Exodus from the New Age

“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.” (Isa. 60:2-4).

“It feels like there’s this exodus.”

In an encouraging conversation between Doreen Virtue and her friend, Melissa confesses this hope on minute 6:05 of their video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JynjMoFzbs.

Reaching out to struggling ex-New Agers, and to other potential New Age interests in Jesus who are still fearful of leaving their New Age community and stepping out in faith, Melissa speaks of her own experience of aloneness, the loneliness without anyone on earth to help her remain faithful to her new trust in her Creator, Jesus. Starting on minute 5:19:

“…I felt so kind of lost, I mean when it came to Mormonism [after leaving the New Age] at least they had some sort of … understanding that they could become a god. So I could relate in that sense. But, they still couldn’t quite understand that there was [a] difference [between them and my lonely path out of the New Age].

So I looked for that for a while. And I remember when Steven Bancarz made his testimony video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMu5F2icsT8&t=33s]… I had so many friends tag me on it, and here Steven is one of my really good friends now. But, it’s so funny because at that point, at that time, nobody, I couldn’t find anybody [to talk to about my newly found Jesus]. I didn’t know about Warren Smith, Warren Smith was an ex…I mean these books that were out. You have Johanna Michaelson…all these people who came out of the New Age in like the ‘70s, but now it feels like there’s this exodus almost…”

Doreen’s statement to this:

“Yeah, YouTube’s filled with testimonial videos of ex-New Agers…”

Until recently both Doreen and Melissa found it very difficult to find other ex-New Agers to fellowship with.

This begs the question, Why doesn’t Adventism hold the wreath for spearheading this rush out of the New Age, like Moses delivering a host from bondage? We’ve had the promise of the Latter Rain in Isaiah 60:2-4. We have it in Great Controversy, pages 611, and 612.

“The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel’s message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel.  

     The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the ‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest. ‘Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.’ Hosea 6:3. ‘Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.’ Joel 2:23. ‘In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.’ ‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Acts 2:17, 21.  

     The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’ Acts 3:19, 20.

     Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.  

     The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.”

“The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience.”

We live in a Western world age where a widespread knowledge of the Bible exists. Atheists, pagans, hedonists, drug abusers and sellers, gangsters, New Age and Buddhism and Islam and Hinduism followers, they all know something about the Bible, not to mention the people in the churches. Yet misconceptions abound concerning Jesus, His Father, and Their kingdom of righteousness and holiness in love. Satan and his locusts hordes of Revelation 9 have done an exquisite job of bringing the Protestant world into almost total ignorance with regard to the principles and power of the gospel. They have been let loose from the bowels of hell to lead the world to make its last final decision for or against an eternity of precious life and health from the holy presence of Jesus.

“Side by side with the preaching of the gospel, agencies are at work which are but the medium of lying spirits.” The Desire of Ages, p. 258.

“Two great parties are developed, the worshipers of the beast and his image, and the worshipers of the true and living God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 45.

“In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance―a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy―the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God―that is permeating the Protestant churches and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.

     If the reader would understand the agencies to be employed in the soon-coming contest, he has but to trace the record of the means which Rome employed for the same object in ages past….” Great Controversy, p. 573.

God’s people have been hiding in the woodwork. Multitudes have not yet surrendered fully to Jesus and received His abundant Spirit because their misconceptions of the Christian life with Jesus are preventing them. Like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, they have not cut off the Spirit of God; they have not committed the unpardonable sin. They will join in the Latter Rain when it comes.

But even though we don’t see the multitudes visibly, we are seeing their firstfruits in the exodus on the YouTube videos. Soon there will be an exodus of millions, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9)! Millions from around the world will give similar testimonies such as we hear from YouTube. Millions of liberated and joyful disciples of the Lord will declare their Maker’s praises. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9). In a short period of time the gospel will be preached to a whole world of captives to spiritualism.

We need to hear the words of our YouTube testifiers, and realize their agreement with the counsels of the Spirit of Prophecy.

The Latter Rain will have more power than the Early Rain at Pentecost. “The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening.” Great Controversy, p. 611. Therefore, the following awe-inspiring promises of what Jesus will do apply to the Protestant and Advent remnants more than they did to the pre-John the Baptist Jews awaiting the Messiah. Read these promises not as a historical message to ancient Israel. But, put yourself in them as the person to whom Jesus spoke.

“Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth;

Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour.

I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” (Isa. 43:4-12).

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.

For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.” (Isa. 54:1-17).

“The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?” (Isa. 49:20,21).

These promises are for you if you are born again and are struggling to remain faithful to the truth and testimony of Jesus. And they are for you if you aren’t born again, but fearfully need certainty of salvation, and are striving to get to the truth and the testimony of Jesus. Jesus desires to give you new birth now and every day.

If you are weary and heavy laden, if you are sighing and crying for the Laodicean conditions in the midst of the church and in your own heart, if you see the coming desolations in a time of trouble such as never was, this is for you.

“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40:1,2).

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isa. 40:3-11).

His reward will be with Him, but His work must be before His reward. Get ready for the purging from the purifying global troubles and Latter Rains that precede His coming in great glory and destructive power. Let Him start sanctifying you now. Let’s all have a part in, and together with Jesus be workers toward, the great exodus of slaves from the captivities around the world!