A Thorough Reading

Requirement for DLI

Compiled and Prepared by:

Bro. Glean B. Pestano

Study Reading # 17: The Everlasting Church (Revelation 12)

1. Tract #15, pp. 68-90

THE EVERLIVING CHURCH AND HER ENEMY {TN15: 67.5}

The first of these to come in review at the Throne of Judgment, is the everliving church. {TN15: 68.1}

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

"And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three-score days." Rev. 12:1-6. {TN15: 68.2}

It is clear to see that this "woman" was clothed with the sun and attacked by the dragon even before her child, Christ, was born; yes, years before the Christian church and the Gospel came into being. To say, then, that she represents the New Testament church clothed with the gospel of Christ, is indeed as ungrounded and as illogical a theory as to say that the chicken

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is hatched before the egg is laid. {TN15: 68.3}

"Clothed with the sun," the woman is, of course, God's everliving church, clothed with the Light from Heaven, the Bible. "Thy Word," says the Psalmist, "is...a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105. {TN15: 69.1}

The moon, as we know, is the medium by which sunlight is reflected and the night

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lightened. Being under the woman's feet, it is a most fitting symbol of the period before the Bible came into being, the period from creation to Moses. This phase of the symbolism very definitely points out that the woman was emerging from the period in which the Word of God, "the sun," was indirectly reflected, was passed on from father to son, and that she was entering into the period in which she was clothed with God's Light, the Bible. {TN15: 69.2}

Moreover, she was with child at the time she was clothed with the sun, and the moon stood under her feet. This in itself positively displays that at her outset she represents the church after it had received the promise to bring forth the world's Redeemer, the "man child, Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron." He "was caught up into God and to His throne." He, of course, is Christ, the Lord. {TN15: 70.1}

The twelve stars that comprise the woman's crown, most obviously bespeak God's government upon earth, the church's cumulative authority -- that of the twelve patriarchs, of the twelve tribes of the twelve apostles, and of the 12,000 out of each of the twelve tribes of Israel (the 144,000). {TN15: 70.2}

It is also to be observed that she portrays the everliving church of God while in combat with the enemy. {TN15: 70.3}

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns

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upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." Rev. 12:3, 4. {TN15: 70.4}

If the student of Heaven-inspired Truth is to know the object lesson that is taught by this symbolism, he should now carefully notice the significance which the dragon's crownless horns and his crowned heads carry. Also, if the student of Truth is to profit by what the Scriptures teach, he should fully realize that the preceding as well as the following Scriptural and logical considerations must be heeded. {TN15: 71.1}

To begin with, since the dragon's horns are a group of ten, they must depict all the kings or kingdoms then present, just as the ten toes of the great image of Daniel, chapter 2, and also the ten horns of the beast of chapter 7, represent the kings or kingdoms existent universally in their respective periods. {TN15: 71.2}

Neither should be overlooked the fact that all the horns, heads, and crowns, were there grouped together when the dragon stood ready "to devour her Child." Exactly as the symbolism reveals, they do symbolize a coalition of two separate and distinct parties (horns and heads), both existing at the same time, not one following the other. It is well to remember, too, that though horns grow up and drop out, heads never do. {TN15: 71.3}

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GUIDE TO A CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THE SYMBOLICAL HORNS AND HEADS

The dragon's horns being crownless, they must picture a type of rulers similar to those symbolized by the crownless horns of Daniel's fourth beast, of his goat and ram, and of John's scarlet-colored beast and two-horn beast; that is, the dragon's crownless horns indicate crownless authorities of some type, just as do the crownless horns of any of the symbolical beasts. For example, the ten crownless horns of Daniel's fourth beast, the angel explained, depict kings that were yet to arise from the Roman Empire, were yet to take their crowns. Later, however, the horn-head having lost its power and the envisioned kings having received their kingdoms, they are thereafter represented by crowned horns, by the horns of the leopard-like beast (Rev. 13), the world's symbol after the fall of Rome. {TN15: 72.1}

Again, the ten crownless horns of the scarlet-colored beast (Rev. 17), the beast which at length succeeds the leopard-like, portray kings that "have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." Rev. 17:12. In other words, having no kingdom of their own all the while Babylon rides (rules) the beast for an "hour," the horns are naturally crownless. {TN15: 72.2}

Since these ten horns came into existence as a group, they therefore represent contemporary rulers. When horns represent

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powers that exist one following the other, Inspiration does not fail to so indicate by showing certain horns coming up and others dropping out. For example, three

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PICTURE

of the horns of Daniel's fourth beast were "plucked up by the roots," and in their stead a notable horn-head came up. In like manner, when the he goat's great

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horn broke off, four came up to take its place, and a fifth one, the exceeding great horn followed thereafter (Dan. 7 and 8). Then, too, even the beasts, themselves, that in their respective periods portray the world, came out of the sea one following the other. Thus all Divine symbolization exhibits the powers precisely as time and events cause them to appear or to disappear, as the case may be. {TN15: 72.3}

In other words, when one power differs from another, and when they do or do not exist at the same time, Inspiration never overlooks making the distinction. If It did overlook doing so, then think how illogical, incongruous, inconsistent and incomprehensible Its teachings would indeed be, and how futile for anyone even to attempt to know the exact truth! Human wisdom has already demonstrated its inability of itself to comprehend the mysteries of God's Word, even though they be delineated as perfect as only God Himself can delineate. In fact, the longer a person on his own initiative tries to explain the mysteries of God, the further away from the truth he drifts. {TN15: 75.1}

Moreover, it is not possible that Inspiration would be so illogical as to group two different elements (those depicted by the horns and those depicted by the heads) to represent one form of government. Neither is it conceivable that It would group horns and heads together if both did not

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literally exist at the same time. No, Inspiration would not thus confuse its terms, and still expect us to comprehend Its teachings, to know how to interpret Its symbols and when to expect the actual events to take place. And how logical would it be if the powers represented by the horns and the powers represented by the heads did not vary in character as much as do real horns and heads? {TN15: 75.2}

As to the denotation of the heads, Inspiration Itself being the only source of information, we again go to the prophecy of Daniel 7. There it is seen that the fourth beast's little horn, having the eyes and a mouth of "man," actually was a horn-head -- a combination of two separate elements. And it being symbolical of the Church and State government (a combination of civil and religious powers during the Middle Ages), settles beyond doubt that while the horn part stands for the civil phase, the head part stands for the religious phase -- logically, too, because religion should be the brains of any government. Furthermore, civil governments were originally founded upon church governments. The symbolism thus clearly connotes that an Atheistic government is about as good as is any horn apart from its head. Such might even be compared to a chicken with its head off: In its plight, the headless chicken jumps with great force, but it knows not where it is going, and it lives but a few minutes. {TN15:76.1}

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Moreover, the government following after the civil authority was torn away from the religious-political set-up of the Middle Ages, is brought to view in the symbolism of the leopard-like beast (the one that sequentially follows in the line of beast symbolisms). In it the religious-political governments' having been dissolved is shown by a common wounded head, a religious system without civil authority, one suffering from a deadly blow -- obviously from the blow which tore away its civil authority. {TN15: 77.1}

From these considerations it is particularly noticeable that in all instances where symbolical beasts have both horns and heads, the heads in every instance symbolize ecclesiastical bodies, bodies that have to do with the things of God, that are likely to commingle the sacred things of God with the common things of the world. The name of blasphemy over the heads of the leopard-like beast, exposes them as having committed that very sin. {TN15: 77.2}

And now, continuing with the subject of the dragon, it can be clearly seen that in order that consistency be maintained, the Biblical interpretation of the dragon's heads and horns must be that the former are religious bodies, and the latter, civil governments. And how many of them do the dragon's horns and heads depict? -- All the civil governments and all the religious bodies at that specific time. How do we know this? -- Because there are ten horns

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and seven crowned heads, and because the Biblical number "ten" denotes universality, and the number "seven" denotes completeness. (See Tract No. 3, The Judgment and the Harvest, p. 94, 1942 edition.) {TN15: 77.3}

From the aforementioned examples, we already see that the time has come for all faithful Bible students, students after saving Truth, to realize that Inspiration never does anything vain or careless. Its work is ever accurately constructed, always dependable at face value, and explicit beyond improvement. {TN15: 78.1}

It is a recognized fact, too, that crowns always stand for kingly authority. And as they appear on the dragon's heads, not on his horns, it is especially noticeable that while the dragon ruled both the civil and religious worlds, yet he crowned the religious. {TN15: 78.2}

In other words, the church held the sceptre; the church sat on the dragon's throne. And the fact that the number of the dragon's horns represents universality and the number of his crowned heads, completeness, coupled with the fact that both the Jewish church and the Romans persecuted the Lord, shows that the dragon as a whole represents a complete Satanic-ecclesiastical world, that Satan had taken the world captive. As conqueror of it and armed with horns and heads, he moved upon Herod to kill the newborn children as soon as he learned of Christ's birth. This he did with

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the hope of destroying the Saviour, devouring the child and thereby perpetuating his own kingdom. Such was the condition of the world at Christ's first Advent, and thus was the church enabled to crucify the Lord, to stone Stephen, to behead others, and yet to escape the penalties of the civil authorities. {TN15: 78.3}

For this very reason the Son of man, the world's Redeemer, came just when He did. The dragon, though, to defend his Satanic dominion, patiently waited and carefully watched for the arrival of the world's promised Redeemer. So it was that while the everliving church of God was with child, and crying to be delivered, the dragon with his seven crowned heads and ten horns, stood ready to devour the child as soon as He was born. {TN15: 78.4}

Just such apostasy had gripped the world in the days of Noah, too, and made it necessary for the Lord to do something to save the world. For the sake of mankind, the Creator sent the flood to bring an end to the wickedness. In like manner the terrible apostasy of the Jews in the days of Christ's first advent, demanded another disaster as thoroughly destructive as the dreadful deluge in order again to blot out wickedness. But, if for no other reason than to keep His never-failing promise to His faithful servant Noah, God could not thus overthrow the world the second time. And so He sent His Son to die in

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the world's stead. In this light, how much brighter than ever stands forth the Redeemer's mission! By His death did He indeed save the world from destruction at that time, and by His resurrection did He make possible for it to stand today. {TN15: 78.5}

"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born....

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." Rev. 12:4, 7-9, 13. {TN15: 80.1}

Here are described two different "castings out." Note that in the first instance, the dragon drew the angels with his tail. But, you wonder, why not with his claws? -- Simply because such would falsely indicate that Satan defeated the Lord and consequently dragged out of heaven a third of the angels. But since he drew them with his tail, the true significance is clear -- that a third part of the angels voluntarily followed him. They clung to his tail, so to speak, while he led the way. "They turned from

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the Father and from His Son, and united with the instigator of rebellion." -- Testimonies Vol. 3, p. 115. The dragon persuaded the angels and they followed him from heaven to earth whereupon he sought to devour Christ. {TN15: 80.2}

This incident of Rev. 12:4, the dragon drawing down the stars, preceded the incident of Rev. 12:9, the Lord casting down the dragon. The former took place before the Lord was born and the latter after His resurrection. This is made manifest in the following paragraphs: {TN15: 81.1}

In the days of Job Satan still had access to heaven, for we are told that "...there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." Job 1:6, 7. {TN15: 81.2}

Satan, then, was not cast out of heaven immediately after he rebelled or even when he caused Adam and Eve to sin. Rather, it must have been after Job's time. But to determine just when, we shall read Rev. 12:13: "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." He therefore was cast out before he went to persecute the church. This he did at the "time there was a great persecution

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against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles." Acts 8:1. This fact is again borne out by the Spirit of Prophecy: {TN15: 81.3}

Triumphantly the Lord was caught up unto God and His throne. "...all are there to welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King... He presents to God the wave-sheaf, those raised with Him as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth from the grave at His second coming.... The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. Satan is vanquished. Christ's toiling, struggling ones on earth are 'accepted in the Beloved.' Before the heavenly angels and the representatives of unfallen worlds, they are declared justified. {TN15: 82.1}

"Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ's brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and

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the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken." -- The Desire of Ages, pp. 833, 834, 761. {TN15: 82.2}

Indeed, realizing that he had brought an end to his ever again in heaven accusing the brethren, and knowing that his stay even on earth was to be very short,

SATAN DROPPED DOWN WITH GREAT WRATH. {TN15: 83.1}

After the dragon was cast down, John heard a loud voice saying in heaven: {TN15: 83.2}

"Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Rev. 12:10-12. {TN15: 83.3}

"Satan's accusations against those who seek the Lord are not prompted by displeasure at their sins. He exults in their defective characters; for he knows that only through their transgression of God's law can be obtain power over them." -- Prophets and Kings, pp. 585, 586. {TN15: 83.4}

Satan, we see, encourages the sinner to unconsciously commit transgression, and thus to secure his condemnation, not necessarily on earth, but in heaven. Before the righteous Judge, Satan accuses the

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transgressor of "being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin." But when the Spirit of God prompts reproof, It reveals sin and rebukes the sinner through His church. {TN15: 83.5}

God's people should ever be on the alert for the voice of the Spirit of Christ, as well as be on guard to discern the spirit of Satan. When the two clash, the one strives for obedience to God's Word, while the other excuses the sin and sympathizes with the sinner. In this latter subtle way Satan often gains ground and wins the sinner to his ranks, for the sinner naturally loves his sin. The faithful, though, overcome him "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." They love "not their lives unto the death." Rev. 12:11. {TN15: 84.1}

"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, Into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent." Rev 12:14. {TN15: 84.2}

Since a wilderness is just the opposite of a vineyard, the statement "that she might fly into the wilderness" emphatically implies that she must have left the vineyard. And that is precisely what she did: Shortly after the resurrection, the church (the woman) left the holy land (the vineyard) and went to the land of the Gentiles (the wilderness). {TN15: 84.3}

Besides these historical facts, we have also the Biblical meaning of vineyard: "The

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vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant." Isa. 5:7. {TN15: 84.4}

Unquestionably, therefore, the wilderness, where the woman was nourished for the time being, is the land of the Gentiles. And the woman's having to flee from the

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face of the serpent in her homeland, shows that the dragon had made the holy land his headquarters. Not satisfied with this, though, he even followed her into the wilderness. {TN15: 85.1}

"And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." Rev. 12:15. {TN15: 86.1}

In the hope of destroying the woman, the serpent at first persecuted her. Failing, though, to reach his goal, he suddenly reversed his tactics. He ceased the persecution and began instead to befriend her. But at what cost to the woman! Cunningly he cast water as a flood after her, seeming to put forth a mighty effort to refresh her, when in actuality it was a mighty effort thereby to destroy her. {TN15: 86.2}

The figurative words of Inspiration explain that the compulsory Christianizing of the Gentiles and the pouring of them into the church during the fourth century of the Christian era, was not in reality a friendly act. Rather it was like a devastating torrent to drown the saving power of Christianity. In other words, Inspiration predicted the period in which the dragon clothed Pagan politicians in a garb of Christianity and then led them to compel the non-Christian pagans to join the church, that they might thus paganize her rather than she Christianize them. {TN15: 86.3}

In confirmation, we quote a partial description from Mr. Gibbon's work: "By the edicts of toleration, he [Constantine]

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removed the temporal disadvantages which had hitherto retarded the progress of Christianity; and its active and numerous ministers received a free permission, a liberal encouragement, to recommend the salutary truths of revelation by every argument which could affect the reason or piety of mankind. The exact balance of the two religions [Christian and Pagan] continued but a moment.... The cities which signalized a forward zeal by the voluntary destruction of their temples [the Pagans'] were distinguished by municipal privileges, and rewarded with popular donatives... The salvation of the common people was purchased at an easy rate, if it be true that, in one year, twelve thousand men were baptized at Rome, besides a proportionable number of women and children, and that a white garment with twenty pieces of gold, had been promised by the emperor to every convert." This was "a law of Constantine, which gave freedom to all the slaves who should embrace Christianity." -- Gibbon's Rome, Vol. 2, pp. 273, 274. {TN15: 86.4}

"And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Rev. 12:16. {TN15: 87.1}

The "earth," God's mighty weapon, is finally to help the woman. It is to swallow up the "flood"; that is, the same Divine means which, according to the parable, takes away the tares and burns them, likewise takes away all who have joined the

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church but who are still pagan at heart. And what happens then? -- The Scriptures supply the answer: {TN15: 87.2}

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17. {TN15: 88.1}

The term "remnant" discloses that her seed is divided into two parts: The one is taken, the other is left. Nehemiah, for example, explains: "The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach." Neh. 1:3. A "remnant" always represents one part of the whole, either large or small. {TN15: 88.2}

And notice that the dragon wars, not against a remnant of the "flood," but against the remnant of her seed. Christ being the woman's only child, her seed are therefore the Christians, those who are born into the church through the Spirit of Christ. Accordingly, the act of taking the first fruits to Mount Sion (Rev. 14:1) brings about a condition which makes a remnant of those who are still left among the Gentiles. In this instance, therefore, they, the second fruits, are the remnant. {TN15: 88.3}

Let it be remembered that it is after the earth swallows the flood that the dragon is to be wroth with the woman, and "to make war with the remnant of her seed [not with her personally], which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:16 17. Clearly, then, there is no escaping the conclusion

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that the doing away with Satan's flood is doubtless the purifying of the church, the destroying of those who have joined the church through the aid of the serpent. This purifying is the very thing that enables the church as a body to keep the commandments of God and also to have the testimony of Jesus Christ, the living Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 19:10), in her midst. This is her only hope, her only strength, her only deliverance. In this light, Inspiration now puts new life into the words -- {TN15: 88.4}

"Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean." Isa. 52:1. {TN15:89.1}

The church's purification, therefore, will not bring the millennial time of peace. Indeed not but it will bring the end of the wicked in the church, and with it Satan's greatest wrath against the remnant, against those who, while still among the Gentiles, dare thereafter to take their stand on the Lord's side. They shall, nevertheless, be delivered if they, as it were risk their lives -- if they take their stand on the Lord's side and thereby put their names in the "book." Dan. 12:1. {TN15: 89.2}

The dragon cannot war with the woman, the church that is made up of the first fruits, because at that time she is with the Lamb on Mt. Sion (Rev. 14:1), out of the dragon's reach. {TN15:89.3}

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For further study of Revelation 12, read Tract No. 12, The World, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, 1946 edition, pp. 45-48. (Though the subject matter of The Revelation has only partially been treated of herein, the limited space in this tract does not permit me to go further). {TN15: 90.1}

2. Answerer #2, pp. 44-49, question 26

WHO ARE THE WOMAN AND HER REMNANT?

Question No. 26:

What does Revelation 12:13-17 mean? {ABN2: 44.2}

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Answer:

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:13-17. {ABN2: 45.1}

Nearly all Christians agree that the only tenable interpretation of the "woman" here mentioned, is that she symbolizes the church. And the fact that she gave birth to the man child, Christ, shows that she is therefore symbolical of the church in at least the Christian dispensation. {ABN2: 45.2}

While the dragon was persecuting her through the deceived Jewish priests who rejected Christ as the Messiah, "there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the

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regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word." Acts 8:1-4. {ABN2: 45.3}

To her were therefore given the wings of a great eagle--her means of transport into the wilderness. And being the opposite of the vineyard ("the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant"--Isa. 5:7), the wilderness obviously denotes the Gentile nations. The apostles, therefore, in fulfillment of this prophecy were commanded, and given the wings, speedily to go preach to all nations. {ABN2: 46.1}

"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles, heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region." Acts 13:46-49. {ABN2: 46.2}

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Seeing this, the serpent sought to destroy the woman's usefulness among the Gentiles: he "cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." Rev. 12:15. {ABN2: 46.3}

Anyone can see that this "flood" can represent only the church's suddenly becoming infiltrated with unconverted pagans who, as in Constantine's time and for years thereafter, were even taken enmasse and forced into baptism. In the parables of Christ this same "flood" is described, but under the different term, "tares." And the evident fact that they are still very much in the church, forces the painful realization that the earth has not as yet swallowed up the flood. {ABN2: 47.1}

"Flood" and "tares" are figurative equivalents. The swallowing of the flood, therefore, is the same as the burning of the tares as comprehended in the parable of the harvest (Matt. 13:30). {ABN2: 47.2}

Besides, the Revelator points out that not until after the flood is swallowed by the earth, after the unconverted are "slain" and buried, and the church thereby purified, will the dragon wage his fiercest warfare against the remnant of the woman's seed. Hence, the harvest time in the church, the time the earth swallows the flood, is before the dragon wars against the remnant. {ABN2: 47.3}

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"Fruits" garnered are the result of a harvest. When the 144,000, the first fruits (Rev. 14:4), are garnered in, and the tares (flood) are destroyed (swallowed) from among them, the 144,000 are taken to Mt. Zion, where they then comprise the Mother church, the twelve-star-crowned woman, under the protection of the Lamb, the One with them. Thus protected, she is secure from the dragon's then making war against her. So he wars only against her "remnant," those yet to be garnered--the second fruits still scattered throughout the world, away from Mt. Zion. This climax of the ages was vividly foretold by both Isaiah and Micah: {ABN2: 48.1}

"But in the last days," declares Micah, "it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Mic. 4:1, 2. (See also Isaiah 2). {ABN2: 48.2}

From these scriptures, it is plainly seen that Mt. Zion becomes the headquarters for the last gospel work on earth, after the time the 144,000 arrive there, and during

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the time the dragon wars against the remnant, "for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem"--no longer from the General Conference, or from Mt. Carmel Center. {ABN2: 48.3}

Then shall many nations say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths." Mic. 4:2. {ABN2: 49.1}

3. Answerer #2, pp. 63, 64, question 33

DOES THE ROD STILL TEACH THE "SAME THINGS"?

Question No. 33:

In its beginning, "The Shepherd's Rod" agreed with the Spirit of Prophecy that "the remnant of her seed are the 144,000 against whom the dragon makes war."--"The Shepherd's Rod," Vol. 2, p. 265. Today, ten years later, it teaches that" 'the remnant of her seed' are in this instance those who are yet in the world when Babylon rides the beast (Rev. 17)."--"The Symbolic Code," July-December, 1941, p. 9. When was it right--then or now? {ABN2: 63.2}

Answer:

If one cannot deny that the 144,000, the first fruits, are members of the church, then one cannot deny that they are of her seed. And as they remain alive from the slaying of the unfaithful in their midst, they are therefore the "remnant"--that which remains. By the same token of logic, it is equally undeniable that since the woman of Revelation 12 is a symbol of the church to the end of time, then the second fruits of her seed, those who remain

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alive from the destruction of the wicked throughout the world, are also a "remnant." {ABN2: 63.3}

Clearly, therefore, both statements are correct. The only point of difference between them is that when the one in Volume 2 was made, the Rod did not have the additional light which later inspired the one in the Code, and which shows that both the 144,000 and the great multitude are remnants: the former because of escaping from the Lord's slaying the unfaithful in the church (Isa. 66:19), and the latter because of not being called out of Babylon until after the former have gone to the land of Israel (Isa. 66:20), also because of remaining alive after the wicked, from among whom they are called out, have perished. {ABN2: 64.1}

4. Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, #3, p. 9

Do you now see what the men whom they call great, "men of experience," are doing? These unscrupulous deeds condemn their boast that saintly men are running the Denomination; and their boastingly speaking of the millions of dollars the Denomination annually gathers from the poor is anything but saintly if it has to be spent for such kind of work. They need to repent and correct the errors which they are passing as Truth before they can conscientiously accuse others. {1TG3: 9.1}

If John could not see exactly what the horses looked like, then how could he see that all the fish in the sea died (Rev. 8:9)? And with such a self-exalting precedent for studying the Scriptures as the kind the General Conference has set up, how can anyone be sure that any of the prophets saw anything right? Do you not realize that such foolish and twisted interpretations of the Scriptures are Satanic attempts to undermine men's confidence in the prophets and of Christ's ability to correctly reveal and portray Truth to His servants? Consider how damaging the charge against Inspiration, how soul-destroying, and blasphemous against the Holy Ghost Who leads into all Truth! and how repulsive it must be to Christ, especially for coming from those who pretend to serve Him! This alone ought to be sufficient to show that the angel (ministry) of the Laodiceans is blind and naked and in need of everything. For the sake of your life and for the lives of others, do not support such doctrines of devils. They are anything but Truth, anything but signs of the Spirit of Prophecy at work. Ask yourselves when Turkey or any other nation ever had 200,000,000 cavalrymen! And if you still wonder why God permitted the errors to creep into the church, the answer is: So that by their fostering and propagating them He may at a time such as this expose the workers of iniquity and prove to the laity that His

9

church is now as badly overrun by the Devil as was the Jewish church at Christ's time, thus to awaken the honest ones and to set them free from their Laodicean self-deception, and thus from the overflowing scourge (Isa. 28:13-15). {1TG3: 9.2}

5. Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, #16

THE EXODUS OF TODAY

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,

MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS

SABBATH, NOVEMBER 23, 1946

MT. CARMEL CHAPEL

WACO, TEXAS

This afternoon we shall study Zechariah 8. The first thing we need to know in the study of this chapter is whether its promises are made to the people of Zechariah's time or to the people of our time. To find this out, it is necessary for us to read a few scattered verses. We shall begin with {1TG16: 22.1}

Zech. 8:7, 8 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in Truth and in righteousness." {1TG16: 22.2}

In these verses we see that God is promising to save His people not from the land of ancient Babylon, where Zechariah then was, but from the east and from the west, and to bring them to Jerusalem. They are to be His people, not by virtue of their ancestry, or by some other, but in Truth and righteousness. Now, since the promise in these verses did not meet its fulfillment in Zechariah's day, nor at any time thereafter, it stands to reason that it must meet its fulfillment sometime in the future. Let us read-- {1TG16: 22.3}

Zech. 8:13 -- "And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and

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house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong." {1TG16: 22.4}

Besides promising to save His people from the east and from the west, the Lord promises to save also the house of Judah and the house of Israel, both of the scattered ancient kingdoms. You are well acquainted with the fact that the ten-tribe kingdom constituted the house of Israel. And since these two kingdoms have never yet been united and brought back to Jerusalem, there is but one logical conclusion to be reached: The promises of this chapter are to be fulfilled in the time of the "gathering of the people" from the four corners of the earth. In view of this great and grand work the Lord expects our hands to be "strong." Next we shall read-- {1TG16: 23.1}

Zech. 8:20-22 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord." {1TG16: 22.2}

Since we know that no nation aside from the Jewish nation in Zechariah's day went to seek the Lord and to pray before Him in Jerusalem, there is no alternative but again to admit that the promises of Zechariah 8 belong to the people in the time of the final harvests, in the gathering time. {1TG16: 23.3}

Having completed our analysis of the time this chapter meets its fulfillment, we can, I am sure, now study the prophecy itself with much greater interest than we could have otherwise. Let us begin with {1TG16: 23.3}

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Zech. 8:1-3 -- "Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain." {1TG16: 24.1}

Yes, wonderful things are spoken of Zion and Jerusalem. At one time the Lord forsook the city and scattered the people. But at the time these scriptures are being revealed, He is to return, to gather His elect, and to bring them to Zion and Jerusalem. When this great work shall have been accomplished Jerusalem will then be called "a city of Truth,...the holy mountain" -- a people well versed in God's whole Truth and without a sinner in their midst. This great wonder evidently takes place during the Judgment of the Living, the righteous are taken there while the wicked are being bound in bundles as it were for to be destroyed. And while the Lord dwells in Zion, His Truth shall then emanate from Zion and Jerusalem. Then it is that "many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord." Now is our greatest chance to work and pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." {1TG16: 24.2}

Zech. 8:4, 5 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." {1TG16: 24.3}

Jerusalem shall be a city of joy, too. There shall

24

be no fear or accident; even the children shall safely play in the streets. There shall be no "long faces," and no worried looks. So shall it be for both young and old. {1TG16: 24.4}

Zech. 8:6 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in Mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts." {1TG16: 25.1}

Just because the fulfillment of this prophecy might seem too marvelous and impossible, must it necessarily seem impossible to the Lord, also? -- Indeed not. {1TG16: 25.2}

Zech. 8:7, 8 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in Truth and in righteousness." {1TG16: 25.3}

Zechariah predicts the gathering of the saints out of all nations into God's purified and Truth-filled church, the Kingdom, just as the parable of the harvest teaches, only the wheat is to be put into the barn, church. There is to be no mixed company of saints and sinners in the "holy mountain of the Lord." {1TG16: 25.4}

Zech. 8:9 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built." {1TG16: 25.5}

God here counsels us to let our hands be strong, and stable. {1TG16: 25.6}

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We, too, should hear the words of the prophets and though we be not building the temple which they were building, yet that is the only way that our work can prosper. We cannot afford to close our ears to what the prophets say, or to sit down in an unconcerned attitude. {1TG16: 26.1}

Zech. 8:10-12 -- "For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things." {1TG16: 26.2}

How thankful and glad we ought to be that the days of our affliction are almost at the end, that now if we hear His prophets, and brace ourselves for the work, the Lord assures us of peace and prosperity. This may soon be ours if we but steadfastly cling to the Truth, and thus to the Lord. {1TG16: 26.3}

Zech. 8:13 -- "And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong." {1TG16: 26.4}

Though we have been great sinners and a great curse among the heathen, yet even far greater will our blessings be if we let Him give them to us. Our hands, should be strong to hasten that glad day. {1TG16: 26.5}

Zech. 8:14, 15 -- "For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I

26

thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: so again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not." {1TG16: 26.6}

Again and again we are assured that as great as has been His people's punishment, just that great shall be their joy and comfort now in the gathering time. {1TG16: 27.1}

Zech. 8:16 -- "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the Truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of Truth and peace in your gates." {1TG16: 27.2}

Everyone one of us is admonished to teach the Truth to his neighbour, to do whatever he finds close to his hand. We are to execute judgment of Truth rather than waste breath and time talking about the sins of others lest we fail to see the knotty "beam" in our own eye. Let us, as this scripture instructs, speak the Truth, execute judgment and peace in our homes and in our midst. Never should we busy ourselves with other people's concerns. We should do well if we manage our own. {1TG16: 27.3}

Zech. 8:17 -- "And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord." {1TG16: 27.4}

Of all the things Christians need to learn, this one thing is most urgent: That they be honest with themselves and with others, that they always speak the truth, that they cease imagining evil against one another. Remember, when you repeat hear-say you most likely are speaking falsehood, either wholly or in part. This you cannot afford to do, for "there shall in no wise enter [the city] anything that...maketh a lie" Rev. 21:27. Evil speaking and evil surmising

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are things which the Lord hates. {1TG16: 27.5}

Zech. 8:18, 19 -- "And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the Truth and peace." {1TG16: 28.1}

These ancient and typical fasts shall turn to be antitypical feasts of joy and gladness. {1TG16: 28.2}

Zech. 8:22 -- "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord." {1TG16: 28.3}

It is interesting to envisage the expansion of God's Truth as outlined in this chapter: First, one individual speaks the Truth to another individual. Then one city communicates It to another city. Finally, one strong nation invites another nation to join the Lord. Thus will the harvest continue until the gospel work is finished, until God's faithful people stand on the Lord's right side (in the Kingdom), and the hypocrites with the heathen stand on His left side (in the condemned Gentile world that is ready to perish). {1TG16: 28.4}

Zech. 8:23 -- "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." {1TG16: 28.5}

It is logical to conclude that the ten men who take hold of all the languages of the nations in the time of this great ingathering are figurative of a group of people (the church freed from tares in the harvest

28

time), just as the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1) are figurative of the church while the tares are still commingled with wheat. The ten servants (Luke 19:13), and the ten horns (Rev. 12:3; 17:3) are numbers of universality. These ten men will speak all the languages as did the Apostles on the Pentecost. {1TG16: 28.6}

Obviously, the "Jew" whose skirt the people will take hold of must be the one through whom the Lord is working to reveal Himself and His Truth to the people. Having discovered this fact, naturally they will say, "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." This particular Jew, of course, is not of the present-day identified Jews, but most likely a descendant of the Christian Jews, -- perhaps of those who in the apostolic age lost their identity by naming themselves Christians (Acts 11:26). Again, he may be a descendant of any of the Jews who were driven from their homeland, scattered throughout the nations, and assimilated by them, then converted to Christianity. {1TG16: 29.1}

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.... And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." Isa. 11:10-12, {1TG16: 29.2}

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Thus shall the gathering of the people be in the final exodus of today. {1TG16: 30.1}

This ends the eighth chapter of Zechariah, and now we shall in a brief summary consider some of the things which we have learned in this study: {1TG16: 30.2}

First and most important of all, we have learned that the promises contained in Zechariah's prophecy are to be fulfilled in our day, and that very shortly wonderful things are to happen; that at one time the Lord had to forsake Jerusalem and scatter His people throughout the world, but now He is to return and gather His elect from the four corners of the earth; that Jerusalem is to be called a city of Truth and of joy -- no fear, no accidents, no sorrow there; that God's people are to enjoy peace and prosperity; that they are to speak well of everyone, no longer will they waste their breath or time talking of the sins of others; that never will they busy themselves with other people's concerns; that they are to manage their own, and execute judgment and peace in their homes; that God's Truth is to expand rapidly: at first one individual speaking the Truth to another; then one city communicating It to another city; finally one strong nation is to invite another nation to join the Lord. {1TG16: 30.3}

I agree with you that these promises do seem incredible and even fantastic. But the more they so appear, the brighter the prospect, for God does not do what seems possible to man, but He does the things that seem altogether impossible to them. Think of God's marvelous work in the Exodus Movement: He led them out of Egypt, while they marched through the Red Sea, through the desert, and through the Jordan. He brought down manna from heaven, and continued to do so for forty long years. Visualize, if you can,

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Pharaoh's brick slaves becoming prophets, priests, and kings! The three Hebrews comfortably standing in the midst of the fiery furnace; and of Daniel in the lion's den; of Mordecai's victory over Haman; of David's victory over the giant; of Joseph feeding the world; of Moses surviving the Nile; of Samson pulling down the temple by bare hands. Countless are the wonders of God's mighty power all through the ages. All these deliverances, and many others were absolutely impossible with men, but very much possible with God. These mighty miracles bring us face to face with the fact that God is in the business of making "possibles" out of discordant "impossibles." Therefore, "let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words" of the Lord. {1TG16: 30.4}

6. Answerer #2, pp. 5-22

THE ANSWERER'S INTRODUCTORY

APPEAL

A STEPHEN-SERMON TO THE CHURCH TODAY

"Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee." Acts 7:2, 3. "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him" (Gen. 12:4), and went at His lead into Canaan, wherein he dwelt, though the Lord "gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet He promised that He world give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." Acts 7:5. {ABN2: 5.1}

Then in time, the Lord purposed to lead Jacob and his household out of the land of Canaan, down into Egypt. Knowing, though, that the sons of Jacob would not go as did Abraham, by His simply telling them to, He therefore in His providence put into the heart of Jacob a greater love for Joseph than for his other children. This begot in them envy and jealousy, which in turn begot hatred and greed, manifesting itself in their cruel treatment and sale of Joseph, which resulted in his being carried away a slave into Egypt. {ABN2: 5.2}

Answerer Book 2 5

Years later when Joseph's brothers went into Egypt to obtain food during the seven-year famine, Joseph, recognizing Providential design in the strange drama of his life from enslavement to enthronement, said unto his brothers as he "made himself known" unto them: "Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life...and...to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." Gen. 45:1, 5, 7. {ABN2: 6.1}

Thus the Lord providentially exalted Joseph to share the throne of Egypt in order to predispose Pharaoh to grant Israel permission to enter into the land. {ABN2: 6.2}

Next, to draw them there, He brought thereabouts the seven years of plenty, followed by the seven years of famine. Whereupon He sent word to Jacob that Joseph was yet alive. At the overjoying news, there sprang up in the father an irresistible desire to see his son. This and the life-taking hunger upon Joseph's brethren, compelled them to remove into Pharaoh's land of plenty, where they lived like kings. {ABN2: 6.3}

Not purposing, however, to leave them there forever, the Lord did not let their living continue as pleasant as at the first, lest they refuse to take heed to Moses when he should come with the word that the time had arrived for them to go back home. But He brought about another saving

Answerer Book 2 6

providence, this time permitting unbearable hardship to befall them, so that when called they would respond gladly. So slaves they had to become: and still worse, they had to be bereaved of their male children, then mercilessly driven with cruel lashes upon their backs to produce ever more bricks. {ABN2: 6.4}

Thus the power of the Spirit combined with horrible suffering from their hard Egyptian servitude, was an over-powering force compelling them to forsake the heathen land and to return to their own. {ABN2: 7.1}

Then, on their way back they met with another providence--their long wilderness sojourn, forty years in all--which God permitted for the express purpose of separating from them the unbelieving, unfaithful multitude who accompanied the Movement out of Egypt. These being destroyed, the survivors miraculously crossed the Jordan, just as they had forty years before crossed the Red Sea. There removing from their midst the one sinner, Achan, who then sprang up among them, they entered into the promised land and became the most glorious kingdom in their day. Slaves become kings--what a miracle indeed! {ABN2: 7.2}

Naturally one would think that a people whom God had so miraculously freed from slavery, and of whom He had subsequently just as miraculously made a kingdom, would never fall now that they

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were strong. But losing sight of their Strength they again fell away into captivity! In weakness as slaves to Pharaoh, God had brought them to strength over their Egyptian masters; now in their strength as masters, themselves, He brought them down to servitude to the nations about them! Twice a miracle. {ABN2: 7.3}

Here is proof positive that the Lord built them up, and also tore them down (2 Chron. 36:13,23), "that they" might, as He says, "know from the rising of the sun, and from the west. that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. {ABN2: 8.1}

In the course of time, with the fulfillment of the seventy years of which Jeremiah prophesied (Jer. 29:10), God once more brought Israel into their own land. But as the years wore on, replacing the old generations with new ones, Israel again lost sight of their Strength, this time so completely that when the long-looked for Messiah finally came, they rejected and crucified and spat on Him! {ABN2: 8.2}

In divine retribution, God turned away His face in anger, and delivered them into the hand of the oppressor, who destroyed their temple and their city, drove them from their own land, and left them a forsaken, outcast race without God, without coin, without country, a people execrated by all nations from that day till this! {ABN2: 8.3}

Answerer Book 2 8

Not all, however, were thus cast away. A multitude of them had their eyes opened to the fact that their great men were falsely accusing the Lord, misapplying the prophecies concerning Him, and deceiving the people. Through those who remained faithful, He preserved the seed of Israel. Accepting Christ and becoming Christians, these faithful sons of Jacob had their name changed from Jew to Christian, as was foreshadowed in God's changing their father's name from Jacob to Israel, and their grandfather's from Abram to Abraham. {ABN2: 9.1}

Starting out with 120 Spirit-filled disciples, this Jewish-Christian church converted 3,000 souls on the day of Pentecost by the preaching of one simple, Spirit-indited sermon, and then "added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47. {ABN2: 9.2}

This great ingathering of souls so angered Satan that he avengingly "persecuted the woman [the Jewish-Christian church] which brought forth the man child. (Rev. 12:13), so as to prevent her from making converts, and to prevent those whom she succeeded in making converts, from fellowshiping with her. {ABN2: 9.3}

(The bed rock facts that the woman's child Christ, Who was "caught up unto God," Rev. 12:5, was born to the Jewish church, and that the Christian church emerged from the Jewish, solidly establish the woman as a figure of the faithful servants

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of God in both the Old and the New Testament churches.) {ABN2: 9.4}

As a result of persecuting the woman, Satan was, ironically, only helping rather than hindering the divine purpose. Indeed, the church's field (Matt. 13:38) grew only pure "wheat," the "net" (Matt. 13:47) caught only good "fish," because against such a persecution, only the faithful dared take their stand for Truth and to become members of the hated sect. So, seeing the results of his oppression, he quickly changed his tactics. {ABN2: 10.1}

"By the edicts of toleration," says Gibbon, "he [Constantine] removed the temporal disadvantages which had hitherto retarded the progress of Christianity; and its active and numerous ministers received a free permission, a liberal encouragement, to recommend the salutary truths of revelation by every argument which could affect the reason or piety of mankind. The exact balance of the two religions [Christian and Pagan] continued but a moment....The cities which signalized a forward zeal by the voluntary destruction of their temples [the Pagan's], were distinguished by municipal privileges, and rewarded with popular donatives....The salvation of the common people was purchased at an easy rate, if it be true that, in one year, twelve thousand men were baptized at Rome, besides a proportionable number of women and children, and that a

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white garment with twenty pieces of gold, had been promised by the emperor to every convert." This was "a law of Constantine, which gave freedom to all the slaves who should embrace Christianity."--Gibbon's Rome, Vol. 2, pp. 273, 274 (Milman Edition). {ABN2: 10.2}

Just as soon as Satan caused his agents to cease oppressing the Christians, and to start fellowshiping with them, he beguiled them into thinking him their friend. Thus being eased of his persecution, they fell asleep spiritually; and while they slept, he sowed the tares. {ABN2: 11.1}

Yea, he made a complete turn-about and even compelled the heathen to join the church, thereby casting out of his "mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." Rev. 12:15. From persecuting those who would unite with the church, he turned to persecuting those who would not, so that she might be flooded with unconverted heathen and thereby "carried away of the flood." Rev. 12:15. {ABN2: 11.2}

In order to keep the multitude in darkness in the days of the reformers, he put his clamps on them, then opened wide his extinguisher against the burning light, and when it failed him, he set "sleeping preachers preaching to a sleeping people."--Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 337. {ABN2: 11.3}

This highly successful course he has unremittingly pursued ever since, until as

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a result the church today is almost choked with tares. It is, as it were, infiltrated with a fifth column. {ABN2: 11.4}

"That night I dreamed," says the servant of the Lord in a remarkable view of this very condition, "that I was in Battle Creek looking out from the side glass at the door, and saw a company marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well, and turned to open the parlor door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the appearance of the Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed. And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house saying three times, 'This house is proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.' Terror seized me, and I ran through the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak a word to them for fear of being betrayed. I tried to seek a retired spot where I might weep and pray without meeting eager, inquisitive eyes wherever I turned. I repeated frequently 'If I could only understand this! If they will tell me what I have said, or what I have done!' {ABN2: 12.1}

"I wept and prayed much as I saw our goods confiscated. I tried to read sympathy or pity for me in the looks of those around me, and marked the countenances of several

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whom I thought would speak to me and comfort me if they did not fear that they would be observed by others. I made one attempt to escape from the crowd, but seeing that I was watched, I concealed my intentions. I commenced weeping aloud, and saying, 'If they would only tell me what I have done, or what I have said!' My husband, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, heard me weeping aloud, and awoke me. My pillow was wet with tears, and a sad depression of spirits was upon me."-- Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 578. {ABN2: 12.2}

The promise, however, is that the flood of tares will remain therein only until the harvest, the natural time for their separation--the end of the world. {ABN2: 13.1}

So long as Satan can successfully carry on this subversive work of flooding the church, he will never move a finger to persecute any for joining her, lest thereby he thwart his own evil design to honeycomb her ranks with his agents--the flood, the tares. To insure the success of this insidious work, he casts out those who dare live a consistent Christian life there among the tares, while he is going about with his extinguisher turned on, trying to put out every life-spark of light. {ABN2: 13.2}

Finally, though, as prophecy discloses, the tables are turned, and the long controversy ends with the Lord's casting out and destroying (Rev. 12:16) Satan's agents, the "flood" (the tares, the bad fish), and

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then lighting the earth with the glory of His angel (Rev. 18:1)! {ABN2: 13.3}

Here we see that the approaching work of making rid of the flood, thereby freeing the church from the unconverted, is the work of "the harvest" in "the end of the world." Matt. 13:39. Next we must ascertain whether the "end of the world" brings the millennial age of peace or the great time of trouble such as never was. To determine which, we must consult subsequent events. {ABN2: 14.1}

Since it is after the earth swallows the flood, that the dragon is to be wroth with the woman and to go "to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:16, 17), there is no escaping the conclusion that the harvest, in taking away from the church Satan's flood, his multiplied tares, does not bring the millennium of peace. Indeed not, but rather it brings God's wrath--the time of trouble such as never was: the time in which His people in Babylon are called to "come out of her" and into His purified church--the Kingdom. {ABN2: 14.2}

The harvest, therefore, is a short period of time just before, rather than the moment at, the appearing of Christ in the clouds. It is the very last days of probation for earth's kingdoms,-- the days and work which bring the end of the world. {ABN2: 14.3}

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The fact that there is a remnant (that which is left) of the seed of the woman, shows that her seed is divided into two parts, and that consequently the symbolism represents three groups of people: (1) the woman; (2) the first part of her seed--those who in this instance are not the remnant; (3) the second part of her seed--those who are the remnant. {ABN2: 15.1}

In the light of this symbolical representation, the woman, herself, is seen to symbolize the mother part of the church--God's appointed and Spirit-filled ministers who bring in the born-again (John 3:3) converts. The first part of her seed must, accordingly, be the first fruits, the 144,000, who, separated from the sinners that were among them, are taken to Mount Sion, there to stand with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1). Hence, "the remnant of her seed" are in this instance those who are yet in the world when Babylon rides the beast (Rev. 17). Thus they are the second and last fruits which are to be taken to the purified church, the Kingdom, where there is neither sin nor fear of Babylon's plagues falling upon them (Rev. 18:4). {ABN2: 15.2}

And now, since in her progression of time, the woman represents each successive ministry, therefore at the time that the dragon is wroth with her, she necessarily must represent the last ordained ministry, the 144,000, those who bring all their brethren from all nations to God's "holy mountain Jerusalem." Isa. 66:20. {ABN2: 15.3}

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With this light shining on the subject, the truth is clearly seen that after the earth swallows the flood, after the angels separate the wicked ("the tares," the "bad" "fish") from the righteous (the "wheat," the "good" "fish") in the church, and take the righteous to Mount Sion ("the barn," "the vessels" Matt. 13:30, 48), the dragon will then be angry with the woman (the servants of God), and as a result will war against the remnant (the second fruits, those who are then to be called out of Babylon--Rev. 18:4). {ABN2: 16.1}

"In the last days," says Micah in his forecast of the time in which the first fruits stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion, and in which the second fruits leave Babylon to go to Mount Zion, "it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. {ABN2: 16.2}

"And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. {ABN2: 16.3}

"And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword

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against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it." Mic. 4:1-4. {ABN2: 16.4}

Conclusively, therefore, the Kingdom-church must be "set up" before the Devil turns upon the remnant, those who are left behind and who are then being gathered, and against whom he wars for refusing to worship him in the person of the beast and his image (Rev. 13:15). {ABN2: 17.1}

In this cumulative light, one sees never so clearly that though the Lord is to allow persecution to come anew upon His people in Babylon, He will do so only to serve His own end to cause them to get out of her dominion (as He caused His ancient people to get out of Egypt), and to go into the Kingdom-church--the only place on earth where there will be no sin and upon which the destruction of the plagues will not fall. (See Revelation 18:4). {ABN2: 17.2}

"Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee," O Lord, and "the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." Ps. 76:10. {ABN2: 17.3}

The separation of the wicked from among the righteous while sojourning in the wilderness in Moses' time, before entering the land of promise, was effected not only for the benefit of the church then (typical Israel) but also for an ensample

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to the church today (antitypical Israel), typically pointing to the forthcoming separation of the bad from among the good (Matt. 13:48), before the good are taken into the Kingdom, their own land, "the barn." Matt. 13:30. "All these things," therefore says Paul, "happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Cor. 10:11. {ABN2: 17.4}

Through the forewarning, herein, of this imminent providence, the Lord is again pleading with each Present-truth believer: {ABN2: 18.1}

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. {ABN2: 18.2}

"The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and

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they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory. {ABN2: 18.3}

"Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favour have I had mercy on thee. {ABN2: 19.1}

"Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." Isa. 60:1-12. {ABN2: 19.2}

So, dear brethren of Laodicean, plain it is that "while the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth."-- The Great Controversy, p. 425. {ABN2: 19.3}

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Then, "clad in the armor of Christ's righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. 'Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,' she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer."--Prophets and Kings, p. 725. At that time "only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel's Message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry."--The Review and Herald, No. 19, 1908. {ABN2: 20.1}

As a flaming torch in the blackness of night, stands forth the truth that the time of trouble such as never was, finds the church free from the flood of tares, free from the "bad fish," and consequently able not only to withstand the Devil but also to go forth conquering and to conquer in the mighty power of Michael, Whose standing up delivers "every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1. {ABN2: 20.2}

From this rehearsal of the long history of God's people, we see that Abraham is the only one with whom God was not compelled, in order to get the desired results, to resort to means other than the simple command: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." Gen. 12:1. {ABN2: 20.3}

Abraham's unquestioning and unfailing faith and his unhesitating obedience to the

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Lord's naked command in every instance, made him a "friend of God," the "father of the faithful," and a great pillar of living truth, with a name to be remembered and venerated throughout time and eternity. {ABN2: 20.4}

Jacob's faith in the promises of God, and his overmastering desire to work himself into the Lord's plans and to carry them out, resulted in his becoming the progenitor of the first fruits or ministry of the Kingdom-church--those who stand with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1). {ABN2: 21.1}

Joseph's uncompromising fidelity to principle brought him into highest estate, in which he became the world's greatest provisioner as a type of Christ, the Great Spiritual Provisioner. {ABN2: 21.2}

Moses, in his meekness (humbleness) and in his determination "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Heb. 11:25), rose to be the greatest general, leader, and deliverer of all times, and even to stand on the mount of transfiguration. {ABN2: 21.3}

The apostles' sacrifice of life for the sake of Christ and His Truth, won them the exalted honor of having their names placed in the foundations of the Holy City (Rev. 21:14). {ABN2: 21.4}

Luther's fearless and persevering efforts to lift up the down-trodden Truth (Dan. 8:11, 12; 11:31),

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fathered forth Protestantism. {ABN2: 21.5}

Yet, Brother, Sister, none of these singularly glorious estates is greater than is yours to stand with the Lamb on Mount Sion. We beseech you, therefore, to "arise, shine; for thy light is come"! Isa. 60:1. {ABN2: 22.1}

Now that on the one hand the Lord is pleading that you take hold of His mighty light of Truth and thereby be separated from sin, that you may escape His vengeance, be delivered from the coming trouble, and have a part in proclaiming the Loud Cry of the Three Angels' Messages; and that on the other hand Satan is pleading that you take hold of his all-exhausted extinguisher; you are brought to the valley of decision. Now has come the Zero hour to decide whether or not you will, if the Lord be God, follow His mighty Truth, or if Baal be God, follow his mighty men. {ABN2: 22.2}

"Behold," says the Saviour, "I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20. {ABN2: 22..3}

Will you not, then, do as did these faithful men of old, and be God's great men today! O let nothing, Brother, Sister, longer compromise and neutralize your efforts to obtain the promise now--the unmatched privilege of being Zion's priests and kings! {ABN2: 22.4}

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith..." Rev. 3:22. {ABN2: 22.5}