A subtle deception has entered the Adventist church today. A deception that is so subtle that if not exposed it will lead many to enter into the time of trouble without the preparation needed to be able stand. Only when it is too late will they realize their mistake.
This deception is the belief that we have nothing to fear in the last days and therefore we need not be concerned about preparing for it. However the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that there is a preparation of our characters that needs to be done if we are to enter the final testing time without fear. But sadly, many have been lulled into believing that there is no special preparation needed, that God will somehow see them through.
It hit me one evening when I was attending a prayer meeting on the time of trouble and the seven last plagues. I have heard it many times before as the preacher presents the scenes of the seven last plagues and the close of probation, and in an attempt to soothe the audience’s fears the preacher will claim the promises of Psalms 91:7, 8 which says that “…A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked“. But this time was different. As I heard that message, it hit me; many Adventist’s consciences have used them as a balm to neglect the preparation that is needed for us to stand in the last days. All throughout the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy Mrs. White tells us that we must prepare for the time of trouble, and that it will be worse than anything we can imagine.
Another story in the Bible has been used for many decades to calm the conscience and lull us into neglecting the preparation needed. In Daniel chapter 3 we find the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego. These three Hebrew young men stood firm for God in the face of certain death. When King Nebuchadnezzar gave them a second chance to bow down to the idol of gold, their answer was firm …"O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” Most people stop there and do not ponder the last part of their answer in verse 18. “…But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." They were certain that no matter what God decided they were willing to leave it in His hands.
This kind of courage in the face of certain death is not something that just happens overnight. There is a preparation that must take place first, a preparation ahead of the trial. Before these three Hebrew boys were able to stand during the fiery trial we find in Daniel 2 that they prepared themselves by not defiling themselves with the king’s food, and were not corrupted by the culture of Babylon. They took a stand for God in the little things and that in doing so it prepared them to stand firm for God when it mattered most.
Over the years I believe that many pastors as well as many in church leadership have unconscientiously taken this story and used it to quiet the fears Adventists had regarding the Time of Trouble. I believe it has been softened to the point where it is implied that we do not need to prepare for the Time of Trouble because God will take care of us through it. This is the subtle and dangerous deception that Satan would like for us to believe. And sadly many in the church have embraced this deception.
It is Satan’s desire to separate us from the power and protection of God. He knows that even the weakest sinner that submits themselves to God is more than a match for him. So Satan has taken a different tact with Adventists then with other Christian’s. He has lulled them to put off the preparation that he knows they will need to stand in the last days.
In this study we are going to take a look at three main points. First, what does the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy say in regards to persecution and the Time of Trouble? Will we indeed have to go through persecution, and will that persecution be such that we will have to give up our lives? Second, what preparation is needed to be able to stand in the Time of trouble? And lastly, who are the 144,000 and what is their purpose?
Persecution in the Last Days:
Throughout the Spirit of Prophecy we find many references that point to persecution that will come to the church just before the Second Coming. Below I will list several quotations:
In Selected Messages, Volume 3, p. 387 it says “The persecutions of Protestants by Romanism, by which the religion of Jesus Christ was almost annihilated, will be more than rivaled when Protestantism and popery are combined.”
"The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time-serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world..." Maranatha, p. 194
The above quotes set the stage for the persecution that is to come in the last days. We know that Rome will regain its former power, and we will see persecution once again.
"The true and faithful follower of Christ must suffer persecution. There is no way of avoiding it. Paul wrote to Timothy: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Review & Harold, April 19, 1898, par.14
There is no way to avoid persecution in the last days, the only thing we can do is to prepare for it.
"In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord's servants will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to His word alone. God's Spirit, moving upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak. . . . Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to exclaim: "Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace." They are hedged in with difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish. They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength." Maranatha, p.186
The following quote I believe is one of the strongest ones that tell us that we MUST prepare for the trials and persecutions that are to come.
"The "time of trouble, such as never was," is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent (lazy) to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God." The Great Controversy, p.622
These are just a few of the many references to persecution in the last days. From these passages it is evident that there will be persecution, and that it will be worse than we can imagine. We are counseled that there is a preparation that is needed on our part, we need to develop an experience, a trust in God now that will sustain us when it appears as though we will be overcome.
Will We Have to Give our Lives?:
The last part of the question is will we be asked to give our lives during this persecution. This is a good question and for many this is a scary subject. The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy confirm that after the close of probation there will be no martyrs and I believe this to be so, but what about before the close of probation. Will there be martyrs? I believe that the answer to that question is yes. There are many passages in the Bible and in the Spirit of Prophecy that tell us just that. However, Revelation chapter 6 tells us that there will be many martyrs.
Revelation 6 has long been understood to represent the early church up to the second coming. While this still holds true, there is an additional fulfillment that can be applied to the last days. The Spirit of Prophecy points to the connection of Revelation 6 & 18 and the last days in the book Maranatha p. 199. There are many prophecies in the Bible that have multiple fulfillments, to name a few, Matthew 24; Ezekiel 8 & 9. Both have met their fulfillments in the past, but also carry messages that relate to the last days. Revelation is no different. Lets take a look
The First Seal – The White Horse:
Revelation 6:1, 2 – “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
In Revelation 6 it opens with the opening of the seals. The first seal is the white horse and the rider is given a crown and goes out conquering and to conquer. The rider is Jesus Christ and represents that time we are living in right now. There has been an explosion throughout the world; Christ is working mightily to bring the message to every nation, tribe, tongue and people. This is the time of the first and second angel’s messages. The message right now is going mightily to all corners of the globe. The Loud Cry is about to be given at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Second Seal – The Red Horse:
Revelation 6:3, 4 – “When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see. Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. “
As the second seal is opened it is depicted as a Fiery Red Horse. “And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and their was given him a great sword.” There are a few things we need to notice about this horse. First that it has a rider, but this one is different from the other rider. This rider goes to take peace from the earth. And second, he needs permission to do this. We know that this is not God since God does not need permission to do anything. He has all power and authority. The rider of this horse is Satan himself. God grants him permission to take peace from the earth. This is the strife that will come upon the earth because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is Satan’s response to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Third Seal – The Black Horse:
Revelation 6:5, 6 - "When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."
The next horse is the black horse, and in his hands are scales. We notice that this rider does not need permission, and the balances in the hands represent judgment. This rider cannot be Satan since he is never a judge but“… the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10). At the time of the third angel’s message everyone will be judged. The third angel’s message is the dividing message; it is what divides the righteous from the wicked. This is the judgment of the living. At the time of the third angel, everyone will be judged based upon their reaction to the enforcement of the Sunday law. Those who bow for one reason or another to the beast will receive its mark. Those who will not sacrifice principal will receive the seal of God.
However, in verse 6 it has some additional information. There is a dividing taking place, 1 quart of wheat; 3 quarts of barley; oil and wine. Wheat always represents God’s people, barley on the other hand is a common food of lesser quality than wheat which represents the lost. But there is an additional group mentioned here. It is the Oil and the Wine. What is this group? Oil represents the Holy Spirit and wine represents the blood of Jesus Christ. Interestingly it states “…do not harm the oil and the wine.” This group is the 144,000. More on this later.
The black horse represents the judgment of the whole world. Everyone that is alive will be in one camp or another. The 1 quart of wheat which represents 1/4th of the world’s population will be represented as God’s people. Did you ever imagine that the response to the Loud Cry would be so large that it would represent one fourth of the world’s population. That’s at least one billion people. What a wonderful, bountiful harvest. However, the sad part is that the 3 quarts of barley which represents 3/4ths of the world’s population and the wicked will be lost.
The Fourth Seal – The Pale Horse:
Revelation 6:7, 8 – " And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
The next horse to come on the scene is the pale horse and once again we see that power was given to this rider to kill one fourth of the earth. This rider is Satan and he is granted power to kill the one fourth of the earth. In the third seal right before this one there was a separation of the world into three groups. One fourth was wheat, three fourths is barley, and then there is the oil and the wine. The fourth part of the earth that Satan is granted to kill is all of those who have chosen Christ in the loud cry.
So the question arises why would God allow them to be killed, doesn’t He promise to take care of us through the time of trouble. Notice in verse 6 that only the oil and the wine are protected from harm. The 144,000 are given special protection. More on that in a minute. But those who have come into God’s end time church (Rev. 12:17) from other protestant churches, from the Catholic Church, out of atheism, out of Islam, or out of any other religion, have not had the opportunity to perfect their characters. They have not had the time to wash their robes in the blood of the lamb. The process of sanctification has not had enough time to prepare them to be translated to heaven without seeing death. None of these have the perfection of character necessary to see them through the time of Jacobs’s trouble after the close of probation when there is no longer a mediator in the Most Holy Place to atone for any sins that stem from imperfect characters.
In the Bible there are only two groups of people that go to Heaven, those who are resurrected and those who are translated without seeing death. We only have a biblical record of two people who were translated to heaven without seeing death. They were Enoch and Elijah. Both of them had attained character perfection and were translated without seeing death. However we do have a record of one other person that was taken to heaven, but he was not translated, he was taken to heaven through death (Jude 9). Moses’ death represents all those who will be raised at the second coming of Christ. Upon reaching the borders of the Promised Land Moses had developed a strong relationship with God, during the 40 years he spent tending the sheep he had humbled himself before God and had washed his character in the blood of Christ. However there was one character flaw that remained. I believe that if God had allowed him to enter into the promise land with an imperfect character it would have destroyed him. Moses represents all those in the last days that respond to the loud cry, but have not attained the perfection of character needed to stand after the close of probation when there is no longer a mediator to atone for any sins committed during the testing time.
Many will respond to the gospel message given under the power of the out pouring of the Holy Spirit. The Great Controversy p. 612 says “…Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.” In this passage we clearly see that there are a large number of people who will break away from the deception that has kept them from accepting the truth. They will come from all walks of life. Many will come from the Catholic and Protestant churches, some will come from the other religions of the world, while others will come directly out of atheism more commonly know as post-modernism, and some will come directly out of a sinful life such as gangs, prostitution, and the like.
Those who come out of these false forms of religion, known as Babylon, will be responding to the truth under the power of the Holy Spirit, but none of these are ready to go through the final test of time of trouble without sinning. Only those who have made a preparation for that time will be able to stand. So the question is how will God save these people who have come out of Babylon, if they will not be able to stand during the time of trouble? The answer is He will save them through death just like Moses. Their characters will be perfected through the grave. The one fourth of the earth that Satan is allowed to kill under the fourth seal is this group that takes a stand for Jesus at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Their test of loyalty to Christ is martyrdom.
The Fifth Seal – The Cry of the Martyrs:
Revelation 6:9 - 11 – " And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
The next scene that comes before us is the imagery of souls crying under the alter. This scene follows the fourth seal where power was granted to Satan through the nations of the earth to kill one fourth of the earth representing all those who have responded to the loud cry. We find in verses 5 and 6 that this number is a very large number since one quart of wheat represents one fourth of the earth which will number from one billion to one and a half billion people. Now we know that the souls depicted under the alter are only symbolic since the Bible is clear that death is a sleep and in a similar passage in Genesis 4:10 it says “The voice of your brothers blood cries out to Me from the ground.” speaking of the murder of Able by his brother Cain. This is clearly speaking of the demand for justice of sins committed against God’s people. It is also important to note that they were “…slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held.” Their death was a testimony that they had chosen the seal of God over the mark of the beast.
However, it also implies that there will be a period of time before the close of probation where there will be a large number of martyrs in the last days which will take a period of time to be carried out. Even though the whole world will be involved putting God’s people to death, it takes time to accomplish it. It took Hitler about three years to kill six million Jews, one billion or more will take some time to complete, which is why God says in verse 11 that “…they should rest a while longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was complete.”
Before we get into discussing the last part of the third seal, the oil and the wine, lets look for some additional scriptural evidence to support this interpretation so that we may be able to have the correct application in our lives.
In Matthew 10:16-22 is speaks of the persecutions that the disciples would face, but it also applies to the last days as well. In verse 21 it states that “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” And in verse 22, it says “But he who endures to the end will be saved.” This does not mean that only those who make it through the time of persecution with out dying will be saved, it simply means that those who hold fast to their decisions until they seal their decision with their blood will be saved. Those that come out of Babylon during the loud cry will need to endure persecution until the death. This persecution will weed out the superficial, only those whose hearts are truly repentant will hold on to Christ even unto death.
Additionally in Revelation 20:4 it says “…and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;…”. Many times I have read this passage but missed the connection to those who are to be persecuted in the last days. In this verse it is clearly speaking of those in the last days since they did not worship the beast, his image, nor did they receive the mark of the beast. These are the ones who got victory over the beast; they were beheaded as a testimony to Jesus. And through their example many more will take their stand.
In Revelation 16:5, 6 talking about the third plague where the water was turned to blood an angel said “And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” In this text it is speaking about the judgment of those who have shed the blood of those who have come out of Babylon by responding and holding firm to their decisions in the out pouring of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, in verse 7 it refers to a voice from the alter referring to Revelation 6:10, saying “… true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Now let’s look at a few passages from the Spirit of Prophecy that also support this interpretation. In Selected Messages Vol. 3, p. 397 it says “When this grand work is to take place in the battle, prior to the last closing conflict, many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ's sake in standing in defense of the truth.” Sister White points out here that at the end of time there will be many martyrs for Christ.
In Selected Messages Vol. 3, p. 420 it says “Now some of us may be brought to just as severe a test--will we obey the commandments of men or will we obey the commandments of God? This is the question that will be asked of many. The best thing for us is to come into close connection with God, and, if He would have us be martyrs for the truth's sake, it may be the means of bringing many more into the truth.--
When for the truth's sake the believer is incarcerated in prison walls, Christ manifests Himself to him, and ravishes his heart with His love. When he suffers death for the sake of Christ, Christ says to him, "They may kill the body, but they cannot hurt the soul." "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." "They crucified Me, and if they put you to death, they crucify Me afresh in the person of My saints."
In Prophets & Kings p. 588 she says “Men will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine law. Those who are true to God will be menaced, denounced, proscribed. They will be "betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends," even unto death.” quoting Matthew 10:21.
And the last one I will quote comes from The Great Controversy, p. 637 “…All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.” Notice that this quote states that all that have died in the faith of the third angel’s message… This is the time of the fourth seal, it is specifically talking about the time of the enforcement of the mark of the beast. Those who come out of Babylon will seal their decision with their lives, but they have a special promise to be resurrected just prior to the second coming of Christ to see him coming in the clouds. What a beautiful promise this is.
From these texts and passages from the Spirit of Prophecy it is clear that there will be many who will be martyred in the last days, but those martyrs will have a purpose, their testimony will be a means by which others will take their stand for the Lord and will also seal their decisions by death.
The Oil and the Wine: 144,000:
After the time has been completed, after all those who have come out of Babylon have sealed their decision with their blood the only faithful ones left will be the 144,000. These have been set apart for a special purpose. They will be the ones that vindicate the character of God. While Christ overcame where Adam had failed, Satan can still claim that while Christ overcame, we are still incapable of keeping the God’s law, which is what he has claimed all along. In answer to Satan’s claim God will produce not just a few, but 144,000 who will overcome as Christ overcame. The 144,000 will be without spot or blemish in their characters because they will have washed their characters in the blood of Christ. The process of washing their characters in the blood of the Lamb implies a preparation that must take place beforehand. This is something that those who have come out of Babylon have not done.
God will allow Satan to try them to the utmost, and in doing so the 144,000 will have the honor of vindicating the character of God through the time of trouble such as never was in the history of the of the world.
Some of the characteristics of the 144,000 are that they will have the seal of the living God; they will not be not be defiled by women, meaning that they will come from the remnant church, they will not come from those who respond to the loud cry. They will not be corrupted by the doctrines of other churches.
They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. This characteristic points to their close relationship with Christ, these have cultivated a trusting relationship with Christ and will go and do anything that the Lord asks of them. It also implies that they have reached character perfection, and have shed any desire for the things of this world.
And finally there is no guile found in their mouth. In Matthew 5 Jesus points out that sin begins in the heart, and that it was not a matter of keeping the letter of the law but the spirit also. In Matthew 12:34 “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” For there to be no guile (deceit) in their mouths their hearts must be pure representing character perfection.
The final stage of the 144,000 will be in the testing of their characters. Mrs. White tells us in Christ Object Lessons p. 412 that “…It is in a crisis that character is revealed.” Like the potter who has perfectly shaped his pottery, it must be put through the fire for the perfection to be complete. Any imperfections in the pottery will be revealed in the fire, so too must those who have been perfected by Christ be put through the fire to complete their perfection. Satan will test each of the 144,000 looking for any imperfections in their characters so that he can exploit them and cause them to sin. If he can do that he will claim victory.
For this reason we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that we must all strive to be one of the 144,000. For those who desire to live until Jesus comes, the perfection of our characters is all important. Anyone who approaches this time with out preparation, without overcoming every sinful desire in their hearts will be over come by Satan. And they will be forever lost because there is no longer an intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary to atone for their sins.
In Revelation 3 God’s last day church is the church of Laodicea, this church is depicted as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They are in a state of self sufficiency; they have lost their spiritual discernment and they cannot see that they are naked, without the righteousness of Jesus Christ. They are counseled to buy gold refined in the fire, white raiment so that they can be clothed, and eye salve that they may have their spiritual discernment restored. To this church Jesus offers them the greatest gift of all of the churches, to reign with Him. But it is interesting how He puts it. He says “To him who overcomes…, as I also overcame …” What this verse is saying is that the remnant church must overcome just as He overcame. To further this point we find in the Spirit of Prophecy, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p.183 speaking of the 144,000 “Soon after they had commenced their earnest cry, the angels, in sympathy, would have gone to their deliverance. But a tall, commanding angel suffered them not. Said he: “The will of God is not yet fulfilled. They must drink of the cup. They must be baptized with the baptism.” The baptism of Jesus Christ. They must trust in God the Father, just as Jesus did. They must trust in Him even though there is no outward sign that He is with them, even though it appears that their prayers are not being answered and that they are about to perish, they will trust in Him as Jesus trusted in His Father.
In Revelation 14:12, speaking of the 144,000 it says “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Even though the mark of the beast is being brought to bear upon them, they will not forsake their faith in God, they will have the same faith in our Father in Heaven that Jesus did. No matter what the consequences, they will remain faithful to Him.
There is no higher calling that to be one of the 144,000. They are the Bride of Christ, for as the Bride has prepared herself for the Bridegroom, so too does the 144,000 prepare themselves by washing their garments in the blood of the Lamb. Satan has charged God as being unjust in requiring his creation to follow His Law. In doing so Satan challenged God’s Law, His Sovereignty, and His Love. The 144,000 will by their lives vindicate God, and prove Satan to be the lier and murder that he is. Just as Satan was not able to find anything in Jesus’ character to tempt Him to sin, so too will he also not find anything in the characters of the 144,000 to tempt them to sin. God will allow Satan to try them to the uttermost, more than any human being has ever been tried before, under the most cruel and discouraging circumstances. But like Jesus, they will remain firm as a rock, because they have made Jesus their foundation.
My friends, we have been blessed with the greatest amount of light from Heaven that the world has ever known. We have been given this wonderful light not because we are better than anyone else, but because God wants both you and me to be one of the 144,000. That light that has been given us is to prepare us for the great testing time just a head of us.
But sadly many in the church today are neglecting this great preparation. Don’t let Satan lull you into the stupor of worldliness. It’s time to shake off the slumber that has kept us from truly fulfilling the work of God. Many believe that Jesus has delayed his return because He is not ready, but the real reason is we are not ready. Let’s all heed the warnings that He has so graciously given us and prepare our characters by washing them in the blood of the Lamb.
God Bless,
