The third angel’s message

“To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.” (Isa. 66:2).

Jehovah, are You a God of only stern justice? Or, do You truly go to the uttermost to save the chiefest of sinners?

God, what is Your judgment against me? Why do you remain so silent when I need guidance the most? Why does it seem that Your word condemns me of sin, but the measures I take from Your word don’t seem to remove my condemnation? And then when I reach out to others for their guidance they condemn my measures as fanatical, but I understood them from Your word? Are my measures wrong, or are my peers wrong? Are they joined unto idols and to this world and this life, or am I? Certainly I must be the guilty party. Why do I so often suffer grievous condemnation, while others seem never to suffer any?

“I will say unto God my Rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (Ps. 42:9). Is Christianity nothing but a religion of condemnation? Is my Jesus only a Jesus of condemnation?

These are questions that have plagued people in all ages. And Jesus has given us the answer. The disconcerting sense of Jesus’ absence is His expected response to the high standard, and a foretaste of greater condemnation to come.

“    I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their faces would light up with the marks of God’s approbation, and again the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them….

      I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth.…  

     …This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.”  Early Writings, p. 269.1, 270.2, 270.3.

“The straight truth”, “…pour forth the straight truth….” Does this sound strangely like the phrase “the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture” of the third angel’s message?

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation….” (Rev. 14:10)?

And what is the result of pouring forth the straight truth? In some it causes humility and self-recrimination, poverty of soul and contrition, “strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God”, “countenances … pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle”, “firmness and great earnestness … expressed in their countenances”, “large drops of perspiration [falling] from their foreheads”. And this results in “God’s approbation”. In others it causes a rising up against it, and a rejection by God. Therefore, for some it gives the seal of God and His eternal peace. But, in others it gives the mark of the beast and no rest day nor night.

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment [the demonic 5^th and 6^th trumpet plagues from the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1-18)] ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night.” (Rev. 14:10,11).

What this all boils down to is that the condemnation and humbling that the people in the vision experience is coming due to the affects of “the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans,. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard.… This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.” Early Writings, p. 270.2.

One thing we read in the above paragraph is that the “counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans” comes from the seventh letter to the seven churches Revelation 3:14-22. “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.” (Rev. 3:14).

The seventh letter continues:

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:15-18).

Finally, the rebuke ends with beautiful promises:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Behold, 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.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev. 3:19-22).

But, Revelation 3:14-22 being the “counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans”, what then is “the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans”? What is “the straight testimony” that the seventh letter calls for? Isn’t it the Spirit of Prophecy, the Testimony of Jesus, “the solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs”, and the third angel’s message of Revelation 14:9-11? Is it not the counsels of Ellen White “called forth” by Christ’s solemn message to the Laodiceans, Laodikeus, “the people of judgment”, God’s last holy movement in human history—the Seventh-Day Adventist church. And how have we done with her little read books? What has been our disposition toward the voice of Jesus? Do we hear His great and precious voice, or only her voice?

“I saw that the testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.” Early Writings, p. 270.3.

  

“The destiny of the church hangs” on all who will receive the Spirit of Prophecy counsels with deep repentance, who will obey it, and be purified by it. They have been shaken by the stern voice from the Spirit of Prophecy books by Ellen White. All of their Ashtoreth mirth is shaken out of them and replaced by a solemn reality of soon-coming judgment upon the earth. They own deep repentance and humility. Then they will be constrained to pour forth the straight—un-watered down, unvarnished—truth, truth with grace unadulterated with smooth sayings and deceitful prophecies. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isa. 58:1). They will pour forth the straight truth, but their testimony will not be cold-hearted. It will be like their Lord’s.

“As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition.… He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.” Desire of Ages, p. 68.

    

“Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He spoke the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity; but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He wept over Jerusalem, the city He loved, which refused to receive Him, the way, the truth, and the life. They had rejected Him, the Saviour, but He regarded them with pitying tenderness. His life was one of self-denial and thoughtful care for others. Every soul was precious in His eyes. While He ever bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed with the tenderest regard to every member of the family of God. In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission to save.” Steps to Christ, p. 12.

They have wrestled, and have been mightily shaken by reading and heeding the solemn message to the last church era, the Laodicean church. To those humbled servants that last message that they must give to people will be bitter in their bellies. They will know their own failings, but will find the high standard sweet when they first received it with repentance. Therefore, only they will be qualified by God to pour forth the straight truth with mercy and understanding. And their pure testimony will cause a shaking in the larger church and later in the world.

“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people.” Early Writings, p. 270.2.

  

We should expect condemnation from God, as our Schoolmaster-Principal. It’s that “solemn testimony”, which “will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver”. It alone can lead us to Christ and Him crucified for His repentance, then for His justification of life, and then His preparation for the Latter Rain, and His later personal, visible, audible, physical return.

We cannot manufacture repentance. Therefore, we must have God’s condemnation. We must have the powerful, wonderful, solemn testimony from God through Christ, through His designated representative, Ellen White. Will we receive Christ’s serious corrections into our heart? Will we wrestle with His denunciations of our darling sins through her, and receive His resolution toward it? Will we obtain “the victory”, which will call forth “from [us] the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy” Early Writings, p. 270.4? Will we be purified by the truth, and thus be chosen by God to pour forth the straight truth in the power of the fourth angel of Revelation 18? Will we receive “‘the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel’” Early Writings, p. 271.2?

Or will we be among the group that “had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who would not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it”, who “did not obtain it, and…were left behind in darkness, and their places…immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks” Early Writings, p. 271.1?

“For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.” (Isa. 10:22,23).

Will we be among the world that will reject the powerful testimony of the 144,000 who will give the “witness unto all nations” (Matt. 24:14)? Will we be the unsettled, unresting, wicked for whom there is no peace with God? Will we be foolish virgins? Will we receive the third angel’s message wrath of God and the sense of being lost that it gives sinners, after there is no more opportunity to learn to trust in His Son’s mercy so that it is too late to resolve its lostness with His loving kindness?

“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:12).

“The nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Rev. 11:18). “They were all astir. The zeal and power with the people of God had aroused and enraged them. Confusion, confusion, was on every side.”  Early Writings, p. 272.1?

“For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto Him.” (Ps. 32:6).

“And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.

Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.” (Isa. 28:18-23).

We know this will happen to somebody because prophecy says so. But will it be me?

God forbid.

If we haven’t already, let us begin now to struggle with the straight truth from the true last days prophet, and receive the “strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God.” Let us receive countenances that are “pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle”, “firmness and great earnestness” expressed in our countenances, with “large drops of perspiration [falling from our] foreheads” because the “testimony [worked into us] deep repentance”, we “truly [received] it [obeyed] it and [were] purified”.

Amen.