Sabbath, March 24, 1849, we had a sweet and very interesting meeting
with the brethren at Topsham, Maine. The Holy Ghost was poured
out upon us, and I was taken off in the Spirit to the city of
the living God. Then I was shown that the commandments of God
and the testimony of Jesus Christ relating to the shut door could
not be separated, and that the time for the commandments of God
to shine out with all their importance, and for God's people to
be tried on the Sabbath truth, was when the door was opened in
the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary, where the ark is,
in which are contained the ten commandments. This door was not
opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place
of the sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door
of the holy place, and opened the door into the most holy, and
passed within the second veil, where He now stands by the ark,
and where the faith of Israel now reaches.
I saw that Jesus had shut the door of the holy place, and no man
can open it; and that He had opened the door into the most holy,
and no man can shut it (Rev. 3:7,8); and that since Jesus has
opened the door into the most holy place, which contains the ark,
the commandments have been shining out to God's people, and they
are being tested on the Sabbath question.
I saw that the present test on the Sabbath could not come until
the mediation of Jesus in the holy place was finished and He had
passed within the second veil; therefore Christians who fell asleep
before the door was opened into the most holy, when the midnight
cry was finished, at the seventh month, 1844, and who had not
kept the true Sabbath, now rest in hope; for they had not the
light and the test on the Sabbath which we now have since that
door was opened. I saw that Satan was tempting some of God's people
on this point. Because so many good Christians have fallen asleep
in the triumphs of faith and have not kept the true Sabbath, they
were doubting about its being a test for us now.
The enemies of the present truth have been trying to open the
door of the holy place, that Jesus has shut, and to close the
door of the most holy place, which He opened in 1844, where the
ark is, containing the two tables of stone on which are written
the ten commandments by the finger of Jehovah.
Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the
minds of God's people from the present truth and to cause them
to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people
to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was
decided on the truth and was pure in heart was to be covered with
the covering of the Almighty.
Satan knew this, and he was at work in mighty power to keep the
minds of as many people as he possibly could wavering and unsettled
on the truth. I saw that the mysterious knocking in New York and
other places was the power of Satan, and that such things would
be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb so as to
lull the deceived to greater security and to draw the minds of
God's people, if possible, to those things and cause them to doubt
the teachings and power of the Holy Ghost.
I saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways.
He was at work through ministers who have rejected the truth and
are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they
might be damned. While they were preaching or praying, some would
fall prostrate and helpless, not by the power of the Holy Ghost,
but by the power of Satan breathed upon these agents, and through
them to the people. While preaching, praying, or conversing, some
professed Adventists who had rejected present truth used mesmerism
to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in this influence,
for they thought it was the Holy Ghost. Some even that used it
were so far in the darkness and deception of the devil that they
thought it was the power of God, given them to exercise. They
had made God altogether such a one as themselves and had valued
His power as a thing of nought.
Some of these agents of Satan were affecting the bodies of some
of the saints--those whom they could not deceive and draw away
from the truth by a Satanic influence. Oh, that all could get
a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more
of the wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that Satan
was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away
God's people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were
not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling,
and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on
the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn
over them while they were thus trembling.
Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until
the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God's
people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath
of God, in the seven last plagues. God has begun to draw this
covering over His people, and it will soon be drawn over all who
are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in
power for His people; and Satan will be permitted to work also.
I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders and false reformations
would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me
were not reformations from error to truth. My accompanying angel
bade me look for the travail of soul for sinners as used to be.
I looked, but could not see it; for the time for their salvation
is past.