I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance
to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body.
God looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps--
the first, second, and third angels' messages. Said my accompanying
angel, "Woe to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of
these messages. The true understanding of these messages is of
vital importance. The destiny of souls hangs upon the manner in
which they are received." I was again brought down through
these messages, and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased
their experience. It had been obtained through much suffering
and severe conflict. God had led them along step by step, until
He had placed them upon a solid, immovable platform. I saw individuals
approach the platform and examine the foundation. Some with rejoicing
immediately stepped upon it. Others commenced to find fault with
the foundation. They wished improvements made, and then the platform
would be more perfect, and the people much happier. Some stepped
off the platform to examine it and declared it to be laid wrong.
But I saw that nearly all stood firm upon the platform and exhorted
those who had stepped off to cease their complaints; for God was
the Master Builder, and they were fighting against Him. They recounted
the wonderful work of God, which had led them to the firm platform,
and in union raised their eyes to heaven and with a loud voice
glorified God. This affected some of those who had complained
and left the platform, and they with humble look again stepped
upon it.
I was pointed back to the proclamation of the first advent of
Christ. John was sent in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare
the way of Jesus. Those who rejected the testimony of John were
not benefited by the teachings of Jesus. Their opposition to the
message that foretold His coming placed them where they could
not readily receive the strongest evidence that He was the Messiah.
Satan led on those who rejected the message of John to go still
farther, to reject and crucify Christ. In doing this they placed
themselves where they could not receive the blessing on the day
of Pentecost, which would have taught them the way into the heavenly
sanctuary. The rendering of the veil of the temple showed that
the Jewish sacrifices and ordinances would no longer be received.
The great Sacrifice had been offered and had been accepted, and
the Holy Spirit which descended on the day of Pentecost carried
the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly,
where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His disciples
the benefits of His atonement. But the Jews were left in total
darkness. They lost all the light which they might have had upon
the plan of salvation, and still trusted in their useless sacrifices
and offerings. The heavenly sanctuary had taken the place of the
earthly, yet they had no knowledge of the change. Therefore they
could not be benefited by the mediation of Christ in the holy
place.
Many look with horror at the course of the Jews in rejecting and
crucifying Christ; and as they read the history of His shameful
abuse, they think they love Him, and would not have denied Him
as did Peter, or crucified Him as did the Jews. But God who reads
the hearts of all, has brought to the test that love for Jesus
which they professed to feel. All heaven watched with the deepest
interest the reception of the first angel's message. But many
who professed to love Jesus, and who shed tears as they read the
story of the cross, derided the good news of His coming. Instead
of receiving the message with gladness, they declared it to be
a delusion. They hated those who loved His appearing and shut
them out of the churches. Those who rejected the first message
could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited
by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus
by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And
by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their
understanding that they can see no light in the third angel's
message, which shows the way into the most holy place. I saw that
as the Jews crucified Jesus, so the nominal churches had crucified
these messages, and therefore they have no knowledge of the way
into the most holy, and they cannot be benefited by the intercession
of Jesus there. Like the Jews, who offered their useless sacrifices,
they offer up their useless prayers to the apartment which Jesus
has left; and Satan, pleased with the deception, assumes a religious
character, and leads the minds of these professed Christians to
himself, working with his power, his signs and lying wonders,
to fasten them in his snare. Some he deceives in one way, and
some in another. He has different delusions prepared to affect
different minds. Some look with horror upon one deception, while
they readily receive another. Satan deceives some with Spiritualism.
He also comes as an angel of light and spreads his influence over
the land by means of false reformations. The churches are elated,
and consider that God is working marvelously for them, when it
is the work of another spirit. The excitement will die away and
leave the world and the church in a worse condition than before.
I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists
and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured
out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches
and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before
the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement
in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth
may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest
and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches.
But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the
fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant. (262)