CHAPTER 2
The Seven Messages To God’s Church
Table of Contents for the Churches:

      —Revelation 2 and 3 are the only chapters in the book of Revelation around which quotation marks can be placed. They are words direct from Jesus Himself.
      —There are seven messages in these two chapters, which God’s people, living in different periods of the Christian era, are to receive, and then faithfully share with others. The messages of truth never change; each new message is added to the foundation of the previous messages. Thus the people living in the seventh era have all seven messages to proclaim.
      —“The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world.” AA 585. (Emphasis added.)
      —All seven messages are sounding loudly here in the last days of this earth’s history. (For a distinct view of them, read a concise picture of what each message accomplishes, in the lives of God’s people of that era, and Satan’s attack against that message. In the little book, Early Writings, pages 192-282, you will find, in successive order, the great controversy between good and evil, as God’s people receive —and give— these seven messages.)
      —“For His church in every generation God has a special truth and a special work.” COL 78.
      —“Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God’s people at that time.” GC 609.
      —“The solemn messages that have been given in their order in the Revelation are to occupy the first place in the minds of God’s people. Nothing else is to be allowed to engross our attention.” 8T 302. (Emphasis added.)
      —Listen!  Watch!  Ask God to illumine your mind, so that these seven messages can take priority in your life!
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      —The first message of the Christian era was one that John himself was helping to give. He was an eyewitness. This first message is the foundation for presenting all other messages!
      BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. John 1:29.
      —The Ephesus believers preached the first advent of Christ:
          a.  The Son of God came down from heaven to live with men on earth!
          b.  Here He was crucified at Calvary to pay the debt for our sin!
          c.  But the tomb could not hold Him. He was resurrected the third day!
          d.  He ascended to heaven in a cloud —and now is interceding for us before the Father!
      —Listen to Peter preach the Ephesus message:
      “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things . . .” Acts 5:30-32.
      —“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.” Acts 8:5.
      —“And Paul . . . preached all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the, Lord Jesus Christ . . .” Acts 28:30, 31.
      —Think for a moment how barren your life would be, if it were not for the hope of this amazing Ephesus message!
      —“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Revelation 2:

UNTO THE ANGEL
      —the message-bearers —
OF THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS
      —the early Christians —
WRITE
      —these words from Jesus.
THESE THINGS SAITH HE THAT HOLDETH THE SEVEN STARS IN HIS RIGHT HAND,
      —“Since His ascension, Christ the great Head of the church, has carried forward His work in the world by chosen ambassadors, through whom He speaks to the children of men, and ministers to their needs . . . God’s ministers are symbolized by the seven stars, which He who is the first and the last has under His special care and protection.” GW 13.
WHO WALKETH IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS:
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      —“The divine Son of God is seen walking amid the seven golden candlesticks. Jesus Himself supplies the oil to these burning lamps. He it is that kindles the name. ‘In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ No candlestick, no church shines of itself. From Christ emanates all its light.” 6BC 1118.
      —“He is in constant communication with His people.” AA 586.
      —Jesus speaks to these early Ephesus believes that He was so close to— (and He is just as close to the other six churches!)
I KNOW THY WORKS AND THY LABOR AND THY PATIENCE,
      —“With mighty power the disciples preached a crucified and risen Saviour . . . The Holy Spirit especially rested upon the apostles, who were witnesses of our Lord’s crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension—important truths which were to be the hope of Israel. . . Hundreds enlisted daily under the banner of a crucified, risen, and ascended Saviour.” EW 192-197.
      —“By the cooperation of the divine Spirit, the apostles did a work that shook the world. To every nation was the gospel carried in a single generation.” AA 593.
      —“Of the church at Ephesus, which the Lord Jesus used as a symbol of the entire Christian church in the apostolic age, the faithful and true Witness declared: ‘I know thy works . . .’ At the first the experience of the church at Ephesus was marked with childlike simplicity and fervor . . . Filled with love for their Redeemer, their highest aim was to win souls to Him . . . They burned with desire to carry the glad tidings of salvation to earth’s remotest bounds. And the world took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus . . . Their lives were hid with Christ in God, and self was lost sight of, submerged in the depths of infinite love.
      “The disciples were men who knew how to speak and pray sincerely, men who could take hold of the might of the Strength of Israel. How closely they stood by the side of God, and bound their personal honor to His throne! Jehovah was their God. His honor was their honor . . . With every power of their being they battled for the cause of Christ. They could hold forth the word of life because they had received the heavenly anointing. They expected much, and therefore they attempted much.” AA 578, 579, 594.
      —Jesus continues His message to the Ephesus church: I know —
HOW THOU CANST NOT BEAR THEM WHICH ARE EVIL:
      —“But Peter said unto him, [Simon] thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money . . . Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness . . .” Acts 8:20-22.
AND THOU HAST TRIED THEM WHICH SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES, AND ARE NOT, AND HAST FOUND THEM LIARS:
      —“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled shine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” Acts 5:3.
AND HAST BORNE, AND HAST PATIENCE, AND FOR MY NAME’S SAKE HAST LABORED, AND HAST NOT FAINTED.
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      —“See the first bearers of the gospel into Europe. How obscure, how hopeless, seemed the mission of Paul and Silas, the two tent makers, as they with their companions took a ship at Troas for Philippi. See ‘Paul the aged,’ in chains, preaching Christ in the stronghold of the Caesars.” COL 78.
      —“In the days of the apostles the Christian believers were filled with earnestness and enthusiasm. So untiringly did they labor for their Master that in a comparatively short time, notwithstanding fierce opposition, the gospel of the kingdom was sounded to all the inhabited parts of the earth.” AA 578.
      —But Jesus has some words of admonition for His beloved people who were carrying the Ephesus message of His first advent. “With untiring wakefulness and unremitting vigilance, He watches to see whether the light of any of His sentinels is burning dim or going out.” AA 586.
NEVERTHELESS I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE.
      —“Early in the history of the church the mystery of iniquity foretold by the apostle Paul began its baleful work; and as the false teachers concerning whom Peter had warned the believers, urged their heresies, many were ensnared by false doctrines . . . At the time when John was given this revelation, many had lost their first love of gospel truth. But in His mercy God did not leave the church to continue in a backslidden state.” AA 587. See 2Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7.
REMEMBER THEREFORE FROM WHENCE THOU ART FALLEN, AND REPENT, AND DO THE FIRST WORKS:
      —“In a message of infinite tenderness He revealed His love for them and His desire that they should make sure work for eternity. ‘Remember,’ He pleaded, ‘from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.’” AA 587.
      —Return, dear child, to your first love!
          Remember how thrilled you were that your sins were forgiven by My blood!
          Remember how precious My grace appeared to you the hour you first believed!
          Remember how enthusiastic was your hope that someday you would come to live with Me!
      —Return, My child, to your beautiful “first love!”
OR ELSE I WILL COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY, AND WILL REMOVE THY CANDLESTICK OUT OF HIS PLACE, EXCEPT THOU REPENT.
      —“Let each member of the church study this important warning and reproof. Let each one see if in contending for the truth, if in debating on the theory, he has not lost the tender love of Christ. . . Is there not danger that many are going forward with a profession of the truth, doing missionary work, while the love of Christ has not been woven into the labor? . . . O that the church might realize its need of its first ardor of love!” 1SM 370.
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      —“The fist affection of the convert to Christ is deep, full, and ardent . . . That love should become more fervent as he becomes better acquainted with his Lord.” 7BC 956.
      —Jesus now commends the believes of the Ephesus era:
BUT THIS THOU MAST, THAT THOU HATEST THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ALSO HATE.
      —The deeds of the Nicolaitans are false methods for trying to obtain salvation:
          salvation by works—
              those who would be saved by their merits, or—
          salvation without works—
              those who would be saved in their sins. See 7BC 957; GC 572.

      —The Ephesus believers point to Jesus as the only way of salvation!


HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES;
      —All who listen to the messages Jesus is sending to the churches, (plural) letting them work deep repentance in their lives, will receive the blessings promised to the overcomers:
TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE PARADISE OF GOD.
      —“. . .On either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2.
      —“In the midst of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit appeared like apples of gold and silver, and had the power to perpetuate life.” PP 47.
      —“To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. Its leaves were for the sustaining of life and immortality.” 8T 288.
      —When Adam sinned, “he was cut off from partaking of the tree of life, and he became subject to death.” GC 533.
      —“Obedience through Jesus Christ gives to man perfection of character and a right to that tree of life. The conditions of again partaking of the fruit of the tree are plainly stated in the testimony of Jesus Christ to John: ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’” 1BC 1086. Revelation 22:14.
      —“Then they that have kept God’s commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree of life . . .” PP 62.
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      —The second message from Jesus is directed to the standard-bearers of the Smyrna era, who were facing the heathen idolaters:


      —“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18.
      —The crisis during the Smyrna era was over the second commandment of God’s law: (Exodus 20:4.)
      —“To afford converts from heathenism a substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their nominal acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was gradually introduced into the Christian worship . . . Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.” GC 52.
      —“By causing men to violate the second commandment, Satan aimed to degrade their conceptions of the Divine Being . . . By leading them into idolatry, he would destroy the efficacy of all worship; for how can man be elevated by adoring what is no higher than himself and may be symbolized by his own handiwork? If men could become so blinded to the power, the majesty, and the glory of the infinite God as to represent Him by a graven image, or even by a beast or reptile; if they could so forget their own divine relationship, formed in the image of their Maker as to bow down to these revolting and senseless objects—then the way was open for foul license; the evil passions of the heart would be unrestrained, and Satan would have full sway.” PP 336, 334, 335.
      —Satan “cannot expel God from His throne, but through the system of idolatry, he plants his own throne between the heaven and earth, between God and the human worshiper.” 1BC 1105, 1106.
      —“The second precept, which forbids false worship, is also a command to worship God, and Him only serve. The Lord is a jealous God. He will not be trifled with. He has spoken concerning the manner in which He should be worshiped. He has a hatred of idolatry; for its influence is corrupting. It debases the mind, and leads to sensuality and all kinds of sin.” 1BC 1106.
      —“Although these worshipers of idols professed to be converted, they brought their idolatry with them into the church, only changing the objects of their worship to images of saints, and even of Christ and of Mary His mother. As the followers of Christ gradually united with them, the Christian religion became corrupted and the church lost its purity and power. Some refused to unite with them; such preserved their purity and worshiped God alone.
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They would not bow down to an image of anything in the heavens above or in the earth beneath.” EW 211.
      —These are the standard-bearers of the Smyrna message! These, faithful to their charge, received the banner from the hands of Jesus: “Purity and holiness unto the Lord.” See EW 211.
      —These placed special honor on God’s second commandment, in their lives —and in their death!
      —“From Olivet the Saviour beheld the storms about to fall upon the apostolic church; and penetrating deeper into the future, His eye discerned the fierce, wasting tempests that were to beat upon His followers in the coming ages of darkness and persecution. In a few brief utterances of awful significance He foretold the portion which the rulers of this world would mete out to the church of God. (Matthew 24:9, 21, 22.) The followers of Christ must tread the same path of humiliation, reproach, and suffering which their Master trod. The enmity that burst forth against the world’s Redeemer would be manifested against all who should believe on His name.
      “The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment of the Saviour’s words. The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of persecution were kindled . . . Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood . . . These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries . . . Under the fiercest persecution these witnesses for Jesus kept their faith unsullied . . . The loss of every earthly blessing could not force them to renounce their belief in Christ. Trials and persecution were but steps bringing them nearer their rest and their reward.” GC 39-41.
      —Hear the voice of Jesus sounding out over Patmos for His children facing death:
AND UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA WRITE; THESE THINGS SAITH THE FIRST AND THE LAST, WHICH WAS DEAD, AND IS ALIVE.
      —He, who had created them, can also recreate them!
      —“. . . Because I live, ye shall live also.” John 14:19.
      —“The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakes of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead . . . [See 1Thessalonians 4:16-18.]
      “Jesus Christ has triumphed over death and rent the fetters of the tomb, and all who sleep in the tomb will share the victory; they will come forth from their graves as did the Conqueror.” 2SM 271, 272.
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I KNOW THY WORKS.
      —“After a long and severe conflict, the faithful few decided to dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still refused to free herself from falsehood and idolatry. They saw that their separation was an absolute necessity if they would obey the word of God. They dared not tolerate errors fatal to their own souls, and set an example which would-imperil the faith of their children and children’s children. To secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle.” GC 45.
      —Jesus continues speaking to the Smyrna church:  I know thy—
TRIBULATION, AND POVERTY, (BUT THOU ART RICH.)
      —They were rich in faith!
      —“Wherever they sought refuge, the followers of Christ were hunted like beasts of prey . . . Though deprived of every comfort, shut away from the light of the sun, making their home in the dark but friendly bosom of the earth, they uttered no complaint. With words of faith, patience, and hope they encouraged one another to endure privation and distress . . .
      —“In vain were Satan’s efforts to destroy the church of Christ by violence. The great controversy in which the disciples of Jesus yielded up their lives did not cease when these faithful standard bearers fell at their post. By defeat they conquered. God’s workmen were slain, but His work went steadily forward. The gospel continued to spread and the number of its adherents to increase.’ . . . The blood of Christians is seed.” GC 41, 42.
AND I KNOW THE BLASPHEMY OF THEM WHICH SAY THEY ARE JEWS, AND ARE NOT, BUT ARE THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.
      —“Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God.” 7BC 958
FEAR NONE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH THOU SHALT SUFFER.
      —“These called to mind the words of their Master, that when persecuted for Christ’s sake, they were to be exceeding glad, for great would be their reward in heaven . . . They rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the truth, and songs of triumph ascended from the midst of crackling flames.” GC 41. (See Matthew 5:10-12.)
BEHOLD THE DEVIL SHALL CAST SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON, THAT YE MAY BE TRIED;
      —“Thousands were imprisoned and slain, but others sprang up to fill their places . . . Their living example and dying testimony were a constant witness for the truth; and where least expected, the subjects of Satan were leaving his service and enlisting under the banner of Christ.” GC 42.
AND YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN DAYS.
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      —A day in Bible prophecy stands for a year. See Ezekiel 4:6. From history we find that there was a ten year period of especially severe persecution under Diocletian, from 303 to 313 A.D.
      —“Looking upward by faith, they saw Christ and angels leaning over the battlements of heaven, gazing upon them with the deepest interest and regarding their steadfastness with approval. A voice came down to them from the throne of God.”
‘BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE.’ Revelation 2:10.” GC 41.
      —“The crown of life is placed only upon the brow of the overcomer. . . We must share the conflict if we wear the crown of victory.” 5T 71.
      —“In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them and put them to death, but in dying they became conquers. They bore witness to the power of One mightier than Satan. Wicked men may torture and kill the body, but they cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ in God. They can incarcerate men and women in prison walls, but they cannot bind the spirit . . . He who sustained His early witnesses would not forsake His faithful followers during the centuries of persecution that they must pass through before the close of time.” AA 576, 588.
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES;
      —The Smyrna message is still sounding against idolatry in our day:
      “It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines and theories as to fashion an idol of wood or stone. By misrepresenting the attributes of God, Satan leads men to conceive of Him in a false character . . . The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists—the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions—is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia” GC 583.
      —“So long have men worshiped human opinions and human institutions that almost the whole world is following after idols. And he who has endeavored to change God’s law is using every deceptive artifice to induce men and women to array themselves against God and against the sign by which the righteous are known. But the Lord will not always suffer His law to be broken and despised with impunity . . . In the closing work of God in the earth, the standard of His law will be again exalted.” PK 186.
HE THAT OVERCOMETH SHALL NOT BE HURT OF THE SECOND DEATH.
      —There are two deaths; the first one Jesus calls “sleep.” See 1Thessalonians 4:14; John 11:11, 14. This is the death that so many of the members of the Smyrna church were facing, by persecution, and the death that Adam’s family have faced since the beginning.
      —Before the second death come the resurrections:
      “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
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are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29.
      —“. . .There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Acts 24:15.
      —There are two resurrections:
          —“They that have done good” — the “just,” will be taken to heaven after the first resurrection at the second coming of Christ:
          “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
          —“They that have done evil”—the “unjust,” will come up in the “resurrection of damnation,” at the end of the thousand years. These will suffer the second, eternal death:
         “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison . . . The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished . . . The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim” stone: which is the second death.” Revelation 20:7, 5; 21:8.
      —The wicked will be completely and eternally destroyed by this fire. The wages of sin is “death” — not everlasting torment. See Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:4, 20.
      —“The divine sentence, ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,’ points to the utter extinction of life.” GC 533. See Genesis 3:19.
      —Those who will be destroyed by fire in the second death, will be “ashes” under the feet of the righteous, after they cease burning. See Malachi 4:3; Ezekiel 28:18; Psalms 37:20.
      —The “eternal” fire is everlasting in its result. Sodom and Gomorrah were burned with “eternal fire”—and the fire has gone out, and the cities are no more! See Jude 7.
      —The priests who burned incense “for ever,” burned it as long as they were alive. See 1Chronicles 23:13.

      —The promise to the overcomers in Smyma —
          those who have had no other gods between them and their Saviour —
          is that they will receive no damage from this second eternal death.
      —Some of them suffered at the time of their first death— but for them suffering is no more!
      —They will be forever with the One who holds first place in their lives!
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      —The third message which Jesus gives to His people on the Isle of Patmos is directed to the leaders of the Pergamos church:


      —Woven throughout the Pergamos text are symbols referring to the Word of God:
            —“the sharp sword with two edges,”
            —“the hidden manna,”
            —and “the sword of My mouth.”
      There are also severe warnings against the false doctrines of the Nicolaitans and the doctrines of Balaam.
      —The message Jesus sends for Pergamos, and for us, is—

AND TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF PERGAMOS WRITE; THESE THINGS SAITH HE WHICH HATH THE SHARP SWORD WITH TWO EDGES;
      —“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit . . .” Hebrews 4:12.
      —“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2Timothy 3:16, 17.
      —“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2Peter 1:21.
      —Jesus speaks to the “angel” of the Pergamos church —
I KNOW THY WORKS,
      —“The Bible was hated, and efforts were made to rid the earth of it. The people were forbidden to read it, on pain of death; and all the copies which could be found were burned. But . . . God had a special care for His Word. He protected it. At different periods there were but a very few copies of the Bible in existence, yet He would not suffer His Word to be lost, for in the last days copies of it were to be so multiplied that every family could possess it. I saw that when there were but few copies of the Bible, it was precious and comforting to the persecuted followers of Jesus. It was read in the most secret manner, and those who had this exalted privilege felt that they had had an interview with God, with His Son Jesus, and with His disciples. But this blessed privilege cost many of them their lives. If discovered, they were taken to the headsman’s block, to the stake, or to the dungeon to die of starvation.” EW 214.
      —“Pure, simple, and fervent was the piety of these followers of Christ. The principles of truth they valued above houses and lands, friends, kindred, even life itself. These principles they earnestly
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sought to impress upon the hearts of the young. From earliest childhood the youth were instructed in the Scriptures and taught to regard sacredly the claims of the law of God. Copies of the Bible were rare; therefore its precious words were committed to memory. Many were able to repeat large portions of both the Old and the New Testament.” GC 67.
      —Jesus continues speaking to the leaders of Pergamos: “I know thy works,”
AND WHERE THOU DWELLEST, EVEN WHERE SATAN’S SEAT IS: AND THOU HOLDEST FAST MY NAME, AND HAST NOT DENIED MY FAITH, EVEN IN THOSE DAYS WHEREIN ANTIPAS WAS MY FAITHFUL MARTYR, WHO WAS SLAIN AMONG YOU, WHERE SATAN DWELLETH.
      —This message is directed to the true members of the Pergamos church:
      —This class includes “antipas” —anti-papa—“My faithful martyr.”
      —These true members of the Pergamos church elevate the Word of God in their doctrines, in their lives, —and in their death.
      —But— there are some false members of the Pergamos church also. Listen as Jesus continues:
BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM THAT HOLD THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM, WHO TAUGHT BALAC TO CAST A STUMBLINGBLOCK BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, TO EAT THINGS SACRIFICED UNTO IDOLS, AND TO COMMIT FORNICATION.’ SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM THAT HOLD THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH THING I HATE
      —The false members of the Pergamos church:
          —“hold the doctrine of Balaam,” and
          —“hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,” —which Jesus hates.
      —They corrupt the Word of God in their doctrines and in their lives.
      —Balaam, a professed prophet of God, taught Balac, a ruling power who hated God’s people, to:
          a. “cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel,”
          b. “to eat things sacrificed unto idols,” and
          c. “to commit fornication.” (See Numbers 22; 23; 24; 31:8, 16.)
              (“All false worship is spiritual adultery.” 1BC 1106.)
      —“The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal power. He declared that the day of Christ should not come, ‘except there come a falling away fist, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ And furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that ‘the mystery of iniquity cloth already work.’ (2Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7.) Even at that early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that would prepare the way for the development of the papacy.
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      —“Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men, the mystery of iniquity carried forward its deceptive and blasphemous work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the Christian church . . . In place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions. The nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century, caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished, became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ.
      “This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of ‘the man of sin’ foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God. That gigantic system of false religion is a masterpiece of Satan’s power, —a monument of his efforts to seat himself upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will . . .
      “Satan well knew that the Holy Scriptures would enable men to discern his deceptions and withstand his power . . . In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men, and establish the authority of the papal usurper, he must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures. The Bible would exalt God, and place finite men in their true position; therefore its sacred truths must be concealed and suppressed. This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of yeas the circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions. Thus the pope came to be almost universally acknowledged as the vicegerent of God on earth, endowed with authority over church and state . . .
      “In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy.” GC 49-54.
      —Notice some of the ways in which the Bible was corrupted by false Pergamos:
      1. “. . .The pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He has been styled ‘Lord God the Pope’ (see Appendix), and has been declared infallible.” GC 50.
      2. “. . . The adoration of images and relics was gradually introduced into the Christian worship . . . Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God the second commandment . . .” GC 52.
      3. “Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival
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observed by the heathen as ‘the venerable day of the sun.’ . . . In the early part of the fourth century, the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. (See Appendix.) The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects, and was honored by Christians; it was the emperor’s policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity. He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambition and thirst for power, perceived that if the same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans, and thus advance the power and glory of the church.” GC 52, 53.
      4. “Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator, and that none could approach God except through him; and further, that he stood in the place of God to them, and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed. A deviation from his requirements was sufficient cause for the severest punishment to be visited upon the bodies and souls of the offenders. Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to fallible, erring, and cruel men, nay, more, to the prince of darkness himself, who exercised his power through them.” GC 55.
      5. “They were taught not only to look to the pope as their mediator, but to trust to works of their own to atone for sin. Long pilgrimages, acts of penance, the worship of relics, the erection of churches, shines, and altars, the payment of large sums to the church, —these and many similar acts were enjoined to appease the wrath of God or to secure His favor; as if God were like men, to be angered at trifles, or pacified by gifts or acts of penance!” GC 55, 56.
      6. “Another step in papal assumption was taken, when, in the eleventh century, Pope Gregory VII proclaimed the perfection of the Roman Church. Among the propositions which he put forth, was one declaring that the church had never erred, nor would it ever err, according to the Scriptures. But the Scripture proofs did not accompany the assertion. The proud pontiff also claimed the power to depose emperors, and declared that no sentence which he pronounced could be reversed by anyone, but that it was his prerogative to reverse the decisions of all others. (See Appendix.)” GC 57.
      7. “The advancing centuries witnessed a constant increase of error in the doctrines put forth from Rome . . . Prominent among these was the belief in man’s natural immortality and his consciousness in death. This doctrine laid the foundation upon which Rome established the invocation of saints and adoration of the Virgin Mary. From this sprung also the heresy of eternal torment for the finally impenitent, which was early incorporated into the papal faith.” GC 58.
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      8. “Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another invention of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed to terrify the credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy is affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of such as have not merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment for their sins, and from which, when freed from impurity, they are admitted to heaven. (See Appendix.)” GC 58, 59.
      9. “Still another fabrication was needed to enable Rome to profit by the fears and the vices of her adherents. This was supplied by the doctrine of indulgences. Full remission of sins, past, present, and future, and release from all the pains and penalties incurred, were promised to all who would enlist in the pontiff’s wars to extend his temporal dominion, to punish his enemies, or to exterminate those who dared deny his spiritual supremacy. The people were also taught that by the payment of money to the church they might free themselves from sin, and also release the souls of their deceased friends who were confined in the tormenting flames. By such means did Rome fill her coffers, and sustain the magnificence, luxury, and vice of the pretended representatives of Him who had not where to lay His head. (See Appendix.)” GC 59.
      10. “The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass. Papal priests pretended, by their senseless mummery, to convert the simple bread and wine into the actual ‘body and blood of Christ.’ —Cardinal Wiseman, The Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. . ., lecture 8, sec. 3, par. 26. With blasphemous presumption, they openly claimed the power of creating God, the Creator of all things. Christians were required, on pain of death, to avow their faith in this horrible, Heaven-insulting heresy. Multitudes who refused were given to the flames. (See Appendix.)” GC 59.
      11. “In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy, —the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret councils, Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees, and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes ‘Babylon the great’ was ‘drunken with the blood of the saints.’ The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power . . .
      “The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown, not only to the people, but to the priests . . . God’s law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they exercised power without limit, and practiced vice without restraint . . . For centuries Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. A moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom . . . Such were the results of banishing the word of God.” GC 59, 60.
      —This is the background for the conflict in the Pergamos church.
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      —True Pergamos, God’s “faithful martyr” Antipas, —anti-papa was upholding the word of God.
      False Pergamos was corrupting the Bible with doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans.
      —But Jesus loves His benighted children, and on the Isle of Patmos He sends them a special message. It is a message of encouragement for Antipas, and a message for Antipas to share with others:


      —Listen to the pleading of the Speaker to the Pergamos church, who holds the “sharp sword with two edges”
REPENT.
      —“It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving God according to the best light they have . . . They have never seen the contrast between a living heart service and a round of mere forms and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth as it is in Jesus . . .” GC 565.
REPENT —
OR ELSE I WILL COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY, AND WILL FIGHT AGAINST THEM WITH THE SWORD OF MY MOUTH.
      —“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that; sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He cloth judge and make war . . . And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God . . . And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16.
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES;
      —“This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven . . .
      “No man can improve the Bible by suggesting what the Lord meant to say or ought to have said . . . This Word, arranged into books, the Old and New Testaments, is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world, bequeathed to them that, by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its way to heaven . . . I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word.
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I believe its utterances in an entire Bible . . . Let not a mind or hand be engaged in criticizing the Bible . . . Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost . . .
      —“Simplicity and plain utterance are comprehended by the illiterate, by the peasant, and the child as well as by the full-grown man or the giant in intellect. If the individual is possessed of large talents of mental powers, he will find in the oracles of God treasures of truth, beautiful and valuable, which he can appropriate. He will also find difficulties, and secrets and wonders which will give him the highest satisfaction to study during a long lifetime, and yet there is an infinity beyond.
      —“Men of humble acquirements, possessing but limited capabilities and opportunities to become conversant in the Scriptures, find in the living oracles comfort, guidance, counsel, and the plan of salvation as clear as a sunbeam.” 1SM 15-18.
      —“In every age there were witnesses for God, —men who cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man, who held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the true Sabbath. How much the world owes to these men, posterity will never know. They were branded as heretics, their motives impugned, their characters maligned, their writings suppressed, misrepresented, or mutilated. Yet they stood firm, and from age to age maintained their faith in its purity, as a sacred heritage for the generations to come.” GC 61.
      —Pause a moment right now to thank God for these faithful ones who were willing to be used of God to preserve His written Word! May we reverently grasp the Living Torch—and hold it up high!
HIM THAT OVERCOMETH
      —cherishing the Bible as God’s enduring, unalterable Word —
WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE HIDDEN MANNA,
      —“The manna, falling from heaven for the sustenance of Israel, was a type of Him who came from God to give life to the world. Said Jesus, ‘I am that Bread of life . . . If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever . . .’” PP 297.
      —Jesus, the living Word, is revealed in His written Word. He is the true “manna.” See John 6:32-35.
      —“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14.
AND WILL GIVE HIM A WHITE STONE
      —a crown —
AND IN THE STONE A NEW NAME WRITTEN, WHICH NO MAN KNOWETH SAVING HE THAT RECEIVETH IT.
      —This text is Revelation 2:17. Notice how it is used in GC 646: “Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own ‘new name,’ (Rev. 2:17) and the inscription, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’” GC 646.
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AND UNTO THE ANGEL
      —battling against false doctrines —
THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA
      —the fourth church —
WRITE
      —a special message dictated by Jesus. As our Saviour stood on Patmos, and looked down the stream of time, His heart of pity went out to His blinded children who would be toiling with a mass of ceremonies and traditions in an effort to earn salvation
      —Jesus sends a message of encouragement to them —a thrilling message


      —Go back to the city of Rome in the sixteenth century. In your mind’s eye watch a pious monk, as he climbs on his knees up a staircase. He is longing to gain merit, and be at peace with God!
      —“By a recent decretal an indulgence had been promised by the pope to all who should ascend upon their knees ‘Pilate’s staircase,’ said to have been descended by our Saviour on leaving the Roman judgment hall and to have been miraculously conveyed from Jerusalem to Rome. Luther was one day devoutly climbing these steps, when suddenly a voice like thunder seemed to say to him: ‘The just shall live by faith.’ Romans 1:17. He sprang to his feet and hastened from the place in shame and horror. That text never lost its power upon his soul. From that time he saw more clearly than ever before the fallacy of trusting to human works for salvation, and the necessity of constant faith in the merits of Christ.”
      —The just
            —sinners who repent and accept the blood of Jesus to cleanse them from all unrighteousness, (1John 1:9)
      —shall live
            —the Christian life, with hatred God puts in their hearts against sin, (Genesis 3:15)
      —by faith
            —in Jesus, who obeyed God’s holy law perfectly for them and exchanges their “filthy rags” of self-righteousness, for His spotless robe of perfection. (Isaiah 64:6; 1Corinthians 1:30; See 1SM 367; SC 62.)
      —The just—shall live—by faith!
      —This is righteousness by faith!
      —This is righteousness by faith in what Jesus has done for us, and not righteousness by faith in what we can work out for ourselves. Some think they can ask God for a grant of power from the Holy Spirit, to enable them to live a righteous life like Jesus did. But “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” Job 14:4. “All of our righteousnesses” —our best— are nothing but
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“filthy rags,” when held up to the standard of God’s perfect law. (See Isaiah 64:6.) If Adam could have worked out his own righteousness by a grant of power from God, why did Jesus need to come to earth to live a perfect life for Adam?
      —“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.
      —“. . . This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17.
      —The Holy Spirit cannot cause sinful human beings to keep the law perfectly like Jesus did. This is an utter impossibility! The Holy Spirit points us to Jesus!—who had absolute perfection. (Study the references in the appendix in the chapter on “PERFECTION.”)
      —“Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . .’ Titus 3:5-7.” 1SM 367.
      —Truly it is with rejoicing that pardoned souls can say—“according to His mercy He saved us.” We do not have to look to “works of righteousness which we have done.” We may look to the perfect law-keeping of our Saviour!
      —God’s holy law makes two demands of the sinner:
          1. God’s law demands the death of the sinner —eternally. The
sinner has broken God’s law, and—“the wages of sin is death. . .” Romans 6:23.
          —Jesus paid this death penalty for every individual! If the sinner will accept the pardon Jesus offers him, his debt to God’s broken law is paid! He is free from condemnation!
          —But even after the past record is cared for, the law demands something else of the individual, before he is entitled to eternal life.
      2. God’s law demands perfection for entrance to heaven, perfection which is equal to that of the Godhead. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.
          —The law will not let anyone enter heaven who does not have absolute perfection. (There is no relative perfection as far as God’s law is concerned!)
          —Jesus took care of this problem for the sinner also. He lived a perfect life for every human being!
      —Jesus offers , perfection as a gift to all sinners, as well as forgiveness!
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      —Jesus cared for both of the law’s demands —by His death on the cross, and by His perfect commandment-keeping life! The past is cared for by one, and the glorious eternal future is guaranteed by the other!
      —“Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed His divinity with humanity, and wrought out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted His cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. Justice moved from its exalted throne, and with all the armies of heaven approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough . . . The Atonement is complete.” QD 673, 663.
      —Behold, how great is the love the Family in heaven have manifested for the family on earth! How great is the sacrifice our Redeemer made, to meet the demands of God’s holy law!—so the gates of Paradise could be thrown open to all who would repent and believe!
      —Jesus will do two things for every sinner who wishes to be set free, and to comply with the demands of God’s holy law:
          He will take away his sins, by virtue of His blood shed at Calvary; and
          He will give him perfection as a gift, by virtue of His victorious life.
          “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10.
      —How precious this offer appears to the burdened sinner, who trembles as he compares his tangled and twisted life with the unfulfilled requirements of God’s broken law!
      —Rejoicing? How shallow this word is in expressing the real emotion of the heart
          when the tortured sinner has his sins washed away by the blood of Jesus, and
          when he breaks out into the beautiful realms of acceptance with God and His holy law, because of his perfect Substitute, Jesus!
      —The broken law no longer bars his way to eternal life! The life Jesus lived becomes his “perfection by faith.”
      —The pardoned sinner may retain this precious gift of perfection by faith, by letting God put hatred in his heart for sin each day—the promise of Genesis 3:15.
“When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish for sin; for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we will hate the sin that caused the sufferings of the Son of God.” 1SM 360.
      —But if we cherish the sin which lies within, (and we are all sinners
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clear to the center,) then we lose that beautiful robe of perfection.
      —“The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin . . . The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God.” COL 316; SL 66. (Emphasis added.)
      —Does perfection by faith do away with “works”? Ah, no! That repentant sinner, freed by the blood and the righteousness of his Saviour, will receive from Him, if faithful, a real hatred for sin, and will become His dedicated and devoted love slave. If he falls, he will look again to Jesus, and ask God for a deeper hatred for sin!
      —“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.
      —He is not saved by keeping the commandments, for if he worked a million years, he could not ever keep them perfectly. (See Job 14:4; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10, 20.) He keeps the commandments, to the best of his ability, because of the great love he feels for the One who has lifted the heavy burden of sin from his back and set him free!  FREE!
      —Praise God!  The just —shall live —by faith —in the blood and in the righteousness of Jesus!
      —Aren’t you thankful for this message to Thyatira!
      —Jesus had you in mind when He gave it!
      —Lord Jesus, thank You!

THESE THINGS SAITH THE SON OF GOD, WHO HAD HIS EYES LIKE UNTO A FLAME OF FIRE, AND HIS FEET ARE LIKE FINE BRASS;
      —The major part of the Thyatira text is a warning to those who are striving to earn their own way to heaven, and who are cherishing the erroneous doctrines handed down to them by false Pergamos. As you comprehend this judgment-filled warning, you will begin to see why the Speaker to the Thyatira church presents Himself as the Son of God, whose eyes are as a “flame of fire,” and whose feet are as “fine brass.”
      —He “treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” See Revelation 19:11-15.
      —And to the “angel” of the church in Thyatira—the reformers Jesus says:
I KNOW THY WORKS, AND CHARITY, AND SERVICE, AND FAITH, AND THY PATIENCE, AND THY WORKS; AND THE LAST TO BE MORE THAN THE FIRST.
      —“Works” are mentioned twice, in this list of commendations, and the last “works” are “more than the first.” What is the only “work” of sufficient value for eternal life?
      —Down in verse 26, where the promise to the Thyatiran overcomers is found, Jesus mentions “works” again. Notice the marginal reference for “works” in Revelation 2:26. It is John 6:29!
      —“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29.
      —The “work” of believing in Jesus is the only work of value for our salvation!
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      —“All that man can possibly do toward his own salvation is to accept the invitation, ‘whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’ (Revelation 22:17). No sin can be committed by man for which satisfaction has not been met on Calvary.” 1SM 343.
      (“. . .The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1John 1:7.)
      —Jesus tells Thyatira that the last “works” will be greater than the first.
      “At Wittenberg a light was kindled whose rays should extend to the uttermost parts of the earth, and which was to increase in brightness to the close of time.” GC 126.
      “The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.” 6T 19; See Revelation 14:9; 18:1-4.
      —“Through the ages that have passed since the days of the apostles, the building of God’s temple has never ceased. We may look back through the centuries and see the living stones of which it is composed gleaming like jets of light through the darkness of error and superstition . . . Workers were raised up who ably defended the faith once delivered to the saints. History bears record to the fortitude and heroism of these men. Like the apostles, many of them fell at their post, but the building of the temple went steadily forward. The workmen were slain, but the work advanced. The Waldenses, John Wycliffe, Huss and Jerome, Martin Luther and Zwingli, Cranmer, Latimer, and Knox, the Huguenots, John and Charles Wesley, and a host of others brought to the foundation material that will endure throughout eternity.” AA 598.
      —“In the different countries of Europe men were moved by the Spirit of God to search for the truth as for hidden treasure. Providentially guided to the Holy Scriptures, they studied the sacred pages with intense interest. They were willing to accept the light at any cost to themselves. Though they did not see all things clearly, they were enabled to perceive many long-buried truths . . .
      “The time had come for the Scriptures to be translated and given to the people of different lands in their native tongue. The world had passed its midnight. The hours of darkness were wearing away, and in many lands appeared tokens of the coming dawn . . .
      “When one witness was forced to let fall the torch of truth, another seized it from his hand and with undaunted courage held it aloft. The struggle had opened that was to result in the emancipation, not only of individuals and churches, but of nations . . . The world was awakened from the slumber of ages, as from land to land were sounded the magic words, ‘Religious Liberty.’” SR 335-339.
      —“From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook the world in the Great Reformation . . . During the struggle at Augsburg, Luther ‘did not pass a day without devoting three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected from those the most
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favorable to study.’ In the privacy of his chamber he was heard to pour out his soul before God in words ‘full of adoration, fear and hope, as when one speaks to a friend.’ . . .
      “. . . Laying his left hand on the Sacred Volume, which was open before him, he lifted his right hand to heaven, and vowed ‘to remain faithful to the gospel, and freely to confess his faith, even should he seal his testimony with his blood.’
      “When he was again ushered into the presence of the Diet, his countenance bore no trace of fear or embarrassment. Calm, and peaceful, yet grandly brave and noble, he stood as God’s witness among the great ones of the earth . . .
      “As he ceased speaking, the spokesman of the Diet said angrily, ‘You have not answered the question put to you . . . You are required to give a clear and precise answer . . . Will you, or will you not retract?’
      “The Reformer answered: ‘Since your most serene majesty and your high mightiness require from me a clear, simple, and precise answer, I will give you one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the councils . . . I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other; may God help me. Amen.’
      “. . .Knowing no fear but the fear of God, and acknowledging no foundation for religious faith but the Holy Scriptures, Luther was the man for his time; through him, God accomplished a great work for the reformation of the church and the enlightenment of the world.” GC 210, 157-160, 120.
      —Now the Speaker to the Thyatira church turns His attention to those who are still cherishing —and teaching— false doctrines! He, the Son of God, with” eyes like unto a flame of fire,” and “feet. . . like fine brass,” pronounces some of the most terrible threats recorded in Scripture, for those who do not repent. These characteristics show the wrath of God against sin, and the severe judgments which will come to those who do not accept the light that He sends them from His holy Word.
NOTWITHSTANDING I
      —Jesus—
HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE,
      —those who are still cherishing false doctrine—
BECAUSE THOU SUFFEREST THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL,
      —the same as false Pergamos—
WHICH CALLETH HERSELF A PROPHETESS,
      —a spiritual leader—
TO TEACH AND TO SEDUCE MY SERVANTS TO COMMIT FORNICATION, AND TO EAT THINGS SACRIFICED UNTO
IDOLS.
      —The doctrine Jezebel teaches is identical with the doctrine of Balaam, in the Pergamos church. Compare Revelation 2:20 with Revelation 2:14.
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AND I GAVE HER
      —false Pergamos—
SPACE TO REPENT OF HER FORNICATION;
      —“All false worship is spiritual adultery.” 1BC 1106.
AND SHE REPENTED NOT.
      —When I sent her the Pergamos message, calling attention to My written Word, and entreating her to “repent” (Revelation 2:16) and accept My free salvation, she refused. She still continued to teach false interpretations of Holy Scripture, and still continued the round of wearisome ceremonies, trying to work out her own salvation.
      —The saddest picture in Holy Writ is for God’s children to spurn His tender call of love! How the heart of Infinite Love yearns for each of His unconcerned and judgment-bound children!
BEHOLD, I WILL CAST HER
      —the false spiritual leaders—
INTO A BED,
      —of anguish and plagues—
AND THEM THAT COMMIT ADULTERY WITH HER
      —accept her false system of worship—
INTO GREAT TRIBULATION, EXCEPT THEY REPENT OF THEIR DEEDS.
      —Another name for false Pergamos is “Babylon.” Study the similarities in Revelation 17.
      —“. . . Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen . . . For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication . . . For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her . . .” Revelation 18:2-7.
      —“The great sin charged against Babylon is that she ‘made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ This cup of intoxication which she presents to the world represents the false doctrines that she has accepted as the result of her unlawful connection with the great ones of the earth. Friendship with the world corrupts her faith, and in her turn she exerts a corrupting influence upon the world by teaching doctrines which are opposed to the plainest statements of Holy Writ.” GC 388.
      —Jesus continues His warning to Thyatira, regarding false Pergamos:
AND I WILL KILL HER CHILDREN
      —the fallen churches, who have accepted the “wine” of Babylon, and who have not believed My truth—
WITH DEATH;
      —“But the . . . unbelieving . . . shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8.
      —These did not believe the messages the True Witness repeatedly sent them!
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      —These suffer the eternal death, to which comes no morning!
AND ALL THE CHURCHES
      —all seven—
SHALL KNOW THAT I AM HE WHICH SEARCHETH THE REINS AND HEARTS:
      —“God is a searcher of hearts and a trier of the reins, and will accept nothing less than entire devotion to the work and consecration to Himself.” 3T 191.
      —“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.
AND I WILL GIVE UNTO EVERY ONE OF YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR WORKS.
      —“The sufferings of the men of Judah were to be in proportion to the light they had had and to the warnings they had despised and rejected.” PK 425.
      —“. . . Those who have not, through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression, —‘the wages of sin.’ [Romans 6:23.] They suffer punishment varying in duration and intensity, ‘according to their works,’ but finally ending in the second death Since it is impossible for God, consistently with His justice and mercy, to save the sinner in his sins, He deprives him of the existence which his transgressions have forfeited, and of which he has proved himself unworthy. Says an inspired writer, ‘Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.’ And another declares, ‘They shall be as though they had not been.’ Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16. Covered with infamy, they sink into hopeless, eternal oblivion.” GC 544, 545.
BUT UNTO YOU I SAY,
      —Jesus now directs His remarks to the leaders of the Reformation—
AND UNTO THE REST IN THYATIRA,
      —He includes the church members, too,—
AS MANY AS HAVE NOT KNOWN THE DEPTHS OF SATAN
      —his masterpiece of deception—
AS THEY
      —Satan’s leaders of Pergamos—
SPEAK;
      —teach,
I WILL PUT UPON YOU NONE OTHER BURDEN. BUT THAT WHICH YE HAVE ALREADY HOLD FAST TILL I COME.
      —The leaders of the Reformation, and the church members, were to cherish —hold fast— the beautiful messages they had received. Other messages of reform were to come later.
      —“God permitted great light to shine upon the minds of these chosen men, revealing to them many of the errors of Rome; but they did not receive all the light that was to be given to the world. Through these, His servants, God was leading the people out of the darkness of Romanism; but there were many and
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great obstacles for them to meet, and He led them on, step by step, as they could bear it. They were not prepared to receive all the light at once. Like the full glory of the noontide sun to those who have long dwelt in darkness, it would, if presented, have caused them to turn away. Therefore He revealed it to the leaders little by little, as it could be received by the people. From century to century, other faithful workers were to follow, to lead the people on still farther in the path of reform.” GC 103.
      —Jesus tells Thyatira to “hold fast” that “which ye have already” until His second coming. Every message that Jesus sends His people is to be treasured until He comes in the clouds of heaven. Truth never changes. One message is built on another, and all grow in brightness until Jesus comes.
AND HE THAT OVERCOMETH, AND KEEPETH MY WORKS UNTO THE END,
      —the “works” of believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, —
      (Margin: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29.)
TO HIM WILL I GIVE POWER OVER THE NATIONS: AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON. AS THE VESSELS OF A POTTER SHALL THEY BE BROKEN TO SHIVERS, EVEN AS I RECEIVED OF MY FATHER
      —Christ is the One who has power over the nations. Revelation 19:15, 16.
      —Christ is the One who rules them in judgments with a rod of iron Revelation 12:5.
      —Christ is the One who breaks them to shivers as the vessels of a potter are broken. Psalms 2:7-9.
      —Christ is actually going to share His duties, given to Him of His Father, with the Thyatiran overcomer. This includes all who keep His “works” of believing “unto the end.”
      —Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world. . .” 1Corinthians 6:2. See Luke 22:29, 30; Revelation 20:4.
AND I WILL GIVE HIM THE MORNING STAR.
      —Jesus is “the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning Star.” Revelation 22:16.
      —This final promise to the overcomers in Thyatira is all-inclusive—both now and throughout eternity!
      —Jesus! What more could anyone ask?
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.

      —The just—shall live—by faith—in the life and in the death of their Redeemer!

      —What beautiful messages are sounding across the sands of time from the Isle of Patmos!
          They come from the great heart of our Saviour!
          Listen! There are still three more messages.
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      —“The wide circulation of the Bible in the early part of the nineteenth century, and the great light thus shed upon the world, was not followed by a corresponding advance in knowledge of revealed truth, or in experimental religion. Satan could not, as in former ages, keep God’s word from the people; it had been placed within the reach of all; but in order still to accomplish his object, he led many to value it but lightly. Men neglected to search the Scriptures . . .
      “He had induced Christians to ally themselves, not now with pagans, but with those who, by their devotion to the things of this world, had proved themselves to be as truly idolaters as were the worshipers of graven images . . . Satan continued to pervert the doctrines of the Bible, and traditions that were to in millions were taking deep root . . .
      “Thus the spirit inspired by the Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as great need of reform in the Protestant churches as in the Roman Church in the time of Luther. There was the same worldliness and spiritual stupor, a similar reverence for the opinions of men, and substitution of human theories for the teachings of God’s word.” GC 298.
      —Jesus, on the Isle of Patmos, looks down the centuries and sees this candlestick burning dim, and His great heart of love goes out to His negligent people. He dictates another message to John!

Revelation 3:

AND UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN SARDIS WRITE;
      —“To prepare a people to stand in the day of God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished. God saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity, and in His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their stupor, and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord.
      “This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message represented as proclaimed by heavenly beings, and immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man ‘to reap the harvest of the earth.’ The first of these warnings announces the approaching judgment. The prophet beheld an angel flying ‘in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for THE HOUR OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COME . . .’ Revelation 14:6, 7.” GC 311. (Emphasis added.)
      —This judgment hour message is to go “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”
      —Notice the characteristics of the heavenly Speaker to the Sardis church:
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THESE THINGS SAITH HE THAT HATH THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD, AND THE SEVEN STARS;
      —“. . . The seven Spirits of God [are] sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6.
      —For the worldwide commission, given to Sardis, they have the promise of a worldwide Power —the Holy Spirit!
      —“By His Spirit He [God] is everywhere present. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels, He ministers to the children of men.” MH 417.
      —Sardis is also reminded that Jesus is carefully holding the seven stars in His hand.
      “. . . No church faithful to its trust need fear coming to naught, for not a star that has the protection of Omnipotence can be plucked out of the hand of Christ.” AA 586
      —But Jesus has a warning for Sardis. These solemn words should bring every professed Christian to his knees!
I KNOW THY WORKS, THAT THOU HAST A NAME THAT THOU LIVEST, AND ART DEAD.

BE WATCHFUL, AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN, THAT ARE READY TO DIE: FOR I HAVE NOT FOUND THY WORKS PERFECT BEFORE GOD. REMEMBER THEREFORE HOW THOU HAST RECEIVED AND HEARD AND HOLD FAST, AND REPENT.

IF THEREFORE THOU SHALT NOT WATCH, I WILL COME’ ON THEE AS A THIEF, AND THOU SHALT NOT KNOW WHAT HOUR I WILL COME UPON THEE.
      —At what period of the world’s history can the words, “I will come on thee as a thief,” be applicable? What do they mean?
      —The message comes to Sardis:
      THE HOUR OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COME!
      —Jesus comes as a “thief” in the pre-advent judgment of the heavenly sanctuary, when He examines the records of His professed people, —and their period of probation is ended! This solemn investigation takes place shortly before the second advent of Christ in the clouds of glory.
      —“We are fast approaching the close of our probation. Let every soul inquire, How do I stand before God? We know not how soon our names may be taken into the lips of Christ, and our cases be finally decided. What, oh, what will these decisions be! Shall we be counted with the righteous, or shall we be numbered with the wicked?” 1SM 125
      —“When the Saviour pointed out to His followers the signs of His return, He foretold the state of backsliding that would exist just prior to His second advent. There would be, as in the days of Noah, the activity and stir of worldly business and pleasure seeking —buying, selling, planting, building, marrying, and giving in
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marriage— with forgetfulness of God and the future life. For those living at this time, Christ’s admonition is: ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ Luke 21:34, 30
      [Notice closely the next sentence to pinpoint the Sardis message.] “The condition of the church at this time is pointed out in the Saviour’s words in the Revelation, ‘Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.’ And to those who refuse to arouse from their careless security, the solemn warning is addressed, ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ (Rev. 3:1-3.)
      “It was needful that men should be awakened to their danger; that they should be roused to prepare for the solemn events connected with the close of probation.” GC 309, 310.
      —The close of probation— how startling the words!
          No more time to prepare for eternity!
          No more gentle pleadings from God’s Holy Spirit!
          The door of salvation is forever shut!
      —“Jesus has left us word: ‘Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch
We are waiting and watching for the return of the Master, who IS to bring the morning, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping. What time is here referred to? Not to the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven to find a people asleep. No; but to His return from His ministration in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, when He lays off His priestly attire and clothes Himself with garments of vengeance, and when the mandate goes forth: ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’
      “When Jesus ceases to plead for man, the cases of all are forever decided. This is the time of reckoning with His servants To those who have neglected the preparation of purity and holiness, which fits them to be waiting ones to welcome their Lord, the sun sets in gloom and darkness, and rises not again. Probation closes; Christ’s intercessions cease in heaven. This time finally comes suddenly upon all, and those who have neglected to purify their souls by obeying the truth are found sleeping.” 2T 190, 191. See Revelation 22:11.
      —Member of the Sardis church, you have received a most solemn message judgment hour message! Jesus has entered upon the final work of reviewing the heavenly records of His people. He began with those in the first generations, but soon He will come
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to the cases of the living. In the balances of the heavenly sanctuary, each of God’s professed children must be weighed. Probation is soon to close for earth’s teeming millions! See GC 483
      “Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life . . .” GC 483.
      —If Jesus finds PARDON on an individual’s record, the confessed sins are removed. This person is accredited with the righteousness of Jesus, and his name is enrolled in the Lamb’s book of life for eternity.
      —(For a deeper insight of what our Redeemer and Advocate is doing for us in the court room above, study Chapter 3, regarding John’s vision of the heavenly sanctuary. This is the most important subject in the book of Revelation —and in all the world!)

      —Sardis, you are admonished by the heavenly Speaker to” strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.”
      “This is our work There are many ready to die spiritually, and the Lord calls upon us to strengthen them. God’s people are to be firmly united in the bonds of Christian fellowship, and are to be strengthened in the faith by speaking often to one another about the precious truths entrusted to them.” 7BC 959
      —As you are used of God to strengthen others, Sardis, you yourself will be strengthened!

      —Jesus asks you to turn your thoughts back to the time when you first believed:
“‘Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast . . .’ Those who have been born again remember with what joy and gladness they received the light of heaven, and how eager they were to tell everybody of their happiness.” 7BC 759.

      —The heavenly Speaker pleads with you, Sardis: “Hold fast, and repent.’
      “When you gave yourself to Christ, you made a pledge in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit —the three great personal Dignitaries of heaven. ‘Hold fast’ to this pledge
      “‘And repent.’ The life we live is to be one of continual repentance and humility. We need to repent constantly, that we may be constantly victorious. When we have true humility, we have victory. The enemy never can take out of the hand of Christ the one who is simply trusting in His promises. If the soul is trusting and working obediently, the mind is susceptible to divine impressions, and the light of God shines in, enlightening the understanding. What privileges we have in Christ Jesus.” 7BC 959. (Emphasis added.)
      —“We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God,
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like the common sinner: but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness.
      “One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character. It makes apparent the unhallowed desires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips . . . He loathes himself as he views the pure, spotless character of Christ . . .
      “It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance . . . Jesus has said, ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.’ John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, if softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul . . .
      “It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition.” SC 26-36.
      —Sardis, here is your challenge:
          —Continually strengthen the things which remain, and repent of your inward selfishness!
      —Daily accept the provisions of Christ’s atonement for your life, so you will have the heavenly Advocate plead your case, when your name is called in the court room!
      —Permit God to fill you with His Spirit— the worldwide Power promised to you. This will enable you to have a part in the worldwide commission of taking the judgment hour message to earth’s remotest bounds!
      —Count it an honor to proclaim, with that mighty angel, as he flies through the skies, “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME.”

      —Jesus now has a thrilling announcement for some of His believers in Sardis:
THOU HAST A FEW NAMES IN SARDIS WHICH HAVE NOT DEFILED THEIR GARMENTS; AND THEY SHALL WALK WITH ME IN WHITE: FOR THEY ARE WORTHY.
      —Walking with Jesus! What a privilege!
      Why are a few permitted to have this special walk with Him?
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      —What are these white garments?
      Why are “a few” of the members of the Sardis church called “worthy”?
      —There is a beautiful reason! They have accepted the spotless robe of righteousness which Jesus offers them! They are “worthy” because Jesus is their righteousness!
      —“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2Corinthians 5:21.
      —“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us . . . righteousness . . .” 1Corinthians 1:30. See Isaiah 54:17.
      —“By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ’s true followers will possess . . . It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour . . .
      “Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided, can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing sour.” COL 310, 311.

      —God has a message for His church of “the present day”:
      “In the message to the church at Sardis two parties are presented those who have a name to live, but are dead; and those who are striving to overcome. Study this message, found in the third chapter of Revelation. (Revelation 3:1-5 quoted.)
      “To the church of the present day this message is sent.” 7BC 959.
      —“In the summer and autumn of 1844 the proclamation, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,’ was given. The two classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then developed —one class who looked with joy to the Lord’s appearing, and who had been diligently preparing to meet Him; another class that, influenced by fear and acting from impulse, had been satisfied with a theory of the truth, but were destitute of the grace of God.” GC 426. See Matthew 25:1-13.
      —“The two classes of watchers represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the word of God . . . The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.” COL 406, 407.
      —“That oil is the righteousness of Christ . . .
      “The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.” TM 234; DA 805.

      —What is the difference between the wise and foolish virgins?
      —The wise virgins— the group in the Sardis church who are called “worthy”—have oil in their lamps, given them by the Holy Spirit, which represents the righteousness of Jesus!
      —The foolish virgins have a name, professing to be alive, but they are spiritually dead. They have no oil in their lamps!
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      —“The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up. This class are represented also by the stony ground hearers. They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles . . . The class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live.” COL 411.
      —“The ten virgins are watching in the evening of this earth’s history. All claim to be Christians. All have a call, a name, a lamp, and all profess to be doing God’s service. All apparently wait for Christ’s appearing. But five are unready. Five will be found surprised, dismayed, outside the banquet hall . . .
      “In this life they have not entered into fellowship with Christ; therefore they know not the language of heaven, they are strangers to its joy . . .
      “Saddest of all words that ever fell on mortal ear are those words of doom, ‘I know you not.’ The fellowship of the Spirit, which you have slighted, could alone make you one with the joyous throng at the marriage feast. In that scene you can not participate. Its light would fall on blinded eyes, its melody upon deaf ears. Its love and joy could awake no chord of gladness in the world-benumbed heart. You are shut out from heaven by your own unfitness for its companionship.
      “We can not be ready to meet the Lord by waking when the cry is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom!’ and then gathering up our empty lamps to have them replenished. We can not keep Christ apart from our lives here, and yet be fitted for His companionship in heaven.” COL 412-414.
      —“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
      —And now, Jesus gives a beautiful promise to the overcomers in Sardis—
          those who have oil in their lamps,
          those who have taken time to get acquainted with the heavenly Family!
HE THAT OVERCOMETH, THE SAME SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT; AND I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, BUT I WILL CONFESS HIS NAME BEFORE MY FATHER, AND BEFORE MY ANGELS.
      —Jesus takes the minds of the Sardis believers back to the scenes of the investigative judgment again.
      —“As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God . . . “The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions,
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that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as join theirs with Himself to the ‘first dominion.’ (Micah 4:8.) . . .
      “Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying, ‘I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands. . .’ ‘. . . Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ (Zech. 3:2.) Christ will clothe His faithful ones with His own righteousness, that He may present them to His Father ‘a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’ (Eph. 5:27.) Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written, ‘They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.’ (Rev. 3:4.)” (This text is from the Sardis message.) GC 483, 484.
      —Jesus, our faithful Intercessor, came down to Patmos to give all who overcome this promise of hope and encouragement. He will leave their names in the book of life when their cases are considered in the investigative judgment!
      —And this wonderful Friend and Advocate “longs to see gratitude welling up in our hearts because our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” COL 299.
      —All whose names are left in this valuable record will live forever! And what is more, they will live forever with Him who made it possible for their names to be enrolled in His precious book!
      —Eternal life! Life never ending —with Jesus!

THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.

      —Probation is still open!
      The message is still sounding: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME.”

      —“The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon —none know how soon— it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour’s admonition, ‘Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.’ (Mark 13:33.) ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ (Rev. 3:3.) . . .
      “Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man’s destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy’s offer to guilty men.” GC 490, 491.

      —Members of the Sardis church— as you carry the judgment hour message to every corner of the globe, remember Christ’s promise: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20.
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      —The sixth message which Jesus gives for His people, shows them the open door of the heavenly sanctuary. The third angel of Revelation 14 points God’s people to this open door. (See EW 254.) As they look up by faith, they see Jesus interceding for them in front of the sacred ark, which contains God’s holy law, His ten commandments.
      —The third angel sends a warning for the Philadelphians to receive— and then give to the world. It is the most fearful warning ever penned by mortals —and it comes from God!
      —“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
      “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:9-12.
      —The issue again, in this sixth message, is the same as it was in the second message—


      —The Smyrna message places emphasis on the second commandment; the Philadelphia message emphasizes the fourth.
      —Two parties are brought to view in the third angel’s message:
          —those who worship the beast and his image, and
          —those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
      —“Since those who keep God’s commandments are thus placed in contrast with those that worship the beast and his image it follows that the keeping of God’s law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshipers of God and the worshipers of the beast.” GC 445, 446.
      —What is the “beast,” and what is his “mark,” referred to in the third angel’s message of Revelation 14?
      —“Beasts,” in Bible prophecy, are symbols of kingdoms or world powers. See Daniel 7:17, 23; Revelation 13:11, 12.
      —To understand what the “mark” of this world power is, we must also understand the seal of God, which is in contrast to it.
      —“The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation. ‘The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of
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Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that cloth sanctify you.’ Exodus 31:12, 13. Here the Sabbath is clearly designated as a sign between God and His people.
      “The mark of the beast is the opposite of this —the observance of the first day of the week. This mark distinguishes those who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority of God.” 8T 117. (For further study on the seal of God, see the section on Revelation 7 in Chapter 3.)
      —When did religious worship on Sunday, the false Sabbath, receive its authority?
      —“The law issued by the emperor Constantine on the seventh of March, A.D. 321, regarding a day of rest from labor, reads thus:
          ‘All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable Day of the Sun . . .’ —Joseph Cullen Ayer, A Source Book for Ancient Church History . . . GC 680.
      —Daniel, the prophet, foretold of a power that would arise which would “think” to change “laws.”
      “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws . . .” Daniel 7:25.
      —“The papacy has attempted to change the law of God. The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been dropped from the law, and the fourth commandment has been so changed as to authorize the observance of the first instead of the seventh day as the Sabbath . . .
      “Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church, and declare that Protestants by observing the Sunday are recognizing her power. In the Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion, in answer to a question as to the day to be observed in obedience to the fourth commandment, this statement is made:
          ‘During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord.’” GC 447, 448.
      —“Romanists declare that ‘the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church.’ —Mgr. Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, page 213.” GC 448.
      —A Protestant, Dr. Hiscox, gives his testimony:
“There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all its duties, privileges, and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, Where can the
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record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week . . . Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!” Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual, in a paper read before a New York Ministers’ Conference, held Nov. 13, 1893.
      —“What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church —‘the mark of the beast?’” GC 448.
      —The warning against the mark of the beast —the false Sabbath— has been sounding ever since the third angel began pointing to the open door of the heavenly sanctuary, and showing God’s people the ten commandments inside the ark. But no one will receive the mark of the beast until Sunday observance becomes an issue by law.
      —“. . . Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome, and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome —the mark of the beast.’ And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast.’” GC 449. (Study Revelation 13 in Chapter 5.)
AND TO THE ANGEL
      —facing the dynamic issue between the seal of God and the mark of the beast—
THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
      —proclaiming,
WRITE
      —this message of encouragement.
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THESE THINGS SAITH HE THAT IS HOLY,
      —whose law is a transcript of His character—
HE THAT IS TRUE,
      —in warning His people of their danger in the great controversy concerning God’s law—
HE THAT HATH THE KEY OF DAVID,
      —and who will come into possession of this everlasting throne, when His work as a Mediator is finished— (See Luke 1:32, 33; GC 416.)
HE THAT OPENETH, AND NO MAN SHUTTETH, AND SHUTTETH, AND NO MAN OPENETH;
      —“Within the holy of holies, in the sanctuary in heaven, the divine law is sacredly enshrined —the law that was spoken by God Himself amid the thunders of Sinai and written with His own finger on the tables of stone.
      “The law of God in the sanctuary in heaven is the great original, of which the precepts inscribed upon the tables of stone, and recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch, were an unerring transcript. Those who arrived at an understanding of this important point, were thus led to see the sacred, unchanging character of the divine law. They saw, as never before, the force of the Saviour’s words ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.’ (Matt. 5:18.) The law of God, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure, ‘as a faithful witness in heaven.’ Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the psalmist: ‘Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.’ ‘All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.’ (Ps. 119:89; 111:7, 8.)
      “In the very bosom of the Decalogue is the fourth commandment, as it was first proclaimed: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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.’ (Ex. 20:8-11.)” GC 434,
      —What great event is an eternal memorial to show the universe that God’s law would never be altered?
      —“Had it been possible for the law to be changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have died. But to abrogate the law would be to immortalize transgression, and place the world under Satan’s control. It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross . . .
      “The law reveals the attributes of God’s character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ,
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for man’s redemption. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2Cor. 5:19.
      “The law requires righteousness, —a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men . . .
      “By His life and His death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan’s charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love.” DA 762, 763.
      —“. . . The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of the transgression of the law, is a mighty argument to all created intelligences in heaven and in other worlds that that law is changeless . . .” RH March 9, 1886.
      —As the early Philadelphians looked upon God’s changeless law inside the open door of the heavenly sanctuary, what convictions came to them?
      “None could fail to see that if the early sanctuary was a figure or pattern of the heavenly, the law deposited in the ark on earth was an exact transcript of the law in the ark in heaven; and that an acceptance of the truth concerning the heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowledgment of the claims of God’s law, and the obligation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Here was the secret of the bitter and determined opposition to the harmonious exposition of the Scriptures that revealed the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Men sought to close the door which God had opened and to open the door which He had closed. But ‘He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth,’ had declared, ‘Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’ (Rev. 3:7, 8.) Christ had opened the door, or ministration, of the most holy place, light was shining from that open door of the sanctuary in heaven, and the fourth commandment was shown to be included in the law which is there enshrined; what God had established, no man could overthrow.
      “Those who had accepted the light concerning the mediation of Christ and the perpetuity of the law of God, found that these were the truths presented in Revelation 14. The messages of this chapter constitute a threefold warning, which is to prepare the inhabitants of the earth for the Lord’s second coming.” GC 435.
I KNOW THY WORKS.
      —“The Spirit of God impressed the hearts of those students of His word. The conviction was urged upon them, that they had ignorantly transgressed this precept by disregarding the Creator’s restday. They began to examine the reasons for observing the first day of the week instead of the day which God had sanctified.
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They could find no evidence in the Scriptures that the fourth commandment had been abolished, or that the Sabbath had been changed; the blessing which first hallowed the seventh day had never been removed. They had been honestly seeking to know and to do God’s will; now, as they saw themselves transgressors of His law, sorrow filled their hearts, and they manifested their loyalty to God by keeping His Sabbath holy.” GC 434, 435.
BEHOLD, I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE AN OPEN DOOR, AND NO MAN CAN SHUT IT:
      —“As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. A parchment was placed in the angel’s hand, and as he descended to the earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a fearful warning, with the most terrible threatening ever borne to man. This message was designed to put the children of God upon their guard, by showing them the hour of temptation and anguish that was before them. Said the angel, ‘They will be brought into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope of eternal life is to remain steadfast. Although their lives are at stake, they must hold fast the truth.’ The third angel closes his message thus: ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ As he repeated these words, he pointed to the heavenly sanctuary. The minds of all who embrace this message are directed to the most holy place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession for all those for whom mercy still lingers and for those’ who have ignorantly broken the law of God . . .
      “After Jesus opened the door of the most holy, the light of the Sabbath was seen, and the people of God were tested, as the children of Israel were tested anciently, to see if they would keep God’s law. I saw the third angel pointing upward, showing the . . . way to the holiest of the heavenly sanctuary . . .
      “Jesus stood by the ark, and as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the incense to His Father. In the ark . . . [were] the tables of stone which folded together like a book. Jesus opened them, and I saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger of God. On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God’s holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious —a halo of glory was all around it.” EW 254, 255, 32, 33.
      —(For a beautiful picture of what Jesus is doing in the heavenly sanctuary since the door has been opened into the most holy place, study Revelation 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, in Chapter 3.)
      —Five times, in Early Writings, from pages 254-260, it mentions that the third angel is pointing to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.
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The light from God’s holy law inside the ark is shining through the open door of the heavenly sanctuary, as the Philadelphians proclaim the message God has given to them—
      —Jesus tells the Philadelphians—
FOR THOU HAST A LITTLE STRENGTH, AND HAST KEPT MY WORD, AND HAST NOT DENIED MY NAME.
      —“The first thing to be learned by all who would become workers together with God is the lesson of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ.” DA 250.
      —“Apart from Christ we have no merit, no righteousness. Our sinfulness, our weakness, our human imperfections make it impossible that we should appear before God, unless we are clothed in Christ’s spotless righteousness.” RH Dec. 20, 1892.
      —The Philadelphians have “little strength” of their own; their entire strength comes from God.
      —Jesus has no words of condemnation for the Philadelphians; He gives them only admonitions and challenges.
BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE THEM OF THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN, WHICH SAY THEY ARE JEWS, AND ARE NOT, BUT DO LIE;
      —professed Christians—
BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE THEM TO COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE THY FEET, AND TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LOVED THEE.
      —They had once professed to keep God’s seventh-day Sabbath.
      —But they had “‘crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.’ And in the ‘hour of temptation’ which is yet to come, to show out everyone’s true character, they will know that they are forever lost; and overwhelmed with anguish of spirit, they will bow at the saint’s feet.” Word to the Little Flock, page 12.
BECAUSE THOU HAST KEPT THE WORD OF MY PATIENCE,
      —(The final part of the third angel’s message says: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.)
I ALSO WILL KEEP THEE FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION, WHICH SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH.
      —When is the “hour of temptation”? (This answer will help us pinpoint the length of time the Philadelphia church exists.)
      —“Just before us is ‘the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.’ (Revelation 3:10. ) All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of God will be deceived and overcome . . . Those who are earnestly seeking a knowledge of the truth, and are striving to purify their souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. ‘Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee,’
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is the Saviour’s promise. He would sooner send every angel out of heaven to protect His people, than leave one soul that trusts in Him to be overcome by Satan.” GC 560.
BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY:
      —according to My promise of John 14:1-3 —to take My people to the mansions I have prepared for them!
HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU MAST, THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN.
      —“Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in Christ is more than a match for the hosts of darkness, and that, should he reveal himself openly, he would be met and resisted. Therefore he seeks to draw away the soldiers of the cross from their strong fortification, while he lies in ambush with his forces, ready to destroy all who venture upon his ground. Only in humble reliance upon God, and obedience to all His commandments, can we be secure. No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer.” GC 530. (Emphasis added.)
      —Now, as Jesus gives the promise to the overcomers in Philadelphia, they are identified:
HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD, AND HE SHALL GO NO MORE OUT:
AND I WILL WRITE; UPON HIM
      THE NAME OF MY GOD, AND
      THE NAME OF THE CITY OF MY GOD,
          WHICH IS NEW JERUSALEM,
          WHICH COMETH DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN
      FROM MY GOD: AND
I WILL WRITE UPON HIM MY NEW NAME
      —“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on mount Zion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1.
      —“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written,
          [1.] God,
          [2.] New Jerusalem, and
          [3.] a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name.” EW 15.
      —There will be many more than 144,000 saved in Christ’s kingdom. When John was given the vision of the 144,000 receiving the seal of God in their foreheads, he saw, in addition to the 144,000, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.” See Revelation 7:2-9.
      —The 144,000 are those who receive the third angel’s message and give it faithfully, warning their fellowmen against the beast and his mark.
      —“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and
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marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.” Revelation 15:2, 3.
      —“Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mingled with fire, —so resplendent is it with the glory of God, are gathered the company that have ‘gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.” (Rev. 15:2.) With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, ‘having the harps of God,’ they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, ‘the voice of harpers harping with their harps.’ (Rev. 14:1-5; 15:3.) And they sing ‘a new song’ before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb, —a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience, —an experience such as no other company have ever had.” GC 648, 649.
      —Before the 144,000 can sing this very special song of Moses and the Lamb, they must have had a very special experience. It must be one that is similar to that which Moses and Jesus went through.
      —What is the similarity?
      “Moses manifested his great love for Israel in his entreaty to the Lord to forgive their sin, or blot his name out of the book which He had written. His intercessions here illustrate Christ’s love and mediation for the sinful race.” 7BC 987.
      —The 144,000, who will someday stand with Jesus on Mount Zion, will also feel a deep soul anguish for the salvation of sinners. They will stand as intercessors between God and man.
      —“The Lord has a people on the earth, who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth . . . Such will stand with Him on Mount Zion. But they must stand on this earth, girded with the whole armor, ready to engage in the work of saving those who are ready to perish.” 7BC 978.
      —“If we love Jesus, we shall love to live for Him . . . For His sake we shall covet pain and toil and sacrifice. We shall sympathize with His longing for the salvation of men. We shall feel the same tender craving for souls that He has felt.” COL 49, 50.
      —“Those who walk even as Christ walked, who are patient, gentle, kind, meek and lowly in heart, those who yoke up with Christ and lift His burdens, who yearn for souls as He yearned for them these will enter into the joy of their Lord. They will see with Christ the travail of His soul, and be satisfied.” 7BC 949.
      —“Precious will heaven be to those who have been faithful in the work of saving souls.” COL 373.
      —Yes, it is a special experience the 144,000 go through before they can stand on Mount Zion with Jesus! It is an experience of talking to God about their fellowmen —and talking to their fellowmen about God! The 144,000 stand in between —bearing the spiritual burdens of those lost in sin, and pleading with God for their salvation!
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      —Can you become a member of the 144,000 ? —and join in that special song of Moses and the Lamb?
      —Listen to our challenge:
      “Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” 7BC 970.
      —Permit God to lay the burden for souls on your heart!
      “At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value of a soul . . . You will feel for others the same deep love that Christ has felt for you . . . The greater their sin and the deeper their misery, the more earnest and tender will be your efforts for their recovery. You will discern the need of those who are suffering, who have been sinning against God, and who are oppressed with a burden of guilt. Your heart will go out in sympathy for them, and you will reach out to them a helping hand. In the arms of your faith and love you will bring them to Christ. You will watch over and encourage them, and your sympathy and confidence will make it hard for them to fall from their steadfastness.
      “In this work all the angels of heaven are ready to cooperate. All the resources of heaven are at the command of those who are seeking to save the lost Angels will help you to reach the most careless and the most hardened. And when one is brought back to God, all heaven is made glad; seraphs and cherubs touch their golden harps, and sing praises to God and the Lamb for their mercy and loving-kindness to the children of men.” COL 196, 197. (Emphasis added.)
      —Notice the earnestness of one soul winner who was used of God to point sinners to Jesus:
      “I would talk of the preciousness of Christ . . . We would often continue in prayer for hours, till the last one would say, ‘I believe that Jesus has forgiven my sins.’ Sometimes the sun would begin to make its appearance in the heavens before I would give up the struggle. There is great power in presenting the love of Jesus. When we go into a house to visit families, we should not begin to talk of frivolous things, but come right to the point, and say, ‘I want you to love Jesus, for He has first loved you.’ . . . When they see that you are sincere, they will not despise your efforts. It is possible to reach the hardest heart.” RH Nov. 6, 1888. (Emphasis added.)
      —Prospective members of the Philadelphia church:
      We are standing where the prophets of old, and even angels from heaven, would like to stand. Every moment of time is precious! Let us ask God’s Spirit to take over our minds, and put one main objective into our lives —that of presenting Jesus to lost humanity! Let us ask God to take every ounce of energy we have, and use it to the spreading of the seven beautiful messages Jesus dictated to His people on the Isle of Patmos!
      —“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” (Emphasis added.)
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      —The 144,000:
          have shared with both Jesus and Moses a deep longing for the salvation of sinners.
          They have stood as intercessors between God and man, pleading with anguish for the salvation of the lost.
          They have treasured the light of the fourth commandment, shining from the open door of the heavenly sanctuary.
          They have helped proclaim the third angel’s message, with its fearful warning against the beast and his mark.
      —The promise to the Philadelphian is:
          “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God . . .” Revelation 3:12.
      —The 144,000 are to reign with Jesus on the throne of David! They have the Father’s name in their foreheads, and this special group “shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 14:1; 22:4, 5.
      —The Speaker to the Philadelphia church is holding only the “key of David.” Jesus is not reigning on the throne of David yet.
      “He ‘shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne.’ Not now ‘upon the throne of His glory;’ the kingdom of glory has not yet been ushered in. Not until His work as a mediator shall be ended, will God ‘give unto Him the throne of His father David,’ a kingdom of which ‘there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32, 33.)” GC 416.
      —There is to be another throne set up during the millennium where all the redeemed will reign with Christ, while the wicked dead are being judged:
      “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them . . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4.
      —“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels? . . .” 1Corinthains 6:2, 3.
      —Judgment of the wicked dead —and of the fallen angels— will cease after the thousand years, and sin will be wiped out of the universe. Revelation 20:9. This throne will be no more!
      —But the glorious throne of David, will continue throughout the ceaseless ages —and seated with King Jesus on this throne will be the 144,000!
      —Amazing love —too deep for us to comprehend! —that the Ruler of the universe would permit fallen human beings, rescued from the pit of sin, to share this glorious throne with His only begotten Son! But this is the high destiny of those who have the Father’s name written in their foreheads!

      —The 144,000 will also be known by another name. They are to be called the New Jerusalem —the bride of the Lamb!
      —“New Jerusalem” is written on their foreheads, as well as the name of the Father, and Jesus’ new name. Revelation 3:12; EW 15.
      —“In the parable [of Matthew 25], when the bridegroom came, ‘they that were ready went in with him to the marriage.’ The coming of
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the bridegroom, here brought to view, takes place before the marriage. The marriage represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ Said the angel to John, ‘Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ ‘He carried me away in the spirit,’ says the prophet, ‘and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.’ (Rev. 21:9, 10.) Clearly, then, the bride represents the holy city, and the virgins that go out to meet the Bridegroom are a symbol of the church. In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage supper. (Rev. 19:9.) If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride.” GC 526, 427.
      —Jesus is married to His bride —the New Jerusalem— while He is still in the most holy place, before He comes the second time. See Revelation 19:7, 11; EW 280.
          The wedding ceremony takes place before the second coming of Jesus; the wedding supper is after He has come for His people! The 144,000 will be the bride at this very special supper; the redeemed of all ages will be the guests.

      —Friend, the marriage feast will soon be served! It will soon be “supper-time” up on that golden shore!
      —Some of us will hear Jesus say: “‘Come, My people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done My will; suffered for Me; come in to supper, for I will gird Myself, and serve you.’” EW 19.
      —The invitation to be present for this glorious occasion is stall open!
          “. . . Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17.
          “. . . Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb . . .” Revelation 19:9.
      —There is still room for you to make reservations to surround this table of pure silver, which is “many miles in length.” EW 19.
      —Reverently consider another invitation —a very special invitation! The “proposal” of the Bridegroom is still lovingly calling to His prospective bride. Do you wish to answer “yes”?
      —This would involve giving your mind to Him, as well as your heart’s affections. Of the 144,000, it says: “In this world their minds were consecrated to God . . .” AA 591.
      —This would involve giving up ordinary thoughts, ordinary reading and viewing material, and ordinary goals.
      (“If commonplace thoughts and affairs take up the attention, the man will be commonplace . . . It is a law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar.” CT 460.)
      —You would exchange life’s “triflings” for the thrilling privilege of being a coworker with God —going on His errands, and lifting heavy burdens for Him! Self would be lost sight of as you followed the footprints of the Stranger of Galilee!
      —You would come into close fellowship with your Master,
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as He personalized His Word into your own experience, and you let Him take charge of your meditations day and night. Joshua 1:8 and the second and third verses of Psalms 1 would take on new meaning!       —“If God’s word were studied as it should be,” you “would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that are rarely seen in these times.” CT 460.
      —If you wish to accept the proposal of the Bridegroom to become His bride, don’t delay to give Him your answer! He is longing to hear it! Then He will prepare you to be used of the Holy Spirit to invite others to the wedding supper.
      —The bride has a special part in giving this invitation:
      “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come . . .” Revelation 22:17.       —By the grace of God, you may become a member of the 144,000; you may help lead others to the marriage supper of the Lamb!
      —If this is your commitment, may God keep you faithful during the time of your engagement, while waiting for your Bridegroom to appear!
THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.
      —“The breach in the law of God must be made up.” 1SM 68.
      —John “sees a people whose fidelity and loyalty to the laws of God’s kingdom, grow with the emergency. The contempt placed upon the law of God only makes them reveal more decidedly their love for that law. It increases with the contempt that is placed upon it . . . That is the very thing that should make us pray with all our heart and soul and voice, ‘It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law.’ Therefore, because of the universal contempt, I will not turn traitor when God will be most glorified and most honored by my loyalty . . .
      “When the law of God is most derided and brought into the most contempt, then it is time for every true follower of Christ, for those whose hearts have been given to God, and who are fixed to obey God, to stand unflinchingly for the faith once delivered to the saints . . . It is time to fight when champions are most needed.” 7BC 981, 982.
      —“It is at this time that the true Sabbath must be brought before the people by both pen and voice. As the fourth commandment and those who observe it are ignored and despised, the faithful feel that it is the time not to hide their faith but to exalt the law of Jehovah by unfurling the banner on which is inscribed the message of the third angel, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” 2SM 369.
      —“The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is contained in the third angel’s message . . . Men are not to be left in darkness concerning this important matter; the warning against this sin is to be given to the world before the visitation of God’s Judgments, that all may know why they are to be inflicted, and have opportunity to escape them.” GC 449, 450.
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      —As Jesus stood on the sands of the Isle of Patmos, and looked down the stream of time, nearly nineteen hundred years, He saw His last church, —His remnant church— and His great heart of love was touched. His people, who professed to be teaching His doctrines and to be waiting for His coming, were not ready! Doctrines? Theoretically they were correct. But something vital was lacking!
      —The great clock of time was almost to be silenced —absorbed into the vast eternity which stretches on beyond. Minutes away, He would be coming in the clouds of glory to receive His people. Witness the anguish of the Saviour as He meditates on His remnant church —the people He gave His life to save. Listen to the message He dictates to John!
      —One of the greatest love letters in all of the Bible, Jesus sends to Laodicea!
      —“Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul temple, proclaiming, ‘I stand at the door, and knock.’ As a heavenly Merchantman, He opens His treasures and cries, ‘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.’ The gold that He offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love. The white raiment He invites the soul to wear is His own robe of righteousness; and the oil for anointing is the oil of His grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. ‘Open your doors,’ says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, ‘and transact your business with Me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of Me.’” 7BC 965, 966.

AND UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS WRITE;
      —the last of seven messages—

          “BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, . . .
          AND WHITE RAIMENT, . . .
          AND ANOINT THINK EYES WITH EYESALVE . . .”

      —“The gold mentioned by Christ, the True Witness, which all must have, has been shown. . . to be faith and love combined, and love takes the precedence of faith. Satan is constantly at work to remove these precious gifts from the hearts of God’s people. All are engaged in playing the game of life. Satan is well aware that if he can remove love and faith, and supply their place with selfishness and unbelief, all the remaining precious traits will soon be skillfully removed by his deceitful hand, and the game will be lost.
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      “My dear brethren, will you allow Satan to accomplish his purpose? Will you submit to lose the game in which you desire to win everlasting life? If God has ever spoken by me, you will just as surely be overcome by Satan, instead of being overcomers, as the throne of God stands sure, unless you are entirely transformed. Love and faith must be won back. Will you engage in this conflict anew and win back the precious gifts of which you are nearly destitute? You will have to make efforts more earnest, more persevering and untiring, than you have ever yet made. It is not merely to pray or fast, but it is to be obedient, to divest yourselves of unselfishness, and keep the fast which God has chosen, which He will accept.” 2T 36, 37. See Isaiah 58:6-14.
      —“Beware of procrastination. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins, and seeking for purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss. I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger —a danger not sufficiently understood— in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is. Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction . . .
      “Let us not regard sin as a trivial thing . . . Calvary stands as a memorial of the amazing sacrifice required to atone for the transgression of the divine law . . .
      “Every act of transgression, every neglect or rejection of the grace of Christ, is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening the heart, depraving the will, benumbing the understanding, and not only making you less inclined to yield, but less capable of yielding, to the tender pleading of God’s Holy Spirit.
      “Many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose; that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again impressed. They think that after doing despite to the Spirit of grace, after casting their influence on the side of Satan, in a moment of terrible extremity they can change their course. But this is not so easily done. The experience, the education, of a lifetime, has so thoroughly molded the character that few then desire to receive the image of Jesus.
      “Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. . . . Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do?
      “Go to Him with your soul all stained as it is. Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye . . . Let it be your prayer, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ Psalm 51:10. Deal truly with your own soul.
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Be as earnest, as persistent, as you would be if your mortal life were at stake. This is a matter to be settled between God and your own soul, settled for eternity. A supposed hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin” SC 32-35. (Emphasis added.)
THESE THINGS SAITH THE AMEN, THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD;
      —Jesus is the True Witness.
      —“God has an exact record of every unjust account and every unfair dealing. He is not deceived by appearances of piety. He makes no mistakes in His estimation of character. Men may be deceived by those who are corrupt in heart, but God pierces all disguises and reads the inner life.” GC 486.
      —Jesus knows the actual condition of the Laodicean. That is why He is sending this love message to them!
      —But, in addition to being the True Witness, Jesus is also reminding Laodicea that He is the Amen, —the beginning of the creation of God.
      —“While you must do your part, yet it is God that must give you aid, and sanctify you. Christ makes us penitent that He may forgive us. We have an idea that we must do some of the work alone. We have thought that there are two or three steps that we must take without any help or support. But this is not so. The Spirit of God is continually wooing and drawing the soul to right purposes and into harmony with the law of God. The invitation is given to the helpless. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat. . .’ . As soon as we separate ourselves from evil, and choose to serve God, we shall respond to this invitation.” RH March 19, 1889
      —“Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work.” TM 508
I KNOW THY WORKS, THAT THOU ART NEITHER COLD NOR HOT: I WOULD THOU WERT COLD OR HOT. SO THEN BECAUSE THOU ART LUKEWARM, AND NEITHER COLD NOR HOT, I WILL SPUE THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH
      —“To those who are indifferent at this time Christ’s warning is:
      ‘Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.’ Revelation 3:16. The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you “Could the curtain be rolled back, could you discern the purposes of God and the judgments that are about to fall upon a doomed world, could you see your own attitude, you would fear and tremble for your own souls and for the souls of your fellow men Earnest prayers of heart-rending anguish would go up to heaven You would weep between the porch and the altar, confessing your spiritual blindness and backsliding.” 6T 408.
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      —Reread that, you who may be “indifferent”! Fall on your knees and ask for the “wares” the heavenly Merchantman is offering, ‘ without money and without price!
BECAUSE THOU SAYEST, I AM RICH, AND INCREASED WITH GOODS, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING: AND KNOWEST NOT THAT THOU ART WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED: I COUNSEL THEE TO BUY OF ME. . . .
      —In this lamentable picture which Jesus has painted of His beloved church, there are two sad words which stand out above all others, —“knowest not.”
      —“The only hope for the Laodiceans is a clear view of their standing before God, a knowledge of the nature of their disease.” 4T 87.
      —“What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness . . .
      “It is difficult for those who feel secure in their attainments, and who believe themselves to be rich in spiritual knowledge, to receive the message which declares that they are deceived and in need of every spiritual grace. The unsanctified heart is ‘deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.’ . . . Many are flattering themselves that they are good Christians, who have not a ray of light from Jesus. They have not a living experience for themselves in the divine life. They need a deep and thorough work of self-abasement before God before they will feel their true need of earnest, persevering effort to secure the precious graces of the Spirit.” 3T 252, 253.
      —“Today a large part of those who compose our congregations are dead in trespasses and sins. They come and go like the door upon its hinges. For years they have complacently listened to the most solemn, soul-stirring truths, but they have not put them in practice. Therefore they are less and less sensible of the preciousness of truth. The stirring testimonies of reproof and warning do not arouse them to repentance. The sweetest melodies that come from God through human lips —justification by faith, and the righteousness of Christ— do not call forth from them a response of love and gratitude. Though the heavenly Merchantman displays before them the richest jewels of faith and love, . . . they steel their hearts against Him, and fail to exchange their lukewarmness for love and zeal While making a profession, they deny the power of godliness. If they continue in this state, God will reject them. They are unfitting themselves to be members of His family.” 6T 426, 427.
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      —“The Laodicean message applies to the people of God who profess to believe present truth. The greater part are lukewarm professors, having a name but no zeal . . . They profess to love the truth, yet are deficient in Christian fervor and devotion. They dare not give up wholly and run the risk of the unbeliever, yet they are unwilling to die to self and follow out closely the principles of their faith . . .
      “The True Witness hates this lukewarmness. He loathes the indifference of this class of persons. Said He: ‘I would thou wert cold or hot.’ Like lukewarm water, they are nauseous to His taste . . . The internal work of grace is wanting in their hearts.” 4T 87, 88.
      —“The people to whom God has entrusted the sacred, solemn, testing truths for this time are sleeping at their post. They say by their actions: We have the truth; we are ‘rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ . . .
      “The very beginning of the evil was a neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer, then came a neglect of other religious duties, and thus the way was opened for all the sins that followed. Every Christian will be assailed by the allurements of the world, the clamors of the carnal nature, and the direct temptations of Satan. No one is safe. No matter what our experience has been, no matter how high our station, we need to watch and pray continually. We must be daily controlled by the Spirit of God or we are controlled by Satan.” 5T 101, 102. (Emphasis added.)
      —“Christ sees that which man does not see. He sees the sins which, if not repented of, will exhaust the patience of a long-suffering God. Christ cannot take up the names of those who are satisfied in their own self-sufficiency. He cannot importune in behalf of a people who feel no need of His help, who claim to know and possess everything.
      “The great Redeemer represents Himself as a heavenly Merchantman, laden with riches, calling from house to house, presenting His priceless goods, and saying,
‘I COUNSEL THEE TO BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, THAT THOU MAYEST BE RICH . . .’” 1SM 358
      —“The gold here recommended as having been tried in the fire is faith and love. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster.” 4T 88.
      —“We can not earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.” COL 117.
      —“Heed the counsel of the True Witness. Buy gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich . . . Make some effort. These precious treasures will not drop upon us without some exertion on our part. We must buy —‘be zealous and repent’ of our lukewarm state. We must be awake to see our wrongs, to search for our sins, and to zealously repent of them.
      “I saw that the brethren who have possessions have a work to do
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to tear away from these earthly treasures and to overcome their love of the world. Many of them love this world, love their treasure, but are not wiring to see it. They must be zealous and repent of their selfish covetousness, that the love of the truth may swallow up everything else. I saw that many of those who have riches fail to buy the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve. Their zeal does not possess intensity and earnestness proportionate to the value of the object of which they are in pursuit.
      “I saw these men while striving for the possessions of earth; what zeal they manifested, what earnestness, what energy to obtain an earthly treasure that must soon pass away! What cool calculations they made! They plan and toil early and late, and sacrifice their ease and comfort for earthly treasure. A corresponding zeal on their part to obtain the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve will bring them in possession of these desirable treasures and life, everlasting life, in the kingdom of God. I saw that if any need eyesalve, it is those who have earthly possessions. Many of them are blind to their own state, blind to their firm grasp upon this world. Oh, that they may see!” 1T 142, 143.
      —“I was directed to James 5:1-3; ‘Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you . . .
      “I saw that these fearful words apply particularly to the wealthy who profess to believe the present truth. The Lord calls them to use their means to advance His cause. Opportunities are presented to them, but they shut their eyes to the wants of the cause, and cling fast to their earthly treasure. Their love for the world is greater than their love for the truth, their love for their fellow men, or their love for God. He calls for their substance, but they selfishly, covetously, retain what they have. They give a little now and then to ease their conscience, but have not overcome their love for this world. They do not sacrifice for God . . . The work is closing; and soon the means of those who have kept their riches, their large farms, their cattle, etc., will not be wanted. I saw the Lord turn to such in anger, in wrath, and repeat these words: ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’ He has called, but you would not hear. Love of this world has drowned His voice. Now He has no use for you, and lets you go, bidding you: ‘Go to now, ye rich men.’” 1T 174, 175.
      —“Satan is pleased to have you increase your farms and invest your means in worldly enterprises, for by so doing you not only hinder the cause from advancing, but by anxiety and overwork lessen your prospect for eternal life . . .
      “It is now that our brethren should be cutting down their possessions instead of increasing them. We are about to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Then let us not be dwellers upon the earth, but be getting things into as compact a compass as possible.” 5T 152.
I COUNSEL THEE TO BUY OF ME. . .WHITE RAIMENT, THAT THOU MAYEST BE CLOTHED, AND THAT THE SHAME OF THY I NAKEDNESS DO NOT APPEAR;
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      —“Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided, can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul . . .
      “This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. ‘All our righteousness are as filthy rags.’ (Isa. 64:6.) Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God ‘was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.’ Sin is defined to be ‘the transgression of the law.’ (1John 3:5, 4.) But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ (Ps. 40:8.) When on earth He said to His disciples, ‘I have kept My Father’s commandments.’ (John 15:10.) By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us, He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.” COL 311, 312.
I COUNSEL THEE TO . . . ANOINT THINK EYES WITH EYE-t SALVE, THAT THOU MAYEST SEE.
      —“. . .The eyesalve is that spiritual discernment which will enable you—
          to see the wiles of Satan and shun them,
          to detect sin and abhor it,
          to see truth and obey it.” 5T 233.
      —“The eye is the sensitive conscience, the inner light, of the mind. Upon its correct view of things the spiritual healthfulness of the whole soul and being depends. The ‘eyesalve,’ the Word of God, makes the conscience smart under its application; for it convicts of sin. But the smarting is necessary that the healing may follow, and the eye be single to the glory of God.” 7BC 965.
      —Laodiceans, the heavenly Merchantman tells us that we will be left to the control of evil angels, if we do not purchase from Him His treasures:
      “God leads His people on, step by step. He brings them up to different points calculated to manifest what is in the heart. Some endure at one point, but fall off at the next. At every advanced point the heart is tested and tried a little closer. If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to this straight work, it should convince them that they have a work to do to overcome, if they will not be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord. Said the angel: ‘God will bring His work closer and closer to test and prove every one of His people.’ Some are willing to receive one point;
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but when God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it and stand back, because they find that it strikes directly at some cherished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what is in their hearts that shuts out Jesus. They prize something higher than the truth, and their hearts are not prepared to receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and proved a length of time to see if they will sacrifice their idols and heed the counsel of the True Witness. If any will not be purified through obeying the truth, and overcome their selfishness, their pride, and evil passions, the angels of God have the charge: ‘They are joined to their idols, let them alone,’ and they pass on to their work, leaving these with their sinful traits unsubdued, to the control of evil angels.” 1T 187.
      —Laodicea, meditate on this horrible fate! Satan and his legions are hard taskmasters, and delight in the misery of their subjects!
      —Jesus longs to shield you, Laodicea. He devises love-plans for each of His children, to shock them, if possible, out of their lukewarmness.
AS MANY AS I LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN
      —Yes, Laodicea, Jesus loves you through chastenings!
      —“How few are aware that they have darling idols, that they have cherished sins! God sees these sins to which you may be blinded, and He works with His pruning knife to strike deep and separate these cherished sins from you . . . He takes the very best way to bring about the desired results.” 3T 543.
      —“He wounds only that He may heal, not cause to perish . . . He reproves, He rebukes, He chastens; but it is only that He may restore and approve at last.” TM 23.
      —“Through affliction God reveals to us the plague spots in our characters, that by His grace we may overcome our faults. Unknown chapters in regard to ourselves are opened to us, and the test comes, whether we will accept the reproof and the counsel of God. When brought into trial, we are not to fret and complain. We should not rebel, or worry ourselves out of the hand of Christ. We are to humble the soul before God. The ways of the Lord are obscure to him who desires to see things in a light pleasing to himself. They appear dark and joyless to our human nature. But God’s ways are ways of mercy and the end is salvation.” DA 301.
      —“To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest. They will look back with thankfulness upon the darkest part of their way . . . From every temptation and every trial He will bring them forth with firmer faith and a richer experience.” DA 528.
      —“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten . . .”
      —Yes, that includes me!
      —Let us say with the Psalmist: “Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:164.
ZEALOUS THEREFORE, AND REPENT.
      —“Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it.
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We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.
      “There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense . . .
      “But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The ‘Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world’ illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven.” SC 23, 24.
      —“But no man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I can not give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I can not keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.
      “It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Only by constant renunciation of self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely.” COL 159, 160. (Emphasis added.)
      —“Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice.” SC 36.
BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR
      —of your heart, Laodicea—
AND KNOCK:
      —Listen! I have been patiently knocking for some time!
      —“It is the sinner himself who has barred the door. Will he take down the barriers? Will he unbolt the door? The locks are all on his side of the door, not on the Saviour’s side.” RH March 5, 1889.
      —“Jesus will not force open the door. You must open it yourselves and show that you desire His presence by giving Him a sincere welcome.” 2T 217.
      —“With every knock unheeded, the disposition to open becomes weaker. The impressions of the Holy Spirit if disregarded today,
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will not be as strong tomorrow. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of life, and of the great eternity beyond.” DA 490.
      —“. . . Many have so much rubbish piled up at the door of their heart that they cannot get the door open. Some have difficulties between themselves and their brethren to remove. Others have evil tempers, selfish covetousness, to remove before they can open the door. Others have rolled the world before the door of their heart, which bars the door. All this rubbish must be taken away, and then they can open the door and welcome the Saviour in.” 1T 143.
      —Laodicea, you can’t remove the rubbish from the door of your heart alone! The True Witness knows this. He presents Himself to you as the “Amen, . . . the beginning of the creation of God.” He will rejoice to remove the rubbish, the moment you consent to let Him!
      —The heavenly Merchantman is displaying His treasures before the door of your heart. He tenderly pleads,
          “BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, . . .
          AND WHITE RAIMENT, . . .
          AND ANOINT THINK EYES WITH EYESALVE . . .”
IF ANY MAN
      —“whosoever”, John 3:16,—
HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.
      —“He is not repulsed by scorn or turned aside by threatening, but continually seeks the lost ones, saying, ‘How shall I give thee up?’ Although His love is driven back by the stubborn heart, He returns with greater force, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.’ The winning power of His love compels souls to come in.” COL 235.
      —“Oh, how precious was this promise, . . . ‘I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’ Oh, the love, the wondrous love of God! After all our lukewarmness and sins He says: ‘Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.’ This was repeated by the angel a number of times. ‘Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.’” 1T 143.
      —The heavenly Merchantman gives a beautiful promise to those who will purchase His rich treasures —His precious jewels!
TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH
      —buying from Me the fine gold of love and faith;
      —accepting My beautiful robe of perfect righteousness;
      —and permitting My eyesalve to enlighten his mind with My Word —
WILL I GRANT TO SIT WITH ME IN MY THRONE, EVEN AS I ALSO OVERCAME, AND AM SET DOWN WITH MY FATHER IN HIS THRONE.
      —“His victory is ours . . .
      “Henceforward Christ’s followers were to look upon Satan as a conquered foe. Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; that victory He desired them to accept as their own.” DA 123, 490.
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      —If we accept the victory Christ gained for us, then we may have a crown from the Victor! —and a place by His side!
      —“We can overcome. Yes; fully, entirely. Jesus died to make a way of escape for us, that we might overcome every evil temper, every sin, every temptation, and sit down at last with Him.” 1T 144.
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.
      —“If you ‘hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,’ and meditate upon the instruction given to them, your ears will be closed to the folly and nonsense which surround you. You will neither hear and repeat these things, nor will you ever hanker after them. When Christ satisfies the soul hunger, these trivialities are to you distasteful and disgusting. You have no desire to feast upon them, but choose instead the bread of heaven.” 7BC 957.
      —“The thought of foolishness is sin . . .” Proverbs 24:9.
      —“For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool . . .” Ecclesiastes 7:6.
      —“. . . Minds that are occupied with frivolous reading, with exciting stories, or with seeking after amusement, do not dwell upon Christ, and cannot rejoice in the fullness of His love. The mind that finds pleasure in foolish thoughts and trifling conversation, is as destitute of the joy of Christ as were the hills of Gilboa of dew or rain. Does not your own experience testify to this? How much peace of mind do you have at the close of a day spent in frivolity, in light and trifling conversation? Can you retire to rest at night, saying, it is well, it is well with my soul; my life is hid: with Christ in God, and when He who is my life shall appear, then shall I also appear with Him in glory’? How often when you come into the house of God, into the solemn assembly, your thoughts are turned to that foolish remark which some one has made, to that idle story, or that comical thing which you read or saw. And the thought will come at just such a time as to eclipse a bright ray of the glory of Christ, and you lose the benefit of the heaven-sent light which you ought to receive. Keep the mind free from all such trash.” RH March 15, 1892. (Emphasis added.)

“THE SOLEMN MESSAGES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN THEIR ORDER IN THE REVELATION ARE TO OCCUPY THE FIRST PLACE IN THE MINDS OF GOD’S PEOPLE. NOTHING ELSE IS TO BE ALLOWED TO ENGROSS OUR ATTENTION.” 8T 302.

      —As these seven messages come across the sands of time —right from the heart of Jesus to you—
          make a new resolution that you will let Him take charge of your mind!
          Let these messages reshape your life!
          Allow these messages to become the central part of your thought patterns!
          Memorize them! Memorizing God’s Word strengthens your
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mind! “Nothing will so help to give . . . a retentive memory as a study of the Scriptures.” 8T 156.
      —“The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible to one another, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. The richest treasures of thought are waiting for the diligent student . . . The mental powers win surely become contracted, and will lose their ability to grasp the deep meanings of the word of God, unless they are put vigorously. . .to the task of searching for truth.” CT 461, 460.
      —“Many seem to have no mental power. They have not educated the mind to think; and because they have not done this, they suppose they cannot. Meditation and prayer are necessary to a growth in grace . . . Some need to discipline the mind by exercise. They should force it to think . . . Efforts must be made by every individual to educate the mind.” 2T 187, 188.
      —The most valuable portion of Adam’s body was the mind God gave him. This mind lifted him above the animal level. He was made in the image of his Maker!
      —Protect your God-given mind! Don’t put anything into your body that would weaken or deaden your mind! To becloud the senses gives Satan an advantage. (See DA 746.) Do your part to keep your mind clear, so God can speak to you through it!
      —Don’t waste your precious time, given you of God to prepare for eternity, by idling away your moments with unimportant, trifling, foolish, and detrimental stories and facts! Don’t clutter your mind with detractions, but ask God to keep it set toward the goal of getting better acquainted with your heavenly Family, so that someday you may be translated to live with Them!
      —Cease to spend so much of your mental energy planning how to accumulate earthly possessions! If we seek first “the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” the necessary things will be provided. See Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19.
      —You may need to make some drastic changes in your pattern of living, in order to really make God’s kingdom first in your life!
      —The gold offered to you by the heavenly Merchantman is worth more than houses or lands; it is worth more than stocks and bonds; it is worth more than all the gold at Fort Knox or the entire world! The gold of this earth will soon pass away. (“Your riches are corrupted . . . Your gold and silver is cankered . . . The elements shall melt with fervent heat . . .” James 5:2, 3; 2Peter 3:10.) But the gold Jesus is offering you, without money and without price, will last forever!
      —“At such a time as this, just as the great work of judging the living is to begin, shall we allow unsanctified ambition to take possession of the heart? What can be of any worth to us now except to be found loyal and true to the God of heaven? What is there of any real value in this world when we are on the very borders of the eternal world? What education can we give . . . that is so necessary as a knowledge of ‘What saith the Scripture?’” 5T 526.
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      —Dedicate your mind to the task of securing eternal possessions! Make all other thoughts secondary to this!
      —Resolve, by the grace of God, that from now on, the solemn messages which Jesus has sent to you from the Isle of Patmos, will indeed occupy the first place in your mind!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!

      —God so loved you that He sent His only Son on an expensive mission —to put eternal life within your reach!

GOD’S HOLY LAW IS ETERNAL —IT CAN NEVER BE CHANGED!

      —It is the foundation of His government —and can become the foundation of your faith, if nothing is allowed to come between you and your Lord!

THE BIBLE IS GOD’S ENDURING, UNALTERABLE WORD!

      —Cherish it above every earthly possession; yes, above life itself!

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!

      —You may enjoy a victorious Christian life —and life eternal through the life and the death of your blessed Redeemer!

THE HOUR OF GODS JUDGMENT IS COME!

      —Jesus is standing in the heavenly courtroom, longing to be your Advocate!

GOD’S HOLY LAW IS ETERNAL —IT CAN NEVER BE CHANGED!

      —The blessings of the fourth commandment enfold into a precious companionship, as you get better acquainted with your Creator on His Sabbath —His special Family-day!

BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE,. . . AND WHITE RAIMENT,. . . AND ANOINT THINK EYES WITH EYESALVE.

      —The heavenly Merchantman offers priceless jewels —treasures which will change your life! —if you will only accept them.
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In the messages given by Ephesus, Thyatira, and Laodicea,
      —the first, the center, and the
          last there is one underlying theme.
          That theme is —Jesus!
      Ephesus announces the first advent of Jesus;
          Thyatira presents righteousness by faith in Jesus;
          and Laodicea renews the appeal to accept Jesus.

      —In the messages given to Smyrna, Pergamos, and Philadelphia, there is also a common, central theme. That theme is elevating God’s holy law, which is found in His written, unchangeable Word!
          Jesus was the living action of God’s written Word!
          “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . .” John 1:14. See verses 1-3.
          “Christ was a living representation of the law.” DA 287.
          God’s holy law was written upon His heart, and it is a transcript of His perfect character.
          Psalms 40:8; PP 52 with John 10:30.
      —As Smyrna, Pergamos, and Philadelphia present their messages to mankind, our eyes are brought to one focus:
          We see Jesus! —the living Word! —the living Law!

      —Jesus is also lifted up before humanity in the Sardis message. See Him, with nail-pierced hands outstretched before the Father, interceding as Advocate for His pardoned children! The hour of God’s judgment is come!
          How thankful we are that there is a Saviour in the center of the heavenly courtroom!

      —Only one word —a Living Word— will sum up all of the seven messages to God’s people!

      —Say it reverently. That word is —Jesus!

      —We have had the exalted privilege of beholding


      —If this interview, on your Isle of Patmos, is allowed to influence your entire being, by the grace of God, its peace will remain with you forever. And each day you will be inwardly conscious of the special companionship between you and your wonderful Friend. You will find your visits to your spot of seclusion growing more frequent, and more meaningful as time goes by.
      —And then will come that very special interview, when you will stand with the redeemed on the sea of glass! The thrilling moment will arrive when the eyes of your Friend from Patmos will meet your eyes, and you will kneel before your Saviour while He places on your head the crown of victory!
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