent band, and they shouted Alleluia! Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below. Early Writings, 15. 2

3 THE MARKED MANIFESTATION OF GOD S POWER The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. The Lord commissions His messengers, the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands: Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Here we see that the church the Lord s sanctuary was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus Peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together. 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. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions and, because of His long-suffering, say that the Lord seeth not, and then act as though He had forsaken the earth. But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide. No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God s mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in His wrath He deals with them without mercy. It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure. Testimonies, volume 5,

4 THERE IS TO BE A WONDERFUL MANIFESTATION OF GOD S POWER The True Witness declares, I know thy works. Repent, and do the first works. This is the true test, the evidence that the Spirit of God is working in the heart to imbue you with his love. I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. The church is like the unproductive tree which, receiving the dew and rain and sunshine, should have produced an abundance of fruit, but on which the divine search discovers nothing but leaves. Solemn thought for our churches! solemn, indeed, for every individual! Marvelous is the patience and forbearance of God; but except thou repent, it will be exhausted; the churches, our institutions, will go from weakness to weakness, from cold formality to deadness, while they are saying, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. The True Witness says, And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Will they ever see clearly their condition? There is to be in the churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of the heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their ideas and expectations, they will oppose the work. Why, they say, should not we know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years? Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties of the messages of God, but persistently said, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. Talent, long experience, will not make men channels of light, unless they place themselves under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and are called, and chosen, and prepared by the endowment of the Holy Spirit. When men who handle sacred things will humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, the Lord will lift them up. He will make them men of discernment men rich in the grace of his Spirit. Their strong, selfish traits of character, their stubbornness, will be seen in the light shining from the Light of the world. I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. If you seek the Lord with all your heart, he will be found of you. Review and Herald, December 23, BEFORE THE LOUD CRY 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. Early Writings,

5 THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD S DEALING WITH MEN The work of God in the earth presents, from age to age, a striking similarity in every great reformation or religious movement. The principles of God s dealing with men are ever the same. The important movements of the present have their parallel in those of the past, and the experience of the church in former ages has lessons of great value for our own time. The Great Controversy, 343. EVERY REFORM MOVEMENT But Satan was not idle. He now attempted what he has attempted in every other reformatory movement to deceive and destroy the people by palming off upon them a counterfeit in place of the true work. As there were false Christ s in the first century of the Christian church, so there arose false prophets in the sixteenth century. The Great Controversy, 186. BEFORE THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD S POWER Notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith and piety, there are true followers of Christ in these churches. Before the final visitation of God s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world. The Great Controversy, 464. THE COUNTERFIET The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be 5

6 lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure. Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth? Selected Messages, book 1,

7 Habakkuk s Two Tables #67 PART SEVEN: JOSIAH AARON S FOUNDATIONAL REJECTION EXODUS 32 PART TWO OUT OF THE WAY And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32:7 8. WHORING Judges 2:17 DRINKING STRONG DRINK Isaiah 28:5 7 Isaiah 28:9 13 Isaiah 62:1 3 IN WHAT DAY? A CROWN OF GLORY If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. Early Writings, 15. THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. 1

8 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Isaiah 30:8 18. Habakkuk 2:1 4; Jeremiah 6:16 17; Isaiah 31:1 3; Matthew 25:8 9; Daniel 12:12 TWO TABLES Exodus 32:9 16 I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as He wanted them; that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none could see it, until His hand was removed. I saw that God was in the publishment of the chart by Brother Nichols. I saw that there was a prophecy of this chart in the Bible, and if this chart is designed for God s people, if it [is] sufficient for one it is for another, and if one needed a new chart painted on a larger scale, all need it just as much. CELEBRATION WORSHIP Exodus 32:17 18; Isaiah 22:12 14 BROKEN COVENANT Exodus 32:19 20; Revelation 14:9 11 THE PEOPLE Exodus 32:21 24 NAKED, POOR, BLIND AND MISERABLE Exodus 32:25 THE LEVITES Exodus 32:26 29 THE DAY OF ATONEMENT Exodus 32:30 THE BLOTTING OUT THE LATTER RAIN Exodus 32:

9 A PROPHECY 1 Kings 11:29 31 JEROBOAM A PROMISE 1 Kings 11:35 40 THE THIRD DAY 1 Kings 12:12 19 THE PROPHETIC CHAIN THEY SHALL KILL ME And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. 1 Kings 12: BETHEL: the house of God. DAN: judge A MAN OF GOD OUT OF JUDAH 1 Kings 13:1 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 3

10 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 1 Kings 13:2 10. ALTAR, ALTAR Isaiah 40:1 5; Zechariah 4:7; Revelation 14:8; 18:2; Zechariah 2:6; Isaiah 52:11; Isaiah 8:9; Isaiah 41:27; 65:1; 52:7; 51:9, 17; 57:14; 62:10 JOSIAH: H2977 From the same root as H803 and H3050; founded of Jah. H803 Feminine passive participle from an unused root meaning to found; foundation. H3050 Jah, the sacred name. BREAD & WATER Isaiah 55:1 11; Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; John 6:49 51 THE WAY THOU CAMEST 4

11 Habakkuk s Two Tables #68 PART SEVEN: JOSIAH AARON S FOUNDATIONAL REJECTION EXODUS 32 PART THREE BROKEN COVENANT Exodus 32:19 20; Revelation 14:9 11 THE PEOPLE Exodus 32:21 24 NAKED, POOR, BLIND AND MISERABLE Exodus 32:25 THE LEVITES Exodus 32:26 29 THE DAY OF ATONEMENT Exodus 32:30 THE BLOTTING OUT THE LATTER RAIN Exodus 32:31 35 A PROPHECY 1 Kings 11:29 31 JEROBOAM A PROMISE 1 Kings 11:35 40 THE THIRD DAY 1 Kings 12:12 19 THE PROPHETIC CHAIN THEY SHALL KILL ME And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth 1

12 month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. 1 Kings 12: BETHEL: the house of God. DAN: judge A MAN OF GOD OUT OF JUDAH 1 Kings 13:1 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 1 Kings 13:2 10. ALTAR, ALTAR Isaiah 40:1 5; Zechariah 4:7; Revelation 14:8; 18:2; Zechariah 2:6; Isaiah 52:11; Isaiah 8:9; Isaiah 41:27; 65:1; 52:7; 51:9, 17; 57:14; 62:10 JOSIAH: H2977 From the same root as H803 and H3050; founded of Jah. H803 Feminine passive participle from an unused root meaning to found; foundation. H3050 Jah, the sacred name. BREAD & WATER Isaiah 55:1 11; Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; John 6:49 51 THE WAY THOU CAMEST 2

13 Habakkuk s Two Tables #69 PART SEVEN: JOSIAH FIRST TEN VERSES And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. VERSES ELEVEN THROUGH THIRTY-FOUR Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the 1

14 word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. 2

15 THE FALSE PROPHET FROM BETHEL He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 1 Kings 13:18. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8. 14:5. A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. Proverbs BE YE SEPARATE Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8. SHADOW Psalms 36:7; 91:1; Isaiah 4; 30:13 Shall the education given in our schools be after God s order, or after the wisdom of this world, which the Lord pronounces foolishness? Shall the hearts of students become estranged from God by eating of the tree of knowledge, which hardens the heart into disobedience, and ministers to vanity and pride? Shall not the education given in our schools be of that character which will give a more decided knowledge of God s Word, and which will bring the soul into a vital connection with God, keeping God before the mind s eye, and arousing every better feeling in the soul? This is the kind of education which is as enduring as eternity. Pamphlets, 140. From God, the fountain of wisdom, proceeds all the knowledge that is of value to man, all that the intellect can grasp or retain. The fruit of the tree representing good and evil is not to be eagerly plucked, because it is recommended by one who was once a bright angel in glory. He has said that if men eat thereof, they shall know good and evil. But let it alone. The true knowledge comes not from infidels or wicked men. The word of God is light and truth. The true light shines from Jesus Christ, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world. From the Holy Spirit proceeds divine knowledge. He knows what humanity needs to promote peace, happiness, and restfulness here in this world, and secure eternal rest in the kingdom of God. Fundamentals of Christian Education,

16 Matthew 7:13 27 THE LION And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man s heart was given to it. Daniel 7:3, 4. THE ASS And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. Genesis 16:11, 12. ASS:H6501 (Jeremiah 2:24) from 6500; 1) wild ass. Strong s. A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. Jeremiah 2:24. THE WAY Matthew 7:13 4

17 Habakkuk s Two Tables #70 PART SEVEN: JOSIAH Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthians 10:11. Not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1: The Bible has accumulated and bound up together its treasures for this last generation. All the great events and solemn transactions of Old Testament history have been, and are, repeating themselves in the church in these last days. Selected Messages, book 3, At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. Dueteronomy 17:6. One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. Dueteronomy 19:15. This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 2 Corinthians 13:1. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 1 Timothy 5:19. Revelation 10:8 10; Zechariah 4 JUDGES 6:1 10 GIDEON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL Alas, that in the history of God s chosen people the sorrowful story of apostasy and its punishment must be so oft repeated! Forty years of peace elapsed after the destruction of Sisera and his host, and again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. Heretofore the hand of the oppressor had fallen but lightly on the tribes dwelling east of the Jordan, but in the present calamities they were the chief sufferers.... Because of their sins, the protecting hand of God was withdrawn from Israel, and they were left to the mercies of their enemies. Signs of the Times, June 23,

18 THE MULTITUDE GRASSHOPPER: (sands of the sea) used 19 times in the Bible meaning: multitude. Judges 7:12; Rev. 17:15; Isaiah 40:22; 1 Samuel 13:5; Joshua 11:4 5 Bring again: H7725 sh b A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat. Joel 2:28 3:17 THE HAND (16 TIMES IN JUDGES 6 8) 6:1; 9, 13, 14, 36, 37; 7:2,7,9,11,14,15: 8:6, 7,15, 22 When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery. Testimonies, volume 5, 712. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience. The Great Controversy, 588. THREE ENEMIES JUDGES 6:3; 7:12 Midian: strife. Abraham and Keturah Amal: trouble. Esau The children of the east: (plural.) NUMBERS 22:4 5 Moab, Midian, Balaam of Pethro which is in the land of the children of his people: (plural.) Near the close of this earth s history Satan will work with all his powers in the same manner and with the same temptations wherewith he tempted ancient Israel just before their entering the land of promise. He will lay snares for those who claim to keep the commandments of God, and who are almost on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. Adventist Home, 327. NEHEMIAH 2:19 Sanballat the Horonite: the moon god; sin has given life. Moab Tobiah the Ammonite: Yaweh is good Geshem the Arabian: born in the rainy season. (plural.) Ishmael. 2

19 The experience of Nehemiah is repeated in the history of God s people in this time. Those who labor in the cause of truth will find that they cannot do this without exciting the anger of its enemies. Though they have been called of God to the work in which they are engaged, and their course is approved of Him, they cannot escape reproach and derision. Christian Service, JOHN 19:19 20 Hebrew: from the other side. Shem Latin: Roman: I have exalted. Spiritually Ham Greek: sons of the Ionians. Japheth (plural.) The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth. Selected Messages, book 1, 406. REVELATION 16:12 13 Beast: Catholicism False prophet: Apostate Protestantism Dragon: Spiritualism Revelation 16:19; 16:13 16 ISAIAH 11:14 Edom, Moab, children of Ammon. (plural.) DANIEL 11:41 Edom: red. Esau Moab: from father. Lot The chief of the children of Ammon: paternal uncle. Lot. (plural.) PROPHET OF HISTORY We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history. Life Sketches, 196. The history of the children of Israel is written for our admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come. Those who would stand firm in the faith in these last days, and finally gain an entrance into the heavenly Canaan, must listen to the words of warning spoken by Jesus Christ to the Israelites. These lessons were given to the church in the wilderness to be studied and heeded by God s people throughout their generations forever. The experience of the people of God in the wilderness will be the experience of His people in this age. Truth is a safeguard in all time to those who will hold fast the faith once delivered to the saints. The Upward Look,

20 JUDGES 6:11 16 THE ANGEL The angel had vailed the divine glory of his presence, but it was no other than Christ, the Son of God. Signs of the Times, June 23, THE HARVEST The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Matthew 13:39. WHEAT Allow no one to be brains for you, allow no one to do your thinking, your investigating, and your praying. This is the instruction we need to take to heart today. Many of you are convinced that the precious treasure of the kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ is in the Bible which you hold in your hand. You know that no earthly treasure is attainable without painstaking effort. Why should you expect to understand the treasures of the word of God without diligently searching the Scriptures? It is proper and right to read the Bible; but your duty does not end there; for you are to search its pages for yourselves. The knowledge of God is not to be gained without mental effort, without prayer for wisdom in order that you may separate from the pure grain of truth the chaff with which men and Satan have misrepresented the doctrines of truth. Satan and his confederacy of human agents have endeavored to mix the chaff of error with the wheat of truth. We should diligently seek for the hidden treasure, and seek wisdom from heaven in order to separate human inventions from the divine commands. The Holy Spirit will aid the seeker for great and precious truths which relate to the plan of redemption. I would impress upon all the fact that a casual reading of the Scriptures is not enough. We must search, and this means the doing of all the word implies. As the miner eagerly explores the earth to discover its veins of gold, so you are to explore the word of God for the hidden treasure that Satan has so long sought to hide from man. The Lord says, If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching. John 7:17. Fundamentals of Christian Education, 307. LEAST The experience of Gideon and his army, was designed to teach a lesson of simplicity and faith. The leader whom God had chosen occupied no prominent position in Israel. He was not a ruler, a Levite, or a priest. He thought himself the least in his father s house. Human wisdom would not have selected him; but God saw in Gideon a man of integrity and moral courage. He was distrustful of self, and willing to listen to the teachings of God, and carry out his purposes. The Lord is not dependent upon men of high position, of great intellect, or extensive knowledge. Such men are frequently proud and self-sufficient. They feel themselves competent to devise and execute plans without counsel from God. They separate themselves from the true Vine, and hence become dry and fruitless, as withered branches. Signs of the Times, June 30,

21 HIDDEN The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. There will be gods many and lords many. Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Those who have rendered supreme homage to science falsely so called will not be the leaders then. Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the day time we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster. Testimonies, volume 5, MIRACLES Here we see that the church the Lord s sanctuary was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus Peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together. Testimonies, volume 5, 211. The work will be similar to that of the day of Pentecost. As the former rain was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the latter rain will be given at its close, for the ripening of the harvest. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:3.) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain. (Joel 2:23.) In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:17, 21.) The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are the times of refreshing to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he 5

22 said, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [in the investigative Judgment], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus. (Acts 3:19 20.) Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from Heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. (Revelation 13:13.) Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. The Great Controversy, THE WINEPRESS Revelation 19:11 21; 14: