Thursday, April 24, 2014

Foolish Questions

"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain." Titus 3:9

"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes." 2 Timothy 2:23

"We shall meet those who allow their minds to wander into idle speculations about things of which nothing is said in the Word of God. . . . Study the truths that have been revealed." RH Feb. 5, 1901

"I think we must tell them to read and speak of the things that are plainly revealed. We have encouragement in the Word that if we walk humbly with God, we shall receive instruction. But prying curiosity is not to be encouraged. . . . We may answer foolish questions by saying, Wait, and we shall all know what is essential for us to know. Our salvation does not depend on side issues." Letter 58, 1900

"Strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers." 2 Timothy 2:14

"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." 1 Timothy 1:4

"Preach the word." 2 Timothy 4:2

"But we are warned against undue curiosity. 'Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness,' leading into paths of supposition and imagination, with which we have nothing to do. These are vain, unessential theories of human creation, which keep the mind dwelling upon nothingness. They have in them nothing sure or substantial." RH Feb. 5, 1901

"And although we may try to reason in regard to our Creator, how long He has had existence, where evil first entered into our world, and all these things, we may reason about them until we fall down faint and exhausted with the research when there is yet an infinity beyond." Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, p. 65

"Christ shows them that, although they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years, yet His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures." Ev 616

Monday, April 21, 2014

Thinking to be Wiser Than God

Selections from The Great Controversy, pp. 521-524

"The whole Bible should be given to the people just as it reads."

"The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to become acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave to men the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ Himself came to make known to Daniel and John the things that must shortly come to pass. Those important matters that concern our salvation were not left involved in mystery. They were not revealed in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after truth. Said the Lord by the prophet Habakkuk: 'Write the vision, and make it plain, . . . that he may run that readeth it.' Habakkuk 2:2. The word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth."

"Men have endeavored to be wiser than their Creator; human philosophy has attempted to search out and explain mysteries which will never be revealed through the eternal ages. If men would but search and understand what God has made known of Himself and His purposes, they would obtain such a view of the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah that they would realize their own littleness and would be content with that which has been revealed for themselves and their children."

"It is a masterpiece of Satan's deceptions to keep the minds of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that which God has not made known and which He does not intend that we shall understand. It was thus that Lucifer lost his place in heaven. He became dissatisfied because all the secrets of God's purposes were not confided to him, and he entirely disregarded that which was revealed concerning his own work in the lofty position assigned him. By arousing the same discontent in the angels under his command, he caused their fall. Now he seeks to imbue the minds of men with the same spirit and to lead them also to disregard the direct commands of God."

"Another dangerous error is the doctrine that denies the deity of Christ, claiming that He had no existence before His advent to this world. This theory is received with favor by a large class who profess to believe the Bible; yet it directly contradicts the plainest statements of our Saviour concerning His relationship with the Father, His divine character, and His pre-existence. It cannot be entertained without the most unwarranted wresting of the Scriptures. It not only lowers man's conceptions of the work of redemption, but undermines faith in the Bible as a revelation from God. . . . If men reject the testimony of the inspired Scriptures concerning the deity of Christ, it is in vain to argue the point with them."

Monday, April 14, 2014

The Closing Work

The Bible explains the closing work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary through a number of different expressions. This closing work is a significant focal point of Bible prophecy and of Christ's own teachings. Each one of the activities listed below describes the same process. It is a work that began at the end of prophetic history on October 22, 1844, and will conclude at the close of human probation when Jesus leaves the most holy place. Some Bible verses depict it as a singular event, perhaps even at a point in time after the fact, rather than expounding on the details of the process. That's because certain explanations only describe what is ultimately accomplished by the process, or its resulting product.

The Bible can correctly summarize the whole operation as a singe event because, as evidence indicates, the business was never intended to take much time. The measurement of prophetic time stopped in 1844. No set length of time was allotted for the closing work. It is a task to be accomplished, and as soon as it is done, Jesus will leave the sanctuary, probation will close, and the unrepentant will have no shelter.

Below are seven ways the Bible explains this closing work.

The Separation
Matthew 13:47-50  The Parable of the Net
Matthew 25:31-46  The Sheep and the Goats

The Harvest
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43  The Wheat and the Tares
Revelation 14:14-20  The Two Harvests
Mark 4:26-29  The Harvest

The Sealing
Ezekiel 9:4  A Mark in the Forehead
Revelation 7:1-3  The Seal of the Living God
Revelation 14:1  The Father's name in the forehead
Revelation 22:11  Everyone's Condition is Fixed

The Wedding
Revelation 19:7-9  The Marriage of the Lamb
Luke 12:35, 36  The Wedding
Matthew 25:1-12  Meeting the Bridegroom
Matthew 22:1-14  The Wedding Garment
Revelation 3:4, 5, 18; 7:9, 13-15  White Raiment

The Kingdom Established
Revelation 11:15-17  The Seventh Trumpet
Daniel 2:34, 35, 44, 45  The Stone Mountain
Daniel 7:13, 14  The Son of Man Receives a Kingdom
Daniel 12:1  Michael Stands Up
Luke 19:12, 15  The Noble Who Receives a Kingdom

The Lawsuit
Romans 14:10-12  All Are Summoned
Daniel 7:9, 10  The Court Convenes
Revelation 14:6, 7  The International Press Release
Zechariah 3:1-5  The Plaintiff Brings Accusation
Revelation 4 & 5  The Jury and the Opening of the Depositions
Matthew 12:36, 37  The Evidence
Ecclesiastes 12:14  The Evidence
Romans 8:34  The Counsel for the Defense
Revelation 12:10, 11  The Verdict

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
Hebrews 9  The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuaries
Daniel 8:14  The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
Leviticus 16  The Day of Atonement
Revelation 11:1  Measuring the Temple, Altar, and Worshippers
Malachi 3:1-5, 16-18  The Lord Comes to His Temple