No way out

“And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

And I heard the Man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when He held up His right hand and His left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Dan. 12:6-7).

Last night I had the privilege of talking with my neighbors on the subject of the last days she is a woman of great faith; he is an agnostic, but growing very disillusioned with our country and our world.

We’ve talked several times before about the direction of our country, that is, the husband and I. and I’ve been assured of this topic and discussion whenever I visit him. Most of his comments have been complains, but suggestions that could improve things if someone on Capitol Hill would see the wisdom in his suggestions, or if we could ever get the right person in the White House.

But, last night he was sounding more surrendered to America’s demise. So I brought into the conversation the message of Daniel 12:6,7. I explained to them that Protestantism is the holy people, but we’ve done no differently than ancient Israel by turning from Jehovah to worship Satan and his false religion. So the Lord raised up Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon to fight God’s people and to subjugate them. The reason Babylon plays heavily in the end of Revelation is because Protestantism, the holy people have an enemy who is ascending out of the bottomless pit and is going into perdition and driving the whole world into perdition with it. In the chaos and oppression of that perdition, God will punish and bring His people into a surrender to, and dependence on, Him that they could not seem to learn otherwise. They had had the Bible, but toward the end of the 1260 year prophecy they had lost the Reformation fervor.

They dwelled in the North American land of Canaan that flowed with milk and honey, and left their original hold on the God of Protestantism. They were laying up their treasures on earth and not in heaven. They were selling their soul for lands and earthly possessions—trinkets—rather than the riches of service to Christ, the greatest of all blessings Christ, “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.... And he is before all things, and by him all things consist,” “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 1:15,1;2:3).

So, the Lord brought them to a test—the message from Baptist William Miller—that the Bible says Jesus will return and destroy this world. This is biblical truth. But the Protestants rejected his message, mocking it and deriding him. Miller had set a date because of Daniel 8:14, and that date was October 22, 1844. He had calculated correctly but had the wrong event—instead of the Lord cleansing an earthly sanctuary by fire when Jesus will return, Daniel 8:14 was speaking of the Lord cleansing the heavenly sanctuary, blotting out their sins before He could come to destroy this world. But his message woke up the Protestants to a test from heaven and they failed it signally. They didn’t desire their nice earthly home to be destroyed by God. So, they fought hard against Father Miller, and won the battle. However, they didn’t win the war—against God. The old test still holds true, “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:38,39).

The Advent movement survived, for there were some who received the discernment to see the truth from that message and who had been converted and filled with the Holy Spirit. And that message of Christ’s return will continue to spread to the Protestants, and draw out all who were truly seeking the Bible and the God behind the Bible.

God has had His eye on His holy people—those who hold to His Law and His gospel. Precious in His eyes is the Protestant people, especially those who still cling to His word and covenant with Him with all their heart and life of service. These precious ones are the salt of the earth and the reason the holy God still accepts the denominations of Protestantism. But He had had to let go of the leadership and much of the people—but not all. Those who will submit to His will have been mercifully kept back from the pervasive apostasy sweeping through America.

The Protestant denominations’ old enemy has not forgotten that their religions are implacable foes, even if the Protestants have been deluded and won over to their 500 year-old enemy. But the warning message to them is,

“Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than Me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered Me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held My peace even of old, and thou fearest Me not?

I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain;

And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of My people.

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.

For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isa. 57:7-21).

But the God of Protestantism is a jealous God and He will punish His wife, His people. The time of trouble coming our way is a “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” (Dan. 12:1).

God’s people within Protestantism and Adventism, and everyone throughout the whole world, in all the world religions, will hear God’s last call and they will respond. But this will not happen until world trouble and grief surpasses every destruction that has ever occurred in all the conquests and dominations of rapacious nations.

The coming subjugation of the whole world by Satan is inescapable. Every avenue or escape or self defense is cut off.

“He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.” (Isa. 10:28-32).