Elijah prays, while his Servant checks for Rain

PRAY FOR THE LATTER RAIN SERIES – BOOK 1

Pray

for the

Latter Rain

F. T. Wright

Source:

The Messenger and News Review

May 1986 to March 1989

Cover:

Heinrich Halmen

Elijah praying for Rain (AI enhanced)

Fonts:

Liberation Sans Narrow

Linux Biolinum

Linux Libertine

Miama Nueva

July 2026

practicaprophetica.com

srac.info

Contents

Pray for the Latter Rain

Foreword

Do Not Rest Satisfied	1

The Need to Ask	2

Praying for the Fulfillment of Prophecy	6

A Study of Daniel’s Prayers	9

The Application to Us	14

Pray as Daniel Prayed	16

Overcoming the Disappointments of the Past	17

Conditional Nature of Prophecy	19

Every Prophecy Is a Promise	26

The Procedure to Receive the Promise	28

Faith That Overcomes Obstacles	31

Apparently Insurmountable Obstacles	33

The Lord’s Work to Overcome the Obstacles	37

The Necessity of Faith in the Promises	41

Stripping the Life from Every Distraction	42

Enduring Faith and Unflagging Zeal Required	43

Lessons from the Restoration	48

Opening Providence Calls for Action	48

Giving In to Doubt and Discouragement	50

The Resource of Prayer	52

Holding to Our Positions	54

Working and Praying Unselfishly	57

The Lessons Are for Us	61

Lessons from Elijah’s Experience	65

The Conditions in Elijah’s Time	65

Elijah’s Fitness	67

God’s Purpose in the Drought	69

The Demonstration on Mount Carmel	73

Praying in the Time for Rain	75

Intense Devotion to God’s Cause	79

True Repentance	83

Suffering and Loss Not Entirely Effective	83

True Repentance Brings Separation from Sin	85

Everlasting Peace Not Achieved by Compelling Power	90

Penetrating the Darkness	91

History Being Relived	103

A Revelation of God’s Goodness	107

A Deeper Experience Required	108

God’s Revelation to the Patriarch Job	110

Introspection	121

God’s Revelation to Isaiah	124

Isaiah’s Experience Is for Us	124

The Time of Isaiah’s Ministry	126

The Vision Inspires Isaiah	128

Isaiah’s Repentance Deepens	129

A Deeper Cleansing from Sin	132

Fitness for Service	135

God’s Revelation to Moses	139

An Ever-Deepening Abhorrence of Evil	139

The Spiritual Development of Moses	140

The Goodness of God Revealed in the Plagues	153

An Ever-Deepening Repentance	158

Repentance in Eternity	158

At the Cross	162

Moses on the Mount with God	166

The Temptation of Moses	175

From Sinai to Kadesh-barnea	176

Murmuring Breaks Out	177

Fire and Lightning	178

Moses Indulges in Murmuring	181

No Place for Complacency	182

Turning Away from the Source	187

The Appointment of the Seventy	188

The True Science of Prayer	191

“Teach Us to Pray”	192

Living Faith	193

A Divine Science	195

The Experience of the Nobleman	197

The Prayer of Faith	206

The Experience of the Nobleman (continued)	206

The Lesson for Us	215

Claiming the Gift	222

Instant Answers and Delayed Answers	222

Why the Delay in Sending the Latter Rain?	225

Laying Hold of the Blessing	228

The Witness of Sight and Circumstances	229

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary I	238

The Central Role of the Sanctuary	238

A Step-by-Step Journey	240

Praying by Inspiration of the Spirit	241

Blessings of the First Apartment Still Available	247

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary II	252

The Altar of Sacrifice	252

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary III	268

The Altar of Sacrifice (continued)	268

The Laver	274

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary IV	284

The Laver (continued)	284

The Relationship Between the Courtyard and Holy Places	285

Overview of the Furniture of the Holy Place	291

The Altar of Incense	292

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary V	300

The Altar of Incense (continued)	300

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary VI	315

The Fire of Life and the Fire of Destruction	315

The Golden Candlestick	318

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary VII	329

The Showbread	329

Summary	341

Prayer Changes Us	345

Receiving More Than We Could Ask or Think	345

Why We Don’t Receive	349

Man-Changing Prayers	360

Prayer That Brings Us Up to God	362

Babylonian Prayers	362

Qualifications for the Latter Rain	366

The Experience of Moses	368

A Qualified People	375

A Thorough Work Takes Time	376

Affliction of Soul	376

Paul’s Exhortation	379

The Gift Is Free, but Development Takes Effort	382

The Example of Elijah	386

Laying Hold of the Latter Rain by Faith	391

The Effect of Surroundings	394

Why Moses Required a Change	395

The Radical Transition Led to Repentance	400

Natural Surroundings Not Enough	402

The Spirit of Discernment	405

The Importance of the New Birth	407

The Power of Communion with God	409

All Three Factors Required	409

Communion vs. Saying Prayers	410

Christ’s Communion with His Father	413

Strengthened to Endure the Test	419

The Principles of Effective Prayer	425

A Sense of Our Need	425

Trying to Change God	430

Summary	439

Another Look at the “God-Changing” Tendency	440

Paul vs. the Church Leaders in Jerusalem	441

Not Our Will, But His	445

The Sure Sign of Self-Will	448

The Sin of Murmuring	449

Christ: The Model Believer	451

Faith That Can Endure Weariness	456

The Patience of the Saints	457

Seeing God’s Character in His Word	459

The Season of Distress	461

Faith That Overcomes Weariness	464

Faith That Can Endure Delay	471

Delay as a Means to Develop Character	472

Delay Caused by Others	475

Delay During Christ’s Temptation	479

Faith That Can Endure Hunger	484

Hunger During Jacob’s Trouble	485

Food from Ravens, and Manna	488

Living by the Promises	490

The Hunger Factor in Christ’s Temptation	494

The Victory of Faith	498

Jacob’s Test: A Willingness to Deny Self	499

Acting on the Lord’s Timing	506

David Seeking Refuge Among the Philistines	508

Elijah Fleeing for His Life	511

Jacob’s Victory	512

Related Articles

Days of Intense Preparation	515

Desperate Solution	519

The Tarrying Time Lingers	521

Pray for the
Latter Rain

Foreword

HERE are collected the articles by F. T. Wright on the topic of “Pray for the Latter Rain,” which began to be presented in May 1986. This ended up branching into a few more topics, but they were all considered to be under the umbrella of the “Pray for the Latter Rain” series. Here is the actual breakdown:

THEME	START	END	STUDIES
Pray for the Latter Rain	May 1986	March 1989	32 + 2 (related)
- Gospel Order	March 1989 October 1990	January 1990 March 1991	22 + 4 (related)
- Melchizedek	January 1990	September 1990	9
- Gabriel	April 1991	October 1993	27

With the studies on Gabriel, the Pray for the Latter Rain series was ended, and a final series, Daniel and the Revelation, was commenced, which occupied Fred’s time until he passed away, on June 29, 1997. Fred had pre-written many of the articles on this topic, and so these were published monthly after his death, until December 2000. The Daniel and the Revelation series never extended to the book of Revelation, as was originally planned, but it covered most of the book of Daniel and is now available under the title, The Little Book Opened.

The Pray for the Latter Rain studies began to be presented in May 1986. The first part, which dealt particularly with prayer, continued until March 1989. The series then developed into the Gospel Order message, which was presented from March 1989 until May 1991. The Melchizedek series came roughly in the middle of those studies, but has been extracted into a separate book. The Gospel Order series was followed by the series on Gabriel, which has also been extracted into a separate book.

I’ve also published two other books on Gospel Order:

First, a series of articles that Andreas Dura began in February 2001, which was meant to be a full rewrite, but which was never completed. It is released as Gospel Order: An Introduction. This one is very precise, with a full set of good diagrams.

The second publication is from the original 1989 camp meeting studies, the first camp meeting that Fred Wright was too weak to be able to fully conduct, and so he sat in attendance, but let Andreas handle the presentations. I added a second section to that book, including studies presented from 2006-2020 that were on the same topic. That publication is titled, Gospel Order, and it is the most complete.

Where appropriate, at the beginning of some of the studies I have included a few paragraphs that Fred wrote in a section at the beginning of each Messenger, titled “A Word from the Editor.” These are his words, not mine.

Frank Zimmerman

practicaprophetica.com

Do Not Rest Satisfied

Messenger and News Review, May 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 1

A Word from the Editor

In this month’s issue we commence a relatively short series on praying for the latter rain in the time of the latter rain. The emphasis will highlight the statement, “Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 508. This will be a most important series of presentations which every believer is advised to study very closely.

Unfortunately, the message cannot be presented in a single issue but requires several to cover it. There are those who tend to find this an unsatisfactory procedure, but this is not really so. Each chapter will be complete in itself. If the reader will make a diligent study of each issue as it appears, he will be prepared for the next when it arrives. Thus, by the time the series is over, those who have studied the matter diligently will be well versed in the subject.

We are now living in the actual time period when the latter rain is due to fall. Let us awake to the glorious possibilities of the hour and not let the opportunity pass as have those who preceded us. We are no longer to prepare and wait. Now we must prepare and pray. The praying must be with the dedication, single-mindedness, and intensity which characterized Daniel’s prayers. When we learn to pray as he did, we too shall obtain answers such as he received.

Zechariah 10

1 Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.

THE Lord in this very important Scripture instructs the people in what they are to do; when they are to do it; and what will be the results of their doing it. They are to:

Ask for the latter rain;

In the time of the latter rain;

Then, and only then, the Lord will send the rain.

It is thus made obvious that our praying for the latter rain to fall at the time when it is due, is a condition which must be met if this essential blessing is to descend upon God’s children in these latter times.

The Need to Ask

This counsel is in direct opposition to human disposition which does not tend to see any necessity to ask God to fulfill His prophecies. In strong faith in the certainty of their coming to pass, we regard them as foregone inevitabilities which will eventuate whether we pray for their fulfillment or not. Equally convinced that the promised latter rain will certainly fall when its time comes, we tend to quietly wait for that moment to arrive.

In the meantime, knowing that, because the people had failed to make the necessary preparation, past opportunities for the outpouring of this facility have come and gone without the blessing being received, we concentrate on a thorough preparation so that we will be fit to receive the gift when it comes. Thus, up till the present time, our preoccupation has been to prepare and wait.

This is a correct and commendable procedure until we come to the time of the latter rain—the period just prior to its outpouring. Then a new condition must be met—the specific and very earnest asking for the gift. In other words, we are to move from preparing and waiting, to preparing and praying. The specific counsel to be applied in the time of the latter rain is:

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

This reference is instruction in regard to the latter rain, but it is also appropriate for the outpouring of the rain so essential to the germination and growth of vegetation. How often as year follows year in which long dry spells occur, we simply wait and hope that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will eventually fall. Let us awaken to the realization that we should not stand by in inactivity waiting helplessly for the rain to come. Let us ask for it when it is due and, if we pray in true faith, the showers will water the parched earth. Such a result will strengthen our confidence to pray for the latter rain.

This principle is beautifully and effectively illustrated in the prayers of both Daniel and Elijah. In both cases the time for prophecy to be fulfilled had come, but neither sat back and waited for the predictions to come to pass in the normal course of events. Both prayed with an intensity which we no doubt still have to learn, and both saw the prophecies take place in answer to their petitions. Their experience is a model for us as we stand where and when God’s declarations are to be realized.

In studying the prayers of Daniel and Elijah, attention will be given to what they did—they prayed; when they did it—at the time the prophecies were due to be fulfilled; and the result—God worked marvelously to make the predictions a reality.

The two major prayers of Daniel are recorded in Daniel 9 and 10. The first of them was uttered in the first year of Darius, which was immediately after Babylon’s destruction. It was the time when the prediction of God through Jeremiah which limited the duration of Israel’s subjugation to Babylon to 70 years, and the work of Cyrus named in the book of Isaiah as the one divinely appointed to let the captives free, were due to take place.

As Daniel realized that the time had come to witness Israel’s deliverance, he entered into intensive study and prayer. This was his natural response to the situation.

Daniel 9

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—

2 In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord, given through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

3 Then I set my face towards the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

It seems quite remarkable that Daniel reacted the way he did until it is realized that the Holy Spirit led him to take the only appropriate course of action under the circumstances. One would tend to think that, as he saw the great prophecies inexorably fulfilling before his eyes, he would tend to sit back and confidently watch them come to pass.

This expectation on our part stems from our strong convictions that the divine predictions are more than sure to be fulfilled. We believe that God, having spoken, is bound to carry out His word exactly as He has stated it and that therefore, there is little or nothing that we can do to ensure that there is no failure. We are prone to overlook the fact that there are conditional elements in the divine foretellings, and that the people of God must faithfully fulfill their part before the predictions can actually happen.

Our confidence in the sureness of the divine descriptions of future events, is strengthened when we contemplate the detailed accuracy of the 490 year outline of coming developments featured in Daniel 9. We see how precisely timed Christ’s death was. It was so accurate that He expired as the priest raised the knife to slay the lamb for the evening sacrifice. As the veil was torn by an unseen hand, the startled priest dropped the knife in the very instant he was about to slay the victim, which then made its escape.1 See The Desire of Ages, p. 757.

Likewise, we contemplate the accuracy of the 1260 year prophecy. Exactly on schedule in 538 AD, the man of sin ascended to the throne of universal power. Just 1260 years later, in 1798, Bible students were expecting his dethronement, and they were not disappointed. Exactly when the Lord had foretold the event should occur, it did.

Then there is the incredible termination of the 2300 year prophecy, at the end of which it was specified that…

Daniel 8 [RSV]

14 ...then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.

Throughout the greater part of this longest of all prophetic periods, the heavenly sanctuary had been trampled under foot in the sense that the ecclesiastics taught that the sanctuary was on this earth still and not up in heaven where it actually is. But there would come the time when it would be exalted to its rightful state both by the return of that light which reveals just where the sanctuary is, and by its being cleansed of all sin forever. With what wonderful precision these words are being fulfilled today.

These and other marvelous fulfillments have educated us to always expect that events will develop exactly as specified without any prayer participation on our part. But, as we study into the supplications of both Daniel and Elijah, we shall see that, for the fulfillment of prophecy, God is actually dependent on the prayer participation of His people. There is of course a reason for this, and this will reveal itself as we proceed.

Praying for the Fulfillment of Prophecy

Consider the situation as the time for Babylon’s fall drew near. The Jews were familiar with the word of God as it had come through both Jeremiah and Isaiah. They knew that Cyrus had been named by God as the one who would secure the release of the captives from Israel. So, when toward the very end of the 70 year period, the Medo-Persian armies with Cyrus at their head laid siege to the proud city on the Euphrates, an excited expectation must have gripped the Jews.

Prophets and Kings, p. 551-553:

The advent of the army of Cyrus before the walls of Babylon was to the Jews a sign that their deliverance from captivity was drawing nigh. More than a century before the birth of Cyrus, Inspiration had mentioned him by name, and had caused a record to be made of the actual work he should do in taking the city of Babylon unawares, and in preparing the way for the release of the children of the captivity. Through Isaiah the word had been spoken:

Isaiah 45

1 Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him;...to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

2 I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

3 And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel.

In the unexpected entry of the army of the Persian conqueror into the heart of the Babylonian capital by way of the channel of the river whose waters had been turned aside, and through the inner gates that in careless security had been left open and unprotected, the Jews had abundant evidence of the literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the sudden overthrow of their oppressors. And this should have been to them an unmistakable sign that God was shaping the affairs of nations on their behalf; for inseparably linked with the prophecy outlining the manner of Babylon’s capture and fall were the words:

Isaiah 44

28 Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.

Isaiah 45

13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: He shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts.

Nor were these the only prophecies upon which the exiles had opportunity to base their hope of speedy deliverance. The writings of Jeremiah were within their reach, and in these was plainly set forth the length of time that should elapse before the restoration of Israel from Babylon.

Jeremiah 25

12 When seventy years are accomplished, [the Lord had foretold through His messenger,] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Favor would be shown the remnant of Judah, in answer to fervent prayer.

Jeremiah 29

14 I will be found of you, says the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, says the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

No one was a more interested or devoted student of these prophecies than Daniel. He knew by the sure word of God that the time had come for his people to be returned to their own land again.

Prophets and Kings, p. 553:

Often had Daniel and his companions gone over these and similar prophecies outlining God’s purpose for His people. And now, as the rapid course of events betokened the mighty hand of God at work among the nations, Daniel gave special thought to the promises made to Israel. His faith in the prophetic word led him to enter into experiences foretold by the sacred writers.

Consider very carefully the final sentence in this paragraph. It informs us that Daniel’s faith in the prophetic word led him to enter into a particular kind of experience, one that was foretold by the prophetic writers. That experience was one of prayer participation in the actual fulfillment of the prophecies then due. In other words, he asked of the Lord the promised blessing in the time of the blessing, and the Lord heard and answered the prayer. He did not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of events the prophecy would be fulfilled. Instead, with the most intense dedication, he agonized in prayer for the word of God to come to pass. Here is the prediction which outlines the experience of prayer participation foretold by God through Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29

10 After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

11 I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.

Once again there is the stressing of the time segment. While it is true that we are ever to search for the Lord with all our hearts in total consecration, there are special times in history when prayer of unusual power and concentration, as in the situation under consideration, is called for.

In the prediction made through Jeremiah, the Lord firstly mentioned the time:

10 After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return.

It was not a difficult matter for them to calculate when the seventy years would terminate, so, by the more sure Word of God, they certainly knew when that period was ending. That was the time to pray with their whole heart for God’s work to prosper and go forward. Many entered into prayer participation with God in this time of fulfilling prophecy, the most earnest of all being Daniel.

Prophets and Kings, p. 558-559:

Many, like Daniel, had been studying the prophecies, and had been seeking God for His promised intervention in behalf of Zion.

The prediction was that they would seek the Lord with all their hearts. We are not informed as to how earnestly the believers prayed at that time, but we certainly know that Daniel prayed with his whole heart, for of him it is written that he set his face…

Daniel 9

3 ...towards the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

What we as a people need today is a clear understanding of what it means to pray with all the heart, for this is the condition which must be fulfilled if we are to see the coming of the latter rain. How then shall we acquire this knowledge? How shall we know that we are in fact praying with all the heart to the point where it satisfies the requirements that will bring the latter rain?

A Study of Daniel’s Prayers

One facility available to us in this quest is the study of Daniel’s prayers, for here is a man whose petitions were so successful that he brought the mightiest angel in heaven to his side. His prayers were answered, the prophecies were fulfilled, and the work of God was advanced. What then were the elements which made his supplication a success?

In the first case it is recorded that he set his face towards the Lord God. This means that he approached the throne of grace with a fixed determination to receive the answer to his prayers. He was resolved that absolutely nothing would divert him from his intention, but he would lay hold of the promises of God and would not cease his supplications until heaven heard. It was the same fixation which led Jacob to cry,

Genesis 32

26 I will not let you go unless you bless me!

Prophets and Kings, p. 157:

Faith such as this is needed in the world today—faith that will lay hold on the promises of God’s word and refuse to let go until heaven hears.

This is taking the kingdom of God with spiritual violence which brings a sure and certain reward.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1089:

With the great truth we have been privileged to receive, we should, and under the Holy Spirit’s power we could, become living channels of light. We could then approach the mercy seat; and seeing the bow of promise, kneel with contrite hearts, and seek the kingdom of heaven with a spiritual violence that would bring its own reward. We would take it by force, as did Jacob. Then our message would be the power of God unto salvation. Our supplications would be full of earnestness, full of a sense of our great need; and we would not be denied.

This is prayer intensity at its best, but it is an attitude and spirit which we cannot generate in ourselves. How then are we brought to the place where we come to the mercy seat with this tremendous determination to acquire the promised blessing? The answer is found in the study of what brought Daniel to the place where he prayed as he did. There were in fact two dominant factors:

His accurate knowledge of God’s will for His people as revealed in the prophecies;

His tremendous burden for the Lord’s work.

Let it be stressed that not for one moment did that mighty man of God pray for what he himself might have thought should have been done to advance the cause. There was not the least trace of self in him. He did not in any sense of the word, seek to establish himself as the plan-maker or problem-solver in the place of God. He understood the principle that entertainment on our part of any solutions for the problems which beset the Lord’s work, is the act of putting ourselves in the Creator’s place, and is but the repetition and continuation of the sin which caused all the trouble in the first case.

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 100-101:

When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed up in the will of God.

The true Christian prays only for God’s will, and never for his own. Therefore, a prerequisite to effective prayer is a thorough study of the divine will. In the case of the particular prayer of Daniel which we are studying, this entailed an extensive, in depth investigation into the prophecies which outlined God’s will for His work at that time and place. The prophet emerged from that research with a very deep and thorough understanding of what the Lord intended to do in respect to the release of the exiles and their restoration to their own land once more. Thus equipped, he could and did pray very confidently and powerfully for what both the Lord and he desired to see happen, and what the Lord had confirmed would happen.

The intensity of Daniel’s supplications reflected the burden of heart which he carried for the cause. With him, the interests and the affairs of heaven on this earth were absolutely paramount, an attitude which, unfortunately, was not shared by many of his countrymen. This is revealed by the refusal of the majority to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, the temple, and the nation, because such an undertaking would call for the sacrifice of the possessions and wealth they had accumulated in the land of their exile.

It may be argued that Daniel’s remaining in his high position in Medo-Persia indicates the same unwillingness to sacrifice for the cause, but such a conclusion would be an unjustified attack on his character. We can be very sure that the aging prophet would gladly have returned to assist in the rebuilding, but, ever submissive to God’s plans for him, he remained where the Lord could use him for the advancement of the cause better than if he had returned. With Daniel, it was never a question of whether or not he was going to sacrifice wealth, high station, possessions, or power. Those things carried no weight with him. It was only a question of where the Most High had elected for him to be.

It may be asked as to how we can be sure about this. In the first case, Gabriel addressed him as…

Daniel 10

11 O Daniel, man greatly beloved.

Now heaven does not in fact love one person above another, for God’s love is infinite and unchanging toward all men, but the Lord does value as very precious the person who possesses the self-sacrificing spirit which is the law of life for heaven and earth. Such people He delights to address as men and women greatly beloved, valued, or appreciated.

There was no possibility of these words being addressed to Daniel if his actions to any degree had been prompted by self-interest, that is, if his position and possessions had carried any weight in his decision making. If he had been a wealthy merchant in Babylon, living in a fine house, clad in expensive attire, with well-established business connections, and in the enjoyment and prestige which wealth brings, he would not have hesitated for a moment when the call came to return and rebuild. Gladly would he have left it all behind in order to advance the cause he loved so dearly.

In the second case, Daniel would never have been so burdened for the future of Israel had material things been of concern to him. No one who devotes his life to the accumulation of this world’s treasures will ever carry a great burden for the cause of truth. Instead, there will be a tendency to add house to house and land to land, with these treasures becoming more and more important as the years go by. As they do, the owner, even though he is a professing Christian, actually hopes in his heart that the Lord will not come just yet.

So important to Daniel was the advancement of God’s cause that, when he was motivated to supplicate the throne of God for that purpose, he stripped himself of every material comfort and interest. It was “with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes,”2 Daniel 9:3. that he prayed. This is a picture of a servant of God whose life was dominated by one interest, aim, and purpose. He was a person who would cheerfully live or die as would best serve the interests of the cause he loved. With him, the things of eternity were not one concern among others, but they were those which dominated all others.

When that man prayed, heaven listened and the mightiest angel of all, Gabriel, was commissioned to fly to him with incredible speed to answer his petitions.

The Sanctified Life, p. 48:

As Daniel’s prayer is going forth, the angel Gabriel comes sweeping down from the heavenly courts to tell him that his petitions are heard and answered.

The light and understanding given in answer to his prayer carried the assurance that the blessings named in the prophecies would indeed be bestowed on the Israelites. Daniel knew that his prayers were heard and answered. Cyrus did make the decree which set them free to return to their own land once more. The mighty prophet did not rest satisfied that in the normal course of events, the prophecy would be fulfilled. At the time when it was due to take place, he pleaded with the Lord to fulfill His word, and the Lord did. The things predicted came to pass, and the work of God advanced strongly.

The Sanctified Life, p. 47:

If we as a people would pray as Daniel prayed, and wrestle as he wrestled, humbling our souls before God, we should realize as marked answers to our petitions as were granted Daniel.

The Application to Us

As Daniel’s faith in the prophecies led him to enter into prayer participation with God for their fulfillment, so today, our faith in the prediction that the latter rain will fall will lead us into the same prayer participation with the divine agencies. We need to understand that, for several reasons, there must be a co-working of the divine and the human in order for God’s will to be done on earth as it is accomplished in heaven.

Firstly, the true believer in Jesus must have a clear and comprehensive understanding of where he stands in the unrolling of the prophetic scroll. He must be able to match the conditions around him, and the events taking place before his eyes with the appropriate foretellings spelled out in the Scriptures. He must also know what to expect in the near future, and beyond. This calls for deep, searching study of the sure word of prophecy until these things are really known by the follower of Jesus. No superficial, hazy understanding born of a casual survey will suffice. The believer must really know what is written till his whole being is fired with inspiration. This is far more essential than many realize.

Then, he must share with Daniel and other great men of the Bible such as Moses, Elijah, and Paul, a tremendous burden for the finishing of the work. Everything else must become of very minor importance in his life. He must realize that, as a Christian, he is in this world, not to pursue its interests, enjoy its pleasures, or acquire its riches, but to build up the affairs of heaven in this world, so that a termination can be speedily put to sin’s reign, and the glorious reign of Christ instituted.

This does not mean that the believer will cease working to earn his daily bread. On the contrary, he will be among the most diligent of all workers, but he will regard the acquirement of money as the power to advance God’s interests, and will not plan for the building of an earthly kingdom for himself. As we near the time when the latter rain will be poured out, it will be most important that every unnecessary possession shall be dispensed with, and a discontinuation made of every activity that does not directly contribute to the needed preparation for the coming final push to victory. All property must be placed on the altar of sacrifice to be held in possession or given up as the Lord shall direct.

All this must be done, for, to…

The Sanctified Life, p. 47:

...pray as Daniel prayed, and wrestle as he wrestled...requires .”..fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:3.

As will be clearly demonstrated in coming chapters, we are now actually living once more in the time of the latter rain, that period of time immediately preceding the actual outpouring itself. As Daniel did, so we too are to know the time of our visitation, for the time is now past when we are to simply prepare and wait. Now is the hour when we are to prepare and pray. The message from heaven which is appropriate for this time is:

Zechariah 10

1 Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

Pray as Daniel Prayed

Messenger and News Review, June 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 2

A Word from the Editor

Christ experienced great difficulty in being accepted as God’s messenger when He was here upon earth, but it was not because of any lack of visible proof of which there was an abundance. Firstly, there were the many clear and precise prophecies naming the place and time when He would be born of a virgin mother, the nature of the work He would do, and every other detail of His ministry. Then there was the perfect harmony between His teachings and the witness of the Old Testament prophets. Add to that the mighty miracles which He wrought including three resurrections from the dead. Yet, despite all this, the Jews were unable to accept Him as the heaven-sent Messiah. Why was this so? It was because their minds were not open to God's love, as it is written:

“If their minds had been open to God's love, they would have received Jesus.” The Desire of Ages, p. 465.

For those who had minds closed against God’s love, there was no proof in existence no matter how powerful or clear which would have convinced them. For those who did have minds open to God’s love, no proof was needed. So it remains to this day. Many who think they have accepted Jesus are found in an hour of test to be destitute of the indwelling love without which no one can truly follow the Saviour.

THE promise is:

The Sanctified Life, p. 47:

If we as a people would pray as Daniel prayed, and wrestle as he wrestled, humbling our souls before God, we should realize as marked answers to our petitions as were granted to Daniel.

In other words, in this, the time to pray for the latter rain, there is the requirement to plead for the outpouring of the heavenly blessing with the same all-consuming dedication and unrestrained intensity which characterized Daniel’s implorings of the divine blessing. There is the critical need to shake off the complacency and its attendant lethargy if we are to realize the endowment without which the work of God in the earth can never be finished.

Overcoming the Disappointments of the Past

How to achieve this experience in communication with heaven until the requests are granted, is a problem which, in every believer’s life, must be overcome. One reason for reservation and hesitancy on our part, is the recurring false alarms which have been encountered over the years. I remember as far back as four decades, that there was the general belief that the Lord would come for certain within five years at the very most. Church members actually expressed this expectation as a firm conviction. When the Saviour did not appear as predicted, a new time limit was set over and over again. This could not go on forever without damaging the faith of the church members to the point where they would be disinclined to respond to any further assessments of when the end would come.

I witnessed a dramatic demonstration of this effect in Loma Linda in 1964 shortly after I had arrived for the first time in the United States. I was guest to a retired missionary and went with him to a midweek, evening service when a very respected, and well-liked evangelist was due to deliver a sermon. Upon arrival, I found the church was filled with people.

The subject chosen was the glory and imminence of the second advent, and the speaker determined to inspire the audience with hope and expectation in the face of this wonderful event. He was a very capable and powerful speaker who delivered his presentation with great earnestness and intensity. He described the coming appearance of our returning Saviour and glorious King, in vivid and dramatic detail, portrayed the agony of those who had despised God’s salvation, and told of the rapture of those who had forsaken the world and its sin.

It was a sermon calculated to stir the hearts of every listener, but there was no visible effect whatsoever. I marveled as I witnessed the impassive expressions on the faces of those gathered in the church that evening. But then, why should they be excited? They had heard this all before, time and again, but the end still had not come. They remained imprisoned in this sinful world wherein they sadly watched their loved ones being buried one after another with no better prospect than to follow them before long. No wonder they listened that night in stolid, unmoving disbelief.

Every one of us who has come from a background in which the continued expectation of an immediate advent has been attended by successive disappointments, will have difficulty in rising above this same reservation. There will be an abiding fear that, if we make an all out effort involving our laying all on the altar of sacrifice, the severance of every needless earthly tie, and the undermining of our earthly security, we could find ourselves facing undue hardships when the expectation, “as usual,” fails. Our humanity demands that we make sure of our present needs before committing ourselves totally to the divine call to pray without reservation for the outpouring of the latter rain, but our human nature,—its fears, and its needs,—must not be permitted to be the decision-making power in this situation.

The sobering fact is that only when God’s people do approach this task without reservation, will the Lord hear the prayer of faith for the outpouring of the latter rain. It is only when the believers adopt the attitude that, no matter what the cost, or how long it takes, they will petition the Almighty till the endowment is bestowed that there will be any hope of the gift being granted. All must be prepared to “burn their bridges behind them,” that is, to plan only for advance, and make no provision for retreat.

All fear of being disappointed must be laid aside. Not in the slightest can this be permitted to hinder or limit the quest for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is clear from Bible prophecy, and from the fact that the Lord has sent a message declaring that the time has come to ask for the rain to fall, that the outpouring will shortly come in answer to the prayer of faith. Let our confidence then grasp this assurance so that an unreserved effort can be made to receive the promise. If this is done, then we can be sure that the long awaited facility will descend with unlimited power on the waiting saints and then the work will be quickly finished.

Conditional Nature of Prophecy

It is very necessary that we understand why God’s people must enter into prayer participation with the Lord in order to ensure that the latter rain will come. We are not to rest satisfied that, in the normal course of the season, rain will fall. We are to ask for it. This has to be done, for intercessory prayer activates a very profound work of preparation within the suppliant who sets his face to receive the promise, and will not let go till heaven hears.

This prayer participation must be sustained, not to achieve any change in God, for He is the Lord who changes not, but to effect the changes within the believer which have to be established so that the blessings of God can be given.

Steps to Christ, p. 93:

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

Steps to Christ, p. 94:

Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.

Proof that the prophecy promising the outpouring of the latter rain can only be fulfilled when the Lord’s people have met the required conditions, is provided in the fact that the time for the latter rain has come on several occasions, but it has failed to appear because of the unwillingness of the people to make the all-out effort to pray the blessing down. They failed to enter into the dedicated, unreserved, prayer participation necessary to complete the work of preparation in themselves.

The Laodicean Message of 1856

One such day of opportunity came shortly after 1844, when, had the advent believers risen in strong faith to lay hold of the promises, the end would have come. To inspire the believers with the knowledge of how close things potentially were, in 1856, a special message was communicated to the advent people. Reported Sister White:

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 131-132:

I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: “Some food for worms, some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus.”

This was a warning to those who were conforming to the world of how near things were to the final showdown. Many have puzzled over this statement because they have not understood the conditional nature of prophecy. Consequently, they have searched for folk who were there, and who are still living today, one hundred and thirty years later. Needless to say, their search proves fruitless for there are none living today who were present at that Conference in 1856. Long ago, the last of them have been buried in their graves.

Enemies of the truth advance these facts as sure proof that Sister White was a false prophet on the basis of:

Deuteronomy 18

22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

They assert that it is a simple, open and shut case. Claiming to be a prophet receiving a direct communication from heaven in the form of a vision, she made the prediction that some of those present would die before the end came, others would live through and suffer the seven last plagues, while a remnant would be translated, but this has not been so. All the souls referred to have died. None of them will suffer the seven last plagues, or be translated. Therefore, they declare that, according to the clear word of God, she is not the messenger of the Lord.

But, this charge is laid without any allowance being made for the conditional nature of all promises and prophecies, a factor which the Lord has clearly spelled out in:

Jeremiah 18

7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it,

8 If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

10 If it does evil in my sight so that it does not obey my voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.

When the Lord spoke these words, He was not speaking idly, but meant exactly what He said, as various Bible examples clearly prove.

The Promise to Enter Canaan

One was the promise contained in the prophecy made to the Israelites through Moses just before they vacated the land of Egypt:

Exodus 6

6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.

The first part of the prophecy was fulfilled when they departed from the land of bondage, darkness, and death, but the second part—the promise that they would inherit Canaan—was never realized as God purposed and prophesied that it would be to that generation. It was left to their children to occupy the fair and fertile country. As far as the people were concerned to whom the promise was made, it was never fulfilled. But this was not due to any fault on God’s part, but to the unbelief of the people. They failed to meet the conditions necessary for the prophecy to be realized just as God had promised, and it could not then come to pass. The fulfillment was delayed till a later generation.

When that generation to whom the promise had been delivered, came to Kadesh-barnea and there exhibited wicked unbelief and murmuring, the Lord advised them that the specific assurance made to them was no longer valid. God remembered the prophetic word He had spoken to them, and then as plainly advised them that its fulfillment had become an impossibility. He told them that they would spend the next forty years in a death march which would end only when the very last of them had perished in the desert. Thus they were to know…

Numbers 14 [KJV]

34 ...my breach of promise.

Numbers 14

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings which the children of Israel murmur against me.

28 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will do to you:

29 The carcasses of you who have murmured against me shall fall in the wilderness all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.

God acted in love and mercy when He denied them entrance, for in their state of unbelief, they could never have successfully defeated the dwellers in the land. Instead, they would have been massacred.

Jonah’s Warning to Nineveh

Many centuries later, Jonah was directed of God to bear a most startling message to the wicked city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian world empire. The declaration was clear and to the point. Forty days were all that were left for the grand metropolis. Therefore, it was vital that the people repent before it was forever too late. Jonah was not instructed to say that the city would be spared if they did repent, or that it would be destroyed only if they failed to confess and put away their sins.

Jonah 3

4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

The populace was stirred from the lowest even to the king’s court. The mighty monarch ordered that everyone participate in pleading for the Lord to spare the city, in the hope that, if they ceased from their iniquity, He might heed their cry. Here are his words:

9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

And God did.

10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Jonah waits for the destruction of Nineveh It is evident that Jonah did not truly understand the principle of conditional prophecies, the truth that implicit in every such judgment there are provisions for the reversing of the prediction according to the response of the people. If the apostates repent, the threatened destruction will be averted, but if they turn away from righteousness, even the prosperity decreed to them will be replaced with disaster. It should be carefully noted that there is no need, nor is it the practice of God, to write these qualifications into every prediction. They have been stated once in Jeremiah 18 and illustrated by further witnesses and that is sufficient. Thereafter,

Evangelism, p. 695:

It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.

Ignoring this principle, Jonah selected a vantage point from which to observe the spectacular destruction of the vast capital, and he was very upset when the predicted event did not happen as he, under God’s personal direction, had declared it would. He no doubt feared that from then on, he would be regarded as a false prophet whose declarations did not come to pass. He had no excuse for not knowing that the Lord will never permit destruction, no matter how emphatically He has predicted it, to befall a city, or a nation, if genuine repentance is manifested in response to the divine warnings.

So, it follows that, if Sister White is to be rejected as a false prophet because the 1856 prediction did not come true, then Moses and Jonah must both be placed in the same category. On the other hand, she made many predictions which have come true exactly as they were described in advance, and when due allowance is made for the conditional element in the divine foretellings, it will be found that none of God’s predictions communicated through her have failed.

Past Promises of the Latter Rain

It has been mentioned that the latter rain could have fallen a few short years after 1844. Further proof of this is contained in the statements which confirm that the work could have been finished long before the present time. Here is a sample extract verifying this. It was written in 1898.

The Desire of Ages, p. 633-634:

Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.

The whole world cannot be warned unless the latter rain is poured out. Therefore, this statement is declaring that, long before 1898, the promise of the latter rain should have been received and experienced by God’s true people.

A second wonderful day of opportunity came during the short period when God sent Elders Waggoner and Jones to proclaim the message of Revelation 18:1-4, otherwise known as the fourth angel’s message. In fact, in 1892, she recognized that the ministry of this angel had proved so effective that the loud cry had actually begun. Here is the statement:

The Review and Herald, November 22, 1892:

The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.

This was the effect of the message brought through Elders Waggoner and Jones despite the incredible opposition leveled against it. But the Adventists did not know the day of their visitation any more than did the Jews. They failed to understand that the time for the latter rain had arrived and that, if they had accepted the message God sent them, and had set their faces toward the Lord with “fasting, sackcloth, and ashes,” they would have been the recipients of the mightiest outpouring of spiritual power ever bestowed on mortals. But, they did not meet the conditions, and thus failed to achieve the necessary preparations. Consequently, the prophecy could not be fulfilled, the promise was not realized, and time tarried till another day of opportunity presented itself.

That day has now come and this time once again, the prophecy will be fulfilled, and the promise realized, only if we meet the conditions laid down in the Word. It is entirely left with us to determine whether the sad history of the past is to be repeated, or whether we will shine through where others have failed.

We will give ourselves a far better chance of success if we study the conditional nature of both the promises of God and the threatenings of judgment upon the impenitent. It must be clearly understood that the people of God cannot stand idly by and simply expect that, in the normal course of events, the predictions will be fulfilled. They have to enter into prayer participation with the Omnipotent One in order to ensure that the work is advanced as foretold.

Every Prophecy Is a Promise

One thought which helped me was the realization that every promise is a prophecy, and every prophecy is a promise. Therefore, the conditions which have to be met before the promise can be realized, must likewise be established in order to ensure that the prophecy can come to pass. I noticed that prophecies are equated with promises in the following statement.

Prophets and Kings, p. 554-555:

With faith founded on the sure word of prophecy, Daniel pleaded with the Lord for the speedy fulfillment of these promises. He pleaded for the honor of God to be preserved. In his petition he identified himself fully with those who had fallen short of the divine purpose, confessing their sins as his own.

One can therefore conclude that both the predictions and assurances of God are statements of His divine purposes. Whether those purposes are carried out as He intended, rests with those to whom the promise has been made. For instance, God never planned that Israel should spend forty terrible years traveling in useless circles in the desert. He had organized a direct and speedy entrance into Canaan, but, when they failed to meet the conditions which would have assured the success of the mission, it was quite impossible for them to receive the blessing the Lord planned for them.

Likewise later, God had provided every facility necessary to end sin and bring in everlasting righteousness within the span of the 490 years between 457 BC, and 34 AD. If this wonderful objective had been realized, there never would have been the dreadful darkness of the Dark Ages, and long ere this, the everlasting kingdom of righteousness would have been established. No fault can be laid against God for this failure. The fault rested entirely with the people.

Once it is understood that the prophecies are God’s promises, then it will be seen that the conditions for the realization of the latter are of equal force in experiencing the former.

The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are replete with marvelous promises. These are read by thousands every day, but how few are able to experience the wonderful power and blessing contained in those divine assurances. This is because they do not know what the conditions are nor how to fulfill them.

The Procedure to Receive the Promise

In brief, the procedure is as follows:

Firstly, each believer must really know the promise for himself. This can only be achieved by an exhaustive, prayerful study of the Scriptures, just as Daniel spent much time in deep, concentrated, earnest, prayerful study of the prophetic promises which revealed the divine will for his time, and which were written in Jeremiah and Isaiah.

Today, in this the very time for the latter rain, the true believer will be spending time searching into the prophecies that reveal God’s purpose for His people today. He will not rest satisfied until he can match each development in the rise of God’s movement at the present time with the appropriate prophecy, can see exactly to what point we have come, and what to expect next. From such a search, he will emerge deeply convicted that the time has come again for the outpouring of the latter rain. From his investigations into the Scriptures, he will be awakened to see as never before, that the time of opportunity does not last forever. Unless the believers in Jesus avail themselves of the latter rain in the time of the latter rain, the season will pass and they will be left so destitute that another generation will have to arise to receive what we might have had.

As these things are realized, a holy fear will descend upon the child of God as he sees the time has come without his being truly ready. As never before, he catches a glimpse of the kind of person he must be in order to have the fitness to be a recipient of this facility by which alone the work can be finished. With startling clarity he will recognize that…

Early Writings, p. 71:

...none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.

With godly fear that he will come short, he reads the words:

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 187:

Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.

He now prays with great earnestness that the Lord will impart to him a deep, compelling belief in these words, so that he does not pass over them lightly. He pleads for a true and powerful realization of what it means to be holy in fact, and to have gained the victory over every single evil in his life. He enlists the mighty aid of the Holy Spirit to search his heart, bring him deep conviction, and to develop in him such a spirit of repentance that he will gladly put away every sin, and walk in righteousness.

Then he asks for the infilling of the latter rain in the time set apart for this blessing, by faith receives the gift, and thanks the Lord that he has received it. Then he goes his way rejoicing, knowing that the gift, which he already possesses, will be realized just when he needs it most. Each day the process is to be repeated so that he progressively develops a greater preparedness for the blessing, an increased capacity to possess the gift, and an additional supply of God’s grace. Thus their light shines brighter day by day.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 54:

And as they continue to let their light shine, as did those who were baptized with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they receive more and still more of the Spirit’s power. Thus the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 55:

But unless the members of God’s church today have a living connection with the Source of all spiritual growth, they will not be ready for the time of reaping. Unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning, they will fail of receiving added grace in times of special need.

Those only who are constantly receiving fresh supplies of grace, will have power proportionate to their daily need and their ability to use that power. Instead of looking forward to some future time when, through a special endowment of spiritual power, they will receive a miraculous fitting up for soul winning, they are yielding themselves daily to God, that He may make them vessels meet for His use. Daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach. Daily they are witnessing for the Master wherever they may be, whether in some humble sphere of labor in the home, or in a public field of usefulness.

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 507:

Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.

So, let all understand that the prophetic promises cannot be fulfilled unless the Lord’s people on the earth have been lifted to the necessary level of preparedness. Therefore, we are not to…

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

...rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall.

We are to ask for it in such a way as to ensure that the necessary work of preparation is being effected in us. Prayer participation is the order of the day. Tomorrow will come the outpouring of the latter rain.

Faith That Overcomes Obstacles

Messenger and News Review, July 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 3

A Word from the Editor

As we contemplate Bible history, we are impressed with the tremendous burden certain ones carried for the Lord’s work. For men like Daniel and Moses, it was not one interest among others, but the one great concern which swallowed up all others.

Accordingly, when they became aware of a need or a crisis in the Lord’s work, they agonized in prayer until the answer came, no matter how long that took. Elijah prayed for rain until the cloud appeared. Daniel agonized for three full weeks until the mighty Gabriel assured him that the victory had been gained.

One cannot help but feel that our measure of concern for the Lord’s cause is very limited compared with what those men manifested. There are times when we are stirred to pray for the promised blessing, but how soon the zeal fades away, other interests crowd in and take priority, and our prayer life languishes. Then we wonder why the blessing does not come and why the day of opportunity passes away.

Right now is the time to pray for the latter rain. If we could realize how much its coming depends on our prayers, we would surely begin to pray with the same dedication, earnestness, and persistence displayed by Moses, Elijah, and Daniel.

WHEN God makes a prediction, such as His promise to return the Jews to their own land, and His assurance that He will pour on us the latter rain, He is offering that which, under the circumstances, will best advance the cause we all love. Therefore, we can be assured that the devil will muster every power at his command, will appeal to the fears and prejudices of those who must perform a role in fulfilling the prophecy, and will excite to fever pitch the malice and opposition of those opposed to the Lord’s work, in order to prevent the work from advancing.

Of all intelligences presently confined to this earth, Satan is unmatched as a Bible student. He knows and understands what is written, and is therefore able to anticipate what will happen in the future even better than we can.

The Desire of Ages, p. 124:

He still appears as an angel of light, and he makes it evident that he is acquainted with the Scriptures, and understands the import of what is written.

Not only is he a diligent Bible student, but he understands the import of what is written. This is not true of the majority of religious students both past and present, as is evidenced by the many conflicting interpretations advanced by different teachers and scholars. The devil is mightily pleased with this confusion, for he knows that, as he has designed it should, it destroys vital faith in the word of God, divides those who profess to be God’s servants, and makes the way of the true gospel teacher the more difficult.

Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 390:

Satan is a Bible student. He knows the truths that are essential for salvation, and it is his study to divert minds from these truths.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 292:

The sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world with skepticism are the inspiration of the fallen foe, who is himself a Bible student, who knows the truth that it is essential for the people to receive, and whose study it is to divert minds from the great truths given to prepare them for what is coming upon the world.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 16:

Satan is a diligent Bible student.

It can therefore be appreciated and understood that the devil’s comprehensive knowledge of what God had declared He would do for Israel, stirred him to resist the divine prophecies which promised the return of the Jews, the restoration of the temple and its services, and the establishment of the nation once more. The very last thing that he desired was to see Israel back in their own land diligently preparing for the promised Messiah. Consequently, he set about to thwart these moves by every means at his command, and he was able to mount a daunting challenge to the divine purpose.

One of the greatest advantages on Satan’s side is the perversity of human nature which is much more inclined to serve the devil than God. It was a factor in Daniel’s time as in every other period in human history that could neither be discounted nor eliminated. It had to be faced and overcome.

Apparently Insurmountable Obstacles

Consider something of the powerful forces standing in the way of God’s will as it was expressed in the prophecies revealing the release of Israel. The prime objective of those ancient kings was to rule the entire world, and they devoted the mighty military power at their command to achieving this. As they conquered nations both large and small, they gathered them under their jurisdiction and authority and showed no disposition to release them. In fact, the king would regard it as dangerous to do so, for he could be assured that they would use their freedom to grow in strength, plot against him, and in due time overthrow his government. No world ruler could afford to be careless in these matters.

However, one people who were careless, were the Israelites who had been expressly instructed by God through Joshua to subdue all the remaining tribes and nations in Canaan. But they failed to do this, putting them to tribute instead. The conquered ones quietly accepted their subjugation for the time being, while, unobtrusively, they developed their capacity to throw off their yoke and assume the reins of power. A startled and humiliated Israel awoke too late to save themselves from those who should have been forever robbed of their power.

So, when the predicted time came for the Jews to be returned to Jerusalem, the world ruler of the time, King Cyrus, was called upon by the God whom he did not respect or worship, to break one of the most fundamental rules protecting his sovereignty, and thus to act in defiance of every natural instinct within himself. World leaders of the caliber and status of Cyrus would not, under usual circumstances, even consider releasing a nation under their control, least of all one with a reputation for independence, resilience, capacity to arise from captivity to rule the world, and defiance of all human authority such as Israel had.

King Cyrus was not ignorant of history. He was aware of the incredible escape of the slave-nation from Egypt. He knew of their exploits in overcoming Og, King of Bashan, Sihon, King of the Amorites, and the confederated nations across the Jordan. He had been told of the days when, under David, Israel had been the most powerful nation on the earth. He knew that even though it had appeared in the days of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah that Israel was about to fall, incredible miracles reversed the outlook, and the nation survived. And even though Israel had been crushed at last by Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and it seemed that their end had come, Cyrus found that the Jewish sector of the captive world had retained its identity and was increasing as a force to be watched.

To give back to such a people their land, their freedom, and all their rights as a nation, was something that no king in his right mind would even consider. And Satan was there to remind Cyrus of all these things. He did this through direct satanic inspiration and through those who were his personal agents both before the initial decree was made in order to prevent it, and afterwards in order to have the decree canceled. Note their arguments when they sought to achieve the latter:

Ezra 4

11 This is a copy of the letter that they sent him, to King Artaxerxes from your servants the men of the region beyond the River, and so forth:

12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.

13 Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished.

14 Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king,

15 That search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.

16 We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion over the region beyond the River.

Satan and his agents knew that there was no argument better calculated to generate fear in the mind of the king, since every conqueror lives in constant dread of a challenge against his authority. Thus,

Prophets and Kings, p. 571:

...they aroused suspicion in minds easily led to suspect.

In the case of Artaxerxes, they were temporarily successful, for the king did read his history books, and become so alarmed by what he found that he promptly ordered the work in Jerusalem to cease. Here is the mighty monarch’s response:

Ezra 4

17 Then the king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the rest in the region beyond the River: Peace and so forth.

18 The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me.

19 And I gave the command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in former times has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it.

20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the provinces beyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them.

21 Now give the command to make these men cease, that this city may not be built until the command is given by me.

22 Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings?

23 Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease.

24 Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

While there is no direct record to confirm that these same arguments were advanced by Satan to Cyrus, natural law decrees that these thoughts would have weighed heavily on his mind when considering God’s instructions to set the captives free. To agree to the Lord’s call, he had to go against his own judgment and fears as well as the fears of his trusted counselors.

When studying Daniel’s prayers for the release of the Jews as a guide to our praying for the latter rain, we need to understand the apparently insurmountable obstacles which faced the fulfillment of the divine predictions. Then we will have an enlarged realization of why Daniel had to pray as he did in order to ensure the realization of the prophesied promises.

The Lord’s Work to Overcome the Obstacles

The Lord could not force king Cyrus to obey him, but had to gain his cooperation. This would prove to be no easy task and, accordingly, He made the most careful and thorough preparations for the plan. Over one hundred years before the Persian king was to control the world, the Mighty One of Israel, through Isaiah the prophet, nominated Cyrus by name to be the one who, under God’s direction and blessing, would successfully bring down the might of Babylon, and would obey the word of the Lord by releasing His people.

Isaiah 45

1 Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut:

2 I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who called you by your name, am the God of Israel.

4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my elect, I have even called you by your name, I have named you, though you have not known me.

Isaiah 44

28 Who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built, and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.

Isaiah 45

13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build my city and let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,’ says the Lord of hosts.

These were impressive predictions which came true exactly as foretold and were bound to have a strong influence on the king. After all, it is a rare thing for the Lord to name a person long before he is born, and predict the work he will do. Yet, Cyrus could not help but be suspicious of these predictions in an age of superstition when scheming men resorted to every form of deception to gain their ends. He would ask himself what proof there was that these writings were in fact over one hundred years old. It would have been an easy matter for the Jews to have written them after the fall of Babylon while claiming that they had been recorded over a century prior to their presentation to the king.

In itself and alone, this prediction, authentic and accurate though it was, did not furnish enough to outweigh all the other considerations which were powerfully influencing the king’s mind. Fortunately, it was not the only recourse available to the Lord. At His disposal was a mighty man of righteousness and faith through whom He could bring a much stronger appeal to the monarch. That man was Daniel. What the Lord could do through him by virtue of his integrity and righteousness is a lesson to every Christian.

Even before Cyrus came to the throne subsequent to the death of Darius, the devil, understanding how effectively Daniel would be used of God to lead Cyrus to fulfill prophecy, worked with consummate cunning to destroy the Lord’s servant. Thus he would not only extract Daniel from his key position, but would declare that the power exercised by the God of heaven was inferior to his own. Had Daniel been devoured by the lions, there is little hope that Cyrus would have fulfilled prophecy by releasing the captives.

But that marvelous act of divine deliverance was a factor which weighed heavily in favor of the divine will. It turned what Satan had designed as a victory for him into a triumph for God and Israel. For a man to spend the night with a pack of starving lions and emerge in the morning unscathed, was a miracle indeed and Cyrus, the king-elect, was impressed.

Prophets and Kings, p. 557:

The deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions had been used of God to create a favorable impression upon the mind of Cyrus the Great.

Cyrus could not help respecting a man who could survive such a test. It was something that no other man on earth had ever achieved. It was quite incredible.

Satan’s losses over this affair were critical. The very measures taken by him to destroy the Lord’s work, only served to save and extend it. Instead of eliminating the man of God, he lost a number of powerful men who would have been instrumental in exerting considerable pressure on the monarch to refuse the Jews their request to return to Palestine. Thus the balance of influence was swung mightily in favor of God and His people.

But this was not all. Daniel had distinguished himself as a man of unimpeachable integrity so much so that King Cyrus knew that he was a statesman who was trustworthy to the ultimate degree. No doubt he had heard how this mighty man of God had held Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom in trust for him while he was smitten with insanity, and gave it all back to him when he returned. Such a thing was not done in the power hungry world of that time. Anyone else in Daniel’s position with such an opportunity before him, would have seized the kingdom for himself. But Daniel set himself apart and above all sinful men when he would not lift so much as a finger to usurp the realm of the helpless sovereign.

King Cyrus could not help but recognize that here was a man of such integrity that he could not be bought or sold and that he would never stoop to any deception whatsoever no matter how expedient it might be to do so.

Prophets and Kings, p. 557:

The sterling qualities of the man of God as a statesman of far-seeing ability led the Persian ruler to show him marked respect and to honor his judgment.

So it was then that when Daniel drew his attention to the prophecies of Isaiah and testified that they had been written over a hundred years before the king was even born, Cyrus showed no disposition to be skeptical. He absolutely knew that if Daniel said it, it would be the truth. Here was a man whom he could trust implicitly. Furthermore, the presence of the Holy Spirit within Daniel imparted to his words and person a convicting power that reached the heart of the king who was amazed, honored, and impressed to see that he was in fact a man of destiny divinely chosen to execute God’s will.

Prophets and Kings, p. 557-558:

And now, just at the time God had said He would cause His temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt, He moved upon Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning himself, with which Daniel was so familiar, and to grant the Jewish people their liberty.

As the king saw the words foretelling, more than a hundred years before his birth, the manner in which Babylon should be taken; as he read the message addressed to him by the Ruler of the universe,

Isaiah 45

5 I girded you, though you have not known me:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me;

–as he saw before his eyes the declaration of the eternal God,

4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my elect, I have even called you by your name: I have surnamed you, though you have not known me;

–as he traced the inspired record,

13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward,

–his heart was profoundly moved, and he determined to fulfill his divinely appointed mission. He would let the Judean captives go free; he would help them restore the temple of Jehovah.

How different this was from the response of Pharaoh when he was called upon to surrender his slaves. Cyrus could have manifested the some stubborn selfishness, in which case the Jews would have remained in captivity at least until the Medo-Persian power was broken by the Greeks. Fortunately, it was not so. Nevertheless, there must be no discounting the miracle that was wrought when Cyrus’ heart was softened to the point where he, against all human counsel and the natural precautions that a world ruler would take, chose to let the captives go free. This is even more remarkable when it is remembered that he was not a child of God. This is deduced from God’s testimony that Cyrus had not known Him.3 See Isaiah 45:5.

The Necessity of Faith in the Promises

Had Daniel focused his attention on the tremendous difficulties to be overcome in persuading King Cyrus to release the Jews, his faith would have failed. He would have decided that, under the circumstances, an outcome favorable to God’s cause was an impossibility. But, while he did not shut his eyes to the grim factors which made the case seemingly hopeless, he turned the eye of faith to the mighty promises of God; to those specific prophecies which heralded victory for Israel, and defeat for the devil and his supporters. He knew that, when the Lord committed himself by making those predictions, He was fully aware of all the difficulties that would stand in the way, and had made full provision to meet them. There was nothing that could or would catch the Almighty by surprise. From the infinite reaches of eternity in the past, He had been aware, to the finest detail, of what would eventuate, and He was fully prepared to meet every contingency successfully.

God, having faithfully fulfilled His responsibilities, now depended on His people to do their part faithfully and well. Their awareness of the apparently insurmountable difficulties confronting them was not to be permitted to cast the shadow of hopeless discouragement over their prospects. They were to trust the promises of God and to believe that, in view of the seen and mostly unforeseen facilities at God’s command, and the nature of the circumstances which had developed, they had arrived at a time when deliverance was possible.

Stripping the Life from Every Distraction

At the same time, they were not to sit back in complacency, falsely convinced that the promises were to be fulfilled unconditionally. They were to enter into prayer participation with Jehovah in His work. They were to open their hearts to the searching scrutiny of the Holy Spirit that every sin might be revealed and put away. From their lives must be stripped every unnecessary weight and distraction that separates from God or in any way hinders the urgent work of soul preparation. Aware that every failure on the part of Israel to enter into His rest has been due to their unwillingness to make a total effort for God, they will fear lest they too come short.

It was because Daniel in particular, along with others unnamed in the Scriptures, fulfilled these conditions, that the seemingly impossible obstacles were surmounted and the victory was gained. Their experience proved that:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 995:

Faith is the living power that presses through every barrier, overrides all obstacles, and plants its banner in the heart of the enemy’s camp.

Today, we are living once more in the time of the latter rain and the Lord has sent us the message to pray for this mighty blessing by which alone the work can be finished and our preparation for the kingdom completed. Let none miss the point that it is not always the time for the latter rain to fall either in nature or in grace. It comes in its due season or it does not come at all, just as there came the time for Israel’s deliverance from Babylon.

Now that the day has returned, it is essential that the people of God know the time of their visitation, and, this time, make absolutely certain that the occasion does not slip by, and the opportunity pass without our taking the fullest advantage of it. The fact is, we cannot afford to fail, for it is too late now for another generation to arise to do what we have been called to do.

Above all else, we must remain optimistic. Even though we cannot see Him, Jehovah is working with great power to prepare the way for the coming of final events, and the return of Jesus. While there is much around us to discourage us and impede the work, we are to ever look on the bright and positive side, ever conscious of the fact that the divine plans are being put into operation and they will succeed.

Enduring Faith and Unflagging Zeal Required

It is easy to be bright and optimistic when all things are going well. The announcement of Cyrus’ decree setting them free, filled the hearts of the faithful with rejoicing, but they forgot that the work would be difficult and arduous, that other great obstacles would be piled across their pathway, and that it would require an enduring faith and unflagging zeal to prosecute the work to a successful conclusion.

So it was that when the foundations of the temple were laid, there were some who had known the glory of Solomon’s temple who wept aloud as they saw that the new temple would be very inferior to the former.

Ezra 3

12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, who were old men, who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes; yet many shouted aloud for joy,

13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.

Prophets and Kings, p. 564:

It was natural that sadness should fill the hearts of these aged men, as they thought of the results of long continued impenitence. Had they and their generation obeyed God, and carried out His purpose for Israel, the temple built by Solomon would not have been destroyed and the captivity would not have been necessary. But because of ingratitude and disloyalty they had been scattered among the heathen.

There is no question about the fact that they had much about which to be mournful, but they should never have permitted such a reaction for a moment. The past was behind them and there was abundant evidence to show that a wonderful new day of freedom, progress, and enlightenment had dawned. For this, they ought to have been grateful and joyous.

Conditions were now changed. In tender mercy the Lord had again visited His people and allowed them to return to their own land. Sadness because of the mistakes of the past should have given way to feelings of great joy. God had moved upon the heart of Cyrus to aid them in rebuilding the temple, and this should have called forth expressions of profound gratitude. But some failed of discerning God’s opening providences. Instead of rejoicing, they cherished thoughts of discontent and discouragement. They had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple, and they lamented because of the inferiority of the building now to be erected.

This was a serious mistake for them to make and it inflicted severe damage on God’s work.

Prophets and Kings, p. 565:

Could those who failed to rejoice at the laying of the foundation stone of the temple have foreseen the results of their lack of faith on that day, they would have been appalled. Little did they realize the weight of their words of disapproval and disappointment; little did they know how much their expressed dissatisfaction would delay the completion of the Lord’s house.

Those folk probably thought that their reaction bespoke a love for God’s cause and a zeal for its advancement. To a point it did, but it was a love and a zeal misplaced and misdirected. They did not realize that the attitude taken and the words expressed established causes which could only lead to terrible consequences. There was only one course for them to follow—the pathway of gratitude to God for His forgiveness of their past sins, and for the wonderful restoration to freedom in their own land once more. No matter how dark and forbidding the future appeared, they were to be filled with hope and confidence knowing that the promises could not fail. Had they adopted this attitude, the cause of God would have prospered wonderfully, delays would have been prevented, and apostasy averted.

The lesson here revealed is for all time and especially for these last days. There is much today to fill the mind with gloomy thoughts, feelings of despair, a sense of futility, and the expectation of failure. But these feelings must not be entertained for a single moment.

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 363:

Not once should we even think of failure. We are to cooperate with One who knows no failure.

We should not talk of our own weakness and inability. This is a manifest distrust of God, a denial of His word. When we murmur because of our burdens, or refuse the responsibilities He calls upon us to bear, we are virtually saying that He is a hard master, that He requires what He has not given us power to do.

The spirit of the slothful servant we are often fain to call humility. But true humility is widely different. To be clothed with humility does not mean that we are to be dwarfs in intellect, deficient in aspiration, and cowardly in our lives, shunning burdens lest we fail to carry them successfully. Real humility fulfills God’s purposes by depending upon His strength.

Talking faith and maintaining a confident, optimistic attitude works wonders in the advancement of God’s work, while murmuring, doubting, and complaining are always severely detrimental to the cause as is evidenced by the experience and influence of those involved in the restoration of the temple and its services as it is written:

Prophets and Kings, p. 564:

The murmuring and complaining, and the unfavorable comparisons made, had a depressing influence on the minds of many and weakened the hands of the builders. The workmen were led to question whether they should proceed with the erection of a building that at the beginning was so freely criticized and was the cause of so much lamentation.

Satan was delighted with this development, for he knew that he had established a beachhead, and from this significant position of advantage he would seek to penetrate to the very heart of God’s work and destroy it. Encouraged and strengthened by his gains, he relentlessly maintained the utmost pressure on the Jews, using every weapon in his arsenal to weaken the Lord’s servants and cause them to cease their labors. He operated through the enemies of God and His people who incessantly attacked and counterattacked in their frenzied determination to thwart the divine purpose. While designed to dishearten and weaken the builders, these actions on the part of the devil and his followers were excellent reasons for God’s people to rejoice and be glad, for it all indicated how desperate Satan was to stop them.

God’s children need to understand that, if they are spiritually alive, and are faithfully building up the Lord’s work, they can be sure that they will be resisted by deadly enemies who will harass and annoy them. This can be very disheartening as Satan aims that it should, but, the real fact is that nothing is to be more reassuring. The more our enemies multiply, and the more fiercely the devil attacks through them, the louder and clearer is his admission that we are a positive threat to him. If, on the other hand, what we consider to be a work for God does not generate an angry response on Satan’s part, then we can be sure that our work is so lifeless and ineffective that the enemy considers our influence as being of no consequence.

Unfortunately, the builders on the walls of Jerusalem did not recognize this principle, for when they found themselves constantly beset by the determined opposition of their foes, instead of being filled with gladness because they were effectively threatening the devil’s evil ambitions, they lost heart and abandoned the work, as it is written.

Prophets and Kings, p. 572:

The opposition of their enemies was strong and determined, and gradually the builders lost heart. Some could not forget the scene at the laying of the cornerstone, when many had given expression to their lack of confidence in the enterprise. And as the Samaritans grew more bold, many of the Jews questioned whether, after all, the time had come to rebuild. The feeling soon become widespread. Many of the workmen, discouraged and disheartened, returned to their homes to take up the ordinary pursuits of life.

The determined opposition of our enemies today, strengthened by what could be taken to be a very bleak and discouraging outlook, will place considerable pressure on many to reason that the time has not yet come to pray for the latter rain. Let us rise and shake off this deadly threat, put away every doubt and fear, and in living faith obey the command,

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

Zechariah 10

1 Ask of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain.

Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

Lessons from the Restoration

Messenger and News Review, August 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 4

A Word from the Editor

A person may be confident that he has accepted the Sabbath rest message when he first hears it, and finds himself agreeing with its principles, but, when the Lord in His role of Problem-solver appears to be working out a painful solution to the problem, then the real test of acceptance comes.

One of the believers found himself confronted with a massive problem which he turned over to the Lord without suggesting how God might resolve the difficulty. So far, everything was in order, but then he found himself fretting because the Lord might choose a way which would involve him in considerable suffering and loss. He could not tell for certain what God would do, though he certainly knew what he would have liked Him to do.

The struggle went on for weeks until he finally surrendered his anxieties and allowed the Lord to do whatever His judgment saw fit. If he had to endure the worst, so be it. Then it was that true rest came to his soul. All his anxieties faded away, and he could sleep peacefully throughout the entire night.

He thought that he really understood Sabbath rest until that crisis came, but it was not until his surrender was total that he really found that peace which passes all understanding. He was a Sabbath-Rester at last.

Opening Providence Calls for Action

IT WAS a tragedy that, at the very time when the heavenly agencies were working powerfully and effectively for the Jews, they became discouraged, questioned if indeed the time had come for the restoration, and finally abandoned the work in favor of their own interests. They did not know the time of their visitation, an essential ability for God’s people to have at any time in earth’s history. It is when the church of God fails to correctly read His providential workings, that they are not stirred to co-labor with Him. Thus the work fails to go forward, great loss is sustained by Him and His people, and serious delays are experienced.

When the time comes for God to move, there is abundant evidence to confirm this. The indications are so strong and clear, that there is no excuse for the believers’ being in ignorance of what the Almighty is doing and where He will lead from this point. Consider the evidences which were open to the Jews in the restoration period.

God’s Opening Providence: Cyrus returns the Temple Treasures Firstly, there was the sure word of prophecy. The Lord had predicted through Jeremiah that the duration of Babylon’s supremacy would be seventy years, and that a conqueror named Cyrus would be God’s instrument in bringing the Babylonian might to the very dust. When that man by name at the exact time specified in the prophecy, conquered Babylon in the very way that the Lord said he would, they had the strongest confirmation that the Omnipotent One was leading them to the restoration of their appointed work.

Mightily cheered as they ought to have been, there were those, no doubt, who made quite a realistic assessment of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles yet to be overcome before the work of rebuilding could even begin. They could see that it was quite natural for Cyrus to seek and execute the overthrow of his enemies on the Euphrates, but it was most unnatural for him to even consider releasing a captive nation. That seemed too much to expect. Then came the miracle of Daniel’s deliverance from the starving lions, and, wonder of wonders, soon after came the proclamation that they were free to return and rebuild the city and the sanctuary.

Thus, the Lord piled evidence upon evidence to assure them that heaven’s time had come for the work to advance with all speed and success.

Giving In to Doubt and Discouragement

But, despite all that, there were those who seriously doubted that the hour had arrived for these things to be accomplished.

Prophets and Kings, p. 564:

God had moved upon the heart of Cyrus to aid them in rebuilding the temple, and this should have called forth expressions of profound gratitude. But some failed of discerning God’s opening providences. Instead of rejoicing, they cherished thoughts of discontent and discouragement.

How sad it is that the Lord’s people have always been so quick to look on the gloomy side, be blind to the wonderful things Jehovah is doing for them, and be so ready to give place to despondency and doubt. We need to learn a lesson in this respect from the devil himself. He has the astonishing capacity for developing the opposite response. The blacker things look, the more vigorously he fights for his cause, the bolder his attack, and the more resolute his will. He takes this stand when he has every cause for giving up altogether, while God’s people, when they have every cause for faith, optimism, and the most energetic prosecution of the work, are so easily cowed into submission to Satan’s will.

Nowhere is this contrast better revealed than when Jezebel threatened Elijah with death after the astonishing confrontation on Mt. Carmel. God had worked marvelously for Elijah that day. The rain had been withheld as prophesied for the specified period; the priests of Baal had been unable to ignite their sacrifice; the Lord had sent fire to consume Elijah’s sodden bullock, the wet wood, and the water in the trench; the people had publicly declared that the Lord is the true God; the priests of Baal were all executed; the rain had come in response to Elijah’s prayers of faith; and he had been specially strengthened to run before Ahab’s chariot all the way from Carmel to Jezreel.

In the face of these appalling reverses and staggering losses, the wicked queen should have been filled with terror and frantically making arrangements to flee, but, when she had not the slightest occasion for so doing, she acted as if everything had gone her way that day, and it was Elijah who was threatened with destruction. Without revealing the slightest trace of fear, she sent word to Elijah in the most positive terms that he would be a dead man before the coming day had passed.

If ever a man had the witness of God’s personal backing, and the assurance that the Lord’s will would be done, it was Elijah at that time, yet he was intimidated by the queen, who was, in her bold defiance, but revealing how the devil relates himself to this kind of situation.

So, the devil in and through Jezebel, stood his ground and roared defiance when he had every reason to be fleeing in terror, while Elijah, who had every reason for laughing at the devil’s threats, was shamefully fleeing for his life which was not even in real danger.

It is certainly time for the Lord’s people to become acutely aware of this tendency. In the face of it, let a firm resolution be made that, once we are aware of God’s opening promises, we will let nothing deter us. Let us determine that, by God’s wonderful grace, the blacker the situation looks, the greater the devils’ activities, the more they seem to be successful, and the grimmer the appearances, then the more we shall press ahead, pay no heed to our enemies and with bold determination, carry the battle right to the heart of the enemy’s camp.

After Jezebel’s threat, Elijah fled into the Wilderness The Jews in their divinely commissioned work of restoring the city and the temple, certainly had determined and relentless foes in Satan and his agents. But, the Lord was on their side. He was not surprised by any of the schemes devised by His enemies and had made full provision to meet them all.

The Resource of Prayer

So, when the activists began to erode King Cyrus’ confidence in his having decreed the return of the Jews and his having financed the undertaking, the Almighty sent the most powerful angel in heaven, Gabriel, to influence the king’s mind in the right direction. Then, when further help was needed, Christ himself came to the assistance of Gabriel. This did not happen automatically, but rather because of the intense prayer participation of Daniel, the man greatly beloved. While the majority of the Jews were thinking and speaking discouragingly, here was a man of living faith, the man who did not run in the face of threatening lions.

When he become aware that the Lord’s work was endangered, he went to his knees, not just for a few minutes, or an hour or two, but for three full weeks.

Daniel 10

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; [margin: “and of great conflict”] and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.

3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

This total commitment to prayer was comparable to the prayer the Lord’s servant had prayed during the first year of Darius’ reign, and is recorded in Daniel 9. In both instances, he had dispensed with any food or activity which in any way reduced his power and effectiveness in prayer. In the first prayer, the answer had come very quickly.

The Sanctified Life, p. 48:

As Daniel’s prayer is going forth, the angel Gabriel comes sweeping down from the heavenly courts to tell him that his petitions are heard and answered.

But when with equal or even greater dedication, he petitioned the Lord some five years later, in the third year of Cyrus, no answer come for three full weeks. The reason for this was supplied by Gabriel when he finally reached the praying prophet.

Daniel 10

10 Then, suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

11 And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

12 Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.

Thus Daniel was informed that, even though no tangible, visual evidence had been granted to him, his prayer had been heard and accepted from the very beginning of his supplications, but there had been a delay in bringing the answer to him because Gabriel had been so fully occupied in the struggle with King Cyrus.

Holding to Our Positions

Some might ask why some other angel was not sent to answer the prayer. Why did Daniel have to endure three weeks of waiting? Why was it that he had to wait until a particular angel came to his aid?

There is a very good reason for this. It rests in the fact that every single angel has his special, divinely appointed post of duty which he cannot leave for any other place without giving the enemy a decided advantage. The truth of this is confirmed in the following statement:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1173:

Each angel has his particular post of duty, which he is not permitted to leave for any other place. If he should leave, the powers of darkness would gain an advantage.

The same principle holds true for the Lord’s human workers. Each one is assigned his or her particular work, and must faithfully do what he or she has been directed to do. Unfortunately, down through time, human beings have been so ignorant of the Sabbath rest principles that they have appointed themselves and others to positions which the Lord never intended they occupy, while the responsibilities they should have been bearing were left unattended.

An excellent example of the need to stay right where the Lord has placed us so that we will not give the enemy a decided advantage, is the failure of Elijah to hold his position when threatened by Jezebel. When he ran from Jezreel, the devil was able to stop the advancing work of reformation which would otherwise have taken place.

Prophets and Kings, p. 160:

Elijah should not have fled from his post of duty. He should have met the threat of Jezebel with an appeal for protection to the One who had commissioned him to vindicate the honor of Jehovah. He should have told the messenger that the God in whom he trusted would protect him against the hatred of the queen. Only a few hours had passed since he had witnessed a wonderful manifestation of divine power, and this should have given him assurance that he would not now be forsaken. Had he remained where he was, had he made God his refuge and strength, standing steadfast for the truth, he would have been shielded from harm. The Lord would have given him another signal victory by sending His judgments on Jezebel; and the impression made on the king and the people would have wrought a great reformation.

It would have been a bitter blow to Satan and a fearful setback for his cause if Jezebel had died under the judgments of God, as she would have done if the prophet had remained at his post of duty. Instead, she retained her power and her position, and lived on to wield this evil force for many years thereafter. The mighty reformation which would have climaxed the efforts God had put forth to effect the restoration of Israel never eventuated. Elijah had forsaken his post of duty and the enemy certainly gained a tremendous advantage.

In like manner it was critical that Gabriel remain at his assigned post of duty in the court of King Cyrus until the victory was gained or he was relieved by a replacement. Otherwise, Satan would gain an unacceptable advantage.

It may be asked why some other angel did not come to Daniel’s aid so that he did not have to agonize in prayer for three full weeks. There are at least two reasons. In the first instance, the work had been assigned to Gabriel. He was the angel who brought all the interpretations of the visions to Daniel. He is first identified in this role in…

Daniel 8

16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.

It is a principle with the Lord that, once He has given a certain work to a particular individual, He does not transfer it to another. Gabriel was the one commissioned to reveal heaven’s interpretation of the visions, and to no one else would the mission be transferred. The work which this highest of all angels had begun, he must carry forward until his assigned portion was completed.

A second reason is that all the other angels were already occupied each with his particular assignments. Angels are God’s ministers, powerful beings who work for Him and with Him in the management of the universe and in the salvation of souls. There were no idle angels before the entrance of sin. Each had his assigned post of duty which kept him fully occupied. Since sin entered, there has been more work for the heavenly host, and less of them to do it.

Gabriel’s commission to interpret the visions given to Daniel was not the only work assigned him. If it had been, he would have had a great deal of time on his hands. We tend to think that Daniel was in almost daily receipt of a vision, but in actual fact, this is not so. During the seventy years he was a captive in Babylon, from his internment there at the age of eighteen, till her fall when he was eighty-eight, he received the interpretation to the visions given to Nebuchadnezzar firstly of the multi-metalled image, and later of the great tree which was cut down, and he received the visions recorded in chapters seven and eight, and their interpretations. This certainly was insufficient to keep a mighty angel like Gabriel busy for seventy years.

In addition to this, he was the covering cherub who had been given the position left vacant by a permanently departed Lucifer, and, being the highest of all the angels, he was the one appointed to answer the prayers of the one who most unselfishly prayed for the cause of God in this earth. In the days of King Cyrus, that man was Daniel.

Working and Praying Unselfishly

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1173:

Heavenly beings are appointed to answer the prayers of those who are working unselfishly for the interests of the cause of God. The very highest angels in the heavenly courts are appointed to work out the prayers which ascend to God for the advancement of the cause of God.

Every believer needs to understand what it means to work “unselfishly” for the cause of God, for we are apt to form a very wrong concept of what is meant by these words. For instance, if we were sacrificing ourselves to the limit in the expenditure of our time, means, and energies to advance the cause we love, we would judge such an effort as being unselfish. One would think that Sarah’s willingness to let another woman bear the promised child was an unselfish act on her part, but in reality it was very selfish, though not wittingly so.

You may ask in surprise:

“On what basis can such a startling evaluation be made?”

The answer is that it is made on the basis of the Bible definition of what unselfish work really is. It is a definition provided by the ministry of Jesus of whom it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 208:

So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans.

Thus Jesus worked unselfishly for the cause of God. That He did work unselfishly is proved by the fact that He made no plans for himself whatsoever, but left this role completely in the hands of His Father. Thus, only if we have come to the place where God alone is the Plan-maker in our lives can we pray unselfishly for the Lord’s work, and such prayers alone will serve to bring the mightiest angels in heaven to work out those prayers.

So it was that, at the very time when the devil was relentlessly attacking the builders on the walls of Jerusalem, and powerful influences were being brought to bear upon King Cyrus, God had a man who had truly learned the Sabbath rest principles and could therefore pray unselfishly for the onward progress of the work. In response to those prayers, the God of heaven selected and sent the mightiest angel in heaven; the one who stood nearest to the throne of the Omnipotent; the covering cherub, Gabriel himself; to work out the prayers of the prophet.

Thus it was that, while Daniel agonized in prayer, Gabriel was at the nerve center of the kingdom, right in the king’s court, exerting a counter-influence against the subversive elements which were seeking to stop the work in Jerusalem. For three full weeks a titanic struggle continued, during which time…

Daniel 10

13 ...the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood [Gabriel].

It was a battle unseen by human eyes, and whose clamor was not heard by human ears, but it was terribly real nonetheless. It did not involve the use of actual physical force, for neither God nor His angels who are obedient to Him, resort to destructive weaponry to win the struggles in which they become involved in their confrontations with the powers of darkness. Instead, it was a battle to win the mind of King Cyrus—the struggle by Gabriel on the one side to persuade him to continue his protection over, and support for the work in Jerusalem, and on the other, the determined effort on Satan’s part to achieve the opposite result.

When Michael, who is none other than Jesus, the Archangel, personally came down to ensure the success of the battle, Gabriel was released to minister to Daniel, and it was then that the man of God was privileged to see the character, capacity, and magnitude of the forces deployed on the side of righteousness and truth. What a marvelous strengthening of faith it must have been for him to personally see that heaven was so interested in the re-establishment of the Jews in Canaan once more, that the mightiest of heaven’s agencies were committed to the battle. Even though the believers might feel that heaven stood off at a great distance, aloof and uncaring, the real facts were that the Eternal Father, Christ the Archangel, The Holy Spirit, Gabriel, the covering cherub, and all the holy angels were much more interested in the advancement of the Lord’s work in this world, than in anything else in existence.

The distant builders on the wall had not learned to pray as Daniel had, and they did not receive direct revelations of the conflict as the prophet had, but, we can be certain that as he wrote out what was revealed to him, he promptly sent these Testimonies to the believers everywhere, and especially to the workers on the wall. Messages from the Lord are communicated through the prophet to the people for whom the light is intended. The prophet never keeps the light to himself for, should he do so, he would fail in his responsibility to obey his commission. He receives only to give, and, should he cease giving, he would receive no more.

The Desire of Ages, p. 370:

We can impart only that which we receive from Christ; and we can receive only as we impart to others. As we continue imparting, we continue to receive; and the more we impart, the more we shall receive. Thus we may be constantly believing, trusting, receiving, and imparting.

So it was that, through the prophet Daniel, God revealed to the Jews the strength of the wonderful and powerful forces on their side. What an inspiration, an assurance, and an incentive this should have been to the builders.

Prophets and Kings, p. 572:

All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses, who reigned about seven and a half years.

This was a time of wonderful opportunity for the Jews. The highest agencies of heaven were working on the hearts of kings, and it was for the people of God to labor with the utmost activity to carry out the decree of Cyrus. They should have spared no effort to restore the temple and its services, and to re-establish themselves in their Judean homes. But in the day of God’s power many proved unwilling. The opposition of their enemies was strong and determined, and gradually the builders lost heart. Some could not forget the scene at the laying of the cornerstone, when many had given expression to their lack of confidence in the enterprise. And as the Samaritans grew more bold, many of the Jews questioned whether, after all, the time had come to rebuild. The feeling soon became widespread. Many of the workmen, discouraged and disheartened, returned to their homes to take up the ordinary pursuits of life.

Thus the work of the Lord braked to a halt at the very time it should have been progressing with strength and vitality. What a sad picture this is when so much better might have been. Far reaching consequences of the worst kind were to develop, for the unbelief of the fathers was passed on to the children, to hold them as a nation in a grip from which they have not escaped to this day. The only exceptions are those individuals who held fast the faith even in times of great darkness and grave crises, and those few who found faith under the ministries of messengers such as John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the apostles.

The Lessons Are for Us

The records of what took place in those ancient times have been preserved for our comfort, guidance, and admonition. They provide us with essential instruction so that we will know exactly how to relate to our present responsibilities. We are reliving the history of those times. As Daniel prayed for the fulfillment of God’s promises contained in the prophecies assuring their deliverance from Babylon, and their restoration to the promised land, so are we, just now, to pray for the latter rain.

This is true even though, at the present time, we are not blessed with a living prophet in our midst. There is no one to compare with the illustrious Daniel, whom heaven described as a…

Daniel 10

11 ...man greatly beloved;

–no one to pass on to us direct communications from heaven. Those conditions will be reinstated in the near future when the falling latter rain will endow many believers with the gift of prophecy, but, in the meantime, we have more than enough evidence to assure us that the time has come for us to pray for the latter rain, and to inspire us with the confidence that, if we will pray as Daniel did, and work as the Jews should have done, all the mightiest agencies in heaven will coordinate their powers in the work of canceling the evil influences of our many enemies, and make certain that the work surges forward to final victory.

Far from being disadvantaged in comparison to the Jews when they went back to rebuild, we have all that we need to see us through to victory. Consideration of what the Lord has done for us will make it plain that there is nothing further the Lord could have done. It is now left with us to look only on the positive side, and with strong faith, press forward where the Lord leads the way.

It is time for each believer to carefully relive the past with careful attention being paid to the many experiences wherein God’s providences can be clearly seen. Bible history plainly confirms that whenever God’s people remembered how He had never failed them in the past, they always overcame, while, whenever they saw only the terrible threat of the present and paid no attention to the deliverances granted them previously, they lost all faith and fell heavily.

For instance, when Israel came to Kadesh-barnea and saw how strong their enemies were,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 388:

The people did not wait to reflect; they did not reason that He who had brought them thus far would certainly give them the land; they did not call to mind how wonderfully God had delivered them from their oppressors, cutting a path through the sea and destroying the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. They left God out of the question, and acted as though they must depend solely on the power of arms.

There was only one possible consequence of such a course of action, and that was unbelief and defeat.

David, however, left us a sterling example of the correct way to relate to such situations when he came back and found that the Amalekites had burned Ziklag, and carried away the wives and children. He could have reacted angrily, and accused God of unfaithfulness, as did his warriors. Instead, he recalled all God’s faithful dealings when he had been in trouble before. As he did so, faith was revived and he went out under God’s direction and with his blessing to achieve a wonderful victory.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 692-693:

In this hour of utmost extremity David, instead of permitting his mind to dwell upon these painful circumstances, looked earnestly to God for help. He “encouraged himself in the Lord.” He reviewed his past eventful life. Wherein had the Lord ever forsaken him? His soul was refreshed in recalling the many evidences of God’s favor. The followers of David, by their discontent and impatience, made their affliction doubly grievous; but the man of God, having even greater cause for grief, bore himself with fortitude.

Psalm 56

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in You,

–was the language of his heart. Though he himself could not discern a way out of the difficulty, God could see it, and would teach him what to do.

What was the result? He was able to operate in close partnership with Jehovah and under His direction, and the result was a total victory over his deadly foes, and the recovery of all that was taken plus more.

We are at a time when we will either go forward to great, significant, and final victory, or we shall fall away as have other movements in the past. It is a crisis hour, one which calls for intelligent decisions to be made in strong and living faith. This is not easy to accomplish, for there is much to discourage and dishearten, and very little presently visible to establish confidence in God. Let each true believer spend time, much time, in a careful and comprehensive review of what the Lord has done for us until the present.

Let it be remembered with great thankfulness that, exactly when and how the Lord prophesied that He would, He kept His promise to send the fourth angel for the second and last time. What wonderful, saving, practical, light that was! Remember how it found us in darkness, struggling against the sin-master, futilely praying, seeking, striving for the deliverance which never came until the light of the fourth angel shone upon us!

Just as the Jews saw the fulfillment of the divine predictions when Cyrus overthrew Babylon, so we witness God at work in the sending of the fourth angel’s message, and the building of this movement. Truth after truth has been revealed, each in its turn, until the message has surely come to the place where those who have truly received it have the light which will be given during the loud cry.

Crisis after crisis has tested and purified the ranks of those who failed to really make the message their own personal, living experience. Now after all this, the message has been sent to us that it is time to pray for the latter rain.

Let us rejoice in these glad tidings knowing that He who began this work is not going to abandon it. Let us learn to pray as Daniel did and to work as the Jews should have labored knowing that God, Michael the Archangel, the Holy Spirit, Gabriel the covering cherub, and all the angel host are dedicated to the service of those who, under God’s direction, are devoted at this time to the final message and movement.

This is a time of wonderful opportunity for us, but, do we know the time of our visitation? If we do not, then we will fail as surely as did the Jews. May the Lord be able to spare us from so terrible a fate. This is the time to pray for the latter rain. So,

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

Lessons from Elijah’s Experience

Messenger and News Review, September 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 5

A Word from the Editor

I am much impressed of late with the realization that we enjoy far less of the blessings that the Lord wishes to give us than we should be. The measure of what we ought to have and manifest is revealed in the life of Christ and other saintly men and women in Bible history.

In the days of Elijah, while the people remained in apostasy, they suffered terribly under the power of the drought. However, it was not because God had withdrawn from them, but because they had cut themselves off from the blessing.

But, when they cleared the way by deep, genuine repentance, what an outpouring of rain there was. It came down in torrents until the entire land was saturated with the needed moisture.

Likewise, when the apostles spent those days of earnest heart searching and putting away of sin, what a deluge of spiritual life and power descended upon and filled them! How powerful and effective they became in the work of God.

So it will be as we approach the time for the outpouring of the latter rain. Among God’s true people there will be the deepest work of heart searching and putting away of sin as in the days of the apostles. When that preparatory work is done, the windows of heaven will be opened and what a flood-tide of blessings will result.

THE life of Daniel is a powerful and explicit witness to the necessity for participatory prayer on the part of God’s people. It is the solemn assurance that the latter rain will never fall unless we are praying for it with single-minded dedication. It is most earnest supplication according to the true science of prayer combined with fasting and sackcloth—the elimination from the life of every interest and activity which in any way distracts from the purpose of the Lord—that brings the promised blessing to the waiting saints.

The Conditions in Elijah’s Time

Another life which witnesses to the same truth is that of Elijah. Like Daniel, this mighty prophet knew the times in which he lived, and understood when the hour had arrived to begin praying for the rain.

Elijah was prophet to the northern kingdom composed of the ten tribes, other than Judah and Benjamin, who had broken away under Jeroboam shortly after Solomon’s death. This was a step they never should have taken, for it was not directed of the Lord, nor was it according to His principles. Even though Rehoboam, Solomon’s son and successor to the throne, had taken the counsel of the young men who proposed a harsh regime, this was no justification for separation from them, for, sinners though they were, they were still God’s chosen people. They would remain so until they had finally closed the door of mercy against themselves.

That move away from Judah and Benjamin cost the northern tribes very dearly. They were cursed with a succession of evil kings notorious among whom were men like Omri and Ahab. Each monarch in turn led the people into deeper and deeper apostasy, until, by the time that Ahab ruled, evil was so deeply rooted in the land that total destruction seemed inevitable. Matters were worsened by Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians.

1 Kings 16

31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

Jezebel made a bad situation markedly worse. She appointed a strong squad of Baalite priests to establish Baalism in the land. It was a fearful and depressing time for those who were loyal to God; the seven thousand who would not bow the knee to Baal. Darkness was upon the land, and gross darkness covered the people, effectively hiding them from the light.

It is important to be aware of the conditions facing Elijah, for it is in the same context that we are to pray for the latter rain which is timed to commence at the midnight hour when the cry will ring out:

Matthew 25

6 Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 414-415:

The coming of the bridegroom was at midnight—the darkest hour. So the coming of Christ will take place in the darkest period of this earth’s history. The days of Noah and Lot pictured the condition of the world just before the coming of the Son of man. The Scriptures pointing forward to this time declare that Satan will work with all power and “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10. His working is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing darkness, the multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these last days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his deceptions are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight, impenetrable as sackcloth of hair. To God’s people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping, a night of persecution for the truth’s sake. But out of that night of darkness God’s light will shine.

These conditions are a repeating of those which prevailed in Elijah’s day. We, the band under training to go forth during the loud cry as the Elijah people, find the prospect of achieving any kind of revival and reformation, a daunting and discouraging one, though no one need succumb to the pressure to become disheartened. Conditions were just as difficult in Elijah’s time when he embarked on his divinely-appointed mission to spread the light which would dispel the prevailing darkness of his time.

Elijah’s Fitness

Having spent many hours kneeling before the Lord pleading for apostate Israel, he was fitted with the faith and courage he needed when his commission came to march into the apostate and wicked king’s presence and announce that there would be no more dew or rain until they had truly repented of their sins. His faith rose far above the discouraging prospects as he refused to even think of failure. The Lord had directed him to go, and that was all that mattered. He would obey implicitly, no matter what the cost might be to himself, and then leave the results entirely with the Lord. He understood and lived the principle enunciated in the following statement:

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 363:

But when we give ourselves wholly to God and in our work follow His directions, He makes himself responsible for its accomplishment. He would not have us conjecture as to the success of our honest endeavors. Not once should we even think of failure. We are to co-operate with One who knows no failure.

Prophets and Kings, p. 121-123:

It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God’s word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab. On his way to Samaria, Elijah had passed by ever-flowing streams, hills covered with verdure, and stately forests that seemed beyond the reach of drought. Everything on which the eye rested was clothed with beauty. The prophet might have wondered how the streams that had never ceased their flow could become dry, or how those hills and valleys could be burned with drought. But he gave no place to unbelief. He fully believed that God would humble apostate Israel, and that through judgments they would be brought to repentance. The fiat of Heaven had gone forth; God’s word could not fail; and at the peril of his life Elijah fearlessly fulfilled his commission. Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the message of impending judgment fell upon the ears of the wicked king; but before Ahab could recover from his astonishment, or frame a reply, Elijah disappeared as abruptly as he had come, without waiting to witness the effect of his message. And the Lord went before him, making plain the way.

1 Kings 17

3 Turn eastward, [the prophet was bidden,] and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4 And it shall be, that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you.

Elijah delivers the Lord’s Judgment to Ahab and Jezebel God’s Purpose in the Drought

This was the time of drying up essential for the successful implementation of God’s plan, and we can be assured that Elijah was not praying for rain at this time. The fact that the desperate drought was a vital element in the divine purpose does not mean that the Lord was the author of it. God does not destroy; He does not withdraw His blessings from sinful mankind, but it is the transgressor who separates himself from the Lord and places himself where He can neither bless nor protect him from the malice of the destroyer, Satan.

It was where Ahab, Jezebel, the priests of Baal, and the people had placed themselves by their rebellion and disobedience that was the cause of the drought. It was a wonderful opportunity for Satan to exercise his malignity, and he made the most of it. It was his destructive hand which lay heavily across the land.

There is a distinctive pattern to Satan’s operations. Firstly, he works to separate the soul from God. Then, having deprived that individual of divine blessings and protection, he oppresses and persecutes the sinner with destructive calamities. Next, he persuades the person that it is God who is afflicting him and is determined on his ruin.

The Great Controversy, p. 589:

Satan has control of all whom God does not especially guard. He will favor and prosper some in order to further his own designs, and he will bring trouble upon others and lead men to believe that it is God who is afflicting them.

This is a serious misrepresentation of God’s character and is certain to generate rebellion against God, which is exactly what the devil wants. That is what he was doing through the drought in Elijah’s day.

At the same time, Jehovah was working through the same circumstances to bring the people back to life and salvation, but, as may be expected, His message was very different from that being advanced by Satan. The Lord would have the people see that the plight they were in was not caused by any direct or indirect action on God’s part, but was entirely the outworking of their own sinful behavior. They were where they found themselves, not because an angry God was afflicting them, but in spite of His best efforts to save them from it. Throughout the entire drama, God occupied only one role—that of an ever loving Saviour. That is the only work He knows.

It was on the mountain that the Lord was finally able to make His point. When the fire came down from heaven, it did not consume the people; it consumed the sacrifice which was a definite type of Christ and of His Father. The message was that the Saviour, far from seeking a revengeful destruction upon them, was himself prepared to be and would be consumed even to death to save them. It was when that truth was convincingly conveyed to the people that saving conviction came to them, although we wonder how much light really penetrated their darkened minds at the time. It was one thing for the Lord to provide a beautiful revelation of His character and ways, but it was something else for the people to see it. The fact though that they did repent is a clear indication that God was able to shine enough light into their souls that they were enabled to see the offer of salvation before them. The fire which should have destroyed them, consumed the sacrifice instead. It was a message to the effect that the punishment which should have annihilated the human race fell on Christ instead, thus affording a way of escape for sinful men.

The repentance on Mt. Carmel is a testimony to the truth that…

Romans 2

4 ...the goodness of God leads you to repentance.

The goodness of God is seen in the cross and if the sinner can be led to the foot of that display of infinite love, under the Holy Spirit’s ministry he will see sin for what it really is, the destroyer, and will repent not because of the consequences of his sin, but because of God’s love.

As we continue this survey of Elijah’s ministry, let these thoughts about God be kept in the fore. Let it never be forgotten that, whenever men believe that their sufferings are divinely inflicted upon them, they will never come to repentance. It is when they see the relationship between cause and effect, and realize that Jehovah is offering them a way of escape, that they are likely to put away their iniquities and seek after righteousness.

It takes quite some time for a people who have been persuaded that their sufferings are God’s vindictive act against them, to be converted to the truth that they themselves are the cause of their troubles. Therefore, their sufferings must be permitted to continue until such time, if ever, when they do awaken to the truth.

So, while Elijah was at the brook, the time had not come to relieve the people of their sufferings, for there was not the least sign of that conviction and repentance without which they could not return to where God’s blessings were again available to them.

Likewise, during his stay with the widow of Zarephath, there was no evidence of repentance on the part of king, queen, priests, or people, by which the prophet knew that it was not yet time to pray for rain. He, without a doubt, pleaded with the Lord for the repentance of Israel during this period, for that was the time when such an experience was needed by the people. During that period the priests of Baal kept insisting that the rain was sent by their god and they had the power to end the drought, despite the fact that their incantations and exercises failed to produce the slightest trace of moisture in either dew or rain.

Conditions were going from bad to worse,

Prophets and Kings, p. 123-124:

Yet the people were urged by their leaders to have confidence in the power of Baal to set aside as idle words the prophecy of Elijah. The priests still insisted that it was through the power of Baal that the showers of rain fell. Fear not the God of Elijah, nor tremble at His word, they urged, it is Baal that brings forth the harvest in its season and provides for man and beast.

God’s message to Ahab gave Jezebel and her priests and all the followers of Baal and Ashtoreth opportunity to test the power of their gods, and, if possible, to prove the word of Elijah false. Against the assurances of hundreds of idolatrous priests, the prophecy of Elijah stood alone. If, notwithstanding the prophet’s declaration, Baal could still give dew and rain, causing the streams to continue to flow and vegetation to flourish, then let the king of Israel worship him and the people say that he is God.

Determined to keep the people in deception, the priests of Baal continue to offer sacrifices to their gods and to call upon them night and day to refresh the earth. With costly offerings the priests attempt to appease the anger of their gods; with a zeal and a perseverance worthy of a better cause they linger round their pagan altars and pray earnestly for rain. Night after night, throughout the doomed land, their cries and entreaties arise. But no clouds appear in the heavens by day to hide the burning rays of the sun. No dew or rain refreshes the thirsty earth. The word of Jehovah stands unchanged by anything the priests of Baal can do.

The Demonstration on Mount Carmel

With loving care the Almighty watched over developments. He knew the exact time for the next move to be made, the hour when the people had begun to realize that Baal could not supply their need. Then it was that, through Elijah, He arranged for the revelation of the cross on the mountain top.

Here was the Baalites’ final opportunity to prove their claims and they tried until they were exhausted. Then Elijah built the Lord’s altar, laid the wood and the sacrifice, and, after a short but powerful prayer, the fire of heaven consumed the bullock, the wood, and the water with which the entire offering had been saturated. It was a manifestation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and a revelation of the divine character. The people were led to understand that the fire should have fallen on and destroyed them, but that the Lord had diverted it to the bullock, the symbol of their Saviour, Jesus Christ. Then it was that the people were deeply repentant for the sins they had committed, and cried with deep conviction,

1 Kings 18

39 The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!

Prophets and Kings, p. 153:

The people on the mount prostrate themselves in awe before the unseen God. They dare not continue to look upon the Heaven-sent fire. They fear that they themselves will be consumed; and, convicted of their duty to acknowledge the God of Elijah as the God of their fathers, to whom they owe allegiance, they cry out together as with one voice, “The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God.” With startling distinctness the cry resounds over the mountain and echoes in the plain below. At last Israel is aroused, undeceived, penitent. At last the people see how greatly they have dishonored God. The character of Baal worship, in contrast to the reasonable service required by the true God, stands fully revealed. The people recognize God’s justice and mercy in withholding the dew and the rain until they have been brought to confess His name. They are ready now to admit that the God of Elijah is above every idol.

Praying in the Time for Rain

The way was now cleared for the return of the dew and the rain.

1 Kings 18

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.

But, what sound was Elijah talking about? There was not so much as a trace of cloud in the sky. No rain was falling as far as the eye could see across near and distant hills and plains. Therefore, there was no sound of rain drumming on the parched earth for his, the king’s, or anyone else’s natural ears to hear. Yet he said that there was the sound of abundance of rain. It was by faith and faith alone that the prophet heard that sound, for there was no other way of hearing it. Be assured that no perceptions of it reached the king and the people who saw only an empty sky above and a dying land beneath.

Prophets and Kings, p. 155:

It was not because of any outward evidence that the showers were about to fall, that Elijah could so confidently bid Ahab prepare for rain. The prophet saw no clouds in the heavens; he heard no thunder.

On what basis then did he make this confident announcement to the king? Had he shrewdly assessed the situation and decided that Israel had truly met the conditions prerequisite for the ending of the drought and the return of the rain?

That certainly was not the reason, for, without the Lord directly telling him, no prophet is any better equipped to assess the real condition of God’s people than is any other believer. Certainly, it seemed that the repentance of the people was truly genuine, but was that enough? Should not the land be cleansed of its heathen shrines and pagan idols; was it not necessary for Jezebel to be dethroned and executed; and did they not have to entirely rid the land of Baal’s influence before the Lord could bless them? These were questions to which Elijah did not have the answers.

On what authority then did he so positively instruct the king that there was the sound of abundance of rain?

Prophets and Kings, p. 155-156:

He simply spoke the word that the Spirit of the Lord had moved him to speak in response to his own strong faith.

God revealed to him that the conditions had been met, and the rain was on its way. Elijah then knew that a revival had been achieved. He also understood that a mighty reformation must follow, a work which would remove all traces of Baal from the land. Jezebel, her priests, their shrines, and their idols would all have to be utterly cast down and destroyed if the good effect of the wonderful revival was not to be lost.

So, on the basis of a message from heaven, Elijah knew that the time had come for the outpouring of the rain. His response to that knowledge is an exact model of how we are to relate to the message the Lord has sent us in regard to the fact that the time has come for the outpouring of the latter rain. The prophet of God did not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain would fall. He asked for it.

He realized that participatory prayer was essential to the realization of the promise and purpose of God, and with great earnestness and dedicated resolve, he pleaded with the Lord until the blessing came. Seven times he prayed before the cloud appeared, and one gets the very definite impression that if he had to pray a hundred times or more, he would have done so.

Let it never be forgotten that it was under a clear sky that he prayed for rain to come. Every visible, physical evidence declared that the rain was as certain not to come as it had been during the previous three years and six months. That empty sky above intimated no promise of relief.

One would certainly not describe it as a “clear, blue sky,” for the atmosphere above them was polluted with a heavy shroud of dust and smoke through which the sun shone as a blood-red disk, the stars could not be seen at night, and the sky by day took on a dirty brownish color—the “brassy heavens.”4 Prophets and Kings, p. 156. It was even more faith testing than praying under a clear, blue sky, yet, undaunted by the appearances, the prophet besought the Lord in participatory prayer until the cloud appeared and the rain was on its way.

Prophets and Kings, p. 156-157:

It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel. As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered. He did not wait for the full evidence that God had heard him, but was willing to venture all on the slightest token of divine favor. And yet what he was enabled to do under God, all may do in their sphere of activity in God’s service; for of the prophet from the mountains of Gilead it is written:

James 5

17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

Faith such as this is needed in the world today—faith that will lay hold on the promises of God’s word and refuse to let go until heaven hears. Faith such as this connects us closely with Heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. Through faith God’s children have…

Hebrews 11

33 ...subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

And through faith we today are to reach the heights of God’s purpose for us.

Mark 9

23 If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

Thus both Daniel and Elijah understood the necessity of participatory prayer in which they engaged with the whole heart. They knew when the time had come and, when it had, they did not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of events, the promised blessing would be realized. Instead, they bowed in prayer pleading for the fulfillment of God’s word. When they did not receive immediate answers, they pressed their petitions with even greater vigor and determination and continued in prayer until they received the answers they sought. When the answers came, all of God’s people benefited.

From the Scripture records we conclude that Elijah was the only one who specifically prayed for rain on that momentous late afternoon, and his prayer was sufficient to bring the blessing that was needed.

Let every believer who today is called to participatory prayer for the outpouring of the latter rain, be comforted with the thought that, while not everyone will meet the responsibility of praying for the latter rain at this time, it is sufficient if some do. Of course, those who do not will never be blessed as will those who do pray the blessing down. Do not then be disheartened or discouraged if it seems to you that you are alone in seeking the heavenly outpouring, but pray as if it all depended on you alone. While it would be far more encouraging if every believer was engaged in earnest prayer for this blessing, yet it is seemingly too much for which to hope. It would be a serious mistake then to defer the entry into this work of petitioning the throne of grace until the believers around us are ready and willing to do likewise.

Neither Daniel nor Elijah concerned themselves with what others ought to have done. They each prayed as if the entire responsibility was theirs alone. So must each one of us. Of course, in this work we will not be alone, for there will be more than we can see who will be praying with “fasting, sackcloth, and ashes”5 Daniel 9:3. for the blessing.

Intense Devotion to God’s Cause

One is impressed with the intensity of devotion to God’s cause which characterized both of these mighty prophets. With them, one interest consumed all others—the vindication of God’s righteousness, the forward advancement of the Lord’s work, and the triumph of all that is good and true over sin and iniquity. Nothing else was of consequence to them.

At the same time, they were aware of the various opportunities the Lord had provided His people, but which they had squandered, and they feared that, once more in their time, the sad history of the past would be repeated. They did not lack faith in Jehovah, for they had the utmost confidence that He would fully discharge His responsibilities. It was in frail humanity that they despaired. They rightly understood that, while the work which the believers must do is small compared to what must be accomplished by heaven’s united agencies, it is critically essential to the success of the divine plan. If men should fail to do their part as they so often have, the work of God would be frustrated and delayed.

This realization that another day of opportunity could slip away and be lost so easily, drove those men to their knees so that the peril might be averted. At the same time they realized what kind of men they had to be in order for God to be able to use them satisfactorily in the onward progress of the work. Remember that…

Prophets and Kings, p. 156:

It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel.

Had he been a man of little faith, the Lord would not have had the instrument needed to carry the work forward at that time. There have been times in human history when very little has been accomplished because men and women of great faith were not to be found. In these last days of human history when the decisive battle in the great controversy will be fought and won, it will be…

The Great Controversy, p. 606:

...men of faith and prayer [who] will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.

When Daniel and Elijah caught a glimpse of the glory of God, they realized how far they fell short of the divine excellence. This consciousness drove them to the source of might, righteousness, and wisdom so that they might obtain the necessary efficiency. Prayer lifted them up to God, and the more intensely they sought the Lord, the nearer they came to Him. See in the following statement how prayer worked a wonderful spiritual renovation in Elijah.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1035:

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said,

1 Kings 18

44 Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.6 This statement is also found in The Review and Herald, May 26, 1891.

History is being repeated. For many years after the rejection at Minneapolis, a parching spiritual drought oppressed God’s people. The Holy Spirit was withdrawn and the spiritual life of the professed followers of the Lord withered and died. The message from heaven for those who could see it was that there would be no latter rain until there had been a true repentance for the sin of rejecting the message of the fourth angel.

There were those who heeded the warning, and to these the Lord transmitted His light through His chosen messengers. A work of revival and reformation took place accompanied with testings which cleansed the movement in preparation for its final struggles and victories.

Now, the Lord has sent the message that it is time to pray for the latter rain just as He informed Elijah that the time for the rain had arrived. Do not be surprised that there appears no visible evidence to support this message and that the latter rain seems as distant as ever. When such doubts surge through your mind, remember that Elijah prayed for rain when there were no clouds whatsoever in the heavens above. It was by faith, not by sight that the man of God prayed, and his antitype, the Elijah people, must do the same.

Like Elijah, we need a great work to be done in us until in our own eyes we are truly nothing and God is everything. Let us enter into the participatory prayer life which will produce these results in us and thus clear the way for the rain to fall.

It is time for the latter rain. This wonderful opportunity must not be allowed to pass by. Therefore, do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

True Repentance

Messenger and News Review, October 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 6

A Word from the Editor [from May 1990]

God intends His people should be mighty men and women engaged in achieving great victories in the cause of righteousness. To do this they need to firstly be mighty in prayer.

To many of us, the essential element in successful prayer is faith, and there is no question but that it is indispensably necessary. But it is not enough. There are quite strict conditions to answered prayer which must be met before the answers come through. The better versed in the truth a person is, the stricter the conditions become.

I have seen as never before that it is as much a requirement to come in obedience as it is to come in faith. When we talk of the prayer of faith and obedience, instead of the prayer of faith, we shall become a mighty people.

There are two areas of obedience that concern us in this connection. The first is obedience to the moral law. We need to understand that it is dangerous presumption to expect God to answer when we have known sin resident in our lives. Firstly, have the sin cleansed away, then ask Him for the blessing you need.

The other area of obedience is the requirement to pray according to the true science of prayer.

Add living faith to these two and wonderful will be the results.

WHEN the latter rain finally falls, and in its power the loud cry is given, there will then be presented the most effective call to repentance ever directed to fallen mankind. For this to be so, those who under God’s direction prosecute this work, must understand what actually produces true repentance in the sinner. Otherwise, they will be found using incorrect procedures and will thus destroy the effectiveness of the work so vital to the finishing of the great controversy.

Suffering and Loss Not Entirely Effective

The concept generally held is that the terrifying delineation of God’s awful, punitive judgments is the means whereby humans will be brought to sincerely regret and turn from their sins, but this is in reality a wrong concept which, if adhered to, will actually frustrate the call to repentance. What must be learned and truly understood is that it is the revelation of God’s goodness, not the threat nor the infliction of punishments, which brings men to repentance. This truth is forcefully revealed in the experiences Elijah had with apostate Israel during the drought and the climactic events on Mt. Carmel which followed. It will be found that these Old Testament events are written so that we need make no mistakes in our preparation for the coming confrontation with the powers of darkness.

If punishments in the form of suffering and loss are the divinely appointed means of leading men to repentance, then the Lord has a very diligent and effective co-worker in the person of the devil, for he is ever at work inflicting suffering and trouble on the guilty inhabitants of the earth, while, at the same time attributing this work to God.

But, let it never be forgotten that...

The Ministry of Healing, p. 113:

Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer.

The Great Controversy, p. 589:

Satan has control of all whom God does not especially guard. He will favor and prosper some in order to further his own designs, and he will bring trouble upon others and lead men to believe that it is God who is afflicting them.

It is generally supposed that the infliction of punishment is a means of correcting the wrongdoer so that he is thereby persuaded to turn from his evil ways to righteousness. It is for this reason that parents administer punishment to their children to establish habit patterns of obedience. In like manner, prisons are called correctional institutions, and, to a certain extent, they are. Those who know that they face fines, imprisonment, or execution, if they commit an offense against their fellowmen, will often refrain from committing a wrong act. Likewise, some of those who have suffered punishment for their past evils, will determine never to repeat the sin which caused them so much woe. The same principle is at work in the person who gives up any self-destructive practice. He has been made aware of the tremendous cost to himself, and is no longer prepared to pay it.

Because some desirable results are achieved by the infliction of punishments, there is a general tendency to rely entirely on this approach to solve criminal disobedience. Consequently, multiplied billions are spent throughout the world every year to enforce the laws of the lands. Nonetheless, crime is increasing at an alarming rate. Those who have been convicted and punished many times are reappearing before the courts again and again. They have become so steeped in iniquity that no matter how severe the threatened punishment, they are not deterred by it. So far as they are concerned, the only sin is in getting caught.

It must be remembered of course, that the use of force is the best that earthly governments can do, for they have no power to change the nature of man. Only God can do that, and it is better for earthly governments to use force to deter and restrain the criminal as much as possible, than to leave him totally unchecked.

True Repentance Brings Separation from Sin

The point is though that there is a significant difference between achieving civil obedience, and true repentance from sin. In those who are unregenerate, outward compliance to the laws of the state and even to a strict moral code such as the ten commandments, is achieved by a sternly disciplined refusal to do what in the heart the individual really wants to do. But this is not repentance for sin. True repentance is achieved when there is developed within the person such a hatred of sin that he is led to plead for cleansing and regeneration. He then obeys, not because he fears the consequences of sinning, but because it is the expression of his new nature.

Steps to Christ, p. 23-24:

There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffering rather than the sin. Such was the grief of Esau when he saw that the birthright was lost to him forever. Balaam, terrified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword, acknowledged his guilt lest he should lose his life; but there was no genuine repentance for sin, no conversion of purpose, no abhorrence of evil. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord, exclaimed,

Matthew 27

4 I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.

The confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment. The consequences that were to result to him filled him with terror, but there was no deep, heartbreaking grief in his soul, that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God and denied the Holy One of Israel. Pharaoh, when suffering under the judgments of God, acknowledged his sin in order to escape further punishment, but returned to his defiance of heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed. These all lamented the results of sin, but did not sorrow for the sin itself.

But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The “Light which lights every man that comes into the world,” illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven.

This is true repentance. Everyone who believes that he has repented of his sins, should ask himself whether he has in fact experienced these words exactly as they are written. Ask yourself if your reformation has resulted from nothing more than a fear of coming punishments, or if there has been in actual fact, “deep, heartbreaking grief in” your “soul, that” you “had betrayed the spotless Son of God and denied the Holy One of Israel.” Let every believer really examine himself to see if this really has been his experience.

Furthermore, let every seeker for eternal life ask himself as if his eternal life depends on it, as it does:

“Have I had such a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah that I have felt the terror of appearing in my own guilt and uncleanness before the Searcher of hearts? Have I then seen the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity? Do I truly long to be cleansed and restored to communion with heaven?”

Do not accept any answer to these questions short of reality. Make absolutely sure that the terror was there; be certain that you have in actual fact experienced repentance.

If you have known what it means to abhor sin, to hate it, and loathe it, and have then had it taken away from its roots up, you will find yourself obeying the Lord’s commandments, not simply because you know in your mind what you should do, but because of the transformation of heart that you have experienced.

The Desire of Ages, p. 668:

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses.

The Sanctified Life, p. 12-13:

A healthy man, who is able to attend to the vocations of life and who goes forth day after day to his labor with buoyant spirits and with a healthy current of blood flowing through his veins, does not call the attention of everyone he meets to his soundness of body. Health and vigor are the natural conditions of his life, and therefore he is scarcely conscious that he is in the enjoyment of so rich a boon.

Thus it is with the truly righteous man. He is unconscious of his goodness and piety. Religious principle has become the spring of his life and conduct, and it is just as natural for him to bear the fruits of the Spirit as for the fig tree to bear figs or for the rosebush to yield roses. His nature is so thoroughly imbued with love for God and his fellow men that he works the works of Christ with a willing heart.

This is what true repentance will produce, and the Lord will be satisfied with nothing less than these results. It will be the objective for which we will aim during the loud cry period, but, let it be understood that it will never be achieved except through the revelation of the goodness of God.

While God and His people are devoted to achieving true repentance in the ungodly, Satan is very determined that no one will be brought to this state, for he knows all too well that the repentant are delivered from his power to become a telling force in the overthrow of his kingdom. While we may have mistaken ideas about what produces true heart sorrow for sin, Satan knows precisely what will achieve this blessed result. He therefore never makes the mistake of employing the procedures which will bring the sinner to repentance. Instead, he does the very opposite.

Therefore, he brings severe afflictions upon people while attributing this work to God, for he knows that this is the surest way to intensify the rebellious spirit already in men, and thus lead them to resist the divine call to repentance.

The Scriptures are very clear on what produces repentance in men. The Holy Spirit through Paul has established this truth forever in these words:

Romans 2

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.

God does not here say that the goodness of God and the judgments of God lead to repentance, but only the goodness of God. This is the truth, for the punishments which fall on those who break the law only serve to promote rebellion in those who suffer in consequence of their iniquity. One has but to consider the reactions on the part of the wicked during the seven last plagues when their sufferings will be most intense, to realize this, as it is written:

Revelation 16

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.

9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.

11 And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

Those who believe that suffering in consequence of our sins produces repentance, naturally subscribe to the view that the more intense the suffering, the deeper the repentance. Therefore, when, during the falling of the seven last plagues, the sufferings of the rejecters of God’s grace surpass anything that men have previously experienced, it would be expected that they would be really sorry that they had led a sinful life. But, this will not be so. Instead, they are not in the least repentant, but rather are exceedingly angry with the God of heaven whom they believe is afflicting them.7 PP Editor’s note: It’s also important to mention that the blasphemy of the God of heaven is mainly aimed at the saints on earth. Blasphemy is manifested in calling the work of God, the work of Satan; and the work done by God through the faithful saints on earth will be mislabeled as the work of Satan. Just as Elijah was labeled as the “troubler of Israel,” and just as the Christians in the early church were blamed by the pagan Romans for every earthquake or disaster that happened, so will the last remnant of the faithful be blamed for all the troubles that come on the earth during the plagues. This will lead to greater efforts to hunt those people down, and consign them to death, an action that will only lead the world to further separation from God.

It might be argued that, since probation has closed, it is quite impossible for them to repent, and this is true in the sense of their actually turning away from sin and entering into righteous living, but it is not true so far as their wishing that they had never sinned in the first case. Even though the grace of God has been withdrawn from them never to return, they are still capable of regretting the sinful course they have followed. In fact, the time eventually arrives when they do come to the place where they see things in their true light and, even though they do not repent of their actual sinful condition, they are sorry for the result of their sinfulness which is the loss of eternal life. But, it is not the suffering under the ministry of death during the seven last plagues that brings about this change, but the revelation of God’s character through the 144,000 that will do it. To whatever degree of repentance they will be brought at that time, no matter how much too late or inadequate it might be, it will be the revelation of the goodness of God that will lead them to it.

Everlasting Peace Not Achieved by Compelling Power

God’s purpose to establish a kingdom of perfect security, everlasting peace, and unlimited prosperity, can never be achieved by the use of any form of compulsion no matter how slight it might be.

The Desire of Ages, p. 759:

Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan’s government. The Lord’s principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God’s government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power.

Prevailing power is overcoming power. Therefore, the victory which begins by leading the sinner to repentance, is achieved, not by the compulsion of fear generated by the threat or administration of fearful punishments, but by the ministry of love and truth.

The Ministry of Healing, p. 106:

The love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in reforming the evildoer than will the sword or the court of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the lawbreaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. Often the heart that hardens under reproof will melt under the love of Christ.

These principles are wonderfully revealed in the story of Elijah’s ministry to apostate Israel. Since the rebellion of Jeroboam had divided Israel into the northern and southern kingdoms, a succession of wicked kings had led the larger kingdom composed of ten tribes, deeper and deeper into apostasy until the land was filled with the idols attending the worship of Baal. It was inevitable that a grieving Holy Spirit was forced to progressively withdraw and leave the land more and more exposed to the power of the destroyer.

The people needed to be brought to repentance so that they would forsake their idols and return to a right relationship with the true God. But this could only be achieved if they could be brought to see the goodness of God, for that alone is what leads to repentance.

Penetrating the Darkness

Of course, all around them was a continual manifestation of God’s goodness in the uninterrupted operations of nature by which a loving Creator continued to supply their daily needs despite their insulting and ungrateful behavior. But, so darkened had their minds become that they were quite unable to read the message of divine love and goodness written in earth, and sea, and sky. An extraordinary revelation of divine love and truth was necessary to penetrate the darkness, and, in order to provide this, the Lord had to have at His command a man of great faith, courage, and determination who was truly mighty in prayer. Elijah was that man.

Prophets and Kings, p. 156:

It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel.

There have been other crises in the history of God’s people when the Lord was helpless to bring the people to repentance because He did not have a man mighty in faith and prayer through whom He could minister to the people. Those were dark and tragic years indeed. One thinks especially of the centuries between the death of the last of the apostles and the rise of the reformers.

We are called to be the Elijah people with the divinely-appointed mission of bringing to repentance as many as will respond. Be it known to every believer in Jesus that such a work can never be accomplished unless the messengers themselves have known true repentance, the terror of appearing in their own guilt and uncleanness before the Searcher of hearts.

Prophets and Kings, p. 119-120:

As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was distressed and his indignation aroused. God had done great things for His people. He had delivered them from bondage and given them…

Psalm 105

44 ...the lands of the heathen,…

45 That they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws.

But the beneficent designs of Jehovah were well-nigh forgotten. Unbelief was fast separating the chosen nation from the Source of their strength. Viewing this apostasy from his mountain retreat, Elijah was overwhelmed with sorrow. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest the once-favored people in their wicked course, to visit them with judgments, if need be, that they might be led to see in its true light, their departure from Heaven. He longed to see them brought to repentance before they should go to such lengths in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to destroy them utterly.

Elijah’s prayer was answered. Oft-repeated appeals, remonstrances, and warnings had failed to bring Israel to repentance. The time had come when God must speak to them by means of judgments. Inasmuch as the worshipers of Baal claimed that the treasures of heaven, the dew and the rain, came not from Jehovah, but from the ruling forces of nature, and that it was through the creative energy of the sun that the earth was enriched and made to bring forth abundantly, the curse of God was to rest heavily on the polluted land. The apostate tribes of Israel were to be shown the folly of trusting to the power of Baal for temporal blessings. Until they should turn to God with repentance, and acknowledge Him as the source of all blessing, there should fall upon the land neither dew nor rain.

On first reading this paragraph, one tends to feel that it gives strong support to the idea that the suffering brought on them by the total cessation of all dew and rain, would drive them to repentance. Appeals, remonstrances, and warnings had failed to turn them away from their sins. Now, to achieve the same desired result, the Lord must speak to them through judgments. It seems to be saying that they must be punished into obeying, an interpretation which the human mind is all too ready to accept.

But a more careful reading reveals that the statement is not saying that at all. If it did, then it would be denying the truth that:

The Desire of Ages, p. 769:

God’s government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power;

–and that…

Compelling power is found only under Satan’s government.

Some may argue that when God inflicts punishment, it is in reality an act of infinite love. They believe that He hurts that He might heal. But God does not inflict punishment, nor does He hurt for any purpose. It is sin along with sinners who punish and hurt. It was not the loving Creator who stopped the rain from failing or the dew from forming on the vegetation. The people themselves had done it by replacing the true Source of all these blessings with a false god, Baal, who had no power to supply either dew or rain.

This utter drying up of all moisture and the incredible sufferings which naturally resulted, is called the judgment of God. So it was, but not in the sense that God had passed a sentence against them, but in the sense that He had assessed the results that would accrue as a consequence of the course the Israelites had chosen. The people had cut themselves off from the Source of their provisions and had turned to one who could not supply their needs. The only possible outcome was the drying up of their life-support which is precisely what happened.

But, even though the message of divine love through Elijah explained the cause of their suffering, no matter how it intensified over the next three and a half years, the punishment that their sins were inflicting upon them did not lead them to repentance. This is convincing proof that punishments do not bring repentance, for, if this was the way to conviction of sin and the turning away from it, then there was enough suffering during those years to bring them to the deepest repentance.

Those who have lived through devastating droughts such as have plagued Africa over the past decade, will have some appreciation of the misery and loss that Israel went through during this period. Steadily their situation worsened, so that the agonies of each day were superseded by the worse conditions of the morrow until, by the time the three and a half years had passed, their plight was desperate.

Yet, they did not repent, nor show any signs of it. Ahab and Jezebel were as obdurate as ever; the priests of Baal stubbornly insisted that their god would soon bring the rain; and the people made no moves to turn to the Lord.

The Repentance on Carmel Analyzed

But there came at last a time when they did repent most heartily. It was when the fire came down and devoured the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar itself, the dust around the altar, and the water in the trench. When this happened, the people fell on their faces and fervently acknowledged that Jehovah was the God. It was a great moment in history.

1 Kings 18

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!

Almost instantly a wonderful spirit of repentance had swept through that throng of people, bringing to them an incredible transformation of attitude. Now they saw their sinfulness and abhorred themselves for it. From deep, personal conviction, they acknowledged God as the true and only Source of life and all that sustains it. Had they done this years before, what loss and suffering they would have saved themselves.

But they had to be brought to the place where they were repentant, for they could not arrive there themselves. It needs to be most clearly understood that no man can generate repentance in himself. Only Christ through the ministry of the Holy Spirit can accomplish that. Referring to David’s repentance subsequent to his adultery with Bathsheba, and his murder of Uriah, her husband, it is written:

Steps to Christ, p. 25-26:

A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men...We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.

Not Merely a Revelation of God’s Power

The very serious question now arises:

“What message did they read in the all-consuming fire that brought them to repentance after three and a half years of intense suffering had failed to produce it?”

When this question is proposed, the usual answer which is quickly forthcoming is:

“They repented of supporting the wrong side because they saw that, not Baal, but the God of heaven, who had spoken by an awesome outpouring of fire, was the God of power who could supply all their needs.”

It is true that they had seen the priests of Baal struggling all day to call down fire, but all their frenzied efforts had been unavailing even though Satan would gladly “have sent the lightning to kindle their sacrifice.”8 Prophets and Kings, p. 150. Their total impotence and hopeless incapacity was fully exposed.

Then came the hour of the evening sacrifice. Elijah rebuilt the altar, arranged the wood, killed the sacrifice, and laid it on the altar. Finally, he had them pour twelve barrels of water over the whole thus saturating the entire arrangement. Then he knelt and prayed a short, simple, but very powerful prayer, and the fire was there, utterly consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the actual stones of the altar, the dust, and the water.

It seems when the people saw the display of divine power capable of burning everything, versus the absence of power on the part of the priests of Baal who could not even produce a fire, that they were convinced that Jehovah, the Creator, was the One to whom they must give their allegiance. Hence came their repentance.

It is all too natural and spontaneous for humans to jump to this conclusion, but those who are prepared to take a deeper and more careful look, will find that this was not the factor which brought repentance to them that day.

In the first case, God was not in the fire. That fire was a destroyer so terrible that its voracious appetite consumed even the stones and the dust, and then licked up the water as if it were gasoline. To conclude that the fire was a manifestation of God’s power in that He had personally directed it against the altar and the sacrifice it bore, is to attribute a character to God which represents Him in a false light. He is not the destroyer; He is the Saviour.

That God was not in the fire nor in any other destructive agency was confirmed when Elijah found himself on Mt. Horeb subsequent to his flight from Jezebel. Then…

1 Kings 19

11 ...the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

The worst thing the Lord could have done on Mt. Carmel would have been to reveal himself as a destroyer, for this misrepresentation of himself is the surest way to produce, not repentance, but rebellion. Nothing would have pleased the devil more, for he well understands that whenever he is able to falsely show the Lord to be a destroyer, rebellion against God is always the outcome, and repentance becomes an impossibility.9 See Behold Your God, p. 45-47 (the last pages of Chapter 4, “In Relation to the Great Controversy,” under the subtitle, “Misrepresentation Leads to Rebellion”).

God’s supposed role on Carmel as we have seen it in the past, must be replaced by new concepts altogether if we are to develop an accurate understanding of what the Lord really did back there, and if we are to understand what we must do to become prepared for the Elijah ministry which awaits us.

It is not the misrepresentation of God’s character, but the manifestation of His goodness which leads men to repentance. Therefore, the descent of the all-consuming fire on Mt. Carmel provided the people there with a revelation of the goodness of God. If this were not so, then there would have been no repentance.

Transferring Faith from the Giver to the Gifts

But the manifestation of God’s goodness to them was not new. Before the searing drought came, they enjoyed the undeserved blessings of God every day in the sunshine, the rain, and the consequent prosperity they enjoyed in the land “flowing with milk and honey.”10 Exodus 3:8. Even as Elijah strode toward Jezreel to deliver his message to the apostate king, the land was verdant and beautiful, so much so that it was only by strong faith that he was able to proceed.

Prophets and Kings, p. 121:

It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God’s word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab. On his way to Samaria, Elijah had passed by ever-flowing streams, hills covered with verdure, and stately forests that seemed beyond the reach of drought. Everything on which the eye rested was clothed with beauty. The prophet might have wondered how the streams that had never ceased their flow could become dry, or how those hills and valleys could be burned with drought.

All that beauty and prosperity was theirs because of the goodness of God, but, instead of bringing them to repentance, it developed self-sufficiency in them, which separated them from God, and established their trust in the gifts from the Giver, rather than in the Giver who was the true and only Source of the gifts. This was but a continuation of the original mistake made in heaven by Lucifer of whom it is written:

Ezekiel 28

16 By the abundance of your trading, you became filled with violence within, and you sinned.11 See Behold Your God, p. 28-34, for a fuller treatment of this point (these pages are in Chapter 4, “In Relation to the Great Controversy,” under the subtitle, “How Rebellion Developed”).

Thus the goodness of God had produced the opposite from the desired effect. Instead of the Israelites being led in Elijah’s day to appreciate and serve the living God, they misread the blessings daily poured upon them in abundance and thus became separated from God altogether. The results were a catastrophic, national disaster, the magnitude and horror of which can be appreciated only by those who have suffered through a prolonged drought—those who have seen the grass wither into powder, watched the cattle, sheep, horses, and goats die in their uncounted thousands, and seen the land baked to death by a pitiless sun blazing from an empty, brassy sky.

Let it be emphasized that the Lord did not withhold the rain and the dew, even though this was designated as the judgments of God. What happened was the inevitable and unpreventable consequence or outworking of the course they had adopted. They had transferred their trust and dependence from the Giver to His gifts which could only be received when a living connection with the Source was maintained. Therefore, they cut themselves off from the only Supplier of all their needs including the dew and the rain. They, not an offended God, were the direct cause of all their troubles, and it was pointless to blame anyone else but themselves.

Their Need of a Saviour Revealed

There was only one thing that could bring them to repentance and reformation, and that was a manifestation of the goodness of God beyond that which they had seen before. To give them that, they had to be brought to a revelation of the cross. They had to be shown the awful destructive forces poised and ready to destroy them, and be brought to realize in that context that they had no defense, but deserved their fate—deserved to be burned to ashes in a fire of such extraordinary power that it consumed stones, dust, and water.

Then as they stood there, helpless and unprotected from their merited punishment, they had to be shown the Saviour taking the punishment for them—standing in their place, bearing their chastisement. That is the goodness of God at its shining best. That is redemption. That is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Read the following statements carefully, for they verify this vital truth.

Steps to Christ, p. 26-27:

Jesus has said,

John 12

32 I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul.

This is no paragraph to read only once, but contains words to be read again and again, pondered, prayed over, and meditated upon until the power and beauty of them begin to penetrate our dull senses. Let us come to Calvary and see the goodness of God, a God so good that He would actually suffer our punishment for us after we had betrayed Him, sinned against Him, ignored His appeals and warnings, and used His loving gifts for our own selfish purposes. We deserve to die, but He dies for us. What an incredible expression of forgiving love that is! How could anyone stand before the cross unmoved, disinterested, unrepentant? How could anyone! What must yet be learned of the power of the cross as the revelation of the goodness of God, before our lives and our preaching become what they ought to be!

Consider then what the people really saw on Mt. Carmel. Inasmuch as they repented, then they must have seen the goodness of God as it is manifest at Calvary, for nothing else but this will bring repentance.

The fire which came upon the Lord’s altar when Elijah prayed, was the very fire which will descend upon the shelterless heads of the wicked at the close of the millennium. No ordinary fire burns stone, licks up the dust, and consumes water. It was a conflagration of such intensity that it did not merely melt the stones, but burned them to nothing. The water was not merely turned to steam. It ignited as if it were liquid fuel. When all was done, the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water had disappeared as utterly as if they had never existed.

If that fire had burned the people, it would not have left bloated, blackened, cooked bodies scattered over the mountaintop, but would so utterly have consumed them that it would have been as though they had never been.

So it will be in the final cleansing of the earth as it is written:

The Great Controversy, p. 672:

Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10.

The Israelites gathered on Mt. Carmel saw a preview of that final fire, and, as they stood there in conscious guilt of their sins, they knew that it should have consumed them, and were terrified that it would.

Prophets and Kings, p. 153:

They fear that they themselves will be consumed; and, convicted of their duty to acknowledge the God of Elijah as the God of their fathers, to whom they owe allegiance, they cry out together as with one voice, The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God.

With what a savage roaring those flames must have descended, and with what continued roaring they must have enveloped the altar and utterly destroyed it! Think too of the intensity of the light that was generated. It would have been so bright that human eyes would not have been able to look upon it.

The brilliancy of the blaze illumines the mountain and dazzles the eyes of the multitude.

It was a terrifying, life-threatening scene. The people dared not look upon it for more than a moment, but prostrated themselves on the ground expecting to be totally destroyed in the next instant. But the fire never touched them. Rather, it consumed the sacrifice instead.

What a perfectly clear and wonderful revelation this was of the plan of salvation! With what clarity and power the Lord showed how He loved them so much that, to save them from being incinerated, He would take their full punishment and bear it himself. He would die that they might live. That was the goodness of God at its shining best.

Unless the Holy Spirit gives us special capacity to relive the experience through which they passed, we will never feel the same impact and reality in the message that they felt back there. They were there! it was their lives that were threatened; their guilt that they felt with telling force; and their salvation that was assured when the fire was confined to the altar and its sacrifice! They absolutely knew for themselves the goodness of God in the context of sin and its punishment, and that did for them what three and a half years of suffering had failed to produce—it gave them repentance.

Where Did the Fire Come From?

Now, if the Lord did not personally send the fire, then where did it come from?

As a result of the effects of sin on the earth and its environs, the fire had been there all the time just waiting to happen. That it had not burst out up to that point was due to God’s restraining, controlling, protective power by which it was prevented from exploding in destructive might on the shelterless heads of mankind. All that was needed was for the angels to release the winds of strife and the fire was there. On Mt. Carmel, that restraint was removed, but the Lord stood between the fire and the people and they were saved. That was the goodness of God and it led them to repentance.

It is a sobering thought to realize that the fire is still out there just waiting to be released. It is poised above us in instant and continuous readiness for the opportunity to strike with irresistible power so great as to annihilate us without leaving a trace. How grateful we should be for the protective shield which stands between us and our merited decimation. If we could see the wonderful goodness of God in all this, it would truly lead us to repentance as it did the Israelites.

History Being Relived

What happened in Israel is transpiring again. We are living today in the closing segment of the first stage in the drama, the period of wonderful prosperity with which the Lord is blessing the world. Never before in human history has man amassed so much wealth as he has at the present time. The total value is beyond computation. Think in terms of what it would cost to replace every building, road, railway, farm, water conservation system, home, and every other facility, device, and treasure which presently fills the earth, and some idea will be gained of the immense wealth the human family has acquired.

But, the effect on man has been to fill him with self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and a proud spirit of independence. He feels no need of God, and, for the most part, puts his trust in the material blessings coming from the loving hands of the Giver, rather than in the Giver himself.

The results can only be catastrophic. Soon, the disasters which even now are stealing upon men, will plunge them into a time of loss and trouble that they never thought possible. But, even though the devil will proclaim that their sufferings are inflicted on them by an offended God who is seeking thereby to bring them back to Him, they will not become repentant. On the contrary, they will only become all the more rebellious.

But the Lord in His infinite love will not abandon them, but will do all in His power to bring them to repentance, an objective which can only be realized by a revelation of the goodness of God as it was manifested at Calvary. Before the guilty world must be presented the awesome nature of the total annihilation poised to justly fall on their shelterless heads. Then before their fear stricken eyes must be shown the love of a God, who, though He has every justification for wreaking a terrible revenge on humanity, died for them instead. The voices of truth will ring out with convincing power from one end of the earth to the other. Every ear shall hear; every eye shall see. Among the billions dwelling on the earth, there will not be a soul who will be able to ignore or be unaware of God’s final call. They will be as powerless to hide from the message as were the Jews on Mt. Carmel to ignore the blazing fury that consumed the altar and the sacrifice.

But, to achieve that, to gain the attention of every earth-dweller, the Lord will have to have the Elijah people through whom to project His compelling message of mercy and love.

This is the company to which the Lord is calling us to aspire. What a calling; what a responsibility; what extraordinary qualities will have to be developed in such a people! To grip the attention of the entire world and press home to them the immediate need for the most searching repentance, will require that each messenger must know for himself what repentance really is. He must know for himself the vivid reality of repentance described in these words:

Steps to Christ, p. 24:

But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The “Light, which lights every man that comes into the world,” illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven.

Repentance of that quality can come only to those who have seen the goodness of God as it was manifest at Calvary. This can be known in its reality by those who have become aware of their plight as hopelessly lost sinners, have recognized that the punishment of eternal annihilation is altogether just and fully deserved, and have witnessed the transference of the penalty to a suffering Saviour. They have seen His magnificent love, so great and so infinite that He would die for them in their corrupted, sinful state rather than see them perish. As they in wonder and awe, behold that revelation of the goodness of God, they are led to the deepest repentance.

It was only when the Israelites in Elijah’s day had truly repented that the rains came. Likewise, when the Elijah people really know the depths of repentance, the latter rain will fall. Then they will be fit to receive the unlimited outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and will carry the message of God’s goodness to every individual on the earth.

So,

Steps to Christ, p. 28:

Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity.

A Revelation of God’s Goodness

Messenger and News Review, November 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 7

A Word from the Editor

There is no difficulty in understanding the need for repentance on the part of those who fall into sin, whether they are born again or not. But, what must be clearly discerned is that the righteous who are living blamelessly, are committing no known sin, have accepted all the light revealed to them, and are totally dedicated to the Lord’s service, also need deeper experiences in repentance.

In their cases, this does not require their confessing and putting away a particular sin, because they are not guilty of such. Rather, it involves their becoming much more acutely aware of the malignity of sin itself, of its hateful character, and of the extent to which they are guilty of the shameful death of our precious Saviour, Jesus Christ.

When these aspects of iniquity are revealed in their true light, then the believer in Jesus is led to see the vast difference between his fallen estate and the perfection and excellence of Christ.

Every believer needs to plead for this experience which can be gained only by the revelation to our dull senses of the goodness of God which can be seen at its radiant best at Calvary. Every believer in Jesus must become aware of his very great need of these deeper repentances, and knowing that they can be found only at the cross, must pray for the Holy Spirit to unfold Calvary in its true significance.

BEFORE the end can come, the offer of repentance must be made to every living human with such telling force that it will take almost superhuman power to resist the call. While the majority of mankind will reject the last appeal ever to come to them as surely as did the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, there will be thousands per day accepting Heaven’s loving offer.

In only one way can this effect be produced. Before humanity’s wondering eye there must be presented so clear and convincing a revelation of the goodness of God as manifested at Calvary, that the attention of every man, woman, and child will be captivated. The people must be brought to see the awful annihilation about to utterly obliterate them, how fully they deserve this outcome, and how that, instead of raining fire on them, God, in His incredible goodness, dies for them instead.

A Deeper Experience Required

To penetrate the darkness of unbelief and bring the world to the place where they will actually realize these compelling truths, is no easy task, and God will never accomplish this until He has a people who have themselves firstly seen the goodness of God, and, in response, have experienced the deepest repentance. Then those who have truly seen the Lord and His wondrous goodness, will have the capacity to present Him to the needy world as it is written:

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 415-416:

Those who wait for the Bridegroom’s coming are to say to the people, “Behold your God.” The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.

Believers should carefully ponder what these facts mean to them individually and personally. When we do manifest in our own lives what the grace of God has done for us to the extent predicted in this prophecy, the entire world will be stirred, many to violent opposition; the remainder to the deepest repentance. It is clear that we have not acquired the fitness to achieve such results yet. It is evident that, so far, our revelation of the goodness of God carries too feeble an impact on men and woman to lead them to repentance.

What does this mean?

It means that we have still to see the goodness of God as we must yet see it despite the time spent in studying the great revelations of God’s character which have been revealed to us. Even though we have learned that our loving heavenly Father has no disposition to destroy, but is devoted only to the salvation of the sinful, fallen members of His creation, this has failed so far to work in us such changes as to arrest the attention of the worldling, reveal to him the goodness of God, and thus lead him to repentance.

Obviously, the deficiency lies with us, and, until this is corrected, that which the Lord has designed shall be accomplished during the falling of the latter rain and the giving of the loud cry, will never be realized. We need a revelation of God’s goodness such as we have not even dreamed of, and a repentance the like of which we had not thought possible, before the Lord can use us to arrest sinners in their downward plunge to perdition.

Does this indicate that we have not yet repented at all? No! It does not! What it does mean is that we need a broader understanding of the work of repentance and its scope. There is too much of a tendency to isolate repentance as something only the wicked need, while overlooking the fact that the righteous need an ever-deepening experience in repentance as they advance along the Christian pathway toward the kingdom. It is for this reason that we are plainly advised that...

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.

Every time then in our Christian experience that we take an advance step, our repentance will be deepened. Therefore, repentance is not found only before conversion, but at every advance step thereafter. It is always the fruit of beholding the goodness of God. The more we see of this goodness, the greater our repentance will be.

It is plainly evident then, that the repentance experienced at our initial conversion in consequence of the relatively dim views we then saw of God’s character, was and is inadequate to fit us to give the loud cry. It was enough for us to be made aware of our need of personal salvation and it did lead us to the Saviour who was then able to give us the new birth experience, but it was not enough to transform us into the needed channels through which the Lord can make His final appeals to the perishing.

It is so important to understand that the righteous need an ever-deepening experience in repentance, that the Lord has left on record the repentances experienced by men in holy office who were truly born again. Reference is not being made to men when they had fallen into sin and needed to recover, such as Moses when he struck the rock in anger, David when he murdered Uriah after he had stolen his wife, or Peter after denying Christ with cursing and swearing, but to individuals who had maintained Christ’s righteousness in them, and who, we would expect, had no need of repentance. When these were privileged to behold the wonderful goodness of God, they received a gift of repentance far exceeding that which they had ever previously known, and became more effective in awakening the consciences of sinners, which in turn led some into a heart conversion, and others into a determined rejection of the truth.

We will now consider three of these: Job, Isaiah, and Moses.

God’s Revelation to the Patriarch Job

The patriarch Job is one of the truly great Christians of all time, to whose unblemished righteousness both God and the devil testified. Of him the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of these words:

Job 1

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

The time came when the Lord declared Job’s righteousness to Satan in these words:

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?

It is most significant that, in his response to this declaration, the devil made no attempt to deny what the Lord had said. He knew that Job was righteous, and that there were none to compare with him in the entire world. The enemy was well aware of his fruitless attempts to lead the man of God to release his hold on Omnipotence; he understood the strength of character possessed by this saint of God; he remembered how consistently he had been defeated in every confrontation with the patriarch; and he knew the Lord was familiar with these records. The best that Satan could do under the circumstances was to impugn Job’s motives by charging him with serving God because it paid him to do so.

To expose this misrepresentation of God’s and Job’s characters, the Lord permitted the tempter, in a determined effort to break Job’s faith, tarnish his righteousness, and separate him from God, to inflict terrible suffering and loss on him.

It was for his righteousness that Job suffered, not for his sins. Every believer needs to understand that, as surely as we suffer because of our sins, so certainly do we in this world suffer because of our righteousness. His recognition of this great truth led Christ to say:

Matthew 5

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Philippians 1

29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

The Desire of Ages, p. 225:

And of all the gifts that heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.

It is quite an imbalanced view to believe that all affliction and suffering are a direct result of and punishment for sin. That is only one side of the picture. Let all be warned that it is a specific and readily recognizable mark of false religion to make one aspect of the truth to be the entire message. This being so, one would expect to find that the Jews who in Christ’s days on earth adhered to a false religion, would have believed and taught only one side of this precious truth. This proved to be the case.

The Desire of Ages, p. 471:

It was generally believed by the Jews that sin is punished in this life. Every affliction was regarded as the penalty of some wrongdoing, either of the sufferer himself or of his parents. It is true that all suffering results from the transgression of God’s law, but this truth had become perverted. Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God, as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin. Hence one upon whom some great affliction or calamity had fallen had the additional burden of being regarded as a great sinner.

Thus the way was prepared for the Jews to reject Jesus. He who “has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” was looked upon by the Jews as “stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted;” and they hid their faces from Him. Isaiah 53:4, 3.

God had given a lesson designed to prevent this. The history of Job had shown that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy. But Israel did not understand the lesson. The same error for which God had reproved the friends of Job was repeated by the Jews in their rejection of Christ.

The deep seriousness of this lesson is revealed when it is stated that the Jews’ retention of this error led them to reject and eventually crucify Christ. That meant that this false teaching cut them off from all the blessings the Saviour had come to bestow so freely—deliverance from sin and disease, freedom from the Romans, and the gift of eternal life. Truly it is a deadly error that can cost its adherents so much. It is one to be shunned like a deadly disease.

The great message on repentance that is revealed in the book of Job is that the truly righteous will experience a deeper repentance each time an advance step in Christian experience is made. There was no one more righteous than Job in his day, for God had declared that there was none like him in the earth. He certainly had repented of and put away every known sin, and was walking before God blameless. To appreciate the power of this message on repentance, to realize how relatively little progress we have made in this experience, and to be led to hunger and thirst after this quality, one must clearly believe and teach the truth that Job was indeed a truly righteous man and that his sufferings were because of his righteousness, not because of his sins. Careful consideration of the next two quotations will clear up any lingering doubts that may persist.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1140:

It is very natural for human beings to think that great calamities are a sure index of great crimes and enormous sins; but men often make a mistake in thus measuring character. We are not living in the time of retributive judgment. Good and evil are mingled, and calamities come upon all. Sometimes men do pass the boundary line beyond God’s protecting care, and then Satan exercises his power upon them, and God does not interpose. Job was sorely afflicted, and his friends sought to make him acknowledge that his suffering was the result of sin, and cause him to feel under condemnation. They represented his case as that of a great sinner; but the Lord rebuked them for their judgment of His faithful servant. . . .

There is wickedness in our world, but all the suffering is not the result of a perverted course of life. Job is brought distinctly before us as a man whom the Lord allowed Satan to afflict. The enemy stripped him of all he possessed; his family ties were broken; his children were taken from him. For a time his body was covered with loathsome sores, and he suffered greatly. His friends came to comfort him, but they tried to make him see that he was responsible, by his sinful course, for his afflictions. But he defended himself, and denied the charge, declaring, Miserable comforters are you all. By seeking to make him guilty before God, and deserving of His punishment, they brought a grievous test upon him, and represented God in a false light; but Job did not swerve from his loyalty, and God rewarded His faithful servant.

It is evident from these statements that Job’s so-called friends did not understand the principle that suffering comes both from being sinful and from being righteous. Instead, they cherished the fatal error that, wherever there is suffering, it is the sure evidence that the person being crushed is a practicing sinner. Consistent with this view, they argued that Job, whom the Lord himself had declared to be a just and righteous man without a spiritual equal in the world, was a very great sinner indeed.

Job rejected their theology and denied that he was the transgressor that they supposed him to be. He argued thus, not for his own self-vindication, but in defense of the truth as it is in Jesus. His opponents were formidable theologians who presented their arguments with great conviction, and in the confidence that they were right and Job was wrong. But, it is worthy of emphasis that, when they took the stand that they did, they “represented God in a false light.” They misrepresented God’s holy and beautiful character and thus were Satan’s and not God’s spokesmen. The only possible fruit of their ministry was rebellion against Heaven.

One must then conclude that Job, by taking the opposite stand from those who misrepresented God’s character, revealed our loving heavenly Father as He really is. Our confidence that this is a correct conclusion to draw is confirmed by the fact that the Lord disapproved of the message borne by Job’s opponents, and rebuked them for the conclusions they drew about His and Job’s characters.

Job 42

7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

God’s approval of Job’s stand, and His condemnation of the position taken by the others, confirms that the man of God was indeed a very righteous man who was able to maintain his righteousness under terrible pressure from Satan. It required the faith of a very strong Christian to remain loyal to God’s truth after losing all his possessions, being deprived of his dearly loved sons and daughters, and then being covered in horrible sores. It is difficult enough to bear adversity with faith and courage when you are in good health, but to do so when every fiber of your being is tortured with pain and wracked with fever, is the ultimate test. Short of taking Job’s life, there was nothing more the devil could have done to tempt and torture him, but he proved faithful.

Thus Job demonstrated that he was a truly righteous man even as God declared that he was. For taking the stand that he did, it is written that…

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1140:

...God rewarded His faithful servant.

When these words are read, one tends to think of the material wealth which the Lord showered upon him after the testing time was over.

Job 42

12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.

13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.

14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch.

15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.

17 So Job died, old and full of days.

These blessings from the Lord were certainly a considerable reward to the patriarch for his outstanding loyalty to the principles of righteousness and the divine government, but there was another blessing bestowed upon him which far exceeded these splendid material riches.

Those other rewards came to him in these ways.

During his period of intense suffering, when the patriarch had to cling with all his spiritual powers to the promises of God, his faith was being given maximum exercise in consequence of which it was markedly strengthened. Moment by moment, even though it was not a growth visible to him, he was entering into a closer and still closer relationship with God, who was pleased with the loyalty and faithfulness of His servant who had not failed Him in this hour of terrible trial. Only those who have been subjected to tremendous pressure while in a state of extreme ill health can know the weight of discouragement and despair which have to be resisted and overcome.

God had affirmed to Satan that Job was righteous for righteousness sake, and was serving God, not because of the blessings this had brought him, but because of his firm commitment to the divine order. Job did not betray the tremendous confidence that the Lord had placed in Him.

For this, the Lord rewarded His faithful, loyal, and righteous servant in the most wonderful way possible. When the battle was over and Job had proved himself utterly faithful, the Lord presented before his eyes a very wonderful revelation of His creative power. The record of this beautiful communication to Job is found in Chapters 38-41, wherein the Lord opened Job’s mind to insights into His creative power such as the patriarch had never seen before.

Any Christian desiring to understand and appreciate the wonders and greatness of God’s creative power will find in those same questions mines of truth filled with treasures he had not dreamed existed. What emotions of wonder, praise, gratitude, and loyalty must have flooded Job’s being as he sat in silent awe of what he saw.

The presentation of creative power which flashed before and into Job’s mind, was in fact the glorious revelation of God’s character. This fact is established by these words:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 33:

Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love.

What wonderful depths and breadths and heights of truth are contained in that statement.

Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love.

This tells us the glorious truth that the only motivation which influenced God in His creative work was infinite love. This is that incredible quality which is not activated by love flowing to it, but loves regardless of any response on anyone’s part. It is a limitless love which knows no change no matter how much it is rejected, abused, persecuted, misunderstood, or unappreciated. It is the love which God is, and is the revelation of His character, the manifestation of His goodness. Being outgoing love to the infinite and therefore absolute degree, it is therefore unselfishness to the same limitless extent. No spiritually enlightened person who understands the true nature of divine love can find even the slightest trace of selfishness in any manifestation of God’s love and goodness.

Such love as this can never be generated by humanity. It can come to us only as the gift of God through the selfless ministry of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the heavenly angels. There is no greater gift that can be given as it is written:

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 551:

Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another—this is the best gift that our heavenly Father can bestow. This love is not an impulse, but a divine principle, a permanent power. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. Only in the heart where Jesus reigns is it found.

1 John 4

19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around.

So then, to be given, as Job was, a wonderful view of the creative work of God, is to be blessed with an equally wonderful insight into the love of God, and, in turn, of the goodness of God. No matter how deeply one may have repented in the past in consequence of seeing the goodness of God, further and more extensive view of that goodness can only result in a deeper repentance. Let it ever be remembered that:

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.

Great trials came to Job which tested him to the uttermost. When it was all over and passed, he did not remain where he had been when the torture began, but had taken a mighty advance step in Christian experience. In consequence, he was rewarded by a richer view of God’s love and goodness as they were manifested in His creative works. The only possible result was a gift of repentance beyond anything that he had ever before known. Job’s witness to that is contained in these words:

Job 42

1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

2 I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from You.

3 You asked, Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, I will question you, and You shall answer me.

5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.

6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Not for one moment are we to conclude that Job had never repented before this time. It is obvious that he had, for how could the Lord ever describe him as being a just and righteous man, if he had not repented of his old sinful life and been born again? It would have been impossible for this to have been so. Most certainly, many years before this later repentance come to him, he had been blessed with a basic repentance experience and had become a child of God. Now he had come to the place where he had a fresh and much more distinct awareness of God’s goodness, and this produced in him a correspondingly deeper repentance.

He testified that previously he had heard about the Lord. Without question, what he had learned in this way had been very wonderful and blessed. It had brought him into the faith of Jesus, had filled him with righteousness until God could testify of him,

Job 1

8 ...there is none like him on the earth,

–and had imparted to him a wonderful wealth of knowledge and great breadths, depths, and heights in understanding.

But, by means of the later suffering and experience, the Lord had taken him far beyond the learning that comes by hearing, to the much more effective faculty of seeing. He then understood the mystery of salvation and the glory of God’s character as he had never done before. What a blessed reward this was. It made all those sufferings to be more than worthwhile.

Since seeing is a much more effective means of learning than hearing, it is proper to ask why the Lord reserves this faculty for those who rise very high in Christian endeavor? The fact is that the Lord does not arbitrarily reserve this for a particular class of people, but it requires a very high level of spiritual development before a person is actually capable of seeing that of which he previously had only heard. Job’s triumph of faith during his terrible ordeal, elevated him spiritually to the level where his eyes were opened so that he could see. When they were opened, there came to him the blessed gift of repentance.

The special character of this repentance is that it imparts an abhorrence for sin itself. Evil appears in its true character, and the repentant one shuns it like the plague that it is.

The experience of Job demonstrates and proves that no matter how righteous you are and steadfast you have been, even to being as Job was, without an equal in the world as testified to by God himself, a fresh view of God’s goodness is needed together with a deeper experience in repentance. Those who are blessed with these experiences will say with Job,

“I abhor myself!"

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

So it will be with all who behold Christ. The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle’s confession our own:

Romans 7

18 I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing.

Galatians 6

14 God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Introspection

This is a description of the experience which must be possessed by those who are to shortly receive the mighty outpouring of the latter rain. Well would it be if every believer were to examine himself to see if in fact this is a true picture of his present condition before God. Let each solemnly ask himself:

Am I so beholding Christ that I truly see His perfection, His goodness, His righteousness, the purity of His character, and His forgiving love more and more as time goes by?

Am I seeing the exceeding sinfulness of sin with greater clarity every day especially as it is manifest in me?

Am I finding less and less disposition to exalt and care for self, and do I find myself driven more and more to crucify self and sacrifice all that I have for Christ’s sake?

Is my life marked by continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and a humbling of the heart before God?

Can I truthfully testify that my repentance is in fact deepening, so that its power to prepare the way for Christ’s cleansing is mightier than it has ever been before?

Do I really know that my sufficiency is in Christ alone, and that I am a helpless, dependent receiver?

Can I honestly make Paul’s confession my very own?

These are very serious questions which every believer should solemnly ask and honestly answer. Ask them of yourself and for yourself. Then, as you see your spiritual destitution, plead every day for such a vision of the incredible goodness of God as will lead you into the deepest repentance.

Do not be discouraged if you do not receive an immediate answer, for it seems that no one does. Jacob wrestled for hours before he finally saw his sin in its true light. Job endured days and days of incredible suffering before he finally was blessed with a glorious unfolding of the goodness of God, and a deeper repentance than ever before. When Jesus prayed for the manifestation we call the transfiguration—that revelation of the glory of heaven designed to strengthen Him for His crowning sacrifice—hours and hours of intense praying elapsed before the mountain was flooded with heavenly glory.

One of the principal reasons for our not receiving all that Heaven has for us is that we do not plead and agonize for it as we should. We are inspired to reach out for the heavenly gift; we pray for it, but, when the blessing is not immediately forthcoming, our pleadings fade away and the blessing is not realized.

Early Writings, p. 73:

I asked the angel why there was no more faith and power in Israel. He said, “You let go of the arm of the Lord too soon. Press your petitions to the throne, and hold on by strong faith. The promises are sure. Believe you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them.” I was then pointed to Elijah. He was subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly. His faith endured the trial. Seven times he prayed before the Lord, and at last the cloud was seen.

Remember that...

Early Writings, p. 271:

The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.

The time has come for the outpouring of the latter rain, but it will not come until we have been blessed with a repentance far more searching, cleansing, and converting than we have experienced so far. This will not come until we have perseveringly pleaded and agonized for the blessing.

May it be that from here on, every believer in Jesus will be found daily pleading for such a revelation of the goodness of God as we have never seen before, and which will, in turn, bless us with the depth of repentance that will fit us for the reception of the latter rain.

God’s Revelation to Isaiah

Messenger and News Review, December 1986

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 8

A Word from the Editor

There is no greater mistake that a man or an angel can make than to put himself into the place of God. Yet it can be and often is done with the best of intentions, the loftiest motives, and the most earnest desire to see the work of God progress satisfactorily.

Consequently, those who do the cause the greatest harm are not its open, avowed enemies, but its best friends. Those whom the Lord sends as His messengers are quite immune to the plots of the enemy provided the one rule of their lives ever remains the will of God. See Moses passing in and out of Pharaoh’s presence unhindered and unhurt; Daniel uneaten by the lions; Jesus untouched by the Pharisees; and many more. Remember that the Jews never were in command of Christ. He submitted voluntarily to death. He gave His life, for no man took it from Him.

Paul survived quite nicely until he deviated from the Lord’s will and then what damage was done to the Lord’s cause. The twelve apostles led the multitude in the scheme to force kingship on Christ. How fortunate that Christ rejected this effort on the part of His best friends.

How carefully every friend of Jesus must guard against the subtle temptation to insert his own will in the place of God’s. Be assured that, no matter how well-intentioned the act may be, it will certainly result in trouble and delay to the cause of truth.

THE dedicated and successful ministry of Isaiah the gospel prophet, further illustrates the principle that it is the revelation of God’s goodness that leads the righteous as well as the sinner to repentance, and thus qualifies the recipient of these blessings to lead others into the same blessed salvation.

Isaiah’s Experience Is for Us

Isaiah’s experience is of special value and pertinence to God’s folk in these last days, for they, like him, are permitted to gaze into the holy places where the glory of God is fully manifested. It is when, through the exercise of strong, persevering faith that our eyes are opened to see what he saw, that the Lord will have messengers through whom the work can at last be finished.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1139:

The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God’s people in the last days. They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary.

Revelation 11

19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament.

As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips,—a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may they despair as they contrast their own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ. But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them. The bow of promise is above the throne, and the work done for Isaiah will be performed in them. God will respond to the petitions coming from the contrite heart.12 Taken from The Review and Herald, December 22, 1896.

What a doorway into glorious light and truth these promises open to the Lord’s people. Think of it: “The work done for Isaiah will be performed” in those who, with the eye of faith behold and understand the ministry of Christ in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. What true believer is there who would not long to look within the sacred precincts and actually gain a large and accurate vision of Christ’s ministry, the holiness of God, and the sacred character of His law. Would it not be wonderful to see ourselves as we really are, to cry out in genuine alarm at our lost estate:

Isaiah 6

5 Woe is me, for I am undone! because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

How blessed we would then be as our iniquity was purged away with fire and we were commissioned to carry the revelation of God’s character to the ends of the earth. All this may seem too wonderful to be true. We may look back on the efforts we have fruitlessly expended in the past to establish a satisfying peace with God, and despair of ever achieving this blessing. But, this is what the Lord desires we shall have and He has promised to supply this grace. Then grasp the promise in living faith and refuse to let go until heaven hears.

The Time of Isaiah’s Ministry

The ministry of Isaiah began during the reign of Uzziah, King of Judah, and continued during the reigns of the three kings who succeeded him, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Uzziah reigned for a total of fifty-one years, but it was not until the final year of his reign that Isaiah was called to bear God’s messages of warning and reproof to Judah.

The commissioning of Isaiah as a young man to the prophetic office is recorded in Isaiah 6:1-13.

King Uzziah began his lifework well, and wonderful prosperity marked the period when he sat on the throne. In fact, his reign…

Prophets and Kings, p. 303:

...was characterized by a prosperity greater than that of any other ruler since the death of Solomon, nearly two centuries before. For many years the king ruled with discretion. Under the blessing of Heaven his armies regained some of the territory that had been lost in former years. Cities were rebuilt and fortified, and the position of the nation among the surrounding peoples was greatly strengthened. Commerce revived, and the riches of the nations flowed into Jerusalem. Uzziah’s name “spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.” 2 Chronicles 26:15.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case, this material prosperity led to pride and self-sufficiency which separated Judah and Benjamin far away from God. Uzziah himself became so lifted up as to presume to take upon himself the right to enter into the holy places of the temple. For this presumptuous action, he was smitten with leprosy, a disease from which he remained undelivered until his death.

The spiritual tone of the nation rapidly deteriorated. Revelry, drunkenness, wealth, love of display, and idolatry became the established life style of the people—conditions viewed with the deepest soul anguish by Isaiah.

Prophets and Kings, p. 306-307:

Iniquitous practices had become so prevalent among all classes that the few who remained true to God were often tempted to lose heart and to give way to discouragement and despair. It seemed as if God’s purpose for Israel were about to fail and that the rebellious nation was to suffer a fate similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In the face of such conditions it is not surprising that when, during the last year of Uzziah’s reign, Isaiah was called to bear to Judah God’s messages of warning and reproof, he shrank from the responsibility.

This call came to the man of God a short time before he was given that wonderful view into the temple. When the call came to him, he was very much aware of the tremendous obstacles which confronted him, and of his own inability to cope with the situation.

Prophets and Kings, p. 307:

He well knew that he would encounter obstinate resistance. As he realized his own inability to meet the situation and thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people for whom he was to labor, his task seemed hopeless. Should he in despair relinquish his mission and leave Judah undisturbed to their idolatry? Were the gods of Nineveh to rule the earth in defiance of the God of heaven?

It was a very troubled Isaiah who contemplated his call to the prophetic office. He understood the hardness of the people’s hearts, he knew that he lacked the qualifications needed to penetrate their obstinacy and darkness, and he despaired of ever seeing them come to true repentance for their sins. While on the one hand he was very much aware that he could not lightly cast aside the divine call, on the other, he feared that he would never be able to fulfill so heavy a responsibility.

Prophets and Kings, p. 307:

Such thoughts as these were crowding through Isaiah’s mind as he stood under the portico of the temple.

The Vision Inspires Isaiah

It now becomes obvious that the Lord, having commissioned Isaiah to the prophetic office, and seeing the heavy burden of despair and discouragement that this call had placed upon him, had led him to the temple doors, so that He could inspire him with the needed faith and courage to respond to the divine call.

Suddenly the gate and the inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the prophet’s feet might not enter. There arose up before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while the train of His glory filled the temple. On each side of the throne hovered the seraphim, their faces veiled in adoration, as they ministered before their Maker and united in the solemn invocation,

Isaiah 6

3 Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory,

–until post and pillar and cedar gate seemed shaken with the sound, and the house was filled with their tribute of praise.

The Scriptures picture the vision in these words:

Isaiah 6

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one cried to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

When we read this description today, we do so without the benefit of the living revelation displayed before Isaiah’s astonished eyes. We only read about what he actually saw. Therefore, there is nothing like the impact on our minds that there was on his. What we read of his report tells us about the glory, purity, righteousness, perfection, and goodness of God. That is one thing, but it can never compare with actually seeing these things for one’s self as Isaiah did. Furthermore, the words of praise pouring from the lips of those shining seraphim, were filled with a power to convey the truth about God, that carried the message home to the prophet’s mind with telling force.

Isaiah’s Repentance Deepens

Prophets and Kings, p. 307:

As Isaiah beheld this revelation of the glory and majesty of his Lord, he was overwhelmed with a sense of the purity and holiness of God. How sharp the contrast between the matchless perfection of his Creator, and the sinful course of those who, with himself, had long been numbered among the chosen people of Israel and Judah!

When a child of God is afforded a view of the goodness of God such as that which was given to Isaiah, there is only one possible outcome. He will see something of the terrible contrast between the perfection of God, and his own deficiencies, will recognize that he is unfit to be a messenger for God and a citizen of heaven, and, while admiring the glory of God, will abhor himself for what he is. Deeply will he repent and turn to God with his whole heart to a degree he had never previously thought possible.

So it was with Isaiah, as is evidenced by his own testimony:

Isaiah 6

5 Then I said: Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Those words were a genuine expression of deep, heart felt repentance. Well would it be if every believer were to pass through experiences which generate the same kind of repentance. This is in fact the great need of God’s people at the present time, for, without it, we shall never achieve the fitness necessary for receiving the latter rain. Therefore the experience of Isaiah contains lessons of the greatest moment to us as we face the final events of human history.

As the lessons contained in Isaiah’s story reveal to us our specific need for soul-searching repentance, the true believers will find a longing in their hearts for a powerful view of the goodness of God, His purity, righteousness, and perfection, a true realization of their state, and a hatred of sin and a turning away from it. The question is:

“What must we do to receive this incredible fitness?”

What did the patriarchs such as Job, and the prophets such as Isaiah, do to receive these wonderful gifts? A study of their histories demonstrates that they were not specifically seeking or even expecting that their eyes would be opened to see the incredible goodness of God on the one hand, and the sinfulness of their fallen natures on the other. It was the Lord who led them through the steps culminating in this desirable outcome. These men were enriched with the treasure which outvalues every other. The enormous material wealth, for instance, which God showered on Job after the encounter with the devil and his conquest of the powers of darkness, was nothing compared to his being blessed with a deeper repentance.

Just as God made provision for those men to receive a soul-saving view of the character of God, so He has provided for His children today. The temple of God in heaven is opened and we are permitted to gaze right into the most holy place to behold the same glory, majesty, purity, and perfection that shattered Isaiah’s complacency.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1139:

As [we] look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, [we] perceive that [we] are a people of unclean lips—a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may [we] despair as [we] contrast [our] own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ.

We have spent a great deal of time in the study of the final ministries of Christ in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, but who among us is able to testify that he has thereby received such a revelation of the goodness of God that he was led to deep and true repentance. To realize that all our years of sanctuary study have failed to give us an experience like that which blessed Isaiah, can be quite frightening. Are our spiritual perceptions so dull that the Lord cannot speak His glowing truths to us effectively enough to render us truly repentant? Are we lost after all, as we most certainly deserve to be?

These are thoughts worthy of our consideration even though the intent of this study is not to leave anyone feeling hopelessly lost, but to direct all eyes to the higher plains of achievement the Lord has for us. We know that we have repented and been born again, but thereafter we tend to drift along on a level of complacency which is dangerous. God now works to stir us to a realization that there is a much grander view of His goodness to be gained, a much deeper repentance and cleansing to be experienced, and a much greater capacity to be exercised.

Rather than being discouraged because we have seen so little of God’s glory in the sanctuary, let us rejoice that the real beauty of its message is yet to be opened before our astonished eyes. Since what we have seen already is filled with glory and power, what must the greater revelations be that are yet to come? The time has truly arrived when we are to agonize in prayer for the very blessings that we need in order to fit us for receiving the latter rain and giving the loud cry.

A Deeper Cleansing from Sin

One clear view of the goodness of God leads us into true repentance, and this in turn opens the door to a deep, penetrating cleansing from sin. So it proved to be in Isaiah’s case, as he remembered it:

Isaiah 6

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.

What a wonderful cleansing was effected in Isaiah at this vital point of time. Hidden defects which had previously remained unseen and unsuspected were now brought to light and washed away, while into the vacancies thus created were infused the attributes of the Saviour himself. What a priceless endowment this was to the young prophet; what a fitting up for the work which lay ahead of him; with what courage and confidence he then faced the awesome responsibilities which he had been called to bear!

But the fact that, at this point of time, he was blessed with this repentance and cleansing is not to be interpreted as meaning that he had not previously been born again, and that this was the first time in his life he had been repentant or had received a deep cleansing from sin. To draw such a conclusion would be to make a serious misjudgment of the spiritual status of Isaiah at this point of time.

The life of Job demonstrates that no matter how thoroughly we have repented in the past, or how righteously we are now living, a fresh view of God’s goodness will always lead to a deeper repentance and cleansing. So it was with Isaiah.

In Job’s case, there is clear and extensive proof that he was a very righteous man before the devil was permitted to challenge his integrity, and prior to his gaining the victory over Satan’s attack against him, being afforded a wonderful view of the goodness of God, and receiving consequent repentance. But the evidence of the same truth is not so plainly stated in Isaiah’s case, though it is there for all to see who have their spiritual eyes opened.

The main evidence which confirms that Isaiah was a true child of God before he received the vision of the goodness of God revealed in the temple, is found in the fact that he was called to the ministry before the vision was given to him. This can only mean that, at the time he was set aside by the Lord as His messenger and prophet, he was already a converted Christian, for the Almighty will call no other class of person into His service. This truth is confirmed in the following statement:

The Desire of Ages, p. 805:

The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.

In order then for Isaiah to have been called of God as he certainly was, he must have received the “impartation of the life of Christ”; been imbued “with the attributes of Christ”; been “thus taught of God”; possessed “the inward working of the Spirit”; and in his life, the Christ-life must have been “manifested.” Otherwise, the Lord could never have selected him to be His messenger.

Some may point to Judas as a disciple who did not possess these qualifications, yet was numbered among the twelve. Let it never be forgotten that this man was never called of God to the position which he came to occupy. He pressed his own way into the inner circle with the support of the other disciples.

At the same time, Isaiah’s experience had not been all that it should have been:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1139:

Isaiah had denounced the sin of others; but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them. He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God. He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord. How little now appeared his wisdom and talents as he looked upon the sacredness and majesty of the sanctuary. How unworthy he was! how unfitted for sacred service! His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul,

Romans 7

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

To some, this description of Isaiah’s experience before the vision was given to him, would be taken to indicate that he was not, in fact, a born again Christian at the time despite the fact that he had been appointed of God to be His prophetic messenger. However, because conversion does not instantly deliver us from total depravity to complete perfection, words describing our unconverted state have, in a relative sense, a limited application to the converted. Therefore, all that this quotation states, could be said of Isaiah as a child of God who, though born again, still needed, as all Christians do, further deliverance from the depravity which still haunts us. All such need a clearer revelation of the goodness of God and the deeper repentance and cleansing which this produces.

Fitness for Service

When this powerful experience came to Isaiah, he obtained a fitness for service which far exceeded that which he had previously possessed. Now he was inspired, confident in God, and ready to respond to the divine call. He states:

Isaiah 6

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I! Send me.

The Lord gladly accepted the dedication of Isaiah to His service, gave him just the messages that the people needed, and sent him out to deliver His words to Judah and Benjamin. He never forgot that vision. It was ever before him and was one of the chief factors in his maintaining a consistent and stable ministry.

God warned him that the task would not be easy and that his work would appear to be fruitless, but that in the end, the divine plan would be carried out, and the Lord’s purposes would be fulfilled.

Prophets and Kings, p. 310:

This assurance of the final fulfillment of God’s purpose brought courage to the heart of Isaiah. What though earthly powers array themselves against Judah? What though the Lord’s messenger meet with opposition and resistance? Isaiah had seen the King, the Lord of hosts; he had heard the song of the seraphim, “The whole earth is full of His glory;” he had the promise that the messages of Jehovah to backsliding Judah would be accompanied by the convicting power of the Holy

Spirit; and the prophet was nerved for the work before him. Isaiah 6:3. Throughout his long and arduous mission he carried with him the memory of this vision. For sixty years or more he stood before the children of Judah as a prophet of hope, waxing bolder and still bolder in his predictions of the future triumph of the church.

The day of that final triumph is drawing very near. Soon the mighty work carried forward by the gospel prophet, Isaiah, is to come to full maturity as we today build on the foundations of many generations13 Isaiah 58:12. and make ready to fit the last element of the structure in place.

To effectively finish the work, the Lord must prepare His people today as He prepared Isaiah of old. This work must involve our becoming aware of our true spiritual condition, so that we shall be stirred to seek the Lord and His righteousness with the whole heart. While on the one hand we can rejoice over the great truths we have seen so far and their marvelously beneficial effect on our lives, on the other, we need to really understand that there is no stopping place, no level at which we can arrive and feel that we have fully attained. No matter how far we have come even to the point where the Lord can say as He did of Job that “there is none like you in the earth,” there is still an infinity beyond. To stop at any point is to commence a fatal retrogression which, if not stopped in time, will doom even the best Christian to destruction. Every believer must be fully aware of his danger of sliding into complacency and of losing his fitness to participate in the final struggle.

What we need more than anything else is one clear view of the glory, perfection, power, majesty, righteousness, and goodness of God such as was given to Isaiah. This revelation will show the startling contrast between what we are and what we need to be, and, as we grasp the living promises of God, and press on toward the mark of our high calling, the Lord will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. Clear will be our view of ourselves and our unfitness and unworthiness; deep will be our repentance; thorough will be our cleansing; and wonderful the fitness with which the Lord will endow us.

The time has come to petition the throne of grace for a revelation of the divine goodness. Each believer who understands the need of this hour will plead with the Lord to show him the goodness of God that he might be brought to true repentance. The hour is late; the need is urgent. Let us therefore arouse from our slumbers and go to work as we have never done before or thought possible.

God’s Revelation to Moses

Messenger and News Review, January 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 9

A Word from the Editor [from May 1987]

Whenever, in the process whereby new light and enlarged understandings of truth are communicated to God's people, there arises a problem which seems to deny solution, the only safe course is for the believer to wait patiently on the Lord for the answer. During this waiting period, the time is to be spent neither in idleness, nor in desperate efforts to solve the problem for which the Lord has not yet supplied answers. Instead, the true believers in Jesus, living out the conviction that God is the Teacher of His people, will put forth every effort to really understand the light which has already been given, knowing full well that if they really learn, thoroughly understand, and actively experience the truths revealed so far, the Lord will supply all the answers necessary to the understanding of the difficult and seemingly contradictory portions of Scripture.

Those who are not willing to follow these procedures make the fearful mistake of electing themselves to the position of problem-solver, which is but to attempt the usurpation of God’s position. They can be assured that they will arrive at a solution of their own devising which will not be the truth under any such circumstances and will thus separate themselves from God and His people. None can be too careful in making certain that God is in fact their Teacher. They must be sure that the positions to which they come are in fact of the Lord.

An Ever-Deepening Abhorrence of Evil

THE lives of the greatest Christians, the men who walked nearest to God, demonstrate that…

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.

The experiences through which both Job and Isaiah passed clearly reveal the truth of this. Job was a truly righteous man of whom the Lord himself testified that there was none like him in all the earth, yet when he gained a convincing victory over the devil and his agents, and was given a beautiful revelation of the goodness of God, he entered into a depth of repentance he had never known before.

Job 42

6 Therefore I abhor myself, he cried, and repent in dust and ashes.

Likewise, when Isaiah was blessed with a vision of the perfection and righteousness of God in His sanctuary, he saw the sinfulness of sin and his own human imperfection as he had never previously viewed them and was led into a new depth of repentance. So it will always be.

No one has any difficulty in seeing that when an individual commits a specific sin, he must repent of the transgression and cease from further evil practice of it. What needs to be understood is that there is another repentance which does not involve turning away from a specific sin, but which is the development in the believer of an ever-deepening abhorrence of evil. It is the repentance for sinfulness, the increasing hatred of sin for what it is. The depth of this repentance will be in direct proportion to the extent to which we have seen the goodness of God. The capacity for seeing the goodness and righteousness of God grows with our drawing nearer to Him. The more we become like God in character, the clearer will be our views of His perfection, and the greater our repentance. Therefore, it is the truth that the most dedicated and righteous of God’s children are the ones who, having seen the goodness of God far more clearly than those who are content to remain on a low spiritual plane, have likewise received the precious gift of repentance beyond their fellows.

If any believer covets a deep, cleansing repentance, then let him seek to enter more deeply into communion with God so that, in this communion, he will develop the capacity to see the righteousness of the everlasting Father with increasing clarity. This can only lead to an ever-deepening repentance.

The Spiritual Development of Moses

The life of Moses confirms this truth. Under God’s tutelage and his diligent response to it, this man had developed a capacity for communion with God which enabled him to actually abide directly in the presence of the Almighty for an initial period of forty days and nights followed by a second session of the same length. When he returned from the second period, his face was glowing with the glory of God with such power that the people could not bear to look on him. He was obliged to wear a veil whenever he was in their presence.

The beginning of this achievement was found in the spiritual birthright which he gained at a very early point of time, and the very effective training given him thereafter by his mother.

Early Training by Jochebed

When Moses as a tiny infant was adopted by the princess, and Jochebed, his own godly mother was given the task of caring for him, she made certain that she gave him the best training possible.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 243-244:

She faithfully improved her opportunity to educate her child for God. She felt confident that he had been preserved for some great work, and she knew that he must soon be given up to his royal mother, to be surrounded with influences that would tend to lead him away from God. All this rendered her more diligent and careful in his instruction than in that of her other children. She endeavored to imbue his mind with the fear of God and the love of truth and justice, and earnestly prayed that he might be preserved from every corrupting influence. She showed him the folly and sin of idolatry, and early taught him to bow down and pray to the living God, who alone could hear him and help him in every emergency.

So effective was this early training that Moses was able to withstand the determined efforts of Egypt’s religious and political powers to divert him from a life of dedicated service to the true God. Between the tender age of twelve right up till he was forty, he lived in the most affluent and corrupt society then in existence and he did not escape entirely unscathed.

Moses leads the Egyptian Armies against the Ethiopians (This event is mentioned in Josephus and other historians. Ellen White records that Moses was trained “to become a general of armies” (Manuscript 45, 1890), and that he was “general of armies” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 246). Mal-Education in Egypt

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

Moses had been learning much that he must unlearn. The influences that had surrounded him in Egypt—the love of his foster mother, his own high position as the king’s grandson, the dissipation on every hand, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a false religion, the splendor of idolatrous worship, the solemn grandeur of architecture and sculpture—all had left deep impressions upon his developing mind and had molded, to some extent, his habits and character. Time, change of surroundings, and communion with God could remove these impressions. It would require on the part of Moses himself a struggle as for life to renounce error and accept truth, but God would be his helper when the conflict should be too severe for human strength.

As heir to the throne and able general of Egypt’s seemingly invincible military might, he tended to develop a degree of self-sufficiency. It was this that led him to slay the Egyptian under the mistaken idea that the Lord would arm the Israelites and give them power to escape by overpowering and destroying the armies of their enemies.

This murder, instead of initiating an Israelitish uprising, served to direct Moses into another school altogether, an educational program where he would unlearn much that he had acquired in Egypt, while gaining a great deal to take its place.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 247:

In slaying the Egyptian, Moses had fallen into the same error so often committed by his fathers, of taking into their own hands the work that God had promised to do. It was not God’s will to deliver His people by warfare, as Moses thought, but by His own mighty power, that the glory might be ascribed to Him alone. Yet even this rash act was overruled by God to accomplish His purposes. Moses was not prepared for his great work. He had yet to learn the same lesson of faith that Abraham and Jacob had been taught not to rely upon human strength or wisdom, but upon the power of God for the fulfillment of His promises. And there were other lessons that, amid the solitude of the mountains, Moses was to receive. In the school of self-denial and hardship he was to learn patience, to temper his passions. Before he could govern wisely, he must be trained to obey. His own heart must be fully in harmony with God before he could teach the knowledge of His will to Israel. By his own experience he must be prepared to exercise a fatherly care over all who needed his help.

Communion with God in the Wilderness

It is evident that Moses developed a very high level of communion with God during those forty seemingly unproductive years as a shepherd in Midian. It is a closeness of rapport and openness of communication that the Lord desires to establish with every one of His children, and which served to fit Moses for the heavy responsibilities that were to be placed upon him.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248, 251:

Shut in by the bulwarks of the mountains, Moses was alone with God. The magnificent temples of Egypt no longer impressed his mind with their superstition and falsehood. In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High, and in contrast realized how powerless and insignificant were the gods of Egypt. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away. In the stern simplicity of his wilderness life, the results of the ease and luxury of Egypt disappeared. Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.

His experience is comparable with that of John the Baptist when he likewise spent all those years communing with God in the solitude of his desert retreat. God through this fellowship with His dedicated servant, John, achieved the same glorious results as were produced in Moses, as it is written of Christ’s forerunner—

The Desire of Ages, p. 103:

He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was forgotten. He beheld the majesty of holiness, and felt himself to be inefficient and unworthy. He was ready to go forth as Heaven’s messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon the Divine. He could stand erect and fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs, because he had bowed low before the King of kings.

Moses emerged from his wilderness schooling to confront the vaunted power of Egypt again and again, each time seeing that the might of man was nothing in the face of the powers of nature and its Creator. He had known the corruption of Egypt before he left, and marked the further development of iniquity which had matured during his absence. Coming directly from a life alone with God in the solemn grandeur of the everlasting mountains where all was righteousness, purity, and peace, he must have felt the immense contrast between that and the wickedness of Pharaoh’s kingdom. Having seen the wonderful goodness of God as manifest in His created works, he was blessed with that repentance which is manifest, not so much in a confession of particular sins, but in a loathing of sinfulness itself.

A Missionary to Egypt

When Moses returned to the nation on the Nile, its desperate wickedness, and indescribable corruption must have caused him to expect the Lord to arise and sweep these people from the face of the earth even as the righteous inhabitants of the universe expected the Lord to do when Christ was about to appear on the earth as it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 37:

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth.

But, instead of destroying the Egyptians, the Lord commissioned Moses to bear to their proud, sinful leader, a message of divine love, a revelation of the sure harvest that the nation’s sins were about to bring upon them, and a merciful entreaty to reverse their course before it was too late. There was not the least real suggestion that the Lord was about to bare His mighty arm and cut them down. At the same time, the warning was that destruction would come if there was no repentance, but the impending disasters would not be in consequence of God’s act, but as a result of His losing control of the powers of nature.

In pictorial form, the clearest possible means of communication, God, through Moses, conveyed the message of what was about to happen, and the Lord’s role when it did. As Moses stepped into the monarch’s presence, he symbolized God, and as such was a revelation of the eternal Father’s love and mercy. The rod in Moses’ hand was a symbol of power as is evidenced by the way that it was used again and again during the journey from Egypt to Canaan. When it was upheld over the Red Sea, a mighty power divided the waters; when it was raised again after God’s people had safely crossed the sea, the waters returned; while upheld, the Jews were victors in the battle with the Amalekites; and so forth.

As Moses stood before Pharaoh, holding the rod in his hands, it was under his control and it remained a rod of blessing and protection, but the moment that it was freed from his grip and thus was no longer under his direction, it immediately changed into a serpent, the symbol of a destroyer. What it then did was not Moses’ responsibility.

Through this means the Lord was seeking to communicate to the wicked monarch a message of saving love. The Lord was saying in tones of tenderest entreaty,

“Pharaoh, your situation is desperate. For centuries the kings and peoples of Egypt have been rebelling against me. Your generation is the worst and deserves to be destroyed, but, in my great love toward you, I have continued to maintain my control over the awesome forces of nature which surround you. So long as I have been able to do that, those powers have been a blessing to you, but the time has now come when your defiance of Heaven, and your demands that I leave you have become so insistent and so great, that I am left with no choice but to release my hold on nature’s powers and leave you, in harmony with your own wishes, unprotected from their destructive fury. Pharaoh, in my great love for you this is the very last thing that I want to see happen to you, so please respond to my appeals so that, by retaining my controlling grip on the forces of nature, you will be preserved from disaster.”

Now, it is clear that the proud ruler of Egypt had but little concept of the powers threatening him and his people, for nature under God’s control does not manifest its real potential. Likewise an unexploded bomb looks harmless enough. It is not until it is detonated that its real power can be appreciated by those who have survived the explosion.

Modern scientists have diligently studied the fearful power in the elements and they have estimated that…

A single thunderstorm can release 125 million gallons of water and discharge enough heat to supply the entire United States with electrical power for twenty minutes. A full-blown hurricane will multiply these values an astronomical 12,000 times.

In their terrible power, storms have built frightful records of death and destruction. In Bangladesh in 1970, a tropical cyclone with flooding rain and 120-mile-per-hour winds claimed 300,000 lives.14 Storm, a Time-Life book, p. 6.

Pharaoh whose ignorance of the mighty forces contained in nature was as great as his lack of knowledge about the plan of salvation, sought to dismiss the Lord’s message as being inconsequential. He called for his magicians to work their enchantments by changing their rods into serpents. This they appeared to do for it is beyond the power of the devil and his servants to create life.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 264:

The magicians did not really cause their rods to become serpents; but by magic, aided by the great deceiver, they were able to produce this appearance. It was beyond the power of Satan to change the rods to living serpents. The prince of evil, though possessing all the wisdom and might of an angel fallen, has not power to create or to give life; this is the prerogative of God alone. But all that was in Satan’s power to do, he did; he produced a counterfeit. To human sight the rods were changed to serpents. Such they were believed to be by Pharaoh and his court. There was nothing in their appearance to distinguish them from the serpent produced by Moses.

Now, as certainly as God was conveying a message in His turning Moses’ rod into a living serpent, so Pharaoh made his response by having his magicians apparently convert their rods into serpents. He was declaring that he had no need for God to maintain His control over the powers of nature, for he, in his self-sufficiency, was quite confident that he and his sorcerers could handle such problems quite adequately. The witness of sight and circumstances seemed to verify his stand, for here was Moses’ lone serpent being confronted by a host of Egyptian serpents. For a king who believed in and survived by numbers power, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. He was quite certain that his many snakes would speedily devour the one reptile confronting them.

But no man, even if he be the mightiest monarch on the earth, has the power necessary to control the elements once they pass out of God’s hands. Pharaoh was manifesting a spirit of the highest self-exaltation; he was putting himself on a level above the Almighty. He considered himself able to do that which the Lord alone can do. It was the most blatant disrespect of God, rebellion against His authority, rejection of His loving offers of salvation and protection, and manifestation of ingratitude for the Lord’s longsuffering and mercy.

Well might Moses have expected the Lord to respond with wrath and indignation without further delay or patience, wreaking fearful punishments on the unsheltered head of the foolish king. Instead, in His abounding love and mercy, He continued to appeal in loving terms to the king. To warn the monarch that he would find no escape in his supposed ability to control the forces threatening him, the Lord then empowered Moses’ serpent to devour all those advanced by the king. It was a clear declaration on God’s part that the rebellious potentate was dangerously mistaken when he thought that he could avoid the penalty for his apostasy by assuming Jehovah’s place as the controller of the powers threatening him. As surely as one serpent devoured all its opponents, so the awesome forces of nature out of control would assuredly absorb all the resources that Pharaoh might enlist, and then proceed to administer destruction as if no resistance had been made at all.

Then the Lord directed Moses to resume control of the serpent which immediately returned to being a rod the instant that it came back under Moses’ control once more.

By this action, God, in concern for the welfare of the king and people, was telling Pharaoh that at any time he was prepared to heed the warning and repent, the Lord would gladly return, would once again bring the powers of nature under control, and would thus terminate the destructive work which had begun as the direct fruit of their apostasy.

As Moses worked under God’s personal direction, he must have seen the incredible goodness of God in all His dealings with the apostate nation. The Lord’s messenger knew of the mission of mercy rendered by Joseph under God’s blessing and direction; of the time when a Pharaoh who arose after Joseph’s death determined to expunge Joseph’s name from history, an act which was a rejection, not merely of Christ’s servant, but of Christ himself; of the cruel, inhumane enslavement of God’s people; of the rejection of his own ministry in the court of Egypt during the first forty years of his life; and of the atheism and God-defying spirit of the king and people of what was then the mightiest nation on the earth.

Moses knew it all as no one else in the world did, and his righteous soul must have been charged with indignation as he listened to the boastful, defiant, and rebellious words of the proud potentate. He would not have been surprised if the Lord had destroyed them all, both king and people.

Instead, after all that, God showed not the slightest disposition to hurt and destroy the king and his people. Instead, we see only pitying, yearning love reaching out with only one thought in mind—to save them if, even yet, they would but listen to the voice of mercy and reason. Before our astonished, humbled, and amazed eyes we behold the God of the universe, the almighty King of kings and Lord of all lords, carefully explaining to Pharaoh the danger which threatened him and lovingly entreating him to repent and be converted that the destruction might be averted.

That is goodness! That is the goodness of God! There is no other goodness like it! To whatever extent it is seen, understood, and accepted, it will lead to repentance.

Tragically, the Egyptian ruler and his people utterly failed to see and appreciate this incredible manifestation of goodness toward them. They did not understand the awful weight of condemnation resting on them, for they had no conviction of sin, nor did they see that they were utterly deserving of death and should have been destroyed long before. They did not realize that, separated from God, they were not only cut off from life, but were exposed to the wild, unrestrained convulsions of nature freed from God’s directions and control.

Had they but realized all this, they, while remaining at first in ignorance of God’s true character, would have expected Him to be filled with indignation and wrath toward them. But, instead they would have found Him charged with forgiving love to the infinite degree. Then, as they came to see the goodness of God in taking the suffering on himself while granting them a totally undeserved way of escape, they would have been led to repentance. But they saw none of this and, in consequence, remained bold, defiant, and unrepentant.

It is very doubtful whether the Israelites, spiritually benumbed as they were by centuries of enslavement, could see the goodness of God being manifest in all this, but we can be sure that Moses did. To him, the manifestation of God’s character of perfect goodness would have been strikingly apparent especially as he, fresh from his personal communings with God in the desert, would have seen the wickedness of the Egyptians in its true light, and would have recognized how utterly deserving the apostates were of utter destruction.

When Moses saw the goodness of God, and how such love could be spurned, his own hatred of sin must have been intensified, which was but the deepening of his own repentance.

The Goodness of God Revealed in the Plagues

Christians often extend the hand of forgiveness to the sinner who has wronged them, and then feel that they have gone the second mile. If the offender does not then repent and correct his course of behavior, there is a decided temptation to wash the hands of him, abandon him to his deserved punishment, and enjoy a certain sense of satisfaction as we see him beset by trouble and disaster.

If God were of this character, He would have instructed Moses to declare to the haughty ruler that he had been given more than a fair opportunity and now no further mercy would be shown him. But, praise His holy name, that is not His character. Instead, we see God just waiting with eager hope for Pharaoh to repent enough for the dreadful plague to be lifted. Such a repentance was not forthcoming in response to the first plague which ran its course over the space of seven days.

When the second plague deluged the land with frogs, the king…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 265:

...was somewhat humbled.

Pharaoh was prepared to recognize that the magicians could not remove the pests and asked Moses to do it with the assurance that the people would be released.

Exodus 8

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.

The king was invited to nominate the time when the frogs would be removed and he indicated the next day,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 265-266:

...secretly hoping that in the interval the frogs might disappear of themselves, and thus save him from the bitter humiliation of submitting to the God of Israel.

Though his repentance was far from genuine as usually is the case when a person is sorry for the suffering the sin causes rather than for the sin itself, it was enough for the Lord to resume control of the plague. As soon as He did, the frogs died and were gathered together in heaps.

For those who could see it, God in His loving kindness and wonderful goodness was seeking to prevent all the suffering He could. Every time the king repented, the Lord acted quickly to remove the pestilence which had come only because He had been obliged to release His control of the powers He had invested in nature.

So it went on plague after plague. In each outpouring of wrath, the king grew more obstinate, more determined to resist the pleadings of divine love and mercy. With each rejection of the goodness of God, he opened the way for further manifestations of nature out of God’s control. Always, the Lord was there to save and restore if only His voice would be heeded by the king, but it never was.

A striking revelation of the tender love of God and His desire to save the people even when they deserved to perish, was given when the seventh plague, the devastating hail storm, was impending. In the case of the river turning to blood, the frogs, lice, flies, disease among the livestock, and the boils, there was nothing apart from repentance that they could do to save themselves and their properties. All these scourges penetrated everywhere so that there was no escape from them. Therefore, a loving God could not advise anything that they could do to protect themselves, until they came to the hail storm. In this case any man or animal caught in the open would certainly perish when the tempest struck, while those who were under shelter would survive.

The goodness of God would not permit Him to leave the people unwarned. The Lord urged them to gather themselves and their livestock into their houses and barns before the unleashing of this tremendous onslaught took place. The warning came in these words:

Exodus 9

18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now.

19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every beast which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 269:

Rain or hail was unusual in Egypt, and such a storm as was foretold had never been witnessed.

It therefore took faith on the part of the Egyptians to believe the word of God in order to save themselves from death and destruction. Those who did survived, while those who ignored the warning perished with their animals.

This action on God’s part, that of warning the sinners, is a beautiful revelation of His goodness and of His character as a Saviour. If He had been the punisher and the destroyer, then He would have wanted the death of as many out in the fields as possible to ensure that suffering was maximized. But that is not the character or the way of the Lord. On the contrary, He is a saviour first and last. When He could not prevent the storm from coming, and thus save them from its devastation, He worked to deliver them from actually being out there and suffering death.

Oh! What a God is ours, ever seeking to save man from the ruinous harvest of his own seed-sowing.

So they came to the final, terrible curse, the death of the first born. The Lord did not permit this fearful calamity to steal on them unannounced, but plainly advised all of its coming and instructed them in the procedures which would guarantee their protection and survival. While the Israelites were the ones to whom these counsels were given, there were by this time many Egyptians who realized that the warning given to the king was not to be ignored, and they came to learn from the children of Israel how to avoid the penalty of disobedience. On the fateful night, they gathered with the Jews beneath the sprinkled blood and were preserved from the terrible anguish suffered by the unbelieving.

To a man with the spiritual perceptions and close communion with God such as Moses had, all these experiences were to him incredible revelations of God’s goodness, which must have wrought in him an ever-deepening experience of repentance, in the sense that his hatred of sin and his awareness of his own inefficiency and human frailty was becoming clearer every day.

But there was more to come especially during the wonderful days spent with God in the mountain. Into that we shall study in the next issue.

An Ever-Deepening Repentance

Messenger and News Review, February 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 10

A Word from the Editor

While genuine, saving repentance is the gift of God and cannot be generated by human planning and effort, it would be a mistake to sit back and idly wait for its endowment. Those who adopt this attitude will find that the blessing will never come, for there are some things which can and must be done by those who desire the gift.

In the first case, you are to “Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity.” Steps to Christ, p. 28.

He will answer that prayer though not necessarily at the same moment that the request is made. A number of the believers have testified that even after months of earnest prayer, they still have not received the gift to any satisfactory extent, while others are beginning to experience the blessing. It will be those who persevere in prayer until the victory is gained who will be satisfied.

At the same time, the Scriptures should be earnestly studied to see the goodness of God revealed in the law and the gospel. The written word has great power to generate repentance as it comes as a revealer of righteousness, and a convicter of sin.

This combination of prayer and study will ensure the endowment of the gift.

OUR study of the lives of great men such as Job, Isaiah, and now Moses, demonstrates with great clarity that the more we see of the goodness of God, the deeper will be our repentance, and the richer will be our Christian experience. We see better and better that it is the truth that…

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.

Repentance in Eternity

Heretofore, we have tended to limit the application of these words to our sojourn in this sad world. We have believed without giving the matter any serious consideration, that once we are finally cleansed of every trace of sinfulness, and are caught up in the clouds of heaven, then repentance will be a thing entirely in the past, nevermore to be an element in our experience.

Without controversy, certain aspects of this conclusion will be true. Arriving in heaven with every spot and stain of sin eternally obliterated, and with our bodies, minds, and hearts forever sealed against the slightest entrance of evil, we shall never have to repent of, confess, and put away a single transgression in Paradise.

Those facts tend to lead us to the conclusion that repentance will be a matter belonging to this sin-cursed earth, but having no place in heaven. But that will be true only so far as putting away specific sins is concerned; that kind of repentance will then be a matter of the past. But there is a sense in which repentance will continue to deepen as the ages of eternity roll by, and this needs to be understood by God’s people as we move down toward the end of time. Such knowledge will greatly assist us in our realizing that, not only in this life, but in heaven and the new earth as well,

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561:

At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.

In what sense then will heaven be marked with an ever-deepening repentance?

To answer this question, consideration will be given to the experience of the sinless angels. When sin first appeared among them and they were obliged to choose between light and darkness, they did not abhor and turn away from sin to an infinite extent. So masterfully did the devil mask the true nature of the evil he was perpetrating, that sin actually was made to appear desirable, and righteousness so restrictive that it was fit only for rejection. The consequences were that, while the loyal angels continued to trustingly serve the Lord, they were not able to discern the full implications of the sin problem, and, as a result, found themselves somewhat in sympathy with the devil and his cause. They hated sin as far as they could comprehend its true nature, but not enough in the beginning to utterly and eternally reject it. What they needed was that repentance which manifests itself as deep loathing of sin because of what it is, not merely for what it does to its victim. That repentance was to grow in them as, with the passing of time, they witnessed the manifestations of God’s goodness toward those impregnated with iniquity, and toward those who were not. To them, the love, the forbearance, and the goodness of God became amazing as they beheld the all-powerful Creator manifesting only loving forgiveness toward those who were despising His grace and destroying His workmanship, and in those who were prepared to accept His pardon and restoration.

Yet the evidence is that, after four thousand years of constantly witnessing the revelation of God’s character, they were far from truly understanding it. They manifested this when they expected the Lord’s patience to be exhausted and He, in righteous indignation, rise to obliterate mankind from the face of the earth, as it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 37:

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth.

As the time for Christ’s birth drew near, and the wickedness of the world was coming close to full maturity, they expected God to resort to this course of action, because even these sinless beings had not come to fully understand the infinite goodness of God. Along with this limitation to their comprehension of God’s character, there was a corresponding limitation to their Christian experience, which in turn limited their hatred of sin. And a deeper hatred of sin is possible only after there has been a deeper repentance.

So it was to the astonishment of the sinless beings, that the Lord, instead of destroying this sinful world, made the ultimate sacrifice to save it.

But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age,

through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.

As the angels and the dwellers on the unfallen worlds witnessed this act of incredible divine goodness, they took an advance step in their Christian experience and their repentance was deepened in the sense that their abhorrence of sin was intensified, and their rejection of it was made more resolute.

It must ever be borne in mind that the angels, together with those who have never sinned, need the ministry of Jesus to save them from transgression. They do not require this ministry to deliver them from bondage to sin and their committal of it, that is, to rescue them from sinfulness and initiate them into righteousness, for they have never yielded to temptation, but they do need it to save them from going into sin. There is only one way in which the holy ones who have never fallen can be saved from falling into sin. It has been and eternally will be accomplished by their receiving an ever more comprehensive view of the goodness of God, which in turn will generate in them a greater abhorrence of evil, and a more decided turning from iniquity in favor of righteousness.

At the Cross

It was at the cross that the ultimate view of God’s character was given, and it is that finest, grandest, most complete, and perfectly glorious revelation of divine goodness, that the angels must continually contemplate, in order to be saved from being bewitched by Satan’s devices.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1132-1133:

The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God. That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God.

The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His law, and still save the transgressor. Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind. If men would contemplate the love of Christ, displayed in the cross, their faith would be strengthened to appropriate the merits of His shed blood, and they would be cleansed and saved from sin.

Note well that it is the plan of salvation, not as many might understand it in variously differing ways, but as it makes manifest the justice and love of God, that provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. God’s justice and love are His infinite goodness which alone can lead to repentance. True repentance alone can seal a person against entering into sinful practices, and the more repentant one is, the more secure against temptation that one will be. Thus it is that as the sinless ones in eternity, whether it be those who have never fallen or those who have been redeemed from this sin-cursed earth, contemplate the goodness of God in its supreme revelation as given at Calvary, their repentance will deepen, and they will take advance steps in their Christian experience.

When the sinless ones watched the crucifixion, their insight into the goodness of God was the most penetrating that it had been up till that point of time. They saw enough to lose all sympathy with Satan in his deadly mission against the throne and government of Jehovah as it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 761:

Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.

In other words, they took a mighty step forward in their spiritual experience beyond that which they had formerly achieved and were more decidedly sealed in righteousness than previously. Their repentance had deepened. But, while Calvary is the fullest possible revelation of the goodness of God, it is something else for created beings, even when no sin has ever marred their capacities, to see all that there is to be seen when God’s goodness was revealed in the infinite sacrifice made on the cross.

The Desire of Ages, p. 761:

The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy.

But they longed to, and this worthiest of all desires will remain with them as they, with the redeemed, devote the coming eternity to research into God’s infinite goodness as revealed at the cross. Then, as time marches on, they, together with the redeemed, will see with ever increasing clarity that which was divinely unfolded almost two thousand years ago.

It is quite impossible for us today to truly appreciate the enrichment in spiritual experience that this will bring to all those who spend eternity in this way. As they take each advance step in Christian experience, their repentance will deepen in that they will have a more decided abhorrence of iniquity, a more definite seal against any resort to the ways of unrighteousness, and a far greater knowledge of and appreciation for the goodness of God.

Now then, if through all eternity when every inhabitant in the universe will be absolutely free from sin, our repentance is to continually deepen, we must expect that, no matter how closely we walk with the Lord in this life, we shall find that there will never come the time when we shall have no further need of repentance. On the contrary, the nearer we walk with the Saviour, and the more clearly we see the incredible goodness of His character, the more powerful the repentance will be.

Moses on the Mount with God

In the light of these facts, it is safe to say that the repentance of Moses was continually deepening as He beheld the Lord’s mighty works in their deliverance from Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, and the march to Mt. Sinai.

It was on the mountain that the greatest revelations so far given him of the divine character were unveiled to him. Once the encampment had been established at the base of Sinai, and the people were settled in, the Lord’s servant was summoned to the top where he was blessed with the incredible privilege of communing with Jehovah, face to face. So totally was he sustained during a period of forty days and nights that he had no need to partake of food or drink, and sleep was ever far from his eyes.

It would have been impossible for that wonderful man of God to have spent that time in face to face communion with the Lord without receiving fresh, beautiful, and deeper revelations of the incredible goodness of his heavenly Father. No one can abide in the presence of the Almighty without learning more of Him. The most privileged and blessed angels in heaven are those who serve in His very presence.

It is the desire of every true child of God to draw as close to Him as possible so that he will receive fresh and ever more extensive views of the divine goodness and thus be led into a deeper hatred of sin, a more positive turning away from it, and be charged with a more intense love of righteousness. In this quest, the principle operates that…

Matthew 13

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

When the voice of God spoke the ten commandments in thunderous tones, the people fled from His presence. Filled with fear, they asked that God not speak to them, for they were afraid that they might die.

Exodus 20

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

19 Then they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

But, while the people drew away, Moses moved in the opposite direction—toward God.

21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Moses could move right into the very presence of God in perfect safety because of the unblemished purity of his life, and because, through constant communion with his heavenly Father, he had established a closeness of spirit and righteousness which made God’s presence very attractive and desirable to him. Thus he who had much was given even more. What an encouragement this is to all who are truly seeking to come into the divine presence.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 329:

To the transgressor it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; but Moses stood alone in the presence of the Eternal One, and he was not afraid; for his soul was in harmony with the will of his Maker.

When the law was proclaimed from Mt. Sinai in awful majesty, Moses must have had a very different view of it from that perceived by the people. While they saw it as an instrument of condemnation, he recognized if for what it is, the transcript of the divine character of infinite love and goodness. He could sincerely say as the Psalmist did later,

Psalm 119

97 Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

As Moses became enfolded in the thick clouds which veiled the majesty of God from the people, the Lord began to unfold to him the beautiful principles of the divine statutes as recorded between Exodus 21 and 23. Then the Lord called Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders to meet with Him briefly in the mountain. This was to prepare them for the trials they were to face during Moses’ impending and prolonged instructional session with God in the mountain. Then Moses ascended into the presence of God for what turned out to be a stay of forty days and nights.

Exodus 24

18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

It is not known how much longer he would have been there if his communings had not been cut short by the rebellion of the people in their worship of the golden calf. When that matter was taken care of, Moses went for a second period of forty days into God’s presence.

Exodus 34

28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water.

During the first session, the Lord detailed for him the construction and services of the sanctuary until He was interrupted by the tumult in the camp below. When Moses returned to the mountain, this instruction was completed. The Scriptures inform us of these events between chapters 25 and 40, of Exodus.

These chapters can be read in a few minutes, which means that they are a very brief record of the vast amount of information conveyed to Moses’ powerful mind during a total of eighty days and nights of continuous and concentrated instruction. Consider then the volume of the material that the Lord conveyed to him without being written down for us to read.

As the omniscient Instructor laid out before Moses the plans and specifications for the sanctuary and its services, He was portraying to him the most detailed and comprehensive revelation of the plan of salvation ever given to mankind. As never before, that mighty man of God saw the holiness and perfection of the divine statutes, and that they cannot be laid aside without initiating the activation of destructive forces on the shelterless life of the transgressor. As he viewed the law in its true light, he understood that the Almighty could not lay aside a single precept without certifying the destruction of the entire kingdom. He realized that infinite, incomprehensible love is the invincible force which holds the entire universe together, and whereas Omnipotence had the right to obliterate the transgressor, His disposition to save all who will accept the gift, led Him to find the one way by which the lost and separated could be found and reunited to Him, no matter what the cost to himself might be.

Some appreciation of the incredible cost to be met by the Father and the Son was gained when he caught the sublime truth that the Law is so holy, so truly the transcript of God’s character, that…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 65:

...only He who created man had power to redeem him.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 63:

The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with heaven.

What adoration, love, wonder, and gratitude must have flooded Moses’ entire being as he beheld Christ’s willingness, even eagerness, to make the supreme sacrifice, and bear the penalty which fallen man had brought upon himself. He saw in the dying lamb, the pictorial representation of the sacrifice to be made on Calvary.

We today who have never stood where Moses stood, and never seen and heard the glorious things revealed to him during those sessions on the mount, have but the dimmest concepts of the indescribable experiences through which he passed and the incalculable effect that this must have had on his entire being. Waves of glory and rapture swept over his soul as these wonders were opened to his mind. Never, after it was erected, would he have come to the sanctuary as a formal worshiper, nor have participated in its services as mere ceremonials. The indelible memories of what was shown him in the mountain, would ever keep those rituals vibrant with the life of Christ and the promises in which he hoped.

Few if any other of God’s men have received so extensive a revelation of the incredible goodness of God which leads to repentance. For eighty days and nights a continuous stream of light and truth was flowing into Moses’ being. Daily his capacities were increased as more and still more divine life flowed into him. Continually, his own love and gratitude were growing till his very soul rang with praise.

One would think that, after the first forty days and nights of this concentrated exposure to infinite power and blessing, he would have been satisfied, but this was not so. He realized that what he had received had brought him to the shores of a vast ocean of blessing and he was eager to receive more and still more. Therefore, he reached out as no other man had ever done, and prayed,

Exodus 33

18 ...please, show me your glory.

Matthew 5

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Even so, the principal motivation for Moses’ making this request was his awareness that he must have the Lord’s presence with him and Israel if they were to survive the journey before them. The people had sinned so terribly in the golden calf affair that there was reason to fear that they had forever forfeited the divine protection, leadership, and presence. God was pleased to comply with Moses’ request so far as the man of God was able to bear it. The Lord assured him that He would make all His goodness pass before him, but that he could not see Jehovah’s face and survive.15 See Exodus 33:20.

God must have been referring to His unveiled face, for He had previously testified that He had spoken to Moses face to face.

Exodus 33

11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to a friend...

What Moses needed now was a revelation of divine goodness beyond that which he had received in the mountain. That had been veiled. Now he must see as much as he could endure of the same glory, unveiled.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 328:

God did not rebuke his request as presumptuous; but the gracious words were spoken, “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” The unveiled glory of God, no man in this mortal state can look upon and live; but Moses was assured that he should behold as much of the divine glory as he could endure.

Then the Lord caused an unveiled revelation of His goodness to pass by Moses. What an incredible unfolding of divine light and life that must have been when it greatly surpassed the wonderful light given him in all his previous eighty years and especially as given during the forty days he had so recently spent on the mountain. If we today could only have some real concept of what Moses did receive and experience during those second forty days, then we could begin to know what was given him when the goodness of God passed by him.

Such a marvelous revelation of the unveiled goodness definitely had to lead Moses into an experience of deep repentance as it certainly did. When the glory passed by, Moses responded by spontaneously bowing to the ground and repenting and pleading for pardon for the people with whom he identified. Just as Daniel did later, so Moses now confessed Israel’s sins as if they were his own.

Exodus 34

8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head towards the earth, and worshiped.

9 Then he said, If now I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.

Once we realize that, as the experience of the sinless dwellers in God’s perfected eternity will be marked by ever-deepening repentance, and when we see men like Moses receiving successively greater revelations of the goodness of God, leading to ever-deepening repentances, we can better understand that, during our earthly sojourn, we must so study the Scriptures under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit that we will catch greater and greater views of the goodness of God and thus be led into that true repentance which abhors iniquity and loves righteousness.

The Temptation of Moses

Messenger and News Review, March 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 11

A Word from the Editor

There is certainly no truth in the teaching that once a person is saved, he is saved for eternity as some teach. Nor is there any light in the proposition that, once a person has been blessed with the life of Christ in him, he is immune to temptation. The experience of Moses certainly verifies the truth that, no matter what mighty spiritual privileges and advantages one might enjoy, there always remains the danger and possibility of failing.

Once this fact is realized, steps must be taken to guard against the onset of temptation, and to ensure that we are resting in the Father’s power to give us sure and certain victory. The Lord supplies all the facilities. It is He who gives us the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness, but it is the believer who must learn to use each of these weapons efficiently and successfully.

In this way we work out the salvation which the Lord has worked in. As we thus cooperate with the heavenly powers, our security in a world of sin and temptation is assured. Remember that the born again child of God is not rendered incapable of sinning, but is made able not to sin. Thus there is no excuse for sinning.

THE life of Moses is one of the best illustrations of the truth that the believer’s repentance is to be an ever-deepening experience which leaves no encouragement for him to settle satisfied with the idea that he has ascended the full height of his spiritual staircase, and that there are no further achievements to be attained in this field. This is made evident by the fact that Moses, after spending forty days in the mountain with God receiving incredible revelations of His goodness, received a view of the Lord’s unveiled glory which led him to experience a deeper repentance than ever before.

Likewise, the sinless angels in heaven are secure only as, by making the cross their science and their song, they gain more and still more extensive revelations of the goodness and mercy of God. They are only secure as they do this, for, if they should remove their eyes from the study of the character of God especially as it is revealed in the sacrifice made on Calvary, they would fall as surely as Lucifer, the angels who followed him, and Adam and Eve did.

The life of Moses also illustrates this with great power and clarity, for when he who had received so much from God took his eyes off his Source, he stumbled badly. This is a surprising outcome, for one would expect that, after spending forty years in the wilderness school of Midian where God was his Teacher; after witnessing the wonderful goodness of God as it was extended to both the enslaved Israelites, and their godless masters the Egyptians, to achieve the salvation of both; and especially after his spending eighty days and nights in the most intense communion with God, in the midst of which he was blessed with a view of the Lord’s unveiled glory; this mighty man of God would be secure from any further manifestations of murmuring and unbelief.

That is what one would expect, but it did not prove to be so. Moses broke down very badly, murmured against the Lord, and caused the introduction into Israel’s organizational structure of a body of men to whom the Lord never planned to give the position they came to occupy. It was an incredible response from a man who had received so much and had been so significantly fashioned into the divine image by what he had received. Truly, if a man of his spiritual stature could fall as he did, how careful we less blessed mortals must be to ensure that we do not stumble in the same manner over milder tests.

From Sinai to Kadesh-barnea

Moses’ fall came in the following manner:

The time arrived for their departure from Mt. Sinai, where they had spent nearly a year.16 See Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 301. Between them and Kadesh-barnea, the entrance gate to the promised land, was a mere eleven days’ journey, but the terrain to be covered over those eleven days was extremely rough and trying.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 377:

As they advanced, the way became more difficult. Their route lay through stony ravine and barren waste. All around them was the great wilderness,—

Jeremiah 2

6 ...a land of deserts and of pits,...a land of drought, and of the shadow of death,...a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt.

The rocky gorges, far and near, were thronged with men, women, and children, with beasts and wagons, and long lines of flocks and herds. Their progress was necessarily slow and toilsome; and the multitudes, after their long encampment, were not prepared to endure the perils and discomforts of the way.

Only those who have traveled through this country could know how tough the going must have been. It was a desolate wilderness area normally producing the extremes of heat and cold common to deserts. The nights would have been bitingly cold, while, once the sun arose, the days must have been like walking in an oven as intense rays radiated back from the desert floor and the walls of the canyons and gorges.

Fortunately for them, the severity of the climate was considerably eased by the protection afforded by the cloud.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 282:

Says the psalmist,

Psalm 105

39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

(See also 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). The standard of their invisible Leader was ever with them. By day the cloud directed their journeyings or spread as a canopy above the host. It served as a protection from the burning heat, and by its coolness and moisture afforded grateful refreshment in the parched, thirsty desert.

Murmuring Breaks Out

Despite this protection, it proved to be a very difficult journey, more so than the people were prepared to endure. Three days were all that they suffered before open murmuring broke out among the travelers.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 377:

After three days’ journey open complaints were heard. These originated with the mixed multitude, many of whom were not fully united with Israel, and were continually watching for some cause of censure. The complainers were not pleased with the direction of the march, and they were continually finding fault with the way in which Moses was leading them, though they well knew that he, as well as they, was following the guiding cloud. Dissatisfaction is contagious, and it soon spread in the encampment.

One might feel justified in concluding that, in view of the severe conditions under which they were obliged to travel, they were justified in their murmuring. Surely, one might think, they had a right to expect the Lord to work a miracle that would lay out a straight, smooth highway before them even as He had opened a pathway through the Red Sea. But, the Lord did not do this. He, whose judgment alone is of consequence, considered that the journey under His guidance and blessing was not too hard for them to endure. He saw it as an occasion when they were to realize their need and look to Him for strength, thus turning the experience into a lesson book of great value to them.

The Lord was disappointed and displeased with the people when they complained about the hardness of the way, even though it was in fact very hard.

Numbers 11

1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused...

Fire and Lightning

The effect of the people’s not being prepared to endure that through which the Lord was leading them, was the separation of the Lord from them. Their Protector did not withdraw from them. They removed themselves from Him to the point where they passed outside the limits of His protection where destruction awaited them. Devouring fire broke out among them and consumed many.

Numbers 11

1 ...so the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 378:

The most guilty of the complainers were slain by lightning from the cloud.

This was the most severe response on God’s part to Israel’s persistent murmuring up to that point of time, and there was a good reason for this.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 379:

Murmuring and tumults had been frequent during the journey from the Red Sea to Sinai, but in pity for their ignorance and blindness God had not then visited the sin with judgments. But since that time He had revealed himself to them at Horeb. They had received great light, as they had been witnesses to the majesty, the power, and the mercy of God; and their unbelief and discontent incurred the greater guilt. Furthermore they had covenanted to accept Jehovah as their king, and to obey His authority. Their murmuring was now rebellion, and as such it must receive prompt and signal punishment, if Israel was to be preserved from anarchy and ruin.

When the people who were not yet consumed by the fire saw the awesome threat to their lives, they rushed to Moses asking him to pray that the fire might be stopped. His prayer effected this, but the whole awful experience had a most disheartening effect on the Lord’s servant and messenger.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 379-380:

The heart of Moses sank. He had pleaded that Israel should not be destroyed, even though his own posterity might then become a great nation. In his love for them he had prayed that his name might be blotted from the book of life rather than that they should be left to perish. He had imperiled all for them, and this was their response. All their hardships, even their imaginary sufferings, they charged upon him; and their wicked murmurings made doubly heavy the burden of care and responsibility under which he staggered.

I am sure that Moses rightly understood that the outbreak of consuming fire among them was a clear revelation of the fact that their unbelief and rebellion had cut them off from God’s protection, and there was the strong possibility that the nation could be wiped out. Should this happen, God’s purposes would be thwarted, and the ending of the battle against sin frustrated. God had made provision for the Messiah to come through the seed of Abraham, not through any other people. If that word could be broken as it would have been had the nation been destroyed in the desert, the plan of salvation would have failed. Satan would have been proved more powerful than God, and sin stronger than righteousness.

Moses was well aware of these implications and would have been deeply dismayed at the very real prospects facing them. It is no wonder then that his heart sank.

Centuries later, when Daniel, as recorded in the eighth chapter of his book, saw the long succession of persecutions and oppressions that awaited the Lord’s people, and the fact that the termination of the reign of sin would thus be delayed seemingly indefinitely, the prophet was so dismayed by what he saw that he became very ill and fainted, as he himself testified:

Daniel 8

27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days...

This is the effect that such revelations have on the Lord’s dedicated servants when they realize the awful threat confronting them and God’s cause. Both Daniel and Moses were aware of the possibility that the work could fail. The effect on Daniel was so intense that he fell sick, while Moses gave way to despair and murmuring.

Moses Indulges in Murmuring

Numbers 11

10 Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.

11 So Moses said to the Lord, Why have You afflicted your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?

12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child, to the land which You swore to their fathers?

13 Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat.

14 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

15 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness.

This is an amazing and tragic loss of faith and patience on Moses’ part and is equated in the following extract with the sin of the people:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 380:

He was not excusable in indulging, in the slightest degree, the spirit of murmuring that was the curse of Israel.

So, Moses was indulging the same spirit which had been manifested by the multitudes and for which many had been consumed in the flames. This is not to suggest that the Lord is partial, for there was a good reason for his life being preserved and theirs not. The ones who were destroyed were from the mixed multitude and few if any among them had ever been truly born again, and thus had never become the true children of the Lord who enjoy a protection that the unregenerate never know. No true child of God, even though he can be very grateful for the marvelous protection the Lord gives him, should ever presume on this provision. Such is a damaging and dangerous practice.

It must come as a sobering thought to realize that Moses, who had received so much, had spent those eighty days in the very presence of the Lord, and had become the meekest man in all the world, could react as he did.

It needs to be realized that, in some respects, what he had seen of God’s goodness, and the heavy burden for the success of the work which his fellowship with the Lord had built into him, made him far better able to comprehend the implications that were involved in the murmuring of the people. That which to them was of little consequence was to him the signal that they were removing themselves from the protective circle of God’s care, out into the dangerous area unguarded by Omnipotence. They could not see this, but he could. Therefore, he was pressed with a weight of discouragement of which they knew but little if anything.

They were selfishly concerned with their own physical comfort; he was burdened with the interests of the cause of God.

But the cause and the pressures made no difference to the fact that he ought to have maintained a steady, firm, and unshakable faith. What the Lord needed at this time was a leader who could stand, calm, serene, trusting, and unmoved in the face of the raging tempest. He could have done this, for the Lord had fully prepared him for it during the first eighty years of his life. He was familiar with the perfection and power of God and knew that the Lord is a covenant-keeping God who honors His promises. There was not the slightest need for him to stagger at the purpose and promise of God. He was to ever trust in the knowledge that, while the majority would never see the Promised Land, there would be a loyal few who would remain faithful and true no matter what transpired.

No Place for Complacency

Now, if this mighty man of God could fail as he manifestly did, then there is no place for complacency on the part of any believer in Jesus. All must be aware that, no matter how close their fellowship with Christ has been or how blessed and constant their communion with Him, there is always the danger and the risk of falling. It is a danger and a risk, but not a certainty. No one needs to be overcome by temptation, for the Lord has made abundant provision to ensure that all may come victoriously through every trial and temptation.

The Desire of Ages, p. 311:

God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. ’Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.

The tempter’s agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.

The Desire of Ages, p. 671:

In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help he had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.

Of the Spirit Jesus said, “He shall glorify me.” The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people.

The Desire of Ages, p. 490, 493:

Henceforward Christ’s followers were to look upon Satan as a conquered foe. Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; that victory He desired them to accept as their own.

Luke 10

19 Behold, [He said,] I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

The omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit is the defense of every contrite soul. Not one that in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy’s power. The Saviour is by the side of His tempted and tried ones. With Him there can be no such thing as failure, loss, impossibility, or defeat; we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. When temptations and trials come, do not wait to adjust all the difficulties, but look to Jesus, your Helper.

So there was no excuse for the mighty Moses who was richly blessed with the endowment of the Holy Spirit, to indulge the spirit of murmuring which was the curse of Israel. He could have remained strong and unbending no matter how severe the trial or heavy the pressure. But his stumble clearly demonstrates that no one can rest in the assurance that he can no longer sin.

The Christian is never brought to the place where he is unable to sin, but to where he is able not to sin if he so chooses, and if he depends wholly on the victory worked out for him on Calvary.

The experience of Peter in walking on the water is a graphic demonstration of this truth. For a human being to walk on water is an impossibility under normal circumstances, but Peter did it successfully just so long as he kept his eyes fixed on the Saviour, but the moment he looked back at his amazed companions, he began to sink into the heaving billows.

The Desire of Ages, p. 381:

Looking unto Jesus, Peter walks securely; but as in self-satisfaction he glances back toward his companions in the boat, his eyes are turned from the Saviour. The wind is boisterous. The waves roll high, and come directly between him and the Master; and he is afraid. For a moment Christ is hidden from his view, and his faith gives way. He begins to sink. But while the billows talk with death, Peter lifts his eyes from the angry waters, and fixing them upon Jesus, cries, “Lord, save me.” Immediately Jesus grasps the outstretched hand, saying, “O you of little faith, wherefore did you doubt?”

The Desire of Ages, p. 382:

In this incident on the sea He desired to reveal to Peter his own weakness—to show that his safety was in constant dependence upon divine power. Amid the storms of temptation he could walk safely only as in utter self-distrust he should rely upon the Saviour. It was on the point where he thought himself strong that Peter was weak; and not until he discerned his weakness could he realize his need of dependence upon Christ. Had he learned the lesson that Jesus sought to teach him in that experience on the sea, he would not have failed when the great test came upon him.

Day by day God instructs His children. By the circumstances of the daily life He is preparing them to act their part upon that wider stage to which His providence has appointed them. It is the issue of the daily test that determines their victory or defeat in life’s great crisis.

Those who fail to realize their constant dependence upon God will be overcome by temptation. We may now suppose that our feet stand secure, and that we shall never be moved. We may say with confidence, I know in whom I have believed; nothing can shake my faith in God and in His word. But Satan is planning to take advantage of our hereditary and cultivated traits of character, and to blind our eyes to our own necessities and defects. Only through realizing our own weakness and looking steadfastly unto Jesus can we walk safely.

Turning Away from the Source

In the life of Moses, there was at Taberah, the place of burning, a sad failure on his part to continue realizing his own personal weakness, and his need of constant reliance upon God. It was vital that he look steadfastly to the Lord with the eye of faith,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 380:

...but he had magnified his own burdens and services, almost losing sight of the fact that he was only the instrument by which God had wrought.

Therein lay the secret of his failure. Once he turned his eyes away from the Source of his strength and began to look to himself, then no matter how much time he had spent in God’s presence, it was inevitable that he should fail, and he did.

This then indicates that there must be both a life of close communion with the Lord, and the fixing of the steady eye of faith on the Source of all that is needed to defeat the enemy in the oft reminded awareness that we are helpless, dependent receivers with no power to originate or to save. We must learn to rely fully and constantly on the Lord to save us. This is where Moses failed, for,

...had he relied fully upon God, the Lord would have guided him continually, and would have given him strength for every emergency.

Every failure on the part of God’s people is due to their lack of faith, and always introduces elements and conditions into the movement which are most detrimental to the advancement of the cause. Moses’ mistake was no exception. When he complained to the Lord that he was burdened beyond his capacity, the Almighty did not remonstrate with him, did not protest the truth that He never bids without enabling. He did not even argue the great gospel verity that...

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 333:

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.

Moses knew all that but had lost sight of it as so easily happens even with the most blessed and privileged humans.

The Appointment of the Seventy

Instead of rebuking Moses for his unbelief, the Lord graciously gave him what he asked—the relief of some of the burdens which had been placed upon him.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 380:

The Lord hearkened to his prayer, and directed him to summon seventy men of the elders of Israel—men not only advanced in years, but possessing dignity, sound judgment, and experience.

Numbers 11

16 ...and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, [He said,] that they may stand there with you.

17 And I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone.

The Lord permitted Moses to choose for himself the most faithful and efficient men to share the responsibility with him. Their influence would serve to hold in check the violence of the people, and quelling insurrection; yet serious evils would eventually result from their promotion. They would never have been chosen had Moses manifested faith corresponding to the evidences he had witnessed of God’s power and goodness. But he had magnified his own burdens and services, almost losing sight of the fact that he was only the instrument by which God had wrought. He was not excusable in indulging, in the slightest degree, the spirit of murmuring that was the curse of Israel. Had he relied fully upon God, the Lord would have guided him continually and would have given him strength for every emergency.

It was most unfortunate that these leaders were ever appointed, for, even though in its early history, this body of men served the cause very well, the time came all too soon when they or their successors began to wield arbitrary power and established themselves as oppressors. In fact, it is believed that the Sanhedrin which opposed Christ and eventually condemned Him to death was the successor of that first group of men.

The SDA Bible Dictionary, p. 227:

According to the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 1. 6), the Sanhedrin consisted of 71 members, with the high priest as chairman. It was believed to be the continuation of the body of counselors (Numbers 11:16-17) who helped Moses in the administration of the people in the wilderness.

If it is in fact true that the Sanhedrin which decreed Christ’s crucifixion, originated out of Moses’ unbelief, then how Moses would have been dismayed at the results of his behavior if he could have discerned the eventual outworking of his unbelief. Let us be warned today that when we turn aside from the pathway of faith, we are certain to damage our own spiritual interests and those of the movement.

Care must be taken not to confuse the appointment of the seventy elders with the organization of the magistrates and judges in response to the advice given by Jethro,17 Exodus 18. Moses’ father-in-law, as so many seem to do. Jethro’s suggestions were made and carried out before they even reached Mt. Sinai, whereas the seventy elders were not chosen until they came to Taberah after they had left the mountain and were on their way to Kadesh-barnea. They are two incidents separated in both time and place, and in their fields of application. Jethro’s magistrates were appointed to deal with the law courts of petty sessions, whereas the seventy shared the general administration of the camp with Moses.

For those who are seeking, praying for, and awaiting the coming of the latter rain, one great lesson to be learned from the life of Moses is the fact that, no matter how deeply repentant we may be in consequence of seeing the wonderful goodness of God, we are not placed beyond the danger of falling under discouragement or any other temptation. Each believer must be constantly on guard, must keep his eyes fixed on the Source of our strength, must ever remain conscious that we are helpless, dependent creatures with no power to satisfactorily solve or to originate anything, and that the Lord in His infinite love and wisdom, will take care of all our troubles and distresses. Then let an ever-deepening repentance take possession of our lives as an increasing fitness to receive the latter rain, while never forgetting to ask for the rain in the time for it to fall, which is now.

The True Science of Prayer

Messenger and News Review, June 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 12

A Word from the Editor

It is written of Eli that “God could not communicate with the high priest and his sons; their sins, like a thick cloud, had shut out the presence of His Holy Spirit.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 581.

The joy and security of heaven is found in fellowship, and there can be no fellowship without communication. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed daily communion with Christ who visited with them as they walked through their lovely home. It is the kind of intimate fellowship that every believer in Jesus would welcome at the present time and in which privileged experience they will rejoice when the Saviour returns.

In the meantime, it is never the Lord who cuts off the lines of communication. It is, as Eli’s case reveals, our sin which interposes between the Lord and us so that He is unable to communicate with us. We are fortunate then in having the written word containing the safe and sure messages by which we are to live. This is a good thing, for the devil is well able to speak messages to us which appear to be from the Lord. We must never conclude that, because a person claims to be in direct communication with the Lord, that he actually is. On the contrary, it is the common order of things for sincere souls given to fanaticism to positively testify that the Lord speaks with them directly and audibly. Those only are secure from this kind of delusion who apply the Scripture tests to these false ministries.

OUR instructions are to…

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 508:

“Ask of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain.” Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it.

These instructions seem simple enough, for surely everyone can pray. But, not everyone receives the same answers to prayer, Some are mighty in prayer and are able to move the arm of Omnipotence, while others receive very feeble responses.

Why is this? It is because there is much more to successful prayer than the average person supposes.

“Teach Us to Pray”

The disciples of Christ awakened to this realization when they overheard their Master praying. The experience was such a revelation to them that, sensing as never before their need to develop power in prayer, they asked Him to teach them how to pray.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 102-103:

The disciples had been for a short time absent from their Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence He continued praying aloud. The Saviour’s face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of the Unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.

The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father. His days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was from hours spent with God that He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. The disciples had come to connect His hours of prayer with the power of His words and works. Now as they listened to His supplication, their hearts were awed and humbled. As He ceased praying, it was with a conviction of their own deep need that they exclaimed,

Luke 11

1 Lord, teach us to pray.

If we like them could personally listen to Jesus pray, and could see for ourselves the incredible deliverance from fatigue and exhaustion with which He was blessed, and compared these results with what we are achieving, then we too would cry out from a conviction of our great need,

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Gladly He hears that prayer and willingly He will teach us through His word wherein we are deficient in our understanding and practice of the true science of prayer, for effective prayer is indeed a true science which requires knowledge and skill.

Living Faith

A vital ingredient is living faith, for no one can come before God successfully without it, as it is written:

Hebrews 11

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith opens the door to unlimited possibilities for complete recovery from sin’s degradation.

Education, p. 257:

Through faith in Christ, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.

Colossians 2

10 You are complete in Him.

What more could the Christian ask for when he is aspiring to the ending of sin in his experience, and the bringing of everlasting righteousness into his life? Here is the assurance of complete deliverance from sin and of total restoration to the ideal which the Lord has planned for His children and which…

The Desire of Ages, p. 311:

...is higher than the highest human thought can reach.

This glorious return to what the Lord gave to man in Eden is not accomplished without earnest and diligent effort on the part of the soul seeking this deliverance. It is quite true that the Lord offers all this as a gift, but it is left with us to develop the blessings bestowed. Let it never be forgotten that it is…

The Great Controversy, p. 425:

Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort [that we] must be conquerors in the battle with evil.

Thus, the Lord promises us the glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit in latter rain power, but we are not to sit idly waiting for it. We are to be earnestly praying for it which includes the clearing of the way for its coming. But, in order for the prayers to be effective, they must be presented to the Father through Christ according to the true science of prayer. This requirement is an imperative, not an option! Note how emphatically this truth is presented in the following statement:

Education, p. 257:

Prayer and faith are closely allied, and they need to be studied together. In the prayer of faith there is a divine science; it is a science that everyone who would make his lifework a success must understand.

Consider what your lifework is. Some may indicate that it is engineering, plumbing, farming, parenting, driving, or anyone of many occupations, but, even though some may imagine that one of these is his lifework, this is not in fact so. These are only the vocations by which the daily bread is won, but, whereas there are many different ways of accomplishing this, all share a common lifework whether they know and pursue it or not. The all-important enterprise is the development of a character fit for eternity. Tragically, the vast majority of the earth’s population passes on quite unconcerned about this responsibility, but it is not so among the Lord’s people. A person might make a dismal failure of being a farmer, an accountant, or any other vocation, and still be admitted to Paradise, but if he fails to achieve fitness for heaven, then he is eternally lost.

A Divine Science

Naturally, every professed child of God does desire to successfully prepare for the kingdom. All such have to be aware that they must understand the true science of prayer, for...

Education, p. 257:

...it is a science that everyone who would make his lifework a success must understand.

The statement might have been much less emphatic. It could have merely suggested that those who were determined to make their lifework a success would be well advised to understand the true science of prayer, or it might have encouraged them to believe that it would increase the possibility of success. Had it used such expressions, it would have left the reader with the thought that knowing and practicing the true science of prayer could be advantageous, but not essential to success.

But the instruction is not couched in such uncertain terms. Rather, it plainly states that the true science of prayer must be understood, which means that we either understand and practice it and enjoy success in fulfilling our lifework, or we do not and then most certainly fail. The importance of these alternatives cannot be overstressed.

But what is a science? It is systematized knowledge of a particular subject, and the skills developed by correctly applying and practicing that knowledge. It is based on fixed and inflexible laws which leave no room for haphazard and casual applications, but require disciplined accuracy in all its procedures. Otherwise, the desired results will never be achieved. Man is not naturally or instinctively endowed with a knowledge of the sciences. On the contrary, he finds that the acquirement of an understanding of them requires him to reject habit patterns which have been established through following out the leading of his emotions and feelings. The end result is that folk find the work of learning the laws governing a particular science and developing competence in the use of it, a difficult task indeed. In fact, for those who have never been trained to discipline themselves, it is almost impossible.

The divine science of prayer is no exception to these principles. Consequently, the uneducated, untrained, and therefore unskilled petitioner will never bring his pleas before the throne of grace in the manner designed by God to bring the mighty release of divine power into the needy suppliant. Therefore, it becomes a matter of first importance to learn the true science of prayer. Remember that your eternal life depends on it.

It must also be noted that the science is a “divine science,” as distinct from any formula devised by men. This can only mean that the Lord himself has devised the principles and procedures by which successful prayer can bring one into the healing influence and ministry of the Almighty. These principles He has revealed in His word, and we are directed to learn from that word the instruction the Lord has recorded there for our salvation.

This matter, being of such critical importance to our salvation, leads us to the realization that the Scriptures most certainly contain all the information necessary for the adequate understanding of this light. It teaches the truth both by direct teaching and by the records of prayers and their results. Some of these met the Lord’s specifications and some did not. By carefully considering both kinds of prayers, we learn what to do and what not to do.

The Experience of the Nobleman

Both the wrong and the correct procedures are beautifully portrayed in the experience of the nobleman from Capernaum who came seeking healing for his son. The story is told in John 4:

John 4

46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

48 Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

49 The nobleman said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies!

50 Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son lives. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Your son lives!

52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives, And he himself believed, and his whole household.

54 This again is the second sign that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Consider firstly that this man came to Jesus, communicated his great need, and requested that the Saviour exercise His healing power to save his son from death. That then was an act of prayer in which a measure of faith was involved, but, while he came to the right Person asking for that which the Lord desired to give him, he asked for the right thing in the wrong way. In other words, he did not understand and practice the true science of prayer. Consequently, the Saviour was unable to grant his request, an action He explained by saying,

John 4

48 Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

In those few short words, Jesus taught that man the true science of prayer, a lesson he immediately put into practice as is evidenced by the nature of the second prayer he prayed, the swift deliverance of his son from death, and the conversion of himself and his household.

Let us now return to the commencement of the story and study it step by step to its conclusion with the objective of clearly seeing the differences between the unscientific and the scientific ways to approach the Lord.

The nobleman’s approach to Christ took place early in the Saviour’s ministry. Following His baptism and the terrible conflict in the wilderness, He had returned to the Jordan where He was recognized and testified to by John the Baptist, and where He called His first disciples. There immediately followed the direct journey north to Cana to attend the wedding feast where He made the water into wine, followed by the return to Jerusalem for the Passover where He cleansed the temple, and had the late night interview with Nicodemus. For a short time He taught in an area close by John the Baptist’s territory, but, when John’s disciples became concerned, He departed again for Cana in Galilee. On the way, He met the woman at the well in Samaria and spent a few days teaching among the people there.

So, at best only a few short weeks had been devoted to His ministry by the time that Jesus returned to Cana, but His fame had already spread throughout the land.

The Desire of Ages, p. 196-197:

The news of Christ’s return to Cana soon spread throughout Galilee, bringing hope to the suffering and distressed. In Capernaum the tidings attracted the attention of a Jewish nobleman who was an officer in the king’s service. A son of the officer was suffering from what seemed to be an incurable disease. Physicians had given him up to die; but when the father heard of Jesus, he determined to seek help from Him. The child was very low, and, it was feared, might not live till his return; yet the nobleman felt that he must present the case in person. He hoped that a father’s prayers might awaken the sympathy of the Great Physician.

On reaching Cana he found a throng surrounding Jesus. With an anxious heart he pressed through to the Saviour’s presence. His faith faltered when he saw only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel. He doubted that this Person could do what he had come to ask of Him; yet he secured an interview with Jesus, told his errand, and besought the Saviour to accompany him to his home.

It is worth noting that the son’s sickness is a fine illustration of sin’s domination over the human family. The boy’s illness “seemed to be an incurable disease.” This is how it appeared to the doctors who had given him up to die. It is in the same way that men, including the world’s leading theologians, regard sin. Some might feel that this is saying too much in the light of their preaching against wickedness, and their insistent call for the establishment of morality among their people, but, when you lay before them God’s standards of perfect sinlessness and total victory over sin, they are emphatic in their denial that such holy living is even possible.

John Wesley was fully aware of this when he wrote,

Forty-Four Sermons, p. 457:

There is scarce any expression in holy writ, which has given more offense than this. The word perfect is what many cannot bear. The very sound of it is an abomination to them; and whosoever preaches perfection (as the phrase is), that is, asserts that it is attainable in this life, runs great hazard of being accounted by them worse than a heathen man or a publican.

Things have not changed since the days of John Wesley as those of us who have stood for the message of sinless living in this life know by experience. We know that men everywhere declare that sin cannot be totally overcome. Sin, to them, is an incurable disease.

But it is not so with God as is evidenced by the numerous calls from God to sin not and be perfect. The gospel is advertised as the actual power of God to save from sin. In it the very righteousness of God is revealed from one shining level of faith to another. The message from above is that…

The Desire of Ages, p. 311:

The tempter’s agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.

When Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, there was fulfilled to Him His own words:

Matthew 28

18 All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

So, Jesus Christ has complete authority or power over sin, sickness, and the devil.

Hebrews 7

25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.

To the heavenly powers, sin and sickness do not seem to be incurable, for the Lord has all the power necessary to deliver from sin, sickness, and death. There absolutely is no excuse for sinning.

A ray of hope shone into the father’s heart and life when he heard of Jesus, and he was moved to seek Him out even though he had only dim and hazy views of the Saviour’s true character and power. We know this because…

The Desire of Ages, p. 197:

He hoped that a father’s prayers might awaken the sympathy of the Great Physician.

Had he understood the character of God as revealed through Christ, he would have known that the sympathy of the Great Physician is always fully operative. It never needs to be awakened. He would have understood the principle that prayer never changes the unchangeable God.

Steps to Christ, p. 93:

Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

This is a truth that everyone who would understand and practice the true science of prayer must ever keep in mind. If all were to keep this thought ever before them, they would realize why there are sometimes long delays in the answers to their prayers. They would know that continuance in prayer is needed to bring us to the place where we are fitted to receive the gifts requested.

When, for instance, Elijah prayed seven times on Mt. Carmel before the rain came, the changes which were needed to effect the fulfillment of the promise had to take place in him, not in God. When this had been achieved and not before, the answer came in the form of abundance of rain.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1035:

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said,

1 Kings 18

44 Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.

Elijah’s prayer did not bring God down to him, but lifted him up to God, and, when he had risen to the heights of self-abnegation, the Lord was able to answer the prayer.

This lesson the nobleman also had to learn even as we still do today. He came with the thought that he would change Jesus from a being unconcerned with his needs into one filled with compassion for him and his son, and anxious to help and bless him. He did not see the great need for extensive changes in himself, and did not consider that his own unbelief was the great barrier between him and the realization of his quest. Prayer was needed first of all to effect dramatic changes in him. Then, when this was accomplished, the Lord could provide him with the specific blessing which he sought.

So, the man came to Jesus with the hope that he might receive the glad assurance that the Saviour would restore his beloved son.

The Desire of Ages, p. 197:

With an anxious heart he pressed through to the Saviour’s presence. His faith faltered when he saw only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel. He doubted that this Person could do what he had come to ask of Him; yet he secured an interview with Jesus, told his errand, and besought the Saviour to accompany him to his home.

Why did this man’s faith falter when he saw only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel? Why did he doubt that this man could heal his son?

Obviously, he had never met Christ before and was expecting to see someone very different from the One he found. The little that he knew of Jesus had been told to him by friends who had themselves seen Him, or who had learned of Him through others. These had told of what had impressed them most about the mighty Healer—His power to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, restore the wasted muscles of the palsied, and make the deaf to hear. They recalled how He had changed the water into wine, and had cleansed the temple by driving out the money-changers, the illegal traffickers, and the sacrificial animals they had brought to sell at exorbitant prices. They reported that large crowds of people followed Him wherever He went.

What was left untold was His general appearance, for they had been so awed by the marvelous power He displayed, that they had not noticed He dressed in the commonest of clothing, wore no expensive jewelry, rode not in a fine chariot, was unattended by an imposing retinue of servants, and was not protected by an armed bodyguard.

This left the nobleman to form his own mental image of what the Saviour looked like, and it is not difficult to conclude what kind of picture would have developed in his mind. It would have been based on what he knew of the relationship among men between power and the display of selfish pride. Never in all his life’s experiences had he ever seen a powerful man who was humble. Every man whom he had ever seen wielding authority, dressed himself in clothes which he deemed bespoke his rank and station in life, wore expensive jewelry, rode a fine steed or traveled in a chariot, had a retinue of servants, and was protected by a bodyguard of heavily armed soldiers.

Now before him was a man who, by all reports, was possessed of power which greatly surpassed that exercised by any other man living in that time. Where else was a man healing the sick, restoring sight, returning crippled limbs to usefulness, driving away the oppressors, and filling the land with excitement? If the kings and rulers displayed their power with the trappings of wealth and pride, then this Man should be doing that and more.

But, every aspect of his appearance bespoke that humility which the nobleman had come to associate with weakness. He looked but could see no evidence of power such as was necessary to save his son from death. What he did not understand was that the ways of the Lord are so different from the ways of men. In the divine order, the greater the power, the greater the humility. The nobleman did not know this. Therefore, he doubted that this man could in fact heal his dying offspring.

The faith which had brought this man to Jesus was born, not of his own personal experience, but of the reports of others. There is no denying that there is a place for this, or that such testimonies have value, for they do. They serve to awaken a measure of faith and to thus initiate the approach to Jesus Christ, but they do not provide sufficient faith for the needy one to reach out and lay hold on the saving grace whereby the sick and the sinful are delivered into health and righteousness. It is only when the spiritual eyes are opened and the sinner sees the power of God for himself that the blessing comes.

When the nobleman first came into the presence of Jesus, he did not discern the power hidden under the humble guise of a dusty wayfarer, and, until he did, there was no possibility of his receiving the saving life from Jesus which he needed so badly for himself and his dying boy. Therefore, a very vital step in developing the true science of prayer is the cultivation of the awareness of the awesome power resident in the Saviour. This is achieved by beholding Him both as He is revealed in the Scriptures and in the works of creation. This is one of the great secrets of Christ’s life of power as it is written:

The Ministry of Healing, p. 51:

The Saviour’s life on earth was a life of communion with nature and with God. In this communion He revealed for us the secret of a life of power.

How the nobleman came to catch a saving glimpse of the wonderful power of God will be taken up in the next chapter.

The Prayer of Faith

Messenger and News Review, July 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 13

A Word from the Editor

It is written that “Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 172.

This is the truth, but do we read the statement correctly?

The picture which seems to have formed in some minds is that the arm of Omnipotence is stiff, resistant, and very reluctant to bend. It is felt that if you pray long enough and hard enough, this resistance can hopefully be overcome, and a measure of what you have petitioned can be expected.

But, prayer never changes the Lord. It changes us. It brings us to the place where the obstructions that sin has placed between us and the Lord are removed and the door, upon which the arm of Omnipotence has been earnestly knocking all along, is opened. There is no reluctance on God's part to work. He longs to shower His blessings upon us. He wishes us every prosperity and deliverance from sin, sickness, death, and need, and the restoration to divine favor and spiritual life.

Every believer in Jesus needs to understand that, if answers to prayers are not being received, and no deliverance from bondage is being experienced, the fault does not lie with God, but with the petitioner. Yet, how sad it is that we tend to lay all the blame on the Lord when our prayers are not answered just when and how we think they should be. Let us make sure that our prayers do indeed move the arm of Omnipotence.

WE NOW continue the study which was begun in last month’s Messenger of the nobleman’s prayers for the healing of his son.

The Experience of the Nobleman (continued)

In his initial approach to Christ, the nobleman was in desperate need of the faith which comes from catching a vision of the creative power and the amazing goodness of God in Jesus Christ. Consequently, while he came asking the right Person for the right thing, namely that which the Lord desired to give him, he asked in the wrong way. This made it impossible for the mighty Healer to grant his request, and, had not the father then learned how to pray, his son would have died and he and his household would have lost their eternal lives. His case illustrates the truth that he had to learn the true science of prayer in order to make his mission a success.

Exact Obedience Required

When Jesus, instead of pouring His healing power into the dying child, told the man that he would not believe unless he saw the miracle first, He was making it plain to the man that the Almighty requires exact obedience. Those who need clarification on this point have but to study the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. Through this incident,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 360:

God designed to teach the people that they must approach Him with reverence and awe, and in His own appointed manner. He cannot accept partial obedience. It was not enough that in this solemn season of worship nearly everything was done as He directed.

The fact that the Lord will not answer our prayers unless we approach Him in His appointed manner, would be taken by some to mean that God is so concerned with the maintenance of His own personal authority that He demands that we do things the way in which He has arbitrarily decided that they shall be done. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and, to adopt such a position is to attribute to God a character which is utterly foreign to Him. God never does anything that is a service to himself, but only that which is for the service of others. It is for our good that the Lord has made all things operate according to fixed and immutable laws.

Once an individual has learned these laws and how to apply them, he knows exactly what to do to achieve certain desired results and how to protect himself from the awesome powers that the Lord has provided for our blessing and fulfillment. Results become entirely predictable and reliable, and who would want it any other way?

There are many who do, unfortunately for themselves and those whom their sinful course injures. Nadab and Abihu are a case in point. God in Jesus Christ was actually tabernacled in the sanctuary, and it is a simple fact that no man could venture unprotected into the presence of that awesome power and survive, just as no one can permit a high voltage charge of electricity to pass through his body and live.

Longing to give the Israelites the blessings of close communion with Him, the Lord provided a way by which the priests could enter into His presence and continue living. They were directed to come into the sanctuary carrying only the special fire the Lord had given them and with the smoke arising from a liberal supply of incense. According to laws unknown to us, this protected them from being affected by the power of God’s presence in the sanctuary.

It was when those men imprudently and rashly neglected to provide themselves with the necessary protection that they suffered the results of their foolishness. No one, and least of all the God of heaven, can be blamed for their destruction but themselves.

For the surviving priests, nothing had changed. Provided they followed God’s simple and easily obeyed instructions, they were assured of perfect immunity from death when they entered the holy place. How thankful they must have been to know the exact cause of their brethren’s demise, and precisely what to do to ensure that they would not die in turn.

Likewise, if the nobleman had understood the simple laws which govern the true science of prayer, he would have come to the right Person, asking for the right thing, in the right way, and then he would have been immediately blessed with the deliverance he sought.

Once again, it was no arbitrary insistence on divinely selected observances on Christ’s part which led Him to withhold His healing power when the nobleman came to Him in the wrong way. Instead, it was Christ’s recognition that the man’s prayers could not be answered under the terms of his initial approach to Jesus that led the Saviour to advise the man that He could not answer his prayer. But, in His great love and mercy, the Son of God graciously advised the nobleman wherein he was violating the laws governing the true science of prayer and thus was cutting himself off from the very blessing he sought. Jesus accomplished this in the short, simple statement,

John 4 [KVJ]

48 Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

Unbelief Blocks God’s Working

The man had not come to Christ as a believer, but as a doubter. He was not prepared to trust God until he actually saw the miracle take place.

The Desire of Ages, p. 200:

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should believe...

Thus he came to God through Jesus Christ devoid of that faith without which it is impossible to please God. It is not necessary to understand why this is so, if the believer simply accepts that it is so, but it does help to know the reason for it within the framework of divine law.

In the first case, we have no power to effect the healing of the body and the spiritual life, nor to satisfactorily solve any of the problems that frustrate and bind us. These things God alone has the power and the wisdom to achieve. For instance, neither the nobleman nor anyone else including the best doctors of his time, had any power at all to save the boy’s life. The doctors recognized this and had given the child up to die. This is fact number one.

The second truth is that we must absolutely hand the work over to God so that He can do what only He can do. But, we will not be able to do this if we do not have implicit trust in the Lord’s power and wisdom. Unbelief prevents the unqualified surrender of the problem into the Lord’s hands, and obviously enough, if the Lord has restricted access to the problem, He certainly cannot solve it. Therefore, unbelief can never please God, for it can only frustrate the divine workings and deny His blessings to the ones to whom He would gladly give them. Thus it was not God’s arbitrary restrictions, but the man’s own course of action which at first prevented the healing of his son.

We would all do well to analyze the structure of our prayers in the light of the nobleman’s experience. Often we find ourselves in a needy situation whereupon our first impulse is to exert every power at our command to deliver ourselves, just as the disciples on the stormy lake sought to save themselves.

The Desire of Ages, p. 336:

How often the disciples’ experience is ours! When the tempests of temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call on Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully reproves our unbelief and self-confidence, He never fails to give us the help we need. Whether on the land or on the sea, if we have the Saviour in our hearts, there is no need of fear. Living faith in the Redeemer will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way that He knows to be best.

This period when we battle alone is not usually one during which we cease to pray, but it is one during which there is an absence of the prayer of living faith. We come before the Lord on our knees; we lay out the problem before Him; we ask Him to deliver us from our difficulties; but we doubt that He will; and so we are not willing to really let go of the problem entirely and rest in the Lord’s care. We have had too many unanswered prayers in the past due to our unbelief to really be confident that the Lord will hear us this time.

So, having prayed for divine deliverance, we rise from our knees carrying in our minds the question: I wonder if the Lord will work for me this time? The very fact that the question is there, is clear proof that we do not believe that He will, and we continue casting about in our own minds for a solution to the problem. We would actually be surprised if the Lord were to answer our prayer. In all this we are but repeating the history of the nobleman. Usually in the end, we have to be brought to such a state of sheer desperation that we cast our helpless selves at the feet of our Saviour, before deliverance finally is obtained. How sad that we have had to pass through so many hours or even days of misery and anxiety when we could have found peace long before.

A Revelation of God’s Power and Goodness

The first step in the emancipation of the nobleman was the revelation to him of the wonderful power in the Saviour, a step equally needful for each and every person who would practice the true science of prayer.

When Jesus spoke to the father of the dying child, His words were carried as a convicting power straight to the man’s heart. As his soul was laid bare before him, he realized that Jesus had read his heart like an open book, and he was startled into an awareness of the infinite power resident in the Saviour. Suddenly, he was no longer conscious of the humble dress of the Master, or the absence of courtiers and a bodyguard. For the first time in his life, he saw that power and pride do not always go together, and that in the divine One, humility was the companion of power. A poor, weak person who is blessed with the grace of humility is certainly displaying the goodness of God, but no one regards such as being extraordinary. When however, a person possessed of extraordinary powers, is so humble that he uses none of his might to gather the treasures of the earth, or the adoration of the people, but is content to dress simply, and spend his life in dedicated service to others, then that is true goodness.

Leading to Repentance and Living Faith

So it was that the nobleman saw the sheer goodness of God in Jesus Christ that day, and it led him to immediate repentance.

The Desire of Ages, p. 198-199:

Like a flash of light, the Saviour’s words to the nobleman laid bare his heart. He saw that his motives in seeking Jesus were selfish. His vacillating faith appeared to him in its true character. In deep distress he realized that his doubt might cost the life of his son. He knew that he was in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all things were possible. In an agony of supplication he cried, “Sir, come down ere my child die.” His faith took hold upon Christ as did Jacob, when, wrestling with the Angel, he cried,

Genesis 32

26 I will not let You go, except You bless me.

Like Jacob he prevailed. The Saviour cannot withdraw from the soul that clings to Him, pleading its great need. “Go your way,” He said; “your son lives.” The nobleman left the Saviour’s presence with a peace and joy he had never known before. Not only did he believe that his son would be restored, but with strong confidence he trusted in Christ as the Redeemer.

The father’s faith in Christ was now so complete that he needed nothing apart from the word of Christ to convince him that his son was restored. This is demonstrated by the fact that he did not bother to hasten home to Capernaum that afternoon even though he could easily have accomplished the journey by nightfall, but remained over until the next morning. He knew his son was well again so there was no need to rush home to find this out. He was fully aware of this, not on the basis of having seen the evidences for himself with his own eyes, but because he simply believed the word spoken by the mighty Healer.

This living faith was born of his catching a vision of the infinite power that was transmitted from the everlasting Father through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

The Desire of Ages, p. 198:

He knew that he was in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all things were possible.

The nobleman had the witness in himself that these things were so. He had discussed the nature of his unbelieving approach to Christ with no one, and he imagined that he had successfully hidden his true feelings from the Saviour as well. But, the words of Jesus which so accurately declared the true character of his approach, revealed to him Christ’s power to penetrate the pretense with which the father sought to hide his real attitudes. There are none who can read the thoughts except God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Not even Satan has that power. Fortunately for us,

Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 122:

The adversary of souls is not permitted to read the thoughts of men...

We do not know how firmly or clearly this truth was established in the mind of the nobleman. Whether it was or not is not really important, because the conviction which possessed him was not intellectual, but spiritual. Later, he would be able to view the matter intellectually, but for the moment the access to him was by way of a vision of the awesome power at Christ’s command. When this was given him, faith was born. Such was his confidence both in the love and power of God in the Saviour that he needed only the spoken assurance to know that his son was restored.

The Lesson for Us

Those who would become really proficient in the exercise of the true science of prayer and successfully plead for the outpouring of the latter rain, need to clearly understand the lesson taught in the story of this man’s coming to the mighty Healer. Let all see that they need to receive powerful and effective revelations of both the love and the power of God.

When the believer really knows that the everlasting Father loves him with infinite love, he will be utterly persuaded that the Lord will desire with irresistible longing to supply him with absolutely everything that he needs both for this life and for eternity according to His divine mercy and wisdom. It is not enough for God to be possessed with such desires, for He must also have the power to fulfill these wishes. The believer who knows the love of God will also know the power of the Lord, and his confidence in His care will be complete.

1. Know the Love and Power of God

This knowledge of God’s sovereign love and power can be gained only by revelation, which in turn is obtained only through close communion with the heavenly powers. The life of John the Baptist illustrates and confirms this truth. Alone in the wilderness where he was isolated from every distracting influence, he beheld the beautiful character of God, and His infinite power, both in nature and the written word. The results were incredible.

The Desire of Ages, p. 103:

He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was forgotten. He beheld the majesty of holiness, and felt himself to be inefficient and unworthy. He was ready to go forth as Heaven’s messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon the Divine. He could stand erect and fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs, because he had bowed low before the King of kings.

The same truth was revealed in the life of Jesus:

The Ministry of Healing, p. 51:

The Saviour’s life on earth was a life of communion with nature and with God. In this communion He revealed for us the secret of a life of power.

2. Be Filled with the Power of the Promises

Once the believer is blessed with a knowledge of the love and power of God, he must then pay attention to the correct procedures in the true science of prayer. These are beautifully set forth in the following paragraph:

The Desire of Ages, p. 200:

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus that his request was heard and the blessing granted. This lesson we also have to learn. Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust in His promises. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us “exceeding abundantly,” “according to the riches of His glory,” and “the working of His mighty power.” Ephesians 3:20, 16; Ephesians 1:19.

The principle is that we do not believe on the basis of the witness of sight and circumstances, but on what is written in the word. Therefore we are to trust in the promises. To trust is more than to believe. It means to rest your entire weight upon the promise in the implicit faith that it is absolutely reliable. But, it is impossible to trust in a promise with which you are unacquainted. Therefore, the directive to trust the promise presupposes that the person obeying the command has a very real and personal knowledge of the promises to be trusted.

It needs to be strongly emphasized that to know the promises of God means far more than merely having read them at some time or the other with the result that there is a vague memory of what the Scriptures said. Much more than that is required. One can even memorize a long list of promises and still not really know them even though the words might be accurately and firmly recorded in the mind.

To really know them is to have been so exposed to the love and power which is in them that their inspiration and vitality have been absorbed into the very being. When this has been accomplished, the promise has ceased to be a mere collection of words, but has been transformed into what it is, a capsule of light, power, and love. It is now actually a part of you, and is from then on a determining factor in your attitudes and behavior patterns. You have come to the place where the nobleman was when he saw the light.

To achieve this requires determined effort on your part. The first step is to find the particular promise which meets your personal need. Then read it a number of times while you prayerfully seek to grasp what it is really saying. Weigh each word. Claim the promise that the almighty Holy Spirit will be sent to enlighten the mind with a true insight into the truth it contains. Meditate upon it throughout the day as opportunity permits. Consider Bible stories when the promise was the means of delivering one of the Lord’s people from great trouble and distress. Continue this until the words are really fixed in the mind and their love and power fill your entire being. Then you are ready to trust the promise.

It is one matter to feel that you trust the promise and will rest in it when troubles beset you, but it is another thing to actually do so when troubles swamp you and hide the Saviour from your view. Then comes the true revelation telling whether your faith is real or supposed.

3. Claim the Promises

Once trust has been truly established, the time has arrived when we must come to the Saviour knowing that…

The Desire of Ages, p. 200:

When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God.

Then we are to ask for the blessing according to His will. When asking, we must be truly specific. Those who have not learned the true science of prayer will be heard to pray doubtful, unsure, hesitant prayers such as this:

“Lord, we trust that you might grant us this our request.”

Listen carefully and you will be surprised how many times the words, “might” and “may,” are used in the prayers so commonly prayed by those who profess to be God’s children. You never hear children approaching their earthly parents in such a fashion, unless they have harsh, overbearing elders whom they do not love, but fear, in which case they will usually not ask for something unless they have to.

Jesus specifically said,

Matthew 7

7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Then come to Him and ask.

Here is where many sadly err to their great loss. They do not really ask for what the Lord has promised, but merely express the hope that the Lord might be gracious to them and grant their desires. They fail to ask specifically and directly for the promised gift in the full expectation that the blessing will be bestowed. They need to come to their loving heavenly Father with the same boldness and confidence displayed by a child approaching a loving parent.

All must understand that we can only ask for what the Lord has promised, it being presumption to ask otherwise. Some of the greatest tragedies in human history have been occasioned by those who made their own plans for either their own or the Lord’s work, and then expected the Almighty to carry out their ideas. Even though they did not understand the true implications of their chosen course, they were displaying the disposition to lead God rather than to be led by Him. Let it be remembered that any move on our part which seeks to impose our foolish wills in the place of God’s omnipotent wisdom, will remain forever unsupported by God, no matter how much faith we might have that He will hear and answer our prayer.

The Holy Spirit through Paul says,

Hebrews 4

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God’s children need to realize who they are—members of the Lord’s household with all the rights and privileges this position carries. Therefore, they are to come to their heavenly Father with the respectful directness, boldness, and confidence manifested by a child in his father’s house and presence. Some may feel that such an approach to the Almighty would be irreverent, and this is a possibility against which care must be taken to save the petitioner from making such a mistake. On the other hand, there is the danger of being so fearful of being irreverent that we will approach the Lord in prayer without confidence, boldness, or true faith.

Sons and Daughters of God, p. 15:

To what greater honor could we aspire than to be called the children of God? What greater rank could we hold, what greater inheritance could we find, than that which comes to those who are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ?

Instead of expressing a hesitant, unsure petition, let the believer approach the Lord along these lines. He has been troubled with an evil temper, but has read and absorbed the beautiful promises which read:

The Desire of Ages, p. 311:

A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.

Education, p. 258:

For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that we receive, and return thanks to God that we have received.

When he has spent enough time with the Scriptures to have developed a living trust in those promises, the time has come for him to claim them. So, he bows in prayer and prays very specifically without doubt or hesitation:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that in me is the presence of an evil temper, which causes me against my will, to act in a decidedly unchristian manner. You have promised to remove this and implant a holy temper in its place. Accordingly, I now by faith and therefore in very fact, deliver up this evil presence to You, and I absolutely believe that You have taken it from me and it is no longer a part of me at all. I know that only a vacuum remains, into which I now receive the blessed gift of a righteous temper. Thank you that the old is gone and the new has taken its place. Now I go my way possessing the gift, knowing that I shall realize it when and where the need will arise. Thank you for your wonderful salvation. I ask all this through Jesus Christ, my Saviour, Amen.”

This prayer is straight to the point, and if directed to God through Jesus Christ in true faith, it is guaranteed to bring the desired result every time. Not once was a hesitant, uncertain, doubting thought expressed; the words, “may” and “might,” were never used. This approach to God must be learned, in the process of which it will be found that old habits are not easily dethroned and replaced by a new approach altogether. Even when they are, it will be found that a constant guard must be mounted against their re-emergence and return to domination. It is not natural for fallen man to express the prayer of true faith, and it is all too easy to slip back into the old ways again.

One of the surest measures that can be taken to ensure that no lapse back into the path of unbelief takes place, is to spend time every day absorbing the love and power which are present in the promises. In fact, if this precaution is not taken, one can be sure to slide back into the darkness and failure of unbelief.

At the same time, the suppliant must faithfully remind himself that the correct procedures must accompany living faith if the true science of prayer is to be fully applied.

James 2

17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

God has given us very specific instruction to pray for the latter rain in this the time for it to fall. We are not to wait in the expectation that in the ordinary course of the season it will fall. We are to ask for it. Then the promise is that if we do, the Lord will pour this blessing on us with unlimited power when the time has come for it to fall. That time is not fixed to a long since designated date on the calendar, but is moved closer when the believers ask in true faith according to the true science of prayer.

Let us then take to our hearts the instruction to pray for the latter rain. The time has come to truly and powerfully absorb the divine love and the infinite power in the promises until our entire beings are charged with a heavenly current which will connect our humanity to His divinity and will fit us to receive the divine blessing.

Claiming the Gift

Messenger and News Review, August 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 14

A Word from the Editor

In the editor’s note in the last issue, it was stated that our prayers make no change in God, and that is the truth. He himself has declared that He does not change. He is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We need to meditate on those words until they have become absorbed right into our thinking; until it becomes an unshakable conviction that there is no variation, no shadow of turning with the Lord; until we find ourselves rejoicing in the wonderful assurance that we have a God whose behavior is absolutely predictable provided we understand the principles by which He operates.

How different God is from sinful man who is political, fickle, unreliable, and changeable. Man is ever asking what course of action will be to his best advantage, not what is the correct principle of operation. It is for this reason that men must tie each other up with written contracts to protect themselves from being robbed and spoiled. There is no room for carelessness in this field for the other person will be quick to exploit the situation.

Oh! How wonderful it is that the Lord is never like that. He can be absolutely trusted to selflessly think of others first, to never exploit us in the slightest, and to treat us with the greatest consistency. He is a God who can be trusted to the infinite degree. He is absolutely worthy of that trust.

Instant Answers and Delayed Answers

IN PETITIONING the throne of grace according to the true science of prayer, one must understand that there are some things for which the Lord supplies immediate answers, and some which require a waiting period or are answered in another way altogether. There is no guesswork as to which kind of prayers fall into each category as the Divine Teacher has made the distinction clear in words such as these:

The Desire of Ages, p. 266:

In some instances of healing, Jesus did not at once grant the blessing sought. But in the case of leprosy, no sooner was the appeal made than it was granted. When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life.

So then, when we come asking in faith and actually receive the gift of a holy or Christlike temper, the endowment is instantly bestowed, although its actual realization awaits the arrival of the hour of need, when, under provocation, we find that we are possessed of a quietness and peace which nothing can disturb.

It will be found that, whenever the deliverance from sin involves eradication and replacement, provided the needed faith is exercised according to the true science of prayer, the release from the sinfulness is never delayed. No sooner is the appeal made than it is granted.

It is not difficult to determine what sins must be dealt with by their utter removal. Anything that controlled or uncontrolled is still sin must be completely cleansed away, while that which is sin only when uncontrolled, must be brought under the authority of discipline and temperance.

For instance, hatred, pride, selfishness, cigarette smoking, the drinking of alcoholic beverages, and such like, are evil whether they are controlled or not. There is nothing good in them, nor can good ever be made of them. Therefore, they have no place in the life of the Christian whatsoever. The solution to their despotic and corrupting presence is confined to but one procedure—total elimination followed by the implantation of the divine attributes.

But when it comes to the appetites, passions, and affections, there is a difference. These are sinful only when they are not carefully controlled. They are very necessary in the continuation of life. For instance, if a person’s appetite for food were to be eliminated, he would surely die of starvation. Even the sinless Adam and Eve needed to carefully control these forces. In describing man as he came from the Creator’s hands, it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 45:

His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason.

In fact, it was when they failed to maintain control over their affections, appetites, and passions that they fell into sin. When Jesus came to this earth, He faithfully demonstrated how the victory was to be achieved. He came blessed with yearning love for perishing mankind, an infinite love which drove Him to make any sacrifice for the salvation of the lost, but never for an instant did He permit that powerful affection to pass out of His control. He kept it under the governorship of the kingly power of a truly enlightened, reasoning mind.

This capacity in Jesus is well illustrated when He successfully resisted Satan’s appeals to His loving heart when setting out on the last journey from Galilee to be present in Jerusalem for His crucifixion. The devil argued,

The Desire of Ages, p. 486:

Why should He now go to Jerusalem, to certain death? All around Him were souls hungering for the bread of life. On every hand were suffering ones waiting for His word of healing. The work to be wrought by the gospel of His grace was but just begun. And He was full of the vigor of manhood’s prime. Why not go forward to the vast fields of the world with the words of His grace, the touch of His healing power? Why not take to himself the joy of giving light and gladness to those darkened and sorrowing millions? Why leave the harvest gathering to His disciples, so weak in faith, so dull of understanding, so slow to act? Why face death now, and leave the work in its infancy? The foe who in the wilderness had confronted Christ assailed Him now with fierce and subtle temptations. Had Jesus yielded for a moment, had He changed His course in the least particular to save himself, Satan’s agencies would have triumphed, and the world would have been lost.

With what power His infinite love must have drawn the Saviour as He beheld those needy and longing masses, but He utterly refused to be guided by uncontrolled affection.

But Jesus had “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” The one law of His life was the Father’s will.

So too, every believer in Jesus must understand that there is an area in his life where the victory is gained, not by eradication and replacement, but by control and discipline—by making the one law of his life, the Father’s will.

Coming to the place where these principles have become the actual working procedures in the life is the work of sanctification and it is not achieved in a moment. Rather, it is the work of a lifetime. Hard, stern battles must be fought against every human inclination to blindly live out the dictates of uncontrolled appetites, passions, and affections. It takes time to gain total victory in these areas, and instant answers to prayer must not be expected.

The true child of God is aware that while he is battling to gain the victory in this work of reformation, he is covered by the righteousness of Christ and can be forgiven if he makes a failure. Because of this knowledge, he is in grave danger of being satisfied with a sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting experience. But this will not satisfy God who has made adequate provision for the believer to live as totally free from sin as Jesus did.

Why the Delay in Sending the Latter Rain?

But why should there be a delay in God’s sending the latter rain when believers around the entire world have been praying so earnestly for it for so long a period? The reason for this lies in the fact that this blessing cannot be bestowed upon the Lord’s people until they are collectively prepared to receive it. To bring one person to a state of readiness is difficult enough, but to achieve this simultaneously in every believer worldwide is quite another problem. But it will be achieved even as it was among the disciples of Christ as they came to Pentecost.

Acts 2

1 Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

There was not a dissenting voice among them. Their harmony and peaceful unity was a wonder to behold.

This does not mean that every member now identifying with this movement will be unified with the rest of the believers when the time for the latter rain has been fully brought about, for when the loud cry comes, the majority will be foolish virgins. These will appear to be unified until the great, final test approaches. Then they will be shaken out and left by the way simply because, having failed to keep pace with the advancing light, they will be unable to meet the demands of the hour of temptation.

One person or more might well arrive at a state of perfect fitness to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit well in advance of the slower ones who will yet make the grade. They are not, on this account, to attempt to measure the spiritual achievement of their fellows in an effort to determine the cause of the delay, for, if they embark on such an assignment, they will become the major contributors to the extension of time.

Only those who understand and practice the true science of prayer can successfully intercede for the outpouring of the final blessing. This is so, firstly because there is no other way of getting rid of sin and of filling the soul with righteousness, than through the application of the principles of the true science of prayer. The finishing of transgression, the making of an end of sins as far as we know and are convicted of them, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness as far as we have learned it, is a work which must be done before the Holy Spirit can fill the soul. This is a very demanding work requiring that nothing be left uncared for, and it will develop a distinct class of people separate from all others.

Testimonies from the Church, vol. 1, p. 187:

Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.

The stress in this statement seems to point to the eradication of sin, but this is only part of the picture. Very often tests come to us in the form of messages of truth which we need to accept, but, every time that new light is revealed to us, there are some who reject the righteousness offered to them and turn their backs upon the truth forever.

It is not enough to be delivered from sin. In addition there must be the receiving of the righteousness of Christ which not only comes by receiving His seed, but also comes through the endowment of the Holy Spirit in response to the application of the true science of prayer.

It is now that we are to pray for and receive the latter rain, but it will be sometime in the very near, or perhaps the slightly more distant future, that we shall actually witness the manifestation of the gift.

That which is most difficult for the Christian to believe is that, if he has correctly asked for and claimed the promise, he actually possesses the gift now even though he sees no visible, tangible evidences of its presence, nor should he expect to at first.

Thus those who have been praying for the reception of the latter rain, can see no real evidence that they already possess the gift. But, if they have come to the Father through Jesus their Advocate, fully trusting in the promise, and have specifically asked for and laid hold upon the gift, they are already in possession of the latter rain. They have actually received the actual infilling in a measure, provided that they believe that they have.18 PP Editor’s note: This was also seen in the experience of the Disciples, upon whom Jesus breathed the Spirit when He appeared to them in the upper room (John 20:22), yet the manifestation of the full outpouring was some time later.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 54:

And as they continue to let their light shine, as did those who were baptized with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they receive more and still more of the Spirit’s power. Thus the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God.

It does not matter that there is no outward display of power, for we are assured that...

Education, p. 258:

We need look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realized when we need it most.

To live thus by the word of God means the surrender to Him of the whole life. There will be felt a continual sense of need and dependence, a drawing out of the heart after God. Prayer is a necessity; for it is the life of the soul. Family prayer, public prayer, have their place; but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul life.

Laying Hold of the Blessing

It is time to review the way in which we have been praying for the latter rain in this the time for it to fall. Have we been asking for the blessing, actually laying hold of it, and thanking God that we have specifically received it? Have we then gone our way possessing the gift in the certain knowledge that we shall realize it just when we need it most? Have we laid aside all dependence on visible evidences and trusted entirely in the word of the Lord?

If we have not, we have been following the long-standing habit pattern of asking for the promised gift, and then waiting for the blessing to actually manifest itself, before we are prepared to believe that the prayer has been heard and answered. If this has been the approach, then be assured we will pray forever, and never see the descent of the Holy Spirit in power.

The nobleman is a fine example of one who looked for no outward evidence that he already possessed the blessing. For him, the word of Christ was all that was needed.

The Desire of Ages, p. 199:

Cana was not so far from Capernaum but that the officer might have reached his home on the evening after his interview with Jesus; but he did not hasten on the homeward journey. It was not until the next morning that he reached Capernaum.

When his servants came out to meet him with the belief that he would be anxious to hear the good news, they found that he was already in possession of the glad tidings, and wished only to verify the actual time when the healing had occurred. As he expected, they told him a time which exactly coincided with the moment when the mighty Healer had directed him to go on his way, for his son was alive and well. Thus he received and possessed the gift the moment that he asked for the blessing according to the divine science of prayer, but the visual confirmation waited until he reached home once more.

Everyone who would make his lifework a success must learn what that man learned that day. All must come to understand that, having known and trusted the promises of the living God, having come to their heavenly Father through the mighty Advocate, having asked for and received the promised blessing, they are to know that they are in actual possession of the gift and there is no need to look for any outward or visible evidence that the blessing has been granted.

The Witness of Sight and Circumstances

It also must be learned that in addition to the absence of observable confirmation that the prayer has been answered, there will be seemingly irrefutable witnesses that the Lord has neither heard the petitions addressed to Him, nor given the believer any help whatsoever. The feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and of having been ignored by the Lord, are generated by and based upon the witness of sight and circumstances. This is a very powerful force which presses its case with such convincing power that it takes great faith and resolve to resist it. Those who do gain the victory over this witness, have really learned the true science of prayer and its pathway of living faith. They are the ones who alone will make a success of their lifework and will be accorded a place in the heavenly kingdom.

There is no finer illustration of the way the devil presses the witness of sight and circumstances on the believer to discourage and defeat him, and of the way the victory is to be gained, than that provided by our Saviour when He was directed to the wilderness of temptation after His baptism. In this terrible encounter with the forces of darkness, He demonstrated the way we are likewise to overcome. The record of this experience is of incalculable value to us, for we are to emerge victorious in our struggle to end sin and bring in everlasting righteousness through the same methods by which Jesus triumphed over the confederacy of evil.19 See Revelation 3:21; The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1112; Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 409.

Long before He was baptized, the boy Jesus began to understand who He was, when, at the Passover visited by Him on reaching the age of twelve, He viewed the sacrificial system in operation. It was then that…

The Desire of Ages, p. 78:

New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour.

From that point on, with ever increasing clarity, Jesus learned who He was and what His awesome responsibilities were, and He matched this increasing awareness with an ever-deepening consecration of himself to the work to which He was called. This all reached a high point as He emerged from the waters of baptism in the Jordan River. There, to an extent not seen by Him before, He saw the nature and scope of the work before Him.

The Desire of Ages, p. 111-112:

Upon coming up out of the water, Jesus bowed in prayer on the river bank. A new and important era was opening before Him. He was now, upon a wider stage, entering on the conflict of His life. Though He was the Prince of Peace, His coming must be as the unsheathing of a sword. The kingdom He had come to establish was the opposite of that which the Jews desired. He who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer. He who had proclaimed the law upon Sinai would be condemned as a transgressor. He who had come to break the power of Satan would be denounced as Beelzebub. No one upon earth had understood Him, and during His ministry He must still walk alone. Throughout His life His mother and His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God but His life on earth must be spent in solitude.

As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit.

Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him who had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent Love.

The Saviour’s glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His soul in prayer. Well He knows how sin has hardened the hearts of men, and how difficult it will be for them to discern His mission, and accept the gift of salvation. He pleads with the Father for power to overcome their unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and in their behalf to conquer the destroyer. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son.

This petition was expertly presented before the Father according to the true science of prayer, and, in response, it brought to the Saviour the assurance spoken to Him by God, but, visually and discernibly, nothing more than that. The answer to His prayer was the same in character as that imported to the nobleman when he received the word that his son was healed.

Some may feel that there is no comparison between the two experiences. Such would claim that for God to speak directly and audibly from heaven to you is much more effective and faith building than even for Christ as a man to declare that the sickness has been banished, and certainly much more than receiving a promise printed in ink. But, whether the voice of God is audibly heard from heaven, or Christ when on earth declared the prayer answered, or the promise is found in the Scriptures, there is no difference. It matters not how the message is transmitted to us. It is still the word of the Lord and is vested with all the power and authority of God himself. It is when believers realize this that they will stop pining for direct manifestations from heaven and will make the most of the written word so readily available to them.

Let it be clearly understood that:

The Ministry of Healing, p. 122:

The same power that Christ exercised when He walked visibly among men is in His word. . . . The Scriptures are to be received as God’s word to us, not written merely, but spoken. . . . So with all the promises of God’s word. In them He is speaking to us individually, speaking as directly as if we could listen to His voice. It is in these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power. They are leaves from that tree which is “for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2. Received, assimilated, they are to be the strength of the character, the inspiration and sustenance of the life. Nothing else can have such healing power. Nothing besides can impart the courage and faith which give vital energy to the whole being.

When the Father acknowledged Christ as His Son, Jesus believed that word and all the implications it contained, but Satan was determined to break the Redeemer’s faith in that word, knowing that, if he could succeed in achieving this objective, the victory in the great controversy was sealed in his favor.

When the devil confronted Christ in the desert,

The Desire of Ages, p. 119:

The words from heaven,

Matthew 3

17 This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,

–were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony. The word of God was Christ’s assurance of His divine mission. He had come to live as a man among men, and it was the word that declared His connection with heaven. It was Satan’s purpose to cause Him to doubt that word. If Christ’s confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that the victory in the whole controversy would be his. He could overcome Jesus. He hoped that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger, Christ would lose faith in His Father, and work a miracle in His own behalf. Had He done this, the plan of salvation would have been broken.

Subsequent to Christ’s receiving the word of divine acceptance, a situation developed in which the witness of sight and circumstances appeared to fully and unquestionably support the devil’s arguments and efforts.

Firstly, it must have come as something of a surprise when the Holy Spirit directed Him to the desert for further preparation for His mission. He had spent thirty years in the most intense possible preparation, at the termination of which He had dedicated himself to the service of God in the salvation of perishing humanity and had been accepted by the Almighty.

Under these circumstances, the natural expectation for any human being without detailed knowledge of specific future assignments, would be to immediately commence the urgent work of bringing salvation and relief to the thousands and tens of thousands about to perish in their iniquity. But, instead, He was directed to the desert right away from the field of labor where the suffering and needy cried for His help, to spend more time in diligent and intensive preparation. Satan would certainly seize on this development to try to arouse questions in the Saviour’s mind as to whether He was in fact being led of God. If the devil could have led Christ to contemplate such thoughts, the way would have been prepared for the Saviour to doubt and then reject the word which declared His sonship to God. But this was but the beginning.

The Desire of Ages, p. 118:

When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father’s glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human weakness.

During this brief period, He was being blessed by the power and life in the word and Satan knew that it was not yet time to make his move. He would wait until the witness of sight and circumstances was so overwhelming that it would appear that there was no possibility of denying it.

All too soon came a dramatic change in Christ’s circumstances, for…

...the glory departed, and He was left to battle with temptation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human nature shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony,

Isaiah 52

14 His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.

Now was Satan’s opportunity. Now he supposed that he could overcome Christ.

When a person has been experiencing a glowing and intimate communion with the heavenly powers, followed by the sudden departure of that glory, the feeling of having come under rejection by God can be very desperate. The nearer we have walked with the Lord, and the more blessed our fellowship with Him has been, the greater the sense of isolation becomes.

Such was the pathway Christ was called upon to walk. He felt to its keenest depths the sense of being forsaken both by God and man. It seemed as if His Father had departed from Him and left Him utterly alone. This impression was heightened by the fact that, pray as He might, no answer came back. The voice which was so willing to respond to His plea at the Jordan, was now strangely silent. The witness of sight and circumstances proclaimed in daunting tones that He must have so offended His Father that the latter could not forgive and care for Him anymore.

Let none underestimate the intensity of the struggle through which Jesus passed when He was tempted to deny His Father’s word while being assaulted by the witness of sight and circumstances. So oppressed was He by the situation that He was “worn and haggard with mental agony.” Only those who have experienced mental agony can begin to appreciate the sufferings through which the Saviour passed at this time and can understand something of the pressure which the witness of sight and circumstances can exert.

While Jehovah remained silent and apparently separated from His Son,

The Desire of Ages, p. 118:

There came to the Saviour, as if in answer to His prayers, one in the guise of an angel from heaven.

Everything about the appearance of this beautiful and attractive creature declared that he was indeed who he said he was, the angel sent to release Abraham from the command to kill his son Isaac. Fluently quoting Scripture and emphasizing that the antitype must fulfill the type, he lovingly informs Christ that just as God accepted Abraham’s willingness to make the supreme sacrifice, so God accepted Christ on the same terms. He declared that the great controversy was over; the victory had been won.

What a wave of relief must have flooded the Saviour’s entire being at these welcome tidings. There was nothing His humanity craved more than release from further sacrifice and suffering. Yet, at the same time, the word of God was immediately arousing suspicions and then convictions as to the validity of the message. By that word He knew that there was no provision for the battle to end in the solitude of the desert before it had truly begun.

Nonetheless the devil played his hand very, very skillfully, and…

The Desire of Ages, p. 119:

Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch-deceiver.

No sooner had the devil offered Christ’s humanity this wonderful release than he withdrew the offer until Christ was prepared to prove who He was. The enemy did this on the basis of his pretended need to be protected from giving the commission to the wrong person, even to Satan himself. That this was possible was strongly indicated by the appearance of Jesus. There He stood as one would suppose the beloved Son of God would never stand—seemingly forsaken by God, without the help of man, and teetering on the very brink of death. How distant and meaningless now seemed the words spoken what felt like an eternity before,

Matthew 3

17 This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Satan now solicited the Lord to assist him in fulfilling his mission…

Matthew 4

3 ...If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

The word of God was the issue in this struggle. Satan was doing his uttermost to break Christ’s faith in that word while directing His attention and faith to the witness of sight and circumstances. At any and every cost, Christ had to keep His faith fixed on the word. By its declaration, He was the Son of God in spite of all visible evidences to the contrary. By expressing doubt in that word, the bright angel before him was revealing his true identity. No angel sent from His Father would distrust the Father’s word.

When we have come to the Lord through the divine science of prayer and we have grasped and thus come into possession of the proffered gift, we can be certain that we too will have to live by the word and believe it against the witness of sight and circumstances. We shall have to maintain constant warfare against the perpetual tendency to be influenced by the visible, tangible evidences around and even in us which deny that we have received the gift. It will take much learning before the victory is finally gained.

But,

The Desire of Ages, p. 200:

When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us “exceeding abundantly,” “according to the riches of His glory,” and “the working of His mighty power.” Ephesians 3:20, 16; Ephesians 1:19.

It will be when we as a people stretch out the hand of faith and not merely pray for the latter rain, but actually lay hold upon it, that it will come and very soon.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary I

Messenger and News Review, September 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 15

A Word from the Editor

Despite the fact that the Lord has so positively assured us that He never changes, not even to the least possible degree, humans persist in the idea that He can be persuaded to change. For instance, when the nobleman came from Capernaum to Cana to ask the mighty Healer to restore life to his dying son, “He hoped that a father’s prayers might awaken the sympathy of the Great Physician.” The Desire of Ages, p. 197.

That man saw Christ’s sympathies as being asleep, a situation which called for a positive change. He was not sure, but he hoped that, by the presentation of an earnest plea to the Saviour, he would be able to effect the needed change.

This man was quite ignorant of the unchangeable nature of God whose knowledge of every man's need, and sympathy for him in that need, is complete all the time. God’s sympathies cannot be awakened, for they are continually and fully awake.

That man’s erroneous ideas seriously affected the character of the prayer he offered to Christ. It was so serious that Christ could not exercise His healing power and the threat of death moved closer. It is only when we truly learn that the Lord never changes, that we can pray as He would have us pray. Only then shall we truly see our prayers answered.

The Central Role of the Sanctuary

WHEN praying for the outpouring of the latter rain, it needs to be remembered that this is the great blessing to be administered from the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, just as the former rain was dispensed from the first apartment subsequent to Christ’s confirmation as the…

Hebrews 8

2 ...minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit both in former and latter rain power, is the means whereby the Lord draws us into the closest possible relationship to himself. It is therefore proper that the Holy Spirit’s outpouring should be the result of Christ’s ministry, firstly in the holy and then in the most holy place of the sanctuary in heaven, for that temple above is there so that we can find access to God. This is made evident in His stated purpose in directing Moses to erect the typical tabernacle.

Exodus 25

8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

They were to understand that God’s desire to dwell among them was not satisfied by His being simply in a building in the middle of the encampment. With the Lord, only when He dwelt in them was He truly dwelling among them. Though it seems that Israel failed to realize this, the apostle Paul certainly saw and understood it. He revealed this when he quoted Old Testament Scriptures which spoke of God dwelling among them as God dwelling in them. For instance, when he quoted from Leviticus 26:12, which reads:

Leviticus 26

12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people;

–he wrote:

2 Corinthians 6

16 I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

It is the truth that if He could not dwell in them, then He could not long abide among them. This would be so because His absence from their hearts would leave them open to deepening apostasy which would ere long drive Him from even being among them. But the service of the sanctuary was designed to prevent apostasy and ensure that the believers were as filled with the divine presence as was the tabernacle itself.

A Step-by-Step Journey

There was a definite procedure whereby this was accomplished, a procedure which was literally a prayer-journey through the courtyard and into the first and second apartments. Step by successive step, the seekers after divine grace, forgiveness, and restoration to close fellowship with the Lord, penetrated deeper and deeper into the very heart of the divine presence.

Firstly, under the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit and by His awesome power, they came into the courtyard and approached the altar of sacrifice, and of burnt, meal, and peace-offerings. There they laid their sins upon the lamb, slew it, and by faith followed the priest into the holy place as he carried the blood into the sacred precincts. To them, every move that they and the priest made was significant. In the morning and in the evening, they gathered for the burnt, meal, and peace-offerings by which they consecrated themselves and all their possessions to the divine service and thus established their peace with God.

Thus they prepared themselves for the cleansing of their sins from the sanctuary at the close of each year. By this means the presence of God within them was established in type forever.

When the believer of today realizes that true participation in the sanctuary service and the receiving of the benefits God has promised to dispense from the holy places, involves a prayer-journey through the sanctuary, he will make every prayer session to be such a journey. Step by step he will proceed from one point to the next until he has entered as fully into the presence of God as is possible and is fully fitted to receive the outpouring of the latter rain.

I can truly testify that when I came to understand that the sanctuary is a pathway into God’s very presence, I made every prayer session a prayer-journey from point to point until I traveled each time through the courtyard and the holy place right on into the most holy place whether I came with sins to be confessed and cleansed away, or whether I came with praise and a desire for renewed consecration.

Praying by Inspiration of the Spirit

I also learned that I needed the Holy Spirit to go with me at every step of the journey, for His presence was just as essential for successful prayer as is the intercession of Jesus, as it is written:

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147:

We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when it is said that the Spirit “makes intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26. Such prayer God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20.

So then, there are prayers which are inspired by the Holy Spirit and there are those which are not. Obviously, no one makes a prayer-journey through the sanctuary into the very presence of God if his prayers are uninspired. Therefore, the very first step in making a progressive movement to and with God is to enlist the ministry of the Holy Spirit to inspire our prayers.

What is it to pray by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? It means that divine life has been infused into the very being of the suppliant so that his prayer is charged with a power which transcends the capacity of humanity to produce. It is a power the presence of which guarantees that the petition will in fact reach our wonderful heavenly Father and as certainly be answered.

Those prayers which are prayed without this added charge, are altogether from ourselves and do not have the capacity to generate any answers at all. Some may challenge this by claiming that they have received answers to prayers without having sought and received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is not the correct way to reason. The real facts are that their having received answers to their prayers, provided it is certain they came from God and not from the devil, is proof that they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, seeing that He never comes without being asked, these recipients of His inspiration must have asked without their realizing it. This is precisely what happens in the days of our ignorance. In that time the Holy Spirit understood the hidden needs of the heart, and, in response to the unspoken request, imparted the needed inspiration.

But the Lord does not expect us to remain in the same state of darkness forever. He desires that we understand the vital necessity of specifically asking for and receiving the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, according to the principles and procedures of the true science of prayer.

Do not look for a grand flight of feeling or surging emotions as evidence that you have the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. More likely, in most instances, there will be no feelings of this kind whatsoever. On the contrary, you can very uninspired indeed. Certainly, during those forty days of mental agony when Christ in the desert felt himself to be utterly forsaken by both His heavenly Father and by men, He did not feel either the presence or the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The sense that He felt was that the Holy Spirit was far from Him, that He was desolate, unhelped, and on His own totally.

Yet, in that dark and trying hour, the angels were very near, and the Holy Spirit was in Him without measure. Every syllable of every prayer that He uttered was wonderfully inspired by the Holy Spirit.

So it will likewise be with all those who overcome as Christ overcame. Not only will there be no feelings and other visible indications that we have the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but rather every indication to the contrary will be pressed upon us. Once again it will be a matter of our believing that we have the inspiration on the basis that we have by faith received the promise. The promise is clear and unequivocal:

Luke 11

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

This promise is made in the context of the instruction:

9 And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Therefore, once we have come to realize that we cannot pray successfully without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that we cannot have this blessing except we ask for it, it becomes imperative that the very first step in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary is to claim the promise of the inspiration of the mighty third Person of the Godhead.

This is done by kneeling in the attitude of prayer, and, after addressing the Lord with an introduction that acknowledges Him by name as the infinite Source of everything, and that presents yourself as a totally helpless and dependent receiver, state that you must have the ministry of the Holy Spirit to inspire your prayer and to ensure that it reaches the throne of the Omnipotent and is answered.

That is the statement of your position and need which must be followed by the steps necessary to bring you into possession of the Spirit’s ministry. Care must be taken to strictly follow through the true science of prayer which firstly calls for you to really know the promises which apply to this situation. There are many references in Scripture promising the wonderful and all-embracing ministry of the Holy Spirit, one of the best known and applicable of which is the one quoted above:

Luke 11

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

Here is the clear and certain assurance that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who ask for the gift. What a wonderful privilege and encouragement to know that our prayers can bring the measureless power of the Spirit into our lives, but how much more encouraging to know that our mighty Saviour joins His prayers with ours. See Him continually standing in the very presence of the Father asking that this priceless Sufficiency be imparted to His brethren still upon this earth. He assured us of this in these words:

John 14

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,

17 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

We might doubt the effectiveness of our prayers, but we need have no questions about the access to the Father which our mighty Advocate enjoys, and His awesome power to move the arm of Omnipotence. Therefore, when we join with Him in intercession for the blessing He so earnestly, longingly desires us to have, we can be sure that the gift is actually in the promise and, as we ask for it, we shall receive the promised blessing. Our praying will be even more effective as we realize that when we present our pleas to the Father in Jesus’ name, we are literally praying in and through Him, and He imparts to our prayers the same power that He has. Thus, when our prayers reach the Father, it is as if they actually came from Christ.

No believer can claim that he appreciates the blessing as he should.

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 328:

The promise of the Spirit is not appreciated as it should be. Its fulfillment is not realized as it might be.

Therefore, there must be a positive work of building a very real and living appreciation of the Spirit’s ministry in our lives such as will create an intense longing for this endowment. This calls for hours spent in the earnest study of the living word until our entire beings are saturated with intense longings for the promised One. More and more we shall realize our incredible need and shall understand that every deficiency can and will be supplied by the former and the latter rain, Great light has been given us on the personality, character, power, and work of the Holy Spirit and none have any excuse for not being familiar with these mighty, soul-transforming truths.

Coming to the place where we really know and trust the promises of God is no light task, but those who apply themselves to the work with prayerful diligence will be richly rewarded. The greater the faith in the promises, then the larger the capacity to receive, and the more copious the endowment of the promised blessing. Because we have received so little of the gift, we conclude that Heaven is very reluctant to share its treasures with us, but this is far from the truth. A careful study of the revealed attitudes of the heavenly powers shows that they are most anxious for us to have an ever more abundant supply, and they marvel at our unconcern and indifference.

The Desire of Ages, p. 825:

Divine love has been stirred to its unfathomable depths for the sake of men, and angels marvel to behold in recipients of so great love a mere surface gratitude. Angels marvel at man’s shallow appreciation of the love of God.

Let us strive to remove from the angels this sad source of amazement! It can be done by stripping away every unnecessary element in our lives which does not directly contribute to an awareness of the greatness and perfection of the divine character. Then let us work with an intensity hitherto regarded as being unattainable, to acquire, through prayer and study, a comprehensive and living vision of divine love and righteousness. Then we shall really know what it means to lay hold on the gift of the Holy Spirit for the inspiration of our prayers. Let every believer in Jesus know that…

The Desire of Ages, p. 672:

The power of God awaits their demand and reception. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive.

The texts and statements quoted here together with the thoughts expressed on the subject of the Holy Spirit, are but the barest introduction to the truth that the inspiration of the Holy Spirit must be sought and found if our prayers are to be effective in reaching the divine Source through Jesus Christ. However, enough has been quoted and written to confirm the truth that it is no light matter to ask for and receive this blessing.

Those who do take the time and exert the effort to make a careful study of the promises relating to the endowment of the Holy Spirit, will find from the outset that they will ask and receive with greater effectiveness than they had known before. They will find an element of life entering into their petitions which will impart to them a joy and confidence they had not previously experienced. Prayer will begin to become an exercise in communion which they will welcome with delight and leave with reluctance.

So, having come to know and to trust the promises, confess your need of the Holy Spirit’s presence and work at every step of the prayer-journey through the sanctuary. Then ask for and lay hold upon the gift in clear, positive language such as this:

“Lord, in your great love for us You have not left us comfortless orphans, but have specifically promised to pour the glorious power of the Holy Spirit upon us.”

At this point, quote the words of one or more of the promises which appeal to you personally because the messages contained therein have penetrated right to your heart and have become a living part of you. You will find that there is faith-strengthening power in doing this. So, do it with courage and confidence. Then continue the prayer along these lines:

“In accordance with the promise and your instructions, I now specifically ask You to give me this blessing. I reach out my hand and lay hold upon it. Now the gift is already mine for I possess it as my very own and thank you for it.”

Every believer in Jesus can be absolutely assured that, if these procedures are followed in faith, then he has in fact received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and his prayer will be such as God delights to answer. With positive confidence, he can then continue his prayer-journey through the sanctuary. He will trace his course from the courtyard entrance to the altar of sacrifice, burnt, meal, and peace-offerings, to the laver, entry into the first apartment, the ministry of the showbread, the candlesticks, the altar of incense, and from there into the most holy place where he will love to linger in God’s holy and righteous presence.

Blessings of the First Apartment Still Available

Before we follow this trail, let it be emphasized that, since 1844, our great High Priest has been ministering in the most holy place, and the services in the first apartment having been discontinued there. But, what is no longer performed in the first apartment, is now being performed in the second apartment. This is necessary, for we cannot dispense with the blessings which were previously available from the first apartment until we have been finally sealed and blessed with the eternal removal of sin from us and the sanctuary.

The Great Controversy, p. 428-429:

In the service of the earthly sanctuary, which, as we have seen, is a figure of the service in the heavenly, when the high priest on the Day of Atonement, entered the most holy place, the ministration in the first apartment ceased. God commanded,

Leviticus 16

17 There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he comes out.

So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform the closing work of the atonement, He ceased His ministration in the first apartment. But when the ministration in the first apartment ended, the ministration in the second apartment began. When in the typical service the high priest left the holy on the Day of Atonement, he went in before God to present the blood of the sin offering in behalf of all Israel who truly repented of their sins. So Christ had only completed one part of His work as our intercessor, to enter upon another portion of the work, and He still pleaded His blood before the Father in behalf of sinners.

There is a very real danger of concluding from this statement that when the service in the first apartment ceased, it ended at that time altogether. If this were so, then since 1844 when Christ ended His ministry in the first apartment in heaven, there has been no provision for the removal of our sins from us to the sanctuary. This could only mean that every person born since 1844 is hopelessly bound by his sins and is eternally lost.

But, those of us who have been truly born again know that we have been cleansed from sin and blessed with the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ. We know that the ministry of the holy place which provides for the removal of sin from us to the sanctuary is still available, though not from the holy place. Jesus now ministers the same essential benefits from the most holy place along with His making the final atonement for the righteous dead, and while He awaits the glad day when He can close the work for the righteous living.

This may seem to contradict the type in the Old Testament, for once the service in the most holy place began, the service in the first apartment ceased completely. But there is no disharmony, for when the service of the final atonement in the heavenly sanctuary begins for any particular individual, then, for that person, the service of the first apartment is forever closed. This state of affairs will develop for the believers as a whole when the judgment of the living takes place, but in the meantime it is happening for believers successively as they die and come under the judgment of the dead.

Clarity of understanding on this point has been obscured by the failure to distinguish between the day of atonement, and the service of that awesome day. The former was twenty-four hours in duration, while the latter occupied only a portion of the day. I am not aware of any information telling how long the service which penetrated the most holy place lasted. One would suppose that it would occupy an hour or more.

On that day, there was offered sin and burnt-offerings so that, if a person needed to confess some sin remembered at the last moment, he could come to the sanctuary and do so provided that the final atonement had not yet begun.

Of course, no one was encouraged to leave any confessions until the final moment. Rather, during the previous ten days, they were urged to engage in the deepest and most thorough heart searching to ensure that nothing was left until it was too late or almost too late to be delivered from their iniquity.

The Scripture which confirms that the provisions of the daily service were available on the actual day of final atonement is:

Numbers 29

7 On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work.

8 You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish.

9 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram.

10 And one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

11 Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

There is no doubt about which day of the year is being referred to here. The tenth day of the seventh month was Yom Kippur, the great and terrible day of final atonement, and therefore of judgment. It was the date when, somewhere during its sacred hours, the ministry in the holy place was terminated, and the atonement in the most holy place was begun.

But prior to that awful moment, a burnt-offering, a meal or grain-offering, and a sin-offering were made. The first two were for the consecration of the believer and his possessions, and the last one was for cleansing from sin. So that there will be no confusion whatsoever, Numbers 29:11 specifically stipulates that the sin-offering was in addition to the sin-offering of the final atonement.

This makes it quite clear that, on the great day of final atonement, during the hours leading up to the opening of the ministry for the cleansing of the sanctuary, provision was made for the continuation of the atonement from the first apartment, or, in other words, for the transfer of the sins from the people to the sanctuary pending their final placement on the scapegoat, and their eternal banishment from the encampment.

In the antitype, the ministry in the most holy place began at the conclusion of the 2,300 year period which ended on October 22, 1844. But, while the day of final atonement had arrived, the hour for it had not, so far as the righteous living were concerned. For the saints in their graves, it had, of course.

It is obvious that, until the hour of final atonement arrived, the living must have access to the ministry of the holy place, for, otherwise they would never be prepared to face the judgment, especially that of the living.

Now, the point is this: Even though the ministry of the first apartment has been transferred to the second apartment, the details of its benefits and blessings, and the instruction as to how we are to appropriate these blessings, are not revealed in the most holy place. We still have to look to the holy place for this information, but we can do this without in any way weakening or rejecting the truth that Christ is now in the most holy place in heaven, and that by faith we are to be with Him there. It does not put us in the category of the churches who in 1844 and since have rejected the ministry in the second apartment, and are vainly looking for Christ in the apartment from which He has departed.20 See Early Writings, p. 56, 259-261.

We have not rejected the final atonement doctrine, nor do we look for Jesus in the first apartment, for we know that He is not there. But in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary, we will need to receive the blessing and the instruction which, though ministered from the second apartment, is taught in the first. Therefore, we shall travel through the first apartment as a school room, and as we obey the light there given, Jesus will shower us with the blessings of the first apartment from His position at His Father’s right hand in the most holy place.

Once these principles have been clarified, we are ready to commence our prayer-journey through the sanctuary. We shall be ready to do this in the next chapter.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary II

Messenger and News Review, October 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 16

A Word from the Editor

A believer wrote to me a short time ago and candidly stated that to commit one’s problem to the Lord and then be obliged to wait through a protracted period of time for the Lord to solve the difficulty, without any visible evidence that in the meantime He has even heard our prayers, is a difficult test to endure.

This is certainly the truth. It is the test on which the devil failed in heaven, Adam and Eve did not measure up to in Eden, and the point on which every movement to the present has come short. Those who are finally victorious must have learned to totally surrender their problems into the Lord’s hands and leave them there, no matter what the pressure might be. Until this level of utter submission is achieved, the final battle cannot be successfully fought, and the end cannot come.

So, all believers should forever settle it in their minds that there is only one pathway to victory. It is the way in which God is given the role of Problem-solver, Plan-maker, and Burden-bearer without any restrictions whatsoever. It will take a great struggle to make this surrender, but the stronger the faith, the more certain the victory. After all, we ought to have learned by now that when we try to solve our problems, we only make them worse. The whole of Bible history emphasizes this. Giving the problem to the Lord is not changing from one way to a better one, but to the only safe and successful one.

AS ALREADY noted, the first step in a prayer-journey through the sanctuary is taken when the believer, recognizing that he must have the inspiration of the almighty third Person of the Godhead, claims and receives the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Once this is done in true faith and obedience, he has the absolute assurance that his prayer, charged with the light and life of the Spirit, will assuredly reach the all-powerful Advocate and High Priest in the innermost heart of the sanctuary, and be channeled by Him to the Everlasting Father from whom gracious answers are returned to the suppliant.

The Altar of Sacrifice

In the typical services of the Old Testament period, once the true believer had enlisted the mighty ministry of the Holy Spirit to inspire his approach to the Father through Christ, he entered the courtyard and found before him, the altar of sacrifice.

It is highly significant that this should be the first article of furniture forming the chain between him and the eternal Father. The better the true child of God understands this significance, the more effectively will he be able to appropriate the incredible blessings waiting for him at every advance step on his prayer-journey through the sanctuary.

The Sin Offering

The altar of sacrifice represents Calvary which, in spiritual terms, is the meeting place between the everlastingly righteous God, and sinful, fallen, mortal man. It is the doorway of salvation, the dawn of hope, and the certainty that man can be restored to his lost estate. It is the finest statement ever given in eternity of the infinite and fathomless love of God, of the sacredness and immutability of His holy law, of His abhorrence of sin, and of the truth that none but those who have been cleansed from sin, can come into His presence.

So deep, so broad, so all-embracing are the truths unfolded in the cross, that eternity will never reveal all that can be learned in regard to them. But, in the meantime, much can be known, and will increasingly be known by those who are advancing in the faith of Jesus. The important truth for this study is that, as the believer in Jesus comes to the foot of the cross, the more clearly he sees the purity and power of the character of God revealed there, the more distinctly and repentantly he views his own sinfulness, and the more earnestly he desires to be free from sin.

Here it begins to be apparent as to why it is essential that the believer’s prayers be charged with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for, without this ministry, the seeker after eternal life could never see the goodness of God exemplified on the cross. Without his seeing the sheer beauty of the divine attributes, he cannot experience that repentance without which he can never successfully approach God, and obtain the needed answers to his prayers.

Let it ever be remembered that Christianity and the gospel which makes it the saving power that it is, are a revealed religion. No human mind could ever have conceived it. It is something that must be taught to man by a being with such tremendous spiritual power that He is able to penetrate the awful darkness in which the human mind, held captive by sin, is imprisoned. The Holy Spirit is that competent Teacher, and there is no one outside the Godhead who can fulfill His mission. It is to accomplish this vital work that He was sent to the earth as Jesus promised.

Jesus said:

John 16

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

When the believer approaches the Lord in prayer, he needs a very real experience in repentance whether he has committed sin since he last came to commune with God or not. If he has sinned, then certainly he needs to repent of it, confess it, and put it away. If he is unaware of having transgressed in word, thought, or deed, a repentant attitude and spirit is still very necessary. Every believer in Jesus needs to be possessed of a very real and definite abhorrence of iniquity such as marked the life of the sinless One, Jesus.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1142:

His character revealed a perfect hatred for sin.

When Christ came to this earth,

Selected Messages, book 1, p. 254:

Never before had there been a being upon the earth who hated sin with so perfect a hatred as did Christ. He had seen its deceiving, infatuating power upon the holy angels, and all His powers were enlisted against it.

Though He hated sin so uncompromisingly and intensely, He always loved the sinner and worked for his salvation no matter what the cost might be to himself.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 904:

Christ ever retained the utmost hatred for sin, but He loved the purchase of His blood. He suffered in the place of sinful men, taking them into union with himself.

It is very natural for humans to love the sin, but to hate the sinner. Therefore, it is an evidence that we have become partakers of the character of divine love when we too find developing within us a deep abhorrence for all evil, while at the same time experiencing the operation in our innermost being of a spirit of love and compassion for the sinner. If you find if something of a mystery as to how this can be done, be heartened by the fact that even the angels found it difficult to understand. Even to them it was a mystery, as it is written:

This is the mystery into which angels desire to look. They desired to know how Christ could live and work in a fallen world, how He could mingle with sinful humanity. It was a mystery to them that He who hated sin with intense hatred felt the most tender, compassionate sympathy for the beings that committed sin.

In this is found one of the secrets of Christ’s incredible power in prayer, and a revelation of how we too may become mighty in our supplications before the throne of grace. He who comes to the altar of sacrifice, which is in fact to bow low before the infinite sacrifice of Calvary, with a deep hatred of sin, and a wonderful, self-sacrificing love for sinners, will find that his prayers will prove to be much more effective than otherwise.

The true child of God, making a progressive prayer-journey through the sanctuary, earnestly desires to make every forward step as meaningful and productive as possible. Therefore, there will be no hurried movements from one point to the next. No step will be regarded as inconsequential and unimportant. It will be understood that the more one puts into each advancing step, the more there will be received in return.

Therefore, much time must be spent in contemplation of Christ’s self-sacrificing love both as it was manifested on Calvary, and during every day of His earthly ministry. It will be only as the wonderful beauty and sheer goodness of God are seen in their true light that we can come in acceptable penitence to the cross.

At this stage then of our prayer-journey through the sanctuary, it would be appropriate to pray:

“As I come to the cross and bow before it, I plead the ministry of the Holy Spirit to grant me a revelation of divine love and goodness surpassing anything I have ever previously experienced. According to your personal and gracious promise, I reach out and grasp the offered gift. It is now mine and I thank you for it. I will go my way possessing the gift, knowing that I will realize it when the hour of need arrives. Please show me your glory even as You showed it to Moses. Open before my eyes the splendor of your grace even as You revealed it to Isaiah. This is my great and desperate need at the present time.

“By this means please produce in me a depth of repentance which will be marked by an abhorrence of sin such as Jesus had. At the same time, teach me to love the sinner with saving compassion. Generate in me by these means, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a spirit of true and acceptable confession so that I can experience true brokenness of heart and a contrite spirit. Thank you for all of this through Jesus Christ, my Saviour. Amen.”

It would be appropriate at this point of time to specifically confess any sinfulness of which you are aware, as you will become if you have been contemplating the goodness of God as revealed at Calvary. You will see the deficiencies of your spiritual condition contrasted with the divine perfections and excellences. Your weakness of faith, love of the world and its ways, lack of real divine love for those who have sinned against you, and lack of compassion for the needy and the erring, will become apparent to you. You will see that the spirit of true self-sacrifice that you have is so much less than that manifested by the Saviour that by contrast, it is not worthy of mention. You will have seen that there is nothing in yourself of which you can boast, while in Jesus you will behold everything that there is to be desired and sought after.

Confess all that you are, right there at the altar of sacrifice, and claim the restoring, creative power of a loving God to deliver you from this sad state and to daily transform you more and more into the likeness of Jesus.

Then confess any act of wrongdoing of which you are guilty if there is any. There should never be any, for the Christian can certainly live a sinless life as it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 311:

There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.

But even some of the greatest of Christians at times lose their grip on the arm of Omnipotence, and come under the power of temptation as did Moses when he murmured at Hazeroth, and struck the rock in anger at Meribah. Therefore, there could be occasions when there will be the need to confess and be cleansed of the stain of committed sins. Do not rest satisfied with a confession which takes care only of the action of sin. Under the ministry of the Holy Spirit, discover, confess, and put away the sinfulness which was the root of the wrong action. Let the confession be truly acceptable before God, and then the cleansing will be fully adequate, the sin will be taken away and placed in the sanctuary where it will remain until the day of final disposition.

The Burnt Offering

Once the altar of sacrifice has fulfilled its mission, it becomes the altar on which the burnt offering is consumed. This marks the next progressive step in the prayer-journey through the sanctuary which will culminate with the believer entering right into the presence of God.

The altar of burnt offering is the place of consecration, where all that we have, including life itself, is solemnly given to the service of the most high God. This is a dedication of one’s self which is to be renewed at the outset of every day after we have been born again.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 352:

Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ.

In like manner everyone of you is to…

Steps to Christ, p. 70:

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly yours. I lay all my plans at your feet. Use me today in your service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in You.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

For the true Christian, it is really vital that he makes this commitment each morning, for he is acutely aware that he can do nothing, and go nowhere without the sustaining, protecting, guiding hand of the Lord. Worldly men are filled with confidence that they can manage their own affairs without the Lord’s blessing, guidance, and watchcare. Apostate religionists seek God’s blessing but only for the purpose of empowering their plans. But the Christian, who understands something of his great need, views with consternation any prospect of being deprived of the Lord’s continual blessing and presence in His appointed way. He knows that God alone is the all-sufficient Source, while he is a totally dependent receiver. Separated from the Almighty, he has no hope of victory over sin, of success in his lifework, or of power to survive the threats and pressures of a sin-dominated world.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 477:

He who has determined to enter the spiritual kingdom will find all the powers and passions of unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ’s strength for victory.

Therefore, he is very diligent in making certain that his life is fully consecrated without reserve to the Lord and His service every morning. He makes this his very first work. There is no conflict between this and the thought expressed above that we come firstly to the cross of Calvary, symbolized by the altar of sacrifice. This is all part of the same work, for the first step in consecration is the cleansing of the believer from sin. Obviously, the everlasting Father can best accept the consecration of those who achieve complete separation from sin as far as they can see it. Such are the ones He can use most effectively in His service.

This does not mean that we have to achieve spotless perfection before we can consecrate ourselves to the Lord. In that case, practically all of God’s children would be unable to consecrate themselves to divine service because so few in all human history have achieved this level of perfection.

What is required is a definite experience of deliverance from the carnal mind, the implantation of the life of Christ in its place, and the putting away of known sin. It might take time, lingering at the altar to achieve this.

The consecration is to be without reservation. It is to be our response to the principle of service to others irrespective of what the cost might be to ourselves. This is indeed a very serious commitment to make, for the costs can be very high even to the giving of life itself. Men, like the wholly righteous John the Baptist, have paid that price, but have done it cheerfully. His martyrdom was the crowning act of ministry for his lifework. He had done all that he could as a living servant of the Most High God, and the Lord would have granted him a long life and a peaceful death at its end, if it had not been that, by his sacrificial execution, he was able to make a wonderful contribution to the cause he loved so dearly.

Once the Christian has begun his day aright by consecrating himself to the Lord, he is to carry the very serious realization of it with him all the day through. Constantly he will remind himself that he is not his own, for he has given himself into Heaven’s service for the day. He will ever remember that he is now set aside to promote the interests of the kingdom and not his own. This constant consciousness will be a mighty bulwark against temptation, for when urged to expend time, energy, and resources on selfish interests, the believer will reject the whispered arguments of Satan, knowing that he has been set apart for sacred service, and cannot therefore be used otherwise.

The plan of salvation has been so designed that the human agent is indispensable to its success. For his own good, man has been made a link in the chain that connects the lost with the Source of salvation, so that, by participating in the work of lifting the fallen, he himself is thus elevated.

This principle will be kept ever before the Christian as he consecrates himself each day. He will then understand that he is not merely in this world to enjoy the blessings of the gospel, but that he is here to pass on that which he has himself received. That is the kind of dedication to which the Lord calls us day by day, and is the serious and responsible step to which each truly enlightened believer commits himself at an early hour of the day.

The necessity for deep and thorough consecration becomes more imperative as we move on into the final conflict when each believer’s dedication will be tried to the uttermost. As this testing time approaches,

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 77:

The law of God should be loved and honored by its true people now more than ever before. There is the most imperative necessity of urging the injunction of Christ upon the minds and hearts of all believers, men and women, youth and children: “Search the Scriptures.” Study your Bible as you have never studied it before. Unless you rise to a higher, holier state in your religious life, you will not be ready for the appearing of our Lord. As great light has been given, God expects corresponding zeal, faithfulness, and devotion on the part of His people. There must be more spirituality, a deeper consecration to God, and a zeal in His work that has never yet been reached. Much time should be spent in prayer, that our garments of character may be washed and made white in the blood of the lamb.

The Meal Offering

Along with the burnt offering was the meal offering which symbolizes the consecration of all that we possess to the work of the Lord. The details of this offering as recorded in Leviticus 2, are that it was composed of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense. Some of the flour and the oil, and all of the frankincense were consumed on the altar, while the remainder was supplied to the priests for their support.

As a representation of total dedication of all our possessions to the Lord’s cause, flour, oil, and frankincense are truly fitting symbols. Flour and oil are foods, and therefore are life supporting products. Provided the weather is not too severe, one can be deprived of housing and even of clothing and still survive, but if food is not available, one would perish. Therefore, to sacrifice food as a symbol of the consecration of our means, is much more meaningful than the sacrifice of clothing or housing. To offer these food items was to declare that you have so dedicated your material possessions to the Lord’s service that, even though the sacrifice of your means was so great that it required, or at least seemed very convincingly to require the total surrender of your life support, you would cheerfully make the death-threatening sacrifice.

A splendid example of this level of consecration is provided in the unhesitating willingness of the widow of Zarephath to take the last tiny handful of meal and meager quantity of oil that she had for the sustenance of herself and more importantly of her beloved child, and give it all to the man of God, a total stranger to her. She had no visible assurance that the Lord would provide for her. It was by faith that she did it. The story is told in 1 Kings 17:

1 Kings 17

8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get to Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray you, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray you, a morsel of bread in your hand.

12 And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as you have said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for you and for your son.

14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Elijah.

Prophets and Kings, p. 130:

In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming of Elijah on the very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life tested to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. But even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.

It must be understood by every believer in Jesus that this daily consecration of himself and his material possessions is a very responsible and serious affair. It must go far beyond being a formal exercise without any real commitment or intention. It has to be an actual handing over to the Lord of all that you have and are so that it is literally in His hands with nothing withheld. When a true believer begins the day with a consecration to the Lord that is an honor to His name, he will rise from his knees knowing that in actual fact, all that is entrusted to his care is in the Lord’s possession, is not to be spent for self-gratification, but is to be used only as the Lord directs. Let all be aware that there is coming a day of solemn accounting when each and every person must answer to the Lord for the use made of personal and material powers. Only he will be safe who has daily gotten all such things completely out of his hands and into God’s care and charge.

Therefore, the Lord’s true people do not consecrate merely that which he feels he can safely spare for the Lord after making sure that his own needs are supplied first. Many seem to have the notion that they are the owners of the goods entrusted to them, while they fail to realize that they are stewards into whose hands the Lord has entrusted money and material power with which to further the interests of the divine kingdom.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 477:

God’s requirements come first. We are not doing His will if we consecrate to Him what is left of our income after all our imaginary wants have been supplied.

A sad example of unacceptable consecration is provided by those who refused to respond to the call to return from Babylon to Jerusalem when the restoration began under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. Many of them had been born in captivity and therefore did not even know their native country, the promised land, the habitation in which the Lord had appointed them to live so that they could be effective missionaries to the world.

During their lifetimes in Babylon, by their disciplined industry, they had built very prosperous businesses and had established themselves in fine homes. It was a very great sacrifice for them to abandon these material possessions and comforts in exchange for the hardships of making a fresh start in a distant and to them unknown land for the building of an unpopular cause.

The point they had missed was that they were not in the world to build homes and businesses in Babylon. It was acceptable for them to do so at God’s direction while their residency in that apostate kingdom was enforced, provided that they were constantly aware that this was but a temporary exercise designed to ensure their survival until they could again occupy the promised land as a base for world evangelism.

What they should never have forgotten was that the Almighty had called them to Palestine, the hub of the earth, to bring salvation to every nation on the earth. When forcibly removed from that land, they should have found themselves possessed of the determination to return as soon as possible to once more take up their appointed task. This is not to argue that they could not be missionaries in Babylon. Daniel certainly was a splendid ambassador for Christ, and so should they all likewise have been, but this was not their real place of service.

There were some, however, who had the true spirit of consecration and were eager to return to work for the re-establishment of the worship and service of God in the appointed country.

Prophets and Kings, p. 598:

Under the favor shown them by Cyrus, nearly fifty thousand of the children of the captivity had taken advantage of the decree permitting their return. These, however, in comparison with the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the provinces of Medo-Persia, were but a mere remnant. The great majority of the Israelites had chosen to remain in the land of their exile rather than undergo the hardships of the return journey and the re-establishment of their desolated cities and homes.

Thus the real nature of their consecration to the Lord was revealed in this testing time. In these latter days, those parents who build up business enterprises, homes, and other possessions and then leave them in their wills to their children, especially if they are unbelieving, fail the test just as did those Jews back then.

A great deal of instruction is given in the Spirit of Prophecy in regard to willing properties to unbelieving children, and every believer should be familiar with these counsels. The Lord blessed you in the acquirement of house, land, and business, but not that you might gratify self and enjoy a secure life here. It was given to advance His kingdom and work. When, after death or anytime before, the property is passed into the hands of unbelieving children, that which belonged to God and was given for sacred use, is robbed from Him and given directly into the hands of the enemy. You can be sure that unconverted children will use the assets for other than the Lord’s work. How will doting parents answer in the judgment day when they are asked why they willed that which was God’s to the enemy via the medium of their unconverted children! Before you take such a step it would be wise to ask yourself how you would answer that question in the awful day of final reckoning.

Here is God’s evaluation of the act of willing your property to unbelieving children.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 155-156:

The cause of God is robbed, not by a mere passing thought, not by an unpremeditated act. No. By your own deliberate act you made your will, placing your property at the disposal of unbelievers. After having robbed God during your lifetime, you continue to rob Him after your death, and you do this with the full consent of all your powers of mind, in a document called your will. What do you think will be your Master’s will toward you for thus appropriating His goods? What will you say when an account is demanded of your stewardship?

Brethren, awake from your life of selfishness, and act like consistent Christians.

Believers need to realize that unbelieving children will hotly contest a will made in favor of obligations to the Lord. Therefore, whenever it is possible, property should be signed over while its owner is still alive on the condition that he continues to have the use of it until he needs it no more. Believers who are moving into the closing years of their lives should take this step so that they themselves can ensure that the property does in fact go where the Lord would have it go.

To make a consecration of ourselves and all that we have to the Lord is very serious business of which we have spoken but briefly here. God can accept our daily consecrations only when they are lifted right out of the realm of the formal and the selfish. Each believer must understand that he exists for one purpose, the establishment of the kingdom of righteousness. So,

Steps to Christ, p. 70:

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly yours. I lay all my plans at your feet. Use me today in your service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in You.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary III

Messenger and News Review, November 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 17

A Word from the Editor

We are decidedly warned that, “Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 506.

This means that when the latter rain falls, a work must have already been done in the believer to give the latter rain something to work on. This work is not accomplished in a great and dramatic rush, but requires quite a deal of time. In nature, it takes the greater part of the growing season. In the spiritual counterpart, it requires years to complete.

We tend to be unwilling to accept the time needed to develop in us the work of grace which is the preparation for the latter rain, but this discipline must be accepted if the work of God’s grace is to succeed. Those who truly do submit to this requirement are usually diligent in the application of themselves to the task. Naturally, these grow in grace much more rapidly than those who are less diligent in laying hold upon the divine provisions.

For many years we have been receiving great light from heaven. Those who have absorbed and practiced the principles revealed in those messages are the ones who are being prepared for the latter rain. Although they cannot see it, a very wonderful mold has been formed in them with which the latter rain will work when it comes. It is nearer than we think.

The Altar of Sacrifice (continued)

The Peace Offering

PASSING the way points of the altar of sacrifice, the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, the believer, in his prayer-journey through the sanctuary, comes next to the peace-offering. As described in Leviticus 3, this consisted of the sacrifice of an animal, either male or female, from among the flocks. Lambs and goats were mentioned as examples.

It was most appropriate that there should be a peace-offering following the sin-offering, and the burnt-offerings. This was the signification, not that peace was to be made, but that it had been made, for no one could sincerely and truly put away sin and make a total consecration of himself and all of his possessions to the Lord, without simultaneously entering into peace with God.

It is sin that separates from God and destroys our peace. While sin remains, it cuts us off from the Lord’s salvation and prevents His blessings and deliverances from reaching us. A person in this sad situation generally feels that the Lord does not love and care for him, and sees the Saviour standing by unfeelingly permitting him to sink down to destruction without raising a hand to save him.

But the reason that he cannot feel the love of God reaching out with unutterable yearnings to save him is because, having cut himself off from that love, he can neither see nor feel it. Therefore, so far as he is concerned, it does not exist. He sees no one to deliver him now but himself, to whom he turns with all his desperate weakness. As a result, he ends up farther from the Lord, sinks deeper into sinfulness, and destroys his peace even more effectively.

When we find ourselves in the place where we have lost sight of the redeeming love of Christ, and feel that the Lord no longer cares about us, the time has come for deep heart-searching to see if we have been clinging to sin. At the same time, it must be remembered that this might not be the cause at all. There are occasions when the Lord appears to have forsaken us, and, feeling abandoned by God and man, and helpless and alone, we are sorely tempted to turn to our own works for salvation. All Christians pass over this ground from time to time, but outstanding examples are those of Job when he was terribly afflicted for righteousness sake, and Jesus when He fasted those forty days in the desert.

Therefore, if after the closest heart-searching we find no discernible sin, we are to look back to the point where we last saw the Saviour, and fix our faith in His love and keeping power.

But if sin is found in the life, then we can be sure that the cause of our unrest has been found. We are then to understand that the loss of the Lord’s blessing is not due to any withdrawal on His part, but to our cutting ourselves off from the Source of life and blessing.

Isaiah 59

1 Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

A clear example of this is provided in the experience of Eli, the high priest in Israel in the days preceding Samuel’s ministry. He had failed to train his sons who, in consequence of the father’s indulgent neglect of their discipline, profaned the name of God and desecrated the sanctuary. So great was their wickedness that the Lord was quite unable to communicate His messages to them as it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 581:

God could not communicate with the high priest and his sons; their sins, like a thick cloud, had shut out the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Let it be emphasized that their sins had shut out the light from heaven. This tragic deprivation was not an act of God. Instead, it was the outworking of utterly reliable laws. Though the high priest and his sons went through the rituals of the sin offering, they experienced no deliverance. Likewise they offered the burnt and meal-offerings without knowing in themselves the blessings of true consecration to the Lord. Thus when they offered the peace-offering, they were testifying to a relationship with God that just simply did not exist.

Peace is a quality obtained by eradicating sin and replacing it with the divine attributes.

Psalm 119

165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

To love the divine law is to love righteousness and to hate sin. Such a fortunate person is diligent to put sin out of his life. He resists temptation with all the powers of his soul, and seeks after the Christian virtues with a hunger and thirst which the Lord has promised to satisfy.

As he does this, there is produced within him a nature, spirit, and disposition exactly like that of Jesus. Naturally, there is developed a beautiful harmony and peace between him and the Saviour which is the most desirable experience that can be known to man. This lovely peace is the product of the work of cleansing from sin followed by the unrestrained consecration of the life and possessions to the service of God and our fellow-men. Thus when the peace-offering is offered, it is a testimony of what has already been accomplished. Therefore, it is a thankful recognition of the peace which has come as a result of his separation from sin at the altar of sacrifice.

But it is not only after the sin-offering that the peace-offering is made. Between the two there are also the burnt and the meal-offerings, the observance of which signifies that we have truly dedicated ourselves and all that we have to the Lord and His service. Only those who have entered into the true spiritual performance of these services can really enter into the peace of God and heaven.

The natural disposition of the human heart is to serve self, to make sure that we have the best, and that our security and comfort are assured. When Christ came to this earth, He found this to be the all-pervading disposition among the Jewish people. They did not know the true beauty and happiness to be found in rendering loving, selfless service to the needy and distressed. They dreamed of total conquest of the Romans and of exaltation to the pinnacles of power and greatness. Their offering of the sacrificial victims had long since degenerated into a cold and deadly form. Jesus came to correct these sad misconceptions and show by precept and example the satisfying beauty and power of the law of self-renouncing love.

It was for this reason that He asked His disciples the question:

Matthew 16

13 Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

They truthfully replied that their Master was recognized as being a very remarkable man whom they rated with the best of the prophets. They informed Jesus that:

14 Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Now, without question, these men possessed and exhibited the spirit of self-abnegation as did others of their kind. But, while they understood and practiced the principles of self-sacrifice, the people looking up to them, regarded them as having been exalted or elevated above them.

Likewise, so long as Jesus was viewed by the people as being a very gifted prophet, the people looked upon Him as one who had been blessed beyond what they had been, and therefore was elevated above them. But, if their eyes could be opened to see that He was literally God, then His tabernacling in humanity would be the most wonderful demonstration of limitless self-sacrifice ever to be given.

Accordingly, Jesus asked a very direct and purposeful question of His immediate followers:

15 But who do you say that I am?

–in reply to which Peter, acting as spokesman for the rest, declared:

16 You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

The grasping of the truth that Jesus was God come down from heaven to dwell in a mere human body, opened to their minds even though dimly at first, the realization that here was a consecration of a purity and extent they had never previously discerned. It was one thing for a man already a human to sacrifice the pursuit of earthly ambitions for the role of a prophet, but it was something infinitely more remarkable and humbling to see the Creator of the entire universe lay aside His kingly position and power to descend to the depths of human woe so that the doomed may find another opportunity for life. It is only when Jesus is seen to be in actual fact, God come down from heaven to dwell in human flesh and blood, that we can understand the true nature of the consecration we are to make in the opening hours of every day of our lives.

Those who truly possess the spirit of Jesus and enter into the same consecration which He renewed every day, thereby live His life and naturally enter into holy communion and sweet fellowship with Him. To them the peace-offering is a living testimony that they have found peace with Him because they have finished with transgression and made an end of sin in their lives so far as they are aware of the evils which have been within them.

When we come to the peace-offering in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary, let us be sure and certain that we do have the condition of peace and dedication in our hearts as a result of sins washed away.

Isaiah 32

17 The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

19 Though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought law in humiliation.

The subject of the peace of God in the soul is truly a vast one of which the thoughts here are but the barest introduction. The Holy Spirit invites every believer in Jesus to dig deeply for hidden treasure so that his peace is like that of a broad, deep river whose waters never fail. The more one studies this subject, the more he will enter into total cleansing from sin and complete dedication of himself to self-sacrificing service. In turn, this will bring him the peace which passes all human understanding and knowledge. It can only be known in truth by its being experienced in fact.

Pause then at the place for the peace-offering and certify to your complete satisfaction that the peace of God does in fact reign in your soul. If it does not, then rest not until you find out why not. True peace is the heritage of every believer who is right with God.

The Laver

Only one more way point remains before entry is made into the holy place. It is the laver which was located between the brazen altar and the entrance to the holy place, according to the Lord’s specific instructions:

Exodus 30

18 You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,

19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.

20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.

In the Scriptures there are two agencies for cleansing. They are blood and water. Therefore there are two cleansings necessary before entry into the sanctuary can be effected. The first one is at the foot of the cross as symbolized by the altar of sacrifice, and in this cleansing, blood is the agency used. The second is at the laver directly before the door of the first apartment and was effected by washing in water.

This seems to create a problem. Since the cleansing by blood at the cross of Calvary is truly efficacious, why is a second cleansing required before the believer can enter into the divine presence? The requirement for an additional cleansing seems to infer that the first is inadequate or defective.

The difficulty disappears when a careful survey is made of every comment on the laver and its significance, as listed in the Index to the Writings of E. G. White. It will be found that every statement without exception speaks in terms of a physical cleansing of the person and his clothing, and not to a spiritual cleansing from sin. This is quite meaningful and opens to view some specifications which must be met before entering into the Lord’s presence. It will be realized that very little if any attention has been paid to this in the past either in teaching or in practice. Undoubtedly, this is one very real reason why our prayers have been much less effective than we expected.

There is a very special message in the placement of the laver and the washing which was carried out there. The instruction is that a person has to be completely clean, tidy, and appropriately dressed before entering into the Lord’s presence. The requirement is physical, not spiritual. The spiritual cleansings and infillings have already been effected at the altar of sacrifice, burnt-offering, and peace-offering. In addition to this spiritual preparation to enter the presence of God, there had to be a physical preparation as well.

We might find that the limitation of a sanctuary symbol to a physical application only, is a little difficult to accept. In the past we have been accustomed to finding a spiritual application for every element in the sanctuary, and, generally speaking, this is a valid expectation. However, regarding the laver, the divinely inspired instruction does indicate only a physical application. Every statement on the laver in the Index to the Writings of E. G. White declares that the washing at the laver is an instruction to attend to scrupulous cleanliness of one’s person and dress, and to the appropriateness of one’s attire when approaching the Most High. This is a matter to which little if any attention has been given and there is an alarming tendency for the believers to become more and more casual about appropriateness of dress when attending the Lord’s house.

The word of the Lord calls for a decided reformation in this area. As we read the following words, let us take them very seriously to heart, so that they can effect a decided reformation in our lives.

Testimonies to the Church, vol. 4, p. 159:

The glory of God hallowed the sanctuary, and for this reason the priests never entered the place sanctified by God’s presence with shoes upon their feet. Particles of dust might cleave to them, which would desecrate the holy place; therefore the priests were required to leave their shoes in the court before entering the sanctuary. In the court, beside the door of the tabernacle, stood a brazen laver, wherein the priests washed their hands and their feet before entering the tabernacle, that all impurity might be removed. All who officiated in the sanctuary were required of God to make special preparation before entering the place where His glory was revealed.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 610-612:

I was pointed back to the children of Israel anciently, and was shown that God had given specific directions in regard to the material and style of dress to be worn by those who ministered before Him. The God of heaven, whose arm moves the world, who sustains us and gives us life and health, has given us evidence that He may be honored or dishonored by the apparel of those who officiate before Him. He gave special directions to Moses in regard to everything connected with His service. He gave instruction even in regard to the arrangement of their houses and specified the dress which those should wear who were to minister in His service. They were to maintain order in everything and especially to preserve cleanliness.

Read the directions that were given to Moses to be made known to the children of Israel as God was about to come down upon the mount to speak in their hearing His holy law. What did He command Moses to have the people do? To be ready against the third day; for on the third day, said He, the Lord will come down upon the mount in the sight of all the people. They were to set bounds about the mount.

Exodus 19

10 And the Lord said unto Moses, go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

That great and mighty God who created the beautiful Eden and everything lovely in it is a God of order, and He wants order and cleanliness with His people. That mighty God directed Moses to tell the people to wash their clothes lest there should be impurity in their clothing and about their persons as they came up before the Lord. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and they washed their clothes, according to the command of God.

And to show how careful they were to be in regard to cleanliness, Moses was to put a laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar,

Exodus 40

30 ...and put water there, to wash withal.

And Moses and Aaron, and Aaron’s sons that ministered before the Lord, were to wash their hands and their feet thereat when they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they went in before the Lord.

This was the commandment of the great and mighty God. There was to be nothing slack and untidy about those who appeared before Him when they came into His holy presence. And why was this? What was the object of all this carefulness? Was it merely to recommend the people to God? Was it merely to gain His approbation? The reason that was given me was this, that a right impression might be made upon the people. If those who ministered in sacred office should fail to manifest care, and reverence for God, in their apparel and their deportment, the people would lose their awe and their reverence for God and His sacred service. If the priests showed great reverence for God by being very careful and very particular as they came into His presence, it gave the people an exalted idea of God and His requirements. It showed them that God was holy, that His work was sacred, and that everything in connection with His work must be holy; that it must be free from everything like impurity and uncleanness; and that all defilement must be put away from those who approach nigh to God.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 613-614:

Here, according to the light that has been given me, there has been a manifest neglect among our people. Ministers sometimes stand in the desk with their hair in disorder, looking as if it had been untouched by comb and brush for a week. God is dishonored when those who engage in His sacred service are so neglectful of their appearance. Anciently the priests were required to have their garments in a particular style to do service in the holy place and minister in the priest’s office. They were to have garments in accordance with their work, and God distinctly specified what these should be. The laver was placed between the altar and the congregation, that before they came into the presence of God, in the sight of the congregation, they might wash their hands and their feet. What impression was this to make upon the people? It was to show them that every particle of dust must be put away before they could go into the presence of God; for He was so high and holy that unless they did comply with these conditions, death would follow.

But look at the style of dress worn by some of our ministers at the present day. Some who minister in sacred things so arrange their dress upon their persons that, to some extent at least, it destroys the influence of their labor. There is an apparent lack of taste in color and neatness of fit. What is the impression given by such a manner of dress? It is that the work in which they are engaged is considered no more sacred or elevated than common labor, as plowing in the field. The minister by his example brings down sacred things upon a level with common things.

The influence of such preachers is not pleasing to God. If any are brought out to receive the truth from their labors, they frequently imitate their preachers and come down to the same low level with them. It will be more difficult to remodel these and bring them into a right position, and teach them true order and love for discipline, than to labor to convert to the truth men and women who have never heard it. The Lord requires His ministers to be pure and holy, to rightly represent the principles of truth in their own lives, and by their example to bring others up upon a high level.

The average person reading this may tend to dismiss it as having no application to them, because they are not occupants of the preacher’s desk. But, the Lord requires of all His people order and cleanliness at all times and especially when coming into His presence as the next paragraph after the quotation above states.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 614-615:

God requires all who profess to be His chosen people, though they are not teachers of the truth, to be careful to preserve personal cleanliness and purity, also cleanliness and order in their houses and upon their premises. We are examples to the world, living epistles known and read of all men. God requires all who profess godliness, and especially those who teach the truth to others, to abstain from all appearance of evil.

In these statements, both the facts of the case and the reasons for them are given. The facts are:

“He wants order and cleanliness with His people.”21 Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 611.

“There was to be nothing slack and untidy...when they came into His holy presence.”22 Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 612.

“...every particle of dust must be put away before they could go into the presence of God...”23 Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 614.

The reasons for it were twofold. Firstly, God himself is a God of order and cleanliness, and, in all things we are to be like Him.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 611:

That great and mighty God who created the beautiful Eden and everything lovely in it is a God of order, and He wants order and cleanliness with His people.

The second reason is that paying attention to the careful and thorough washing of one’s clothes, and to the appropriateness of one’s dress, cultivates and exhibits reverence for the Lord Most High.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 612:

This was the commandment of the great and mighty God. There was to be nothing slack and untidy about those who appeared before Him when they came into His holy presence. And why was this? What was the object of all this carefulness? Was it merely to recommend the people to God? Was it merely to gain His approbation? The reason that was given me was this, that a right impression might be made upon the people. If those who ministered in sacred office should fail to manifest care, and reverence for God, in their apparel and their deportment, the people would lose their awe and their reverence for God and His sacred service. If the priests showed great reverence for God by being very careful and very particular as they came into His presence, it gave the people an exalted idea of God and His requirements. It showed them that God was holy, that His work was sacred, and that everything in connection with His work must be holy; that it must be free from everything like impurity and uncleanness; and that all defilement must be put away from those who approach nigh to God.

The same reasons were given for the directive to Joshua to take off his shoes.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 159-160:

In order to impress the mind of Joshua that He was no less than Christ, the Exalted One, He said: “Loose your shoe from off your foot.”

So, a truly reverent approach to God is inseparably connected with proper dress and thorough cleanliness. If we come to Him untidy, inappropriately dressed, and unclean, we demonstrate that we have but little reverence and respect for Him. On the other hand, if, as a result of a heartfelt belief, we come clean and tidy, then we show that we do reverence the Most High.

This does not mean that if an immediate need arises, then we are not able to present our case to the Lord until we have washed ourselves and attired our bodies in clean clothes. God understands the circumstances and makes due allowance for them. But it does mean that, when we approach God in our regular prayer-journeys through the sanctuary, and when we come to the house of worship on the Sabbath day, wherever possible, we are to make physical as well as spiritual preparation for the occasion.

When Jesus directed Joshua to loose his shoe that the warrior leader might be impressed with the fact that He was the Exalted One, He was not concerned with this recognition from His point of view. Christ and His Father are infinite in humility and seek no recognition for their own sakes. They seek it only when such reverential awe is needed for the blessing of the believer.

It was a time for Joshua when he needed to develop a very large and active faith in view of the task before him of subduing the enemies of Israel. The more clearly he could see and understand the awesome power in Jesus, the stronger and more effective his faith would be.

When we as a people come into the Lord’s presence clean, tidy, and orderly, we appear before Him as He is and are therefore in tune with Him. The effects of such blessed unity are beyond computation.

I can now understand why it was that the Lord’s blessing departed from the final meeting of a camp held a few years ago. We had had a very blessed fellowship together during the week leading up to the final Sabbath of the assembly. On that Sabbath the presence of the Holy Spirit and the holy angels was very real during the morning sessions and with a glad heart filled with happy anticipation, I looked forward to the afternoon meetings which I knew would be the high point of the camp.

In the interval between the midday meal and afternoon meeting, quite a number of the believers decided to walk in the forest. This plan seemed to be highly commendable. Because the walk would be through dense forest with dust laden branches, the hikers changed from their Sabbath clothes into hiking apparel.

They returned in time for the meeting, dusty, sweaty, and clad in their work clothes. The one and only appropriate course for them to have followed then was to come to the laver before entering the house of worship. That would have involved shedding their dusty work clothes and boots, taking a shower, and changing into clean Sabbath clothes.

But, instead of doing that, they bypassed the laver entirely and came directly to the meeting, sweaty, dusty, and in working clothes and boots. I did my best to preserve the lovely tone which had developed during the week, but it was an impossibility. The Spirit of God departed and a lifeless, spiritless atmosphere descended upon the gathering. We were robbed of the blessing which would have been ours.

Let us take care then not to bypass the laver in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary. Be tidy and clean before you approach the divine presence. If this is done in true spiritual lines, and not formally or legalistically, but with true love and reverence in the heart, you will be able to approach much closer to God than otherwise, and that is the objective, is it not?

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary IV

Messenger and News Review, December 1987

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 18

A Word from the Editor

Another year, the one labeled by man as 1987, has slipped into eternity. It has been a fearful year, one in which there has been no check upon, but rather an acceleration of mankind’s plunge into deeper depths of iniquity. The heart of man has been revealed as being incredibly cruel, heartless, base, violent, and selfish, Crimes have been committed which one would not think possible, so rapacious have they been.

Immorality is increasing on every hand, vice is tearing the heart and life out of society, and the world economy displays serious signs of breaking down. New, incurable diseases are appearing which are predicted to scythe millions of lives into Christless graves. Mankind is rapidly approaching self-obliteration.

For God’s true people, the tarrying time continues. It is a difficult time which calls for a faith adequately based upon the mighty truths and promises of God. Our souls, vexed with the corruption multiplying all around us, cry out to the Lord in agony for Him to make a swift end to it all and to take us home.

Let us determine that we shall not be the factors hindering the day of His coming. Let us really make the one mission of our lives to be the work of finishing transgression, ending sin, and bringing in everlasting righteousness.

The Laver (continued)

IN THE previous chapter we considered the instruction given to come into God’s presence clean and tidy according to the message given in the position of the laver before the entrance to the holy place. We learned that the Lord is very particular in this regard so that if a person seeks His presence without taking any steps to make himself as presentable as possible, he will fail to receive the fullness of the blessing he needs and seeks.

However, this requirement is not to be carried to legalistic extremes. There are situations when it is necessary to direct immediate prayers to the Most High under circumstances wherein it is impossible to make any kind of physical preparation. Let none who find themselves in such a situation hesitate in placing their great need before the Lord.

An excellent example of this was the occasion when Peter, after having successfully walked on the stormy sea toward the Saviour, began to sink beneath the angry waves. He had but a second or two at his disposal to cry, “Lord, save me!” There certainly was no time to make any kind of physical preparation first.

Other examples were when David was suddenly confronted by the lion and the bear, and, in the face of the deadly peril, had to commit his case to the Lord without delay. John the Baptist had no facilities for washing himself or his clothes in his dungeon cell when the hour for prayer arrived, nor was Stephen granted time by his persecutors at his martyrdom to make sure that both his body and his attire were clean. But none of these problems prevented any of them from placing their case in the hands of the Lord who graciously heard their prayers and granted their requests. Without a doubt these wonderful men and others like them had established the habit of preparing themselves to come into the Lord’s presence by being cleansed both spiritually and physically. Thus when occasions arose when there was neither time nor opportunity to make this preparation, the Lord accepted their prayers based upon their past performance in the area of preparation.

Of course, it behooved them as it behooves us, to maintain a constant spiritual state of purity with every known sin confessed and abandoned. No one should ever permit himself to be caught with unforsaken sin in his life.

The Relationship Between the Courtyard and Holy Places

So, we come to the point where the prayer-journey through the courtyard has been completed, and the progression through the holy place on into the most holy place has begun. We are now moving from a work done on this earth, to one done in heaven. This is so because the courtyard is the symbol or type of the earth, while the holy and most holy places represent their counterparts in heaven.

There is an inseparable relationship between what is done in the courtyard which represents the earth, and what follows in the holy places in heaven. Without the ministry of cleansing and consecration available to the believer in the courtyard, nothing of the blessings of the holy places would be available to him. He could not enter into close, life-giving communion with the heavenly powers.

In our prayer-journey through the sanctuary, we would do well to consider the services in the courtyard as the means of spiritual and physical cleansing, the essential preparation, which, once completed, fits us to go into the holy places, the area where we are to enter into close, inspirational communion with the Father through Jesus Christ. This means that the nature of our prayer will change when we leave the courtyard behind and enter into that which is within the veil. Our prayers in the courtyard will be prayers of repentance, confession, and consecration, but all that must be left behind once we enter into God’s presence. Now has come the time and the place for communion with the everlasting Father, the infinite Source of all life, power, and righteousness, which we receive through the ministry of our great High Priest.

This does not mean that the ministry of the Holy Places has nothing to do with cleansing from sin, for both apartments are involved in this work, but, so far as the study of the prayer-journey through the sacred apartments is concerned, we do not enter the sanctuary itself to be cleansed, but because we have been cleansed. The place where our personal cleansing takes place both spiritually and physically is out in the courtyard. The time we spend in the holy places is for that rich fellowship which shall revitalize every organ of the body, every department of the mind, and every power of the soul.

This means that, after we have confessed at the altar of sacrifice all the sins of which we are aware, and then, after arriving in the holy places themselves, remember another sin which we had accidentally overlooked, we need to return to the courtyard, to the altar of confession, and be cleansed of that sin before coming back to commune with the heavenly agencies in the holy places.

There seems to have been a limited understanding of Christ’s work both in the first and second apartments of the heavenly sanctuary. Most have seen Him doing little more than bookkeeping as confessions are made and sins are literally transferred to and deposited in the heavenly sanctuary pending the awful day of final reckoning.

It is quite true that such a recording work is being carried out, but it is by no means the limit of the work being performed by Christ at this time.

Ever since 1844, He has been ministering from the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary where He is making the final atonement for those who, both before and after 1844, have died in the faith of Jesus with all their known sins confessed and forsaken. In the meantime, those who still live are doing so on probationary time.

The Great Controversy, p. 490:

The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review.

Vitally important as this work is, it is but the climax of the much more extensive ministry which Christ is doing for us as our great High Priest. When, in 1844, the advent believers expected Christ to come, they thought they were ready for His appearing, but in fact they fell far short of the condition of total sinlessness needed to qualify them to endure the time of Jacob’s trouble and to be translated.

Firstly, they needed a great deal more light to reveal to them the immense amount of preparation still needed before they could discern their hidden sins and put them away. They needed to understand the Sabbath, the state of the dead, health reform, God’s character, the nature of Christ, the seven angels, the image and mark of the beast, the prophecies relating to the final events, child salvation, Christian education, and the divine organization, to name only some of the themes which had to be grasped in their fullness before the end could come. So it was that as Christ entered the most holy place in 1844, He did so to shed brilliant rays of light on His people down on this earth below.

This point is clearly made in the following statement:

The Great Controversy, p. 424-425:

Christ had come, [October 22, 1844], not to the earth as they expected, but, as foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the temple of God in heaven. He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at this time to the Ancient of days:

Daniel 7

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came…

–not to the earth, but–

13 ...to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.

This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi:

Malachi 3

1 The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts.

The coming of the Lord to His temple was sudden, unexpected, to His people. They were not looking for Him there. They expected Him to come to earth,

2 Thessalonians 1

8 ...in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.

But the people were not yet ready to meet their Lord. There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished for them. Light was to be given, directing their minds to the temple of God in heaven, and as they should by faith follow their High Priest in His ministration there, new duties would be revealed. Another message of warning and instruction was to be given to the church.

The light God has shone and will shine upon His people is so bright that the entire earth shall be…

Revelation 18

1 ...illuminated with His glory.

It will take the people of God to a knowledge of salvation both in theory and in experience far beyond and above that known in 1844 when the believers expected to be translated.

Today, as by faith we enter the holy places which were not made by hands, we are to do so with the mighty conviction that glorious light is shining upon us. The reception of these truths is having a very remarkable influence for good on those who receive them for what they are. For instance, before we understood the real character of God, we tended to be judgmental, critical, and legalistic, but when we learned of the forgiving power in God’s loving heart, that He destroys no one, and that the very essence of His principles is restoration, how different we became in our attitudes toward others.

This knowledge worked deep conviction in us of deficiencies of character and wrong attitudes, which deepened our repentance, led to confession, and a change in our habit patterns. More is yet to come especially as we make repeated prayer-journeys through the sanctuary during which we reach out for more and more light. As the ministry in the holy places shows us the need for deeper cleansings, we shall find ourselves returning to the foot of the cross out in the courtyard to confess those sins and be cleansed of them.

When we understand as we should, the incredible blessings to be obtained from the sanctuary, we shall regard it as being a mighty privilege to have access to the facilities within the sanctuary, and, by these, we are enabled to approach nearer and nearer to the Lord through His Son Jesus Christ, and thus be elevated to great heights of spiritual power and effectiveness. Daily, we receive fresh supplies of grace and the wonderful promises of God are fulfilled for, in, and through us. We know by living experience the power in the words:

Isaiah 40

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. There is no searching of His understanding.

29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

The Ministry of Healing, p. 115-116:

The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy,—joy in the Holy Spirit, —health-giving, life-giving joy.

Our Saviour’s words, “Come unto me,...and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.

Although for ages sin has been strengthening its hold on the human race, although through falsehood and artifice Satan has cast the black shadow of his interpretation upon the word of God, and has caused men to doubt His goodness; yet the Father’s mercy and love have not ceased to flow earthward in rich currents. If human beings would open the windows of the soul heavenward, in appreciation of the divine gifts, a flood of healing virtue would pour in.

Inasmuch then that the ministry of the holy places is different from that of the courtyard, it must be expected that the furniture and the atmosphere of each be decidedly different. And so it is. The courtyard was designed to provide for conviction, repentance, confession, and cleansing, while the holy places were designed for communion, enlightenment, and the development of all the spiritual graces and attributes. Rich indeed will those be who catch a glimpse of what is being offered them in the sanctuary as they make their prayer-journey through its hallowed precincts.

Overview of the Furniture of the Holy Place

There are three articles of furniture in the first apartment, all of which carry the powerful message of man’s total need for divine supplies of grace, light, power, and salvation. As one enters through the veil separating the outside world from the first apartment, he sees directly before him standing against the veil dividing the holy from the most holy place, the altar of incense on which the incense was ever kept alight. The smoke arose against the curtain and spilled over into the most holy place beyond.

Looking to the right, we observe the table of showbread standing against the wall on that side. Like the altar in this room, the table was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. On it rested twelve loaves of bread which were renewed every Sabbath.

On the left stood the seven branched candlestick with each of the seven lights casting a soft glow to illuminate the windowless room. This light, reflected back from the polished gold, produced an atmosphere of wondrous beauty, richness, and glory which invites the believer to partake of such promised wealth.

Let us now consider each of these articles of furniture as well as the room itself to understand just what is available to us so that we can appropriate the fullness of the blessing to ourselves.

The Altar of Incense

Firstly, we shall focus our attention on the altar of incense standing against the veil into the most holy place. Of this altar it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 348:

Just before the veil separating the holy place from the most holy and the immediate presence of God, stood the golden altar of incense. Upon this altar the priests were to burn incense every morning and evening; its horns were touched with the blood of the sin offering, and it was sprinkled with blood on the great Day of Atonement. The fire upon this altar was kindled by God himself and was sacredly cherished. Day and night the holy incense diffused its fragrance throughout the sacred apartments, and without, far around the tabernacle.

The priest added incense to the altar only twice a day but that was sufficient to fuel the fire continually, so that there was always an uninterrupted smoke from the incense arising from the altar. It was vital that there should be such an unbroken supply of fragrance from the incense in order to rightly represent the ministry of Christ’s imputed righteousness without which the believer can never truly approach unto the Lord.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 353:

In the offering of incense the priest was brought more directly into the presence of God than in any other act of the daily ministration. As the inner veil of the sanctuary did not extend to the top of the building, the glory of God, which was manifested above the mercy seat, was partially visible from the first apartment. When the priest offered incense before the Lord, he looked toward the ark; and as the cloud of incense arose, the divine glory descended upon the mercy seat and filled the most holy place, and often so filled both apartments that the priest was obliged to retire to the door of the tabernacle. As in the typical service the priest looked by faith to the mercy seat which he could not see, so the people of God are now to direct their prayers to Christ, their great High Priest, who, unseen by human vision, is pleading in their behalf in the sanctuary above.

The incense, ascending with the prayers of Israel, represents the merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. Before the veil of the most holy place was an altar of perpetual intercession, before the holy, an altar of continual atonement. By blood and by incense God was to be approached—symbols pointing to the great Mediator, through whom sinners may approach Jehovah, and through whom alone mercy and salvation can be granted to the repentant, believing soul.

There are, among others, at least two great lessons which are powerfully taught by the rising incense from the altar. One is that man is absolutely helpless in himself to reach God and to enter into communion with Him, and the other is the wonderful effectiveness of Christ as the great Connector between the one longing to come into a saving relationship with God, and God himself.

Those who would make a truly successful prayer-journey through the sanctuary, must really know both of these great truths. They need to be delivered from every trace of self-sufficiency, self-confidence, and self-assurance if they are to have their prayers reach the throne room of the Omnipotent. Once this is gained, then they need to catch large glimpses of the role of Christ as the pure, perfect, and powerful channel through which they can alone reach the eternal Father.

It is an easy matter to verbally declare that we are helpless, dependent creatures, because we have been educated to believe that this is the appropriate confession to make, but the true objective is to really know it in actual truth.

Man naturally has built into him a great deal of self-assurance which he finds difficulty in recognizing, and which is a fearful hindrance to his entering into the blessing which he needs more than he realizes. But once the pride of man is laid low and he sees how impotent he really is, the door is then opened for a veritable flood of spiritual blessing to be poured out onto the suppliant, provided that his faith grasps the provisions which the Lord has made available through Christ.

Let it be stressed that it is not enough to be aware of the fact that we cannot of ourselves reach God. We must also understand the way in which it can be done. The magicians, wise men, and astrologers of Babylon were compelled to admit that they had no connection with or access to God, and that they knew of no way of achieving it. Note their words:

Daniel 2

11 It is a difficult thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

They knew that the Almighty, as best they understood Him, was fully aware of what the king had dreamed, and what the interpretation of the dream was, but they, having no connection with a God who did not dwell in them or with them, could never receive enlightenment from such a God. They revealed the fact that the Babylonian god was far removed from his subjects and was unable to communicate with them.

Daniel, on the other hand, provided a thrilling demonstration of the beautiful truth that the true God, the Christian God, has established through Christ, a complete and perfect connection with His people.

Yet, up until this critical, revealing moment, these men had proudly maintained that they were capable of solving any problem the king might put to them and especially in the field of interpreting dreams, but eventually they were faced with a situation which they could not handle. Then they were compelled to admit that they did not have the answers after all. The king was so infuriated with their deception that he ordered their immediate destruction, a sentence which would have been carried out but for the intercession of Daniel.

It was because these men had been steeped in the ways of Babylon for so long, that they were unable to grasp the revelation of God’s way of access to himself, and in the crisis hour were found completely wanting. This is not to say that they were beyond the hope of salvation, for, if they had been willing to recognize their true need to understand their helpless, dependent state, they could have received instruction in the gospel from Daniel, and become true children of the Most High.

Another illustration of how essential it is for the true Christian to really understand his need and know his true condition, is provided in the experience of Elijah when he prayed for rain after the successful showdown on Mt. Carmel. It had been a day of great crisis and victory. The lonely prophet, charged with great faith in the matchless power of the true God, had faced the proud and angry king, the totally apostate priests of Baal, and the unsympathetic, irresolute multitude. Throughout that day, he must have been very careful to maintain his awareness of his insufficiency in himself and the vital necessity to be at all times utterly dependent on God. Had he permitted any form of self-sufficiency to arise as Peter did when walking on the water, the battle would have been lost and he would have been slain. Throughout that long day,

Prophets and Kings, p. 150:

Elijah continues to watch intently; for he knows that if by any device the priests should succeed in kindling their altar fire, he would instantly be torn in pieces.

Elijah could not afford to lose his sense of dependence upon God for so much as an instant of time. Yet, he needed to enter into an even greater revelation of his need to erase every last trace of self-sufficiency from his experience, as a preparation for the greater crises yet to come. This was accomplished for him as he prayed for the rain, as it is written:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1035:

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said,

1 Kings 18

44 Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea; like a man’s hand.

When we consider the depths of humility which Elijah must have experienced throughout that day, only to be taken to even greater depths thereafter, we begin to wonder if we have ever been delivered to any worthwhile extent from our self-sufficiency and self-confidence. As I consider the experience of Elijah as the Lord led him into an ever closer walk with Him, I am dismayed at how shallow the same work in me has been, and how desperately I need to be taught the great lessons of self-denial and crucifixion. In what terrible peril we must stand while any continuation of self-confidence remains.

No doubt we feel that our trust is not in ourselves but in Christ, but whether or not this is so is revealed when the time of test springs suddenly upon us. When that time comes, those who truly put no trust in themselves will rest in God as their problem-solver, plan-maker, and burden-bearer. If, even in the slightest degree, we begin to devise solutions to our problems, then to that degree are we more confident in ourselves than we are in God.

For instance, having seen the depth of humility and self-distrust in which Elijah stood on Mt. Carmel, and the much greater depths to which he was taken when he prayed for rain, we would naturally rest in the assurance that here was a man immune from the danger of relying on himself in the place of God.

But, when at the gates of Jezreel, he was suddenly awakened from sleep to receive Jezebel’s threatening message, he did not rest with confidence in God’s power to protect and keep him, but looked to himself. How sad was the failure which he experienced on that occasion! What a sobering revelation it is to us of the weakness of humanity! It is enough to fill one with despair!

But, we need not despair. Instead, let us keep this picture ever before us as a perpetual safeguard against putting our confidence in the flesh rather than in the Lord. The experiences of the great men of the Bible clearly warn us that, no matter how humble, dependent, and victorious we are one day, we will still tend to turn to ourselves the next. The more we are aware of our continual peril, the more earnestly will we take steps to ensure that we become very strong in this area.

There is no better facility for gaining strength in this field than by entering into the holy place and contemplating the altar of incense with the cloud of sweet fragrance reaching into the very presence of the eternal Father. As we behold this wondrous provision for our salvation, we shall realize as never before that only through the intercession of Christ and His righteousness can we ever hope to reach the almighty Source of light, life, and truth.

Selected Messages, book 1, p. 344:

The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor, who is at God’s right hand, presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merit’s of Christ’s propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned.

Oh, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving, must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat.

One great message revealed in the holy place is the total sufficiency of God as the answer to the complete dependency of man. It is also there demonstrated that the helpless human suppliant must know the true nature of his plight, so that he is led to surrender all his plans, and to trust entirely in the saving grace of Christ.

Those who truly understand and experience these things will be richly endowed with the mightiest of spiritual blessings, and will go forth to show the praises of the Lord to this needy generation.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary V

Messenger and News Review, January 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 19

A Word from the Editor

So, another year has begun, and it has been another bad beginning foreboding increased troubles, disasters, losses, terrors, and problems which will threaten man’s very existence. There is no prospect of any relief in sight, for matters will only worsen before they become worse still. The earth and they who dwell thereon are staggering under the awesome retributive burden of almost six thousand years of sin. This load can be borne for but a little time longer and then there will come that universal collapse which will test to the limit every true child of the Lord and destroy every unbeliever.

If ever new year’s resolutions were in order, the time has surely come when every believer needs to resolve to anchor himself on the living promises of God, to make his calling and election sure, and to gain the strength needed to stand firmly when the final storm is released on the shelterless heads of the impenitent. Only those who have truly prepared for what is coming will have any hope of survival, and now is the time to prepare. No one can now afford to defer the work for an instant. The day of opportunity, once passed, will never return for us. What we fail to do now, we cannot do later. Make 1988 the year of total preparedness.

The Altar of Incense (continued)

IN OUR prayer-journey through the sanctuary with the objective of finally entering into the very presence of the Eternal Father through Jesus Christ, our Mediator, Advocate, Representative, and Connector, we have arrived in the holy place with our gaze fixed on the altar of incense which stands before the veil separating the first from the second apartment. The point has been made that we do not enter this apartment to be cleansed from sin, for that has been accomplished in the courtyard at the altar of sacrifice, but to enter into that close communion by and through which we are to acquire the resources of spiritual enlightenment, and physical, mental, and spiritual vigor which will qualify us to be God’s instruments in executing His revealed will.

The Fire of the Altar of Sacrifice

This distinction of function and purpose between the two altars is revealed by the fact that, while the fire on the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard was lit by man or by fire falling from the sky, the fire on the altar of incense was directly and specifically lit by God himself. It is most important that the facts involved in these procedures be clearly understood or we shall fail to discern the true symbolism of the sacrificial system, and also fail to receive the fullness of the blessings the Lord so much desires to pour upon us. This involves the correct interpretation of such expressions as:

Revelation 20

9 And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

The same language is used to describe the fire which consumed Abel’s offering:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 71:

Genesis 4

4 And the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering.

Fire flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.

Another example is the first fire to consume the sacrifice at the dedication of the wilderness tabernacle:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 359:

After the dedication of the tabernacle, the priests were consecrated to their sacred office. These services occupied seven days, each marked by special ceremonies. On the eighth day they entered upon their ministration. Assisted by his sons, Aaron offered the sacrifices that God required, and he lifted up his hands and blessed the people. All had been done as God commanded, and He accepted the sacrifice, and revealed His glory in a remarkable manner; fire come from the Lord and consumed the offering upon the altar.

So it was again when David repented after numbering Israel:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 748:

The destroying angel had stayed his course outside Jerusalem. He stood upon Mount Moriah,

1 Chronicles 21

15 ...in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Directed by the prophet, David went to the mountain, and there built an altar to the Lord,

1 Chronicles 21

26 ...and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

This too was the experience of King Solomon when he dedicated the newly built temple:

Prophets and Kings, p. 335:

The seal of divine approval had been placed upon this prayer; for at its close fire had come down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord had filled the temple.

Elijah prayed to the Lord to bring the Israelites back from apostasy to the truth.

1 Kings 18

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Elijah declared that...

24 ...the God who answers by fire, He is God.

Few if any give a second thought to the role of God in these manifestations of consuming fire. It is generally and simply assumed that Jehovah himself had personally delivered the fire to the altar and burned the sacrifice to ashes, or, even more so, as in the burning of the sacrifice and the stones of the altar on Mount Carmel, not even ashes remained.

But, this interpretation cannot be sustained while at the same time correctly believing and teaching that the slaying of the sacrifice and its subsequent destruction in the fire is a presentation of the plan of salvation, a revelation of God’s way of dealing with sin. It is a demonstration of the way in which the sinner is saved and of the way the Saviour died in order to secure that salvation.

The sacrifice on the altar represented Christ who took our penalty upon himself and died in our place.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1085:

The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, “Let the punishment fall on me. I will stand in man’s place. He shall have another chance.”

The Desire of Ages, p. 25:

Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His.

Isaiah 53

5 ...with His stripes we are healed.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1103:

Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God’s law.

So, this means that, if it is God’s way to stand toward the sinner as the executioner of the sentence against transgression, then that is the way the Almighty must relate to Jesus when He stood in man’s place and bore the penalty for him. In that case, God would have to be the destroyer of His own Son. If that were so, the interpretation that God personally generated and administered the fire on the altar, thus consuming the sacrifice which symbolized the Saviour, would be an accurate representation of Jehovah’s ways.

But it is not God’s way to destroy either the sinner or His only begotten Son as has been conclusively proved in the book, Behold Your God. It is the eternal truth that...

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 84:

God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself.

Again it is eternally true that...

The Great Controversy, p. 36:

God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejecters of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown.

Jesus came to this earth for several specific purposes besides dying for lost mankind, one of those responsibilities being the precise and complete revelation of His Father’s character. Christ fulfilled this commission so successfully that...

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 286:

All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 738-739:

Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, full of mercy, tenderness, and compassion. The thick darkness with which Satan has endeavored to enshroud the throne of Deity was swept away by the world’s Redeemer, and the Father was again manifested to men as the light of life.

When Philip come to Jesus with the request,

John 14

8 Show us the Father and it suffices us,

–the Saviour answered him:

9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how do you say then, Show us the Father?

Christ declares himself to be sent into the world as a representative of the Father. In His nobility of character, in His mercy and tender pity, in His love and goodness, He stands before us as the embodiment of divine perfection, the image of the invisible God.

No matter how stubborn and defiant was the evil spirit of rebellion in those whom He faced, or how fiercely He was resisted by those who spurned His offers of mercy and restoration, or how deserving the unrepentant sinner was of dying, Christ when upon the earth destroyed no one even when urged to do so. Likewise as they escorted Him to Calvary, the darkest crime ever to be enacted in all eternity, He called not for fire to incinerate them but pleaded with His Father to forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing. Thus He demonstrated that by destroying no one, even under the greatest possible provocation, it is not in God, His Father, to destroy either.

Therefore, if the Lord destroys no one, then He could never be the one who sent the fire which consumed the various sacrifices in the Old Testament. For Him to have done so would have been to convey an erroneous message which would be very misleading. We depend very heavily on the divinely-provided object lessons to acquire accurate understandings of the character of God and of His way of doing things. God knows this and, being fully aware that it is the truth that sets us free, is most careful to behave with faithful attention to the principles of His character, the law, and the plan of salvation.

Inspiration makes it plain that the Father did not slay His own Son on Calvary.

The Desire of Ages, p. 772:

But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Christ. That cry, uttered “with a loud voice” (Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.

Who then sent the fire to the sacrificial altars mentioned above; that is, on those occasions when the fire burst out of the sky overhead? If God did not send it, as He could not without presenting himself in an untrue light, then what was the source of those consuming fires, the fiercest of which totally destroyed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, the water which had sodden everything and had filled the trench, and had licked up even the dust?

Emanating from a source far beyond their reach precluded any possibility of men ever having lit these flames. Then, if it was neither God nor man who caused it, is Satan responsible?

Certainly not, for it would be contrary to his interests to ignite and consume those sacrifices which graphically portrayed the beauty, the effectiveness, and the power in the plan of salvation. Furthermore, when the Lord’s people assembled around the altar in true confession and sincere, wholehearted consecration, Satan was not allowed access to the altar which would have been necessary in order to ignite the wood and burn the sacrifice, if that had been his intention.

If those fires were not sent by God, Satan, or man, then who or what is responsible? To find the answer, we have but to look upon the cross, behold the amazing sacrificial death of the Saviour, and see what there in the antitype slew Him. The answer, readily found, is that it was sin which destroyed Him on Calvary. Therefore sin was the source of the fire which fell upon the altars erected by faithful Abel, and those who followed him.

But how could sin manifest itself so selectively that it hit the sacrifice and nothing else? It is not an intelligent force capable of choosing and targeting a chosen spot, nor would it, if it could, choose a point on the earth which would serve the cause of righteousness, truth, and salvation.

But, it does not need to be selective, for that decision is made for it. The entire planet is enveloped in a fire potential which will break out at any instant in time and at any point when and where the restraint is removed. Thus Sodom and Gomorrah perished.

It is clear that on that very day when Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, if Christ had not stepped in and diverted the punishment on to himself, they would have been utterly destroyed as the Lord warned them that they would be if they transgressed His commandments. This instant act by Christ on man’s behalf secured for him a period of probation during which the fearful forces which would have destroyed sinful humanity in Eden, were and are still held in check under Divine control.

How little we realize the fearful threat which hovers over us. We do not know that we are living in a potential fireball poised and waiting to happen. There seem to be few who are aware that, when Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, nature in that moment became so deranged that it was set to collapse in one all-consuming holocaust as it will at the end of the millennium. Then we will see what could now happen at any moment but does not because, by virtue of the merits of a crucified Saviour, the Almighty is still able to exercise His restraining power and thus prevent it all from happening for the time being. We need to understand these things, to realize the magnitude of the threat which is ready and waiting to consume us, so that we can better comprehend how much we owe to the loving, protective care of our heavenly Father.

The Lord knows we have this pressing need, and for this reason He permitted the fire to target the ancient sacrifices so as to reveal to our dull senses what is ready to happen at any moment of time. So, when His people in ancient times, by walking in true obedience had prepared themselves to be taught of the Lord, the everlasting Father provided them and us with a very accurate and comprehensive revelation of the situation by releasing His control over the fire in the sky in a very limited area. The worshipers around the altar were safe, for they were outside the danger area, but the sacrifice took the full force of the inferno, and was therefore consumed.

As the trusting believers saw the fire consuming the sacrifice, they understood that they were viewing their own fate, but for the intervention of the Saviour, for, what was happening to the sacrifice should have been destroying them. For this reason, every such event was the manifestation of God’s glory, which was the revelation of His goodness, the viewing of which produces true repentance in the believer. This is why the fire which fell on the sacrificial altar when the tabernacle was first sanctified was a wonderful revelation of God’s glory.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 359:

Assisted by his sons, Aaron offered the sacrifices that God required, and he lifted up his hands and blessed the people. All had been done as God commanded, and He accepted the sacrifice, and revealed His glory in a remarkable manner; fire came from the Lord and consumed the offering upon the altar.

In all this is to be seen the truth that we are invited to lay our sins on the sacrifice so that they can be utterly consumed and thus safely separated from us. Then the consuming flames will have no more power over us than they did over Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-Nego.

To refine the argument further, we need to consider the fact that the sacrifice was already dead when the fire consumed it, the taking of the life having been accomplished at the hand of the sinner. Adam was the first person ever to take a life when he slew the first sacrificial offering after he had accepted the explanation of the plan of salvation which the Lord communicated to him.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 68:

To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation.

When the animal had been slain by the sinner, Adam, the Lord took the skins and shaped them into garments to cover them in the absence of the robe of light which had clothed them as long as they walked in righteousness. This is a perfect object lesson of the plan of salvation. Our sins slew the Saviour on Calvary, as illustrated by the act of Adam in slaying the Lamb. If God had killed the animal, this would have been a false, misleading type or object lesson, for the Father did not slay His Son.

But, the merits of Christ’s death must be applied to the sinner, and this is a work the believer can never accomplish for himself. It is the Lord who covers us with His righteousness which is made available only through the death of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Likewise, in the sanctuary services, it was always the repentant sinner who took the life of the sacrifice. Then the body was burned. In these ceremonies the Lord desired His people to see that sin takes the life of the sinners, and also obliterates every trace of them for eternity.

The Lord clothed Adam and Eve with the skins from their first sacrifice for sin, to replace the garment of light they had previously possessed. In fulfillment of this type, the unrepentant will suffer two deaths. Their first death is at the end of this earthly life when according to their capacity to pay, they are entombed in anything from a cheap coffin to a mausoleum. Many are embalmed so that their bodies are preserved in the false hope that they may rise again and live. There are others who are burned to ashes in a volcanic eruption, or are buried in land slides, or perish in the depths of the oceans. All these and more are the first death. Even the righteous suffer this.

But those who have no part in the first resurrection come up for the second death at the end of the millennium. Then they will not merely die, but will be obliterated in that final holocaust, which will leave them with no physical trace whatsoever.

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1142:

The wicked receive their recompense in the earth.

Psalm 11

6 Upon the wicked He shall rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. The wicked…

Malachi 4

1 ...shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts.

All are punished “according to their deeds.”

This is the second death which has total power over all who are not in the first resurrection. In the death and subsequent destruction by fire of the sacrifice, we are to see the death of the wicked followed by their total annihilation because they failed to make their calling and election sure. We are also to see the incredible goodness of the Lord in making a way of escape for us through His standing in our place and bearing our punishment for us. He is the substitute; we are the beneficiaries of this amazing sacrifice.

Therefore, as we journey through the courtyard, we are to understand that it is critically important that every sin shall be confessed and forsaken, so that we are not obliged to suffer that fearful second death. Thus it is clear that we do not come to the holy places to be cleansed from sin, even though sins are faithfully stored there pending their final destruction. But the sins held there were never taken from the believer while he is in the sanctuary, but before he entered it.

The Fire of the Altar of Incense

We come now to the other fire which, unlike the one we have been considering, was in fact lit by the Lord. Here is the verification of that:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 348:

Just before the veil separating the holy place from the most holy and the immediate presence of God, stood the golden altar of incense. Upon this altar the priest was to burn incense every morning and evening; its horns were touched with the blood of the sin offering, and it was sprinkled with blood upon the great Day of Atonement. The fire upon this altar was kindled by God himself and was sacredly cherished. Day and night the holy incense diffused its fragrance throughout the sacred apartments, and without, far around the tabernacle.

That which had been kindled by the Lord himself, was the only fire to be carried into the sanctuary. It was when Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, carried common fire into the holy place that they perished.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 359:

At the hour of worship, as the prayers and praise of the people were ascending to God, two of the sons of Aaron took each his censer and burned fragrant incense thereon, to rise as a sweet odor before the Lord. But they transgressed His command by the use of “strange fire.” For burning the incense they took common instead of the sacred fire which God himself had kindled, and which He had commanded to be used for this purpose. For this sin a fire went out from the Lord and devoured them in the sight of the people.

By specifying which fire alone was to be used in the sanctuary service within the veil, God was conveying a most important lesson or revelation concerning the plan of salvation. By their use of common fire, Nadab and Abihu replaced God’s truth with a message of their own, and by so doing, they deprived themselves of the protection of what the incense represented, namely, the merits and intercession of the Saviour. Thus they stood in a state of unholiness or disobedience in the presence of a holy God without the divinely provided protection. It was a situation they could not survive. The fire ever emanating from God as the stream of life and energy sustaining the entire universe, was no longer contained, and it caught them in its outflow. This does not make God to be a destroyer. He cannot switch off the power when a human being approaches Him, for everyone else including the whole universe is dependent on an unbroken supply. Instead, He provides the protection which permits the needy to approach into His presence.

The same principle applies to a person who needs to pick up a live, high voltage wire. This cannot be done unless special, protective gloves are worn. All are warned of this so that if anyone touches such a wire without properly protecting himself, then his death is chargeable only to himself. So it was that Nadab and Abihu killed themselves; God did not destroy them.

So then, what is the special message in the fact that the Lord alone could kindle the fire in the first apartment?

Its role in this situation is not that of a destroyer, for there is no sacrifice to be consumed. Even though we generally think of fire in this category, it is not true that destruction is the only effect of the presence of fire. Fire is also a life force without which nothing in the universe could continue to exist. In every living body, there is a fire burning which keeps us warm and provides the release of energy so that we can accomplish our God-ordained assignments.

In the sanctuary the fire which the Lord himself had lit served to release the fragrant incense which protected the priests when they were directed to enter God’s presence. The fire became the specific instrument by which the penitent believer was symbolically provided with the…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 353:

...merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God.

Thus the fire in the sanctuary symbolically initiates a ministry of life by which the consecrated believer is enabled to receive fresh endowments of physical, mental, and spiritual life. Therefore, only God as the Author of life could provide the fire which brings such blessed results.

So then, we are to see in the courtyard, the place for cleansing from sin, even by fire, but once this work is done, we enter the holy and most holy places for that work of communion which will charge us with every heavenly power and facility for prosecuting the work of the Lord. It is by and through these provisions that we are enabled to finish transgression, make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary VI

Messenger and News Review, February 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 20

A Word from the Editor

If ever we were in the tarrying time of the virgins awaiting the appearance of the Bridegroom, we certainly are now. We have received the messages necessary to sound the final call, “Behold the Bridegroom comes, go you out to meet Him.” For years, as these great themes were being presented, we were inspired by a strong sense of progress. We felt the movement was moving steadily forward, fresh souls were being added, and the future looked bright, the Lord’s coming near.

But this does not exactly correspond with the conditions prevailing during the tarrying time in the summer of 1844. Then, no new light of any significance shone on the believers. Perplexity and confusion reigned. The coming of the Bridegroom seemed a great way off, and inactivity prevailed in the movement except for those pursuing fanaticism.

The situation now existing more nearly corresponds to the conditions existing back then than they ever have before. Be warned that this is a strong assurance that the Bridegroom’s coming is near. Instead of sinking into a lethargic state, let us prepare as never before. Do not be caught without the oil in your vessels with your lamps. If you are, there will never be another chance.

The Fire of Life and the Fire of Destruction

WE HAVE been considering the differences between the all-consuming fires which are the manifestation of sin through a nature which has become totally deranged because of human transgression, and the fires lit by the Lord himself in the sanctuary. We have learned that the fires which utterly destroyed the sacrifices never come from God in the sense that He personally lit and delivered them to the unrepenting sinner.

We then began a consideration of the fire which released the incense from the sacred altar before the veil, and which was in fact directly and personally lit by the Lord. Thus there were two fires, one of them being the destroyer, and the other the sustainer of life. They are in fact one and the same fire, both of which found their origin in God, the Creator and Lifesaver, but one of them has been diverted from God’s original purpose and design.

But, while one of them remains forever with God, and so under His perfect control and direction, the other having passed out of His hands, has turned as it only could, into a besom of destruction. While it remains out of divine control, it will continue to waste and destroy until there is nothing left to consume.

There are those who have real difficulty accepting the fact that the powers of God can and do pass out of His personal control. The difficulty should be eliminated when it is realized that we are not saying that the powers which remain in God can pass out of His control, for that would be an impossibility. But, it is a very different matter with those divine powers which He invested in man and nature when He created the heavens and the earth. These, though they are certainly His powers and have come from Him, can pass out of His control. Because only that which is under God’s control can remain a blessing, when His mighty powers do leave His control, they never perform the good purposes for which they were given, but are transformed into the most terrifying destroyers.

Consider the totally apostate man who has rebelled against the Most High. In him are numerous powers, all of which came from the almighty Creator, such as the power to think, speak, and reason. These in turn find their activity and expression through the powers of the muscular system.

To each person God has given the absolute freedom to choose whether he will surrender the use of these forces to God’s will, and accordingly dedicate all his powers to the divine service or, instead, choose to devote all his God-given capacities to the service of self. When men elect to follow the latter course, they certainly separate all the powers of the Almighty which are in them from God’s control. There is coming a time when all the inhabitants of the earth who will have chosen apostasy and rebellion, will have passed out of God’s control, and, when that time comes, we shall see and understand how violent and destructive those powers will be when divorced from God.

That condition of things is powerfully portrayed in these words:

The Great Controversy, p. 36-37:

The Saviour’s prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God’s mercy and trampled upon His law. Dark are the records of human misery that earth has witnessed during its long centuries of crime. The heart sickens and the mind grows faint in contemplation. Terrible have been the results of rejecting the authority of Heaven. But a scene yet darker is presented in the revelations of the future. The records of the past,—the long procession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions, the “battle of the warrior...with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood” (Isaiah 9:5),—what are these, in contrast with the terrors of that day when the restraining Spirit of God shall be wholly withdrawn from the wicked, no longer to hold in check the outburst of human passion and satanic wrath! The world will then behold, as never before, the results of Satan’s rule.

This statement makes it very clear that the people in that dreadful coming hour, together with all the powers from God which He has put within them, will have passed completely out of His hands. There should be no difficulty in seeing this.

The same truth is revealed in the disclosure of Satan’s role in the affliction of Job. Then the mighty forces of nature, under Satan’s and not God’s control, swept away the patriarch’s assets as in a moment.

Likewise when the great wind, so strong as to break the rocks strewn on the mountain slopes, raged around the place where Elijah was, God was not in the wind. Therefore, it was not under His direction. So it was when the earthquake shook the mountain to its very foundations, and when the fire roared among the trees and consumed all in its pathway. These mighty powers of God in nature wreaked terrible destruction that day but only because they were no longer under the divine authority.

When it is truly believed that the powers of God which remain in Him cannot pass out His control, while those powers which He has given to His creatures can and do, there will be no difficulty in understanding that the fires which consumed the sacrifice were never literally lit and sent by the Lord.

The Golden Candlestick

We turn now to a consideration of the next item, the golden candlesticks, which stood over against the wall on the left hand side as viewed from the entrance to the holy place.

In this chapter, we shall be concentrating on the spiritual lessons the Lord has invested in the presence, position, and work of the candlesticks in the first apartment. We will leave till a later chapter, a study of the light coming from the actual presence of God between the lovely cherubim in the most holy place. That light certainly flooded the most holy place, and it also reached the first apartment through the space above the veil which did not reach to the ceiling as it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 353:

As the inner veil of the sanctuary did not extend to the top of the building, the glory of God, which was manifested above the mercy seat, was partially visible from the first apartment.

God Is the Source of Light

Thus, while the candlesticks were the only source of light from within the first apartment, theirs was not the only means of illuminating the first apartment. There was also light emanating from the most holy place. The important point which will be emphasized in this study is that any and all light illuminating the sanctuary had its origin in heaven, and not on this earth. The Lord did not leave the sanctuary in darkness, nor did He mingle sacred and common fire.

This is evident from the fact that there were no windows or doors in either the first or second apartments of the tabernacle. The entrance to each room was covered by a curtain so thick that it admitted no light from without. Without some form of lighting then, it would have been impossible for anyone in the holy places to see anything. Of course, the common people never entered the sanctuary themselves, but did so by faith through the ministry of the priests.

Likewise, we cannot transport ourselves from here to heaven and enter there into the holy places which have been built by God. Even if we could make the incredibly long journey, we would find that in our sinful state we could not enter into those places.

But we can enter in by faith, and in doing so learn much which is of the highest value for those seeking salvation, provided we see all things therein in the light shining from the Holy Spirit. Without that divine illumination, all things in the sacred precincts would be shrouded in total darkness, and would therefore be hidden from human sight and understanding. In that case, we would all be lost as the Lord says:

Hosea 4

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

John 8

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The light by which alone a correct understanding of the truth can be obtained by humanity comes from no earthly source either from man or from the world around him. It is not in man of himself to understand the deep mysteries of salvation. Therefore, Christianity is a revealed religion, not a clever theology invented or discovered by man. It must be taught to him by divine Educators who send their revelations of truth through angel messengers.

In our prayer-journey through the sanctuary, we need to be very much aware of these principles, for we cannot pray effectively if we are not fully confirmed in the truth that it is only by the light emanating from the Holy Spirit that we can see and understand the wonderful messages awaiting us in the holy places.

The divine Architect of the plan of salvation as pictured in the sanctuary and its services, was careful to convey this message both to the Jews and to us. To this end He made certain that the light illuminating the holy places did not come from any earthly source.

God could have arranged for windows to have been placed in the walls to admit light, but that would have deprived the people of a very vital lesson. Had He done this, the seven golden candlesticks would have been but sharers in the work of dispelling darkness from the holy interior of the structure.

The light which would then have illuminated the two apartments would have come from both the heavenly Sources and from the created world, and this arrangement would have tended to exalt nature above the Creator. This was the very thing that the heathen were doing in the sun worship which was so widely established in those days. The Israelites were literally surrounded by nations devoted to the adoration of the sun and the moon. It was from these sources that they sought to understand all things. In the light from the sun, they studied nature, instead of seeking knowledge from Him who is the Source of all light and truth. Thus, while they thought that they walked in the light, they were really wandering in darkness, in the valley of the shadow of death.

Men of supposed great learning today follow in the paths trodden by those men of old. From earthly, human tabernacles unlit by the enlightening presence of the Holy Spirit, they grope in darkness as they strive to unravel the secrets of the universe, and of that planet on which we dwell.

We are not to be surprised then when we hear them make supposedly profound statements, which have no foundation in truth whatsoever in regard to the age of the earth and the origin of the galaxies. No doubt they have had placed before them the simple words:

Exodus 20

11 In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day,

–but, with eyes which cannot read in the dark, they were unable to catch the truth revealed there. Instead, they declare that the earth was formed during a period covering multiplied millions of years.

The men who make these assertions are highly educated, very disciplined, mentally strong, and well respected in the community for their learning and knowledge. But, the incredible errors which they teach declare that they are disconnected from the Source of true Light and Life. If only they had looked into the sanctuary and read the message written there!

Daniel ranks as one of the wisest men who ever lived. A very significant factor in his achieving that was his consciousness that there is only one Source of wisdom and understanding, namely that which is from above. For this reason, when he was confronted with the problem of discovering both the king’s dream and its interpretation, he did not turn to the writings of men, and then ask the Lord to mix His light with their darkness. Instead, he sought the solution from the Lord alone. When the answer came, as it speedily did, he was quick to acknowledge that the Lord above was the Fountain of all truth. Here is his profoundly moving testimony.

Daniel 2

20 Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.

21 He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.

23 I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king’s demand.

A short time later, the man of God was standing in the king’s presence. That mighty monarch did not understand the principle that all light comes only from a heavenly source, and therefore cherished the idea that man discovers knowledge and its understanding from the capacities within himself. Hence, he asked the question:

Daniel 2

26 Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?

He did not ask if the prophet had been standing in the light shining from the divine Source, but looked to Daniel himself to be possessed with the capacity to unravel all mysteries. It was a moment in time when Satan was seeking to tempt Daniel to lose sight of his total helplessness in himself to uncover any truth at all. He realized that, even though the so called wise men of the world boasted of their being the discoverers and formulators of truth, the fact was that, whether they knew and acknowledged it or not, every ray of light they had, had come to them through divine channels. They actually knew nothing of or by themselves, as it is written:

Education, p. 73, 13-14:

Through Christ had been communicated every ray of divine light that had ever reached our fallen world.

The world has had its great teachers, men of giant intellect and extensive research, men whose utterances have stimulated thought and opened to view vast fields of knowledge; and these men have been honored as guides and benefactors of their race; but there is One who stands higher than they. We can trace the line of the world’s teachers as far back as human records extend; but the Light was before them. As the moon and the stars of our solar system shine by the reflected light of the sun, so, as far as their teaching is true, do the world’s great thinkers reflect the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Every gleam of thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world.

As Daniel stood before the king, he was sealed in his convictions that these things were so. Therefore, he could give to the king no other answer than he gave, namely that the wise men had proved that they were not able in themselves to acquire any light whatsoever, whereas God in heaven could. His reply reveals that he truly understood the message contained in the presence and role of the candlesticks in the sanctuary.

Daniel 2

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers, cannot declare to the king.

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.

In Daniel’s mind there was no mixing of the earthly with the heavenly. He saw, understood, and lived by the principle that only that light which comes from heaven can make any truth plain.

Oil = The Holy Spirit

The instruction which comes from the presence of the golden candlesticks is based on what the candlesticks themselves and the oil in them represent.

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 407-408:

The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Spirit is represented in the prophecy of Zechariah.

Zechariah 4

1 The angel that talked with me came again, [he says,] and waked me, as a man is wakened out of his sleep,

2 And said unto me, What do you see? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof;

3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my Lord?

6 Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

12 And I answered again and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

14 Then he said, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 407-408:

From the two olive trees the golden oil was emptied through the golden pipes, into the bowl of the candlestick, and thence into the golden lamps that gave light to the sanctuary. So from the holy ones that stand in God’s presence His Spirit is imparted to the human instrumentalities who are consecrated to His service. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate to God’s people that heavenly grace which alone can make His word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path.

Zechariah 4

6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

The oil then is a symbol of the Holy Spirit both in the sanctuary service and in the parable of the ten virgins. In each of these object lessons, the oil is stored in lamps which symbolize the word of God as it is written:

The Great Controversy, p. 394:

All had taken their lamps, the Bible, and by its light had gone forth to meet the Bridegroom.

So then, the picture presented in the object lesson of the candlesticks in the sanctuary shows that only when the word of God—the lampstand—is studied under the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit—the oil in the lamps—will the light shine, dispelling the darkness, and revealing sacred, saving truth in correct lines.

Jesus stressed this principle when He gave His final instructions to His disciples before the crucifixion. He said:

The Desire of Ages, p. 671-672:

John 16

13 When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,…

8 ...He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

The preaching of the word will be of no avail without the continual presence and aid of the Holy Spirit. This is the only effectual teacher of divine truth. Only when the truth is accompanied to the heart by the Spirit will it quicken the conscience or transform the life. One might be able to present the letter of the word of God, he might be familiar with all its commands and promises; but unless the Holy Spirit sets home the truth, no souls will fall on the Rock and be broken. No amount of education, no advantages, however great, can make one a channel of light without the cooperation of the Spirit of God. The sowing of the gospel seed will not be a success unless the seed is quickened into life by the dew of heaven. Before one book of the New Testament was written, before one gospel sermon had been preached after Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon the praying apostles. Then the testimony of their enemies was,

Acts 5

28 You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.

How beautifully and powerfully this paragraph from The Desire of Ages, confirms the truth that no blessing is to be obtained from the word of God, unless the oil of the Holy Spirit is there. He is “the only effectual teacher of divine truth.” His “continual presence and aid” is that which alone makes the preaching of the word of God a success.

Perpetually Burning

The candlesticks in the sanctuary had to be serviced from time to time. They had to be refilled with oil and the wicks had to be regularly replaced, but at no time, except during periods of national apostasy and rebellion, were all the seven lights put out at the same time.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 384:

There being no windows in the tabernacle, the lamps were never all extinguished at one time, but shed their light by day and by night.

Thus the presence of the candlesticks in the first apartment conveys an extremely clear and important message to those who are making a successful prayer-journey through the sanctuary. We have entered the sacred precincts in order to be blessed with truth, commune with the Lord, and receive healing inspiration from the Holy Spirit. To achieve these objectives successfully, we cannot grope in darkness, but must walk in the light. This means that we must be aware that we need the sacred, all-powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit on a continuous basis. There must never come a time when, through carelessness, cherished sin, or wicked unbelief, we lose that vital presence. Day or night, the light must never be permitted to go out and leave the soul in darkness.

It is unfortunate that we do not realize our need of what the candlesticks represent as we should. If we did, we would be far more concerned about our spiritual indifference, far more diligent in ensuring that we have this blessed gift, far more preoccupied with the acquirement of this treasure.

The children of darkness can teach God’s children some very valuable lessons as indeed can also the devil. When men of the world set their hearts to pursue worldly wealth, fame, power, honor, and acclaim, they do so with a zeal, diligence, sacrifice, and devotion which the Christian would do well to emulate. Yet they do it all for a glory which will shortly pass away, leaving them eternally destitute.

On the other hand, the value of the prize awaiting every victorious Christian, is so infinitely more valuable and eternally enduring, that it should call forth a proportionately greater intensity of effort and sacrifice. Strangely enough, this does not appear to be the case. Christians seem quite content to drift along in the enjoyment of the blessings already received, unprepared to utterly sacrifice the temporal advantages for the eternal.

This is not to suggest that the Christian is entirely indolent, for, if he were, then he would fail to maintain even a lowly level of faith and piety. But, like the Israelites in Joshua’s day, who, after crossing the Jordan and conquering a portion of the land, were content to rest right there instead of pressing on to a completed task, we likewise tend to sit back and be satisfied with the deliverance which gave us the new birth instead of working with all diligence to utterly finish transgression, make a total end of sin, and establish everlasting righteousness.

As we bow in the holy place, let us contemplate the wonderful lessons and truths contained in the place and role of the seven branched golden candlesticks. As new depths of truth are opened to our minds, our prayers will be more filled with life and effectiveness, our faith will be greatly enlarged and strengthened, and our Christian experience enriched. The candlesticks would then be a memorable waypoint in our prayer journey through the sanctuary.

There we shall certainly receive a measure of the Holy Spirit according to our capacity to receive, and the endowment will be repeated in progressively larger supply as we, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, lay hold upon the divine promises.

Prayer Journey Through the Sanctuary VII

Messenger and News Review, March 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 21

A Word from the Editor

It will be during this year that exactly one hundred years will have elapsed since the General Conference met in 1888, where, among other things, was heard the message of righteousness by faith in verity which the Lord sent through Elders Waggoner and Jones. The meetings were preceded by the Bible Institute which convened from October 10-17. Then, on the evening of October 17, the General Conference session began and continued for the next eighteen days until November 4.

Sister White was present at both convocations and spoke twice during the Bible Institute, and eight times during the General Conference.

We now understand the tremendous significance of those meetings and that, if the message had been received, the end would have come very quickly, and the saints would have been gathered home. The reason for the passing of that wonderful day of opportunity lay entirely with the church. With God, all things were ready, and the church had but to accept the message in faith, and great power and blessing would have followed.

We now stand almost one hundred years from that time, and we are still in this world of sin. We face the sobering fact, unless we truly learn not to repeat their rebellion, we too shall fail to see the Saviour return. It is the truth that those who fail to learn the lessons of the past will be forced to relive them.

The Showbread

APART from the altar of incense and the golden candlesticks, there was one further item of furniture in the holy place—the table of showbread. A person entering through the veil into the first apartment would observe this table on the right-hand side of the room. It bore twelve specially prepared loaves of bread which were replaced once a week.

God Is the Architect and Designer

God’s instructions for the building of the table are recorded in:

Exodus 25

23 You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.

25 You shall make for it a frame of a hand’s breadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.

26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.

27 The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.

28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.

29 You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.

30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before me always.

The record of the building of this table is found in Exodus 37:10-16. A careful reading of these verses confirms that the Israelites built the table to the exact specifications laid down by the Lord. He alone was the Architect and the Designer. The Israelites played no part in this phase of the work whatsoever. They were to take the plans as made for them by the Lord, and, by the enablings which He provided, they were to construct the tabernacle and its furnishings. As there is a very important lesson in this fact, we will repeat the details of the construction of the table for the showbread here. Read the scripture carefully, comparing what they did with the instructions previously given.

Exodus 37

10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it.

12 Also he made a frame of a hand’s breadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it.

13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs.

14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.

15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold.

16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.

When the Lord required the Israelites to execute His instructions and carry out His plans exactly as He made them and without the introduction of design modifications on the part of the human element, He was reiterating the vital truth that mankind does not have the capacity to formulate a single step in the awesome plan conceived in the mind of the Infinite for our salvation. Man cannot and therefore does not contribute anything whatsoever to the plan of salvation. In the robe of righteousness which must be received and worn by those who shall be saved into the everlasting kingdom, there is…

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 311:

...not one thread of human devising.

A single thread is the smallest component in a woven garment. Think about how insignificant a part that one thread is of a garment woven with the finest thread which covers you from neck to wrists and down to the ankles. Look at the garment you are wearing as you read these words. Fix your eye on a single thread in the fabric and visualize how small a part of the whole that one fiber is. Then you will begin to see how that in the garment of righteousness…

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 311:

...woven in the loom of heaven…

–there is not so much as a single thread of human devising. In other words, mankind does not make the slightest contribution to the planning of his own redemption whatsoever.

So it was that in the designing of the sanctuary and its furnishings, no place was given to human invention. Every detail, whether large or minute, was entirely and only from God. The Almighty did not seek man’s assistance, nor did He grant man a place in the solving of the sin problem. There were at least two reasons for this. In the first case, only the Infinite One has the capacity to formulate the plan of salvation, and in the second,

Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin.

The Desire of Ages, p. 208-209:

When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, he was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God’s work; the most talented, skillful men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. Yet he was not to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things. The Lord covered him with His own glory, that he might see the pattern, and according to it all things were made.

The Israelites were not to limit this total submission to the building of the tabernacle. They were to consistently establish the same pattern of behavior through every phase of their lives. The Lord is the architect of our salvation and we are to build according to all things shown to us in the Scriptures. It is literally by every word that proceeds from the Almighty that we are to live and operate.

The Desire of Ages, p. 209:

So to Israel, whom He desired to make His dwelling place, He had revealed His glorious ideal of character. The pattern was shown them in the mount when the law was given from Sinai, and when the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed,

Exodus 34

6 The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

We need to be deeply convicted in regard to these principles. We need to have an abiding and ever-deepening persuasion that...

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 218:

No matter who you are or what your life has been, you can be saved only in God’s appointed way.

Every false religion is a departure from that way, an attempt on man’s part to weave the threads of his own devising into the garment of Christ’s righteousness. Man seeks salvation on his own terms which are much more acceptable to him than God’s ways, but which will never bring salvation. Millions will suffer eternal damnation because they sought the right thing in the wrong way.

Sinners needing salvation usually follow the Lord’s way to a point, after which they seek to modify and change the divine procedures to their own liking. So it was with the Jews. They were quite happy and content to build the literal tabernacle according to the divine pattern and specifications, but when it came to applying the same principles of construction to the development of their soul temples, they preferred to do it their way in preference to God’s.

The outcome could only be disastrous as it has proved to be. They separated themselves from the salvation of the Lord and thereby deprived themselves of the divine protection. They have since been slaughtered by the millions and driven from land after land, suffering incredibly in the process. If only they had built their soul temples according to the divine specifications. But,

The Desire of Ages, p. 209:

Israel had chosen their own ways. They had not built according to the pattern; but Christ, the true temple for God’s indwelling, molded every detail of His earthly life in harmony with God’s ideal. He said,

Psalm 40

8 I delight to do your will, O my God: yea, your law is within my heart.

So our characters are to be built “for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22. And we are to “make all things according to the pattern,” even Him who “suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” Hebrews 8:5; 1 Peter 2:21.

Our great need at the present time is to understand how total Christ’s submission to His Father and His holy law really was. Then we shall see how far we fall short of the divine standard, and we shall be for more determined to build all things shown in the mount.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 219:

What surpassing love and condescension, that when we had no claim upon divine mercy, Christ was willing to undertake our redemption! But our great Physician requires of every soul unquestioning submission. We are never to prescribe for our own case. Christ must have the entire management of will and action.

In other words, there is not to be one thread of human devising in the application of the plan of salvation to our case. Consider the expression,

But our great Physician requires of every soul unquestioning submission.

This means that the seeker for salvation must make no plans of his own for his own salvation, must never prescribe the remedy for his sinfulness, and must never attempt to design the plan of salvation according to his own desires.

We have been studying the construction of the golden table on which the showbread was placed and have learned the important principle that God alone is the Designer of the table, and that the workmen were to follow the specifications which God had given them through Moses, exactly as He gave them. This is not to say that this message was confined to the design and construction of the table for the showbread. Every part of the building itself and of the furniture therein conveyed the same message.

God’s Remedy for Self-Sufficiency

The effectiveness and power of the prayer-journey through the sanctuary will be lost by the needy suppliant if these principles are not kept before him. He must be everlastingly conscious of the fact that every physical, material, and spiritual need can be satisfactorily met only from the almighty Source—the Everlasting Father, the Only Begotten Son, and the Infinite Holy Spirit. As his eyes behold the beauty and perfection of every detail of the sanctuary, he must train the mind to meditate on these principles so their force and power will be ever increasing.

The tremendous importance of this can be best appreciated when it is seen and remembered that all sin is the product of a loss of faith. This unbelief, in turn, is the result of losing sight of the fact that God alone is the Author of life and salvation. Faith is based upon the view which we have of God’s power and all-sufficiency. During the period spent by Moses in Egypt, he was continually surrounded by the magnificent works of man in the form of a marvelous governmental organization, an invincible army, magnificent buildings of great mass, and splendid works of art.

All this served to strengthen his confidence in what man can do. He, being a mighty and gifted man, thus gained in self-confidence, even though he did not entirely lose the knowledge of God, nor faith in the Infinite One. Herein is found the cause of his making a plan for the escape of the Israelites from the region of the Nile. He thought in terms of his brethren becoming equipped with the weapons of war, and, through an Egyptian bloodbath, making their triumphant way to the promised land.

When he saw the Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he thought that the time had come for the execution of his plan. He fully expected that his brethren would rouse themselves, rally around him, be organized into an army for whom weapons would have to be found, and, under God’s blessing, rout the enemy, and escape to Canaan. What a fine and attractive plan it seemed to be to the excited Moses. He was unmindful of the fact that God alone is the Plan-maker and that he had to receive the specifications for the battle from the Lord and execute them with precision as the Lord directed him.

His forced flight from the land of the Pharaohs filled him with the dreadful thought that he had destroyed his grand opportunity to achieve the deliverance of his people, and he was filled with discouraging thoughts. But, it was the best thing which could have happened. It placed him in a different environment altogether. Gone forever was the life of ease and luxury which he had known in Egypt. Instead, he lived the hard life of a shepherd amid the majestic mountains which surpassed in mass and grandeur anything he had ever seen in Egypt.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248, 251:

Shut in by the bulwarks of the mountains, Moses was alone with God. The magnificent temples of Egypt no longer impressed his mind with their superstition and falsehood. In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High, and in contrast realized how powerless and insignificant were the gods of Egypt. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away. In the stern simplicity of his wilderness life, the results of the ease and luxury of Egypt disappeared. Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, “very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.

At this time the Lord had no temple or tabernacle anywhere in the earth that had been built by human hands according to His design, and under His direction. Magnificent as these future structures were to be, they could not compare with the wonderful wilderness church which revealed to Moses the perfection, capacity, omnipotence, and righteousness of the everlasting Creator. Here he learned that God alone is the Author of our salvation, and that all human procedures must be under God’s direction and by His power. It was the most important lesson that anyone can learn. Truly learned, it will save from the sin of usurpation, those who have really come to understand these vital principles.

The Saviour as the Bread of Life

Not only does the ministry of the showbread reveal the truth that the Lord is the Architect of our salvation in which there is not to be a single thread of human devising, but it also points us to the Saviour who is the Bread of Life.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 354:

The showbread was kept ever before the Lord as a perpetual offering. Thus it was a part of the daily sacrifice. It was called showbread, or “bread of the presence,” because it was ever before the face of the Lord. It was an acknowledgment of man’s dependence upon God for both temporal and spiritual food, and that it is received only through the mediation of Christ. God had fed Israel in the wilderness with bread from heaven, and they were still dependent upon His bounty, both for temporal food and spiritual blessings. Both the manna and the showbread pointed to Christ, the living Bread, who is ever in the presence of God for us. He himself said,

John 6

51 I am the living Bread which came down from heaven.

Frankincense was placed upon the loaves. When the bread was removed every Sabbath, to be replaced by fresh loaves, the frankincense was burned upon the altar as a memorial before God.

So then it is clear that the showbread is a symbol of Christ who referred to His being the Bread of life. It was the day following the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, that Jesus gave His most comprehensive explanation of His being the Bread of Life. It was a message badly needed by the people before Him, for they saw only the provision of temporal food which briefly sustains the flesh and blood body. They had no concept of the quality of, and their need for the spiritual bread which sustains life everlastingly. When they found that Christ had come to give himself to them as a life-sustaining power, they rejected Him so completely that they were prepared to crucify Him—and they did.

Two Symbols: One Unified Message

Thus we find ourselves contemplating at least two symbols of the word of God in the sanctuary. They are the candlesticks, and the table of showbread.

Why then did the Lord provide in the holy place, more than one symbol for the bread of life? Would not one have been sufficient?

Because the Lord does nothing needlessly, we know that both symbols were needed. It is when they are contemplated in relation to each other that we see more light than previously, and realize that the comforting messages of instruction which are now open before us would not otherwise have been possible.

Let us remind ourselves of the truths portrayed in the candlesticks. It was seen in the chapter previous to this one, that the candlesticks themselves represent the Bible, the word of God. The oil typified the Holy Spirit, and the light which burned as a result of the presence of the Spirit in that word, is present truth.

The light shining from the candlesticks illuminated the room and revealed the presence and meaning of the showbread.

What does this say to us?

It declares that it is by the light shining from the word, herein symbolized by the candlesticks, that the word of God, herein represented by the showbread, can be seen and understood. This is the truth. By the Bible is the Bible to be understood under the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are their own expositor.

It is obvious that the majority of professed religionists both past and present are not aware of these principles of operation. If they were, there would not be the terrible and disgraceful disharmony of beliefs which are continually becoming more and more numerous. The Bible does not contain a variety of ways to heaven. There is only one way of salvation outside of which there is nothing but separation from God, and the prospect of eternal destruction. It therefore follows that if two or more people, whether they be together or widely scattered, were to study the word of God under the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, and with the realization that He alone is the true Source of light and knowledge, then they would find, should they ever meet, that they would be in perfect harmony with each other. There would be no diversity of opinion or of position. The same unity would exist upon this earth as is found in heaven.

This truth is confirmed in the lives of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ. These two, even though they were cousins, did not meet until the Saviour came to the Jordan to be baptized. This was so that the charge of collusion could never be leveled against them, as the following statement confirms.

The Desire of Ages, p. 109:

Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the circumstances of their birth; yet they had no direct acquaintance with each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other. Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.

But, though they were entirely isolated from one another during all their years of preparation, they were both taught of God by His Holy Spirit, and therefore arrived at a perfect harmony of spirit, character, and system of truth. During that period before they finally met at the Jordan, both studied the Scriptures with intense concentration to the exclusion of every other educational source. If ever there was an opportunity for division of concept and thought to emerge between two messengers, this was it, but it did not happen. In the truth of that, as we prayerfully meditate upon the messages revealed in the holy place, we can rest in the sweet assurance that if we look to the divine Source for light to be revealed to us, while we cast aside every trace of self-sufficiency, and grant the Holy Spirit His rightful place as the Teacher, then there in no possibility of our being directed into error. Instead, we shall find ourselves in perfect harmony with the light already revealed in the past, and with those who presently are likewise following the correct principles of Bible study.

Summary

But we have not advanced to the holy place in our prayer-journey simply to acquire information about the truth. There is another vital objective to be reached, that of entering into the fellowship of close communion with Christ.

The ultimate fellowship is to be found in the most holy place, but we are not to subscribe to the thought that there is no fellowship with the heavenly powers till then. On the contrary, every step is to be taken in an ever-deepening and enriching communion with the Saviour.

To make this truth clear, let us briefly summarize the steps taken so far in the prayer-journey through the sanctuary.

We tend to evaluate the acquirement of conviction, repentance, and confession as the preparation for fellowship with Christ rather than think that these things constitute a part of the actual fellowship itself. In one sense this is true. But it needs to be understood that the achievement of every step which brings us into working harmony with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is both a fellowship with Him, and a preparation for entry into the next level of communion with the Lord.

From the very beginning of our turning toward Christ, we can advance only as we work in close cooperation with the Saviour through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the angels. When conviction fixes itself upon us, we cannot advance to repentance and confession without humbly accepting the conviction. As the Lord brings to us a revelation of our true condition as sinners, human pride and self-protectiveness cry out for the denial of this ministry of conviction. If the work is resisted at this point, we are refusing to walk in fellowship with Christ, and no further steps can then be taken. Persistent entrenchment in this rebellion closes the gates of heaven against us.

But this does not need to be the tragic case. When the Lord comes to us by His Spirit, we are to enter into the mind and spirit of Christ by humbly acknowledging that we are in fact unholy and unclean; that we are guilty of both inbred sinfulness and the actions of sin which spring from this seed bed. By so doing, we are responding to the divine ministry, we are working together with the Lord, and thus are in communion and fellowship with Him. He is speaking and we are hearing and responding. We are entering into and sharing His utter hatred of sin, and thus have begun to fellowship in His love for righteousness and His abhorrence of evil. If we would relate to the Lord with these concepts in mind, our consciousness of being in fellowship with Christ from the very beginning of the work for and in us, would be marvelously strengthened. There would be a refreshing difference in our approach to the altar of sacrifice.

Once the Redeemer has established conviction and repentance in us, we are led to make the confession whereby we are cleansed of both the presence of sin and the action of it. This cleansing is achieved only by the death of the sinfulness within, and the establishment of Christ’s life in its place. This is crucifixion and resurrection with Him, the fellowship of His sufferings and His triumph.

Then follows the dedication at the burnt offering of everything which we are and have, and of the peace offering which follows. The very character of Christ is the spirit of self-sacrifice, denial, and abnegation. A true dedication can only be made by those who share this spirit with the Saviour, but those who do are certainly fellowshipping with Him in close communion. Then if, when you have arrived at this point in your prayer-journey, you are able to see that the spirit motivating you is in fact the spirit of Jesus, it will strengthen your confidence, faith, and hope, and sweeten your entire experience.

So we walk with Jesus to the laver where we make ourselves as presentable as possible for the entry into the holy places. As God is a God of order and spotless cleanliness, our attention to the same principles when approaching Him will certainly remove barriers to close communion with the Lord.

From this point it is but a step to the holy place where the walk with the heavenly trio is closer and sweeter still. Before the traveler is the rising incense by which his prayers are assured of reaching the Father and of gracious answers being returned. As he by faith meditates on this provision of love for intimate access to the infinite Source, his own love and gratitude will be markedly increased and his communion with the Lord brought into a still closer state.

Thus it will also be with the ministry of the candlesticks and the table of showbread.

It will make a great difference to our prayer-journey through the sanctuary if we look for and find the means of access into communion with God at every advancing step. We must discard any idea which suggests that all the steps from the altar of sacrifice to the point of entry into the most holy place are to be dispensed with, and no more attention given them than is strictly necessary in order that we can reach the most holy place where alone communion can be found. Such is a wrong concept, which if held would markedly reduce the level of communion with Christ and through Him, with the Father.

Let us not hasten through the courtyard and the first apartment. Rather, let us seek most earnestly to gather to ourselves for service to others, every blessing the Lord has put into the sanctuary for us. Let us find that every step of our prayer-journey is in fact a walk with Jesus. Let us experience the fullness of blessing in each step as a preparation for even closer communion with the Lord in the next.

Prayer Changes Us

Messenger and News Review, April 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 22

A Word from the Editor

The study of the true science of prayer has long been of interest and blessing to us, but we have to admit that God’s promise to do for us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” has not been realized. Is there anyone among us who can testify to having been blessed to this extent in response to his prayers of faith, or do we find ourselves receiving far less than we could ask or think? Let us answer the question honestly and truthfully and we shall have to sadly admit that there should be far more power in Israel than we find.

There must be a long-hidden reason for this miserable deficiency, and there is. Please study with great care the message which comes in the lead article this month, for it constitutes a very vital breakthrough in our understanding of what has been holding back the manifestation of the Lord’s power among us.

When you grasp and confess the light given in this article, you will see that even though many wrong procedures in our approach to God have been corrected, here is another which, unless brought into harmony with the divine principles, will deny us the gift of the latter rain. That is a price too high to pay.

WE HAVE now advanced in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary to the point where there is but a step left for the entrance into the most holy place and the glorious communion to be experienced there as the climax to the deepening fellowship gained as we have moved from one point to the next.

Receiving More Than We Could Ask or Think

During the prayer-journey to this point, the more effectively and successfully we have taken advantage of every facility made available to us along the way, the greater, the more satisfying, and the more valuable will be the endowment of the divine vitality and living righteousness found and received in the most holy place.

If we truly learn to receive all that the Lord has for us in this journey each day, we will speedily come to the place where the Lord will actually…

Ephesians 3

20 ...do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

We know from the testimony of the Scriptures, that the Lord is well able to do wonderful things which far surpass anything we could think of or ask for, but, that which He is so well able to do, He is frustrated from doing because of the low level of faith, slowness of heart, and retention of sin in those who should be receiving the infinite power of the Lord.

I am sure that most if not all of us lament the fact that we cannot testify yet to God’s having done more for us than we could ask or think. This is not due to any unfaithfulness on God’s part, but to our failure to meet the conditions which remove the restrictions on the flow of God’s mercies to us.

The New Birth

All who have been born again have experienced the removal of these restrictions to a point. Many times I have listened with rapt attention as a new brother or sister related what God’s grace had achieved for and in them. They talked like people inspired and revealed that, before this experience came, they had never once imagined that such a transformation could take place in them or in anyone else at all. God had done for them exceeding abundantly above all that they, at that time, could ask or think.

Often these people begin their responses to God’s appeals by attending the camp meetings and are impressed with the things which they hear, but experience no deliverance though they struggle hard and avail themselves of every opportunity to meet with believers, listen to tapes, and read the books. Sleepless nights are spent agonizing in prayer, but they know that they certainly have not received exceeding abundantly above all that they could ask or think. They had not even been blessed with that for which they had been struggling to receive, let alone anything which was exceeding abundantly above all that they could ask or think.

Then, suddenly, one day or night, the light broke through, and the peace of heaven filled their entire beings. Every desire for known sin, with which they had been struggling, vanished, and a peace, sense of acceptance with God, and conscious victory over sin, flooded their entire beings. When it happens, they cannot stop talking about the miracle of it all. They are filled with wonderment, joy, and praise for their having received exceeding abundantly above all that they thought was possible. They had never understood how emancipated they would be, how free, how joyous, how protected, how totally delivered from Satan’s dominion over them, and how fully identified with God’s family they would become. But now they know by experience that which they could never otherwise have understood.

Having achieved this knowledge, the living experience at the new birth level ceases to be something exceedingly above all that they could ask or think, even as it is now for all who have been born again. But, every day as we make our prayer-journeys through the sanctuary, we should be finding places where the Lord has done exceeding abundantly above all that we could have expected. That many of us are not testifying to such experiences is due to our failure and not God’s. When we learn to pray as we should, the windows of heaven will be flung open, and such a blessing be poured out as we never dreamed possible.

Pentecost

This is what occurred at the outpouring of the former rain at Pentecost. God had not restricted the flow of light and power just for this special occasion. The outpouring was not tied to an arbitrarily prophesied moment in time, so much as to the clearing of the way for its bestowal. The prophecy of the outpouring was conditional and would never have taken place if the conditions had not been met, but, once the obstructions of sin and unbelief were removed, the flood tide came as it could have done at other times in church history.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 38:

It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches of the Spirit’s grace.

The fact that Heaven was able at Pentecost to pour out the riches of the Spirit’s power, is a clear declaration that previously there was a blockage which had to be removed before the Spirit could be rained upon the needy disciples. No blame for this can be leveled at God. It was the unbelief of the Lord’s professed people that prevented the removal of the restraint.

While the Saviour was still among them, He spent hours describing the nature, character, power, and work of the Holy Spirit and promised that this unlimited power would be given them. They were to tarry in Jerusalem until the gift was bestowed upon them. But they emerged from these teaching sessions with very dim and limited understandings of Him who would so soon be manifest in the church. God was about to do for them exceeding abundantly above all that they could then ask or think. But their concepts were too limited to grasp the Saviour’s words.

But, when the incomparable gift was bestowed upon them, they were lost in wonder. This was that which for exceeded their greatest hopes and eager expectations, as it is written:

Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, “Herein is love.” They grasped the imparted gift. And what followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day.

When they came to that wonderful day, the Lord most certainly gave them that which exceeded their loftiest anticipations and, in so doing, filled them with unspeakable joy, and heartfelt praise.

The Latter Rain

So it will be again when the latter rain comes on God’s waiting, praying people. Then the Lord will certainly endow us with light, power, love, and fellowship which today is far higher than any human thought can reach.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 16:

It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth.

But, we are not to relax with the idea that the only time we can expect the Lord to do great things beyond what we can ask or think is when the latter rain falls. At every step through the prayer-journey in the sanctuary, we are to have large expectations of the manifestations of God’s incomparable and infinite goodness, rather than to pass hurriedly through, doubting that the Lord will do anything remarkable. So weak is the faith of many, so accustomed are they to receiving virtually nothing in response to their formal petitions, that they expect little, and so do not really seek for much. Consequently, it is a remarkable witness to the endearing love of God that they receive anything at all.

Why We Don’t Receive

When meager and unsatisfactory results of a prayer-journey through the sanctuary are all that are achieved, it is time to be asking some very searching questions as to why this is so. There is the pressing need to rest not until the answers are found.

Already we have been made aware of a number of reasons for unanswered prayer. The true science of prayer has been taught; we have learned that on Calvary Jesus has already gained the victory for us, Satan is to be looked upon as a conquered foe, and the Lord invites us to accept the victory as our very own. We know that God alone is the Problem-solver, the Plan-maker, and the Burden-bearer, and that any prayer which fails to recognize Him in those roles is certain to remain unanswered.

All this is very wonderful, but there still remains a problem in our approach to God which has been undiscerned and its solution therefore unsought. It is a comfort to know that, in this case, once the problem stands revealed, the solution is readily discernible.

The Nagging Child Approach

The problem referred to here is the product of the parents’ unwitting but fearfully damaging upbringing of their offspring by which the elders have imparted to the little ones a concept of God and how to approach Him, which is far distant from the truth. Let us consider this from the point of view of the importunity of the child in his approach to his parents, as compared with the importunity of the Christian in his approach to his heavenly parents. First considerations would incline one to the belief that there is no difference between the one and the other, and that the child’s relentless pleas maintained until his request is supplied, is a fitting illustration of the determination with which the believer is to seek God for the answer to his prayers. It is true that the tenacity of the little one is to be exercised by the adult suppliant, but, from that point on, any similarity disappears to be replaced by a compelling lesson in what not to do.

Little children early learn that, if they pester their parents long and irritatingly enough, they will give them whatever they want, whether it be for their good or not, and whether it be what they want them to have or not. Thus the acquirement of those desires over which parents have control depends on the child’s changing the parent. He does so by making the parents’ decision so costly that they are glad in the end to yield.

Persistence Required...

This does not mean that we are to pray but once for the blessing and then leave the matter entirely in God’s care. On the contrary we are to be constant and unceasing in the presentation of our petitions to the Most High. This truth is repeated time and again in the divine counsels.

When Elijah’s first prayer did not bring the required answer, the prophet prayed again and again until it did.

Daniel persisted for three full weeks until Gabriel finally appeared with the assurance that his prayer was heard and answered.

Jacob clung to the Lord with the cry,

Genesis 32

26 ...I will not let You go unless You bless me!

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 203:

Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His experience testifies to the power of importunate prayer. It is now that we are to learn this lesson of prevailing prayer, of unyielding faith. The greatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power.

Those who are unwilling to forsake every sin and to seek earnestly for God’s blessing, will not obtain it. But all who will lay hold of God’s promises as did Jacob, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded.

Luke 18

7 Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?

8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

Early Writings, p. 73:

We should be much in secret prayer. Christ is the vine, you are the branches. And if we would grow and flourish, we must continually draw sap and nourishment from the Living Vine; for separated from the Vine we have no strength.

I asked the angel why there was no more faith and power in Israel. He said, “You let go of the arm of the Lord too soon. Press your petitions to the throne, and hold on by strong faith. The promises are sure. Believe you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them.” I was then pointed to Elijah. He was subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly. His faith endured the trial. Seven times he prayed before the Lord, and at last the cloud was seen.

Prophets and Kings, p. 156-157:

It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel. As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered. . . . Faith such as this is needed in the world today—faith that will lay hold on the promises of God’s word and refuse to let go until Heaven hears.

These are but a few of the many statements which teach the vital truth that unwearied persistence in placing our situations before the Lord will certify that, ultimately, He will hear and answer, whereas to ask but once and leave it at that, means that the petitioner will never receive the answer he seeks and the blessing he so much needs. Look again at the statement written in regard to Jacob’s experience at the brook:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 203:

Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His experience testifies to the power of importunate prayer.

...But Not Nagging

That is what the pesky child also learns by experience. He knows the power of incessant asking until the parent’s resolve is dissolved and he gets what he wants. Thus it seems that the lesson learned in childhood is a splendid preparation for an adult approach to God in prayer. In fact, the word chosen by Sister White to describe this element of successful prayer, the word “importunate,” is one of the best suited for the purpose.

According to Webster it means:

“Burdensome, troublesome, troublesomely urgent, overly persistent in request or demand.”

That word exactly describes the child’s approach to its parents. It also describes the true Christian’s approach to the Lord. Does this mean that there is no difference between the children of the world and the children of God in this respect?

Even though we might not immediately discern any difference, our knowledge of the principles of God’s kingdom versus those of the prince of darkness, alerts us to the fact that there must be a critical dissimilarity between them, and there is. One is of the Lord and fully reflects His ways, while the other is expressive of the devil. The sure outworking of the one will make those who adopt it, mighty in prayer, while the use of the other guarantees that the prayer life will be a hopeless failure.

What then is the difference?

In the case of the child, the objective which he doggedly pursues is a change in the parent. When he firstly approaches the one in whose hands is that which he wants, he might find his father or mother or both quite firm in the determination not to give him what he asks. This stand can be taken for a number of reasons, some of which are valid, while others might be inspired by selfish reasons.

Unless the elders can be induced to change their position, the little one has no hope of acquiring that on which its affections are fixed. The negative response to the initial request, is the signal to the child to go to war in order to achieve a change in the parents’ thinking. To do this he misbehaves. Showing utter rejection of parental authority, he now pesters his elders. If this does not work, he might become sulky or maybe throw a tantrum.

The mother and father try to control him, but the harder they seek to do this, the worse the little one behaves, until, in sheer desperation, the supposed king and queen of the home surrender to the authority of the subject.

This does not happen in every home for there are some parents who will not be moved from their positions and decisions no matter how hard the child might try. These homes are not necessarily the expression of God’s ways, for some parents who do rule with unbending authority, are despotic and unreasonable.

Analyzing the Child’s Approach

There are two main characteristics of the child’s approach to its parents. The first is the belief that the parents must change. The second is misbehavior—the means of obtaining this change. This means that his importunity has the objective of changing the wrong person, while, at the same time it diminishes what goodness he might have had, and markedly increases his own wickedness.

Any child who is accustomed to dealing with his parents in this manner, will grow up with the same attitudes toward God. Without even thinking to challenge the idea, he will carry the conviction through life that his only hope is to somehow persuade God to acquiesce to his demands. “Changing God,” is seen by him as being his only hope. The vital truth that he is the one to be changed through prayer never occurs to him. Therefore, he never achieves the purity of life which clears the way for the Lord to work. Inevitably, in his bitter disappointment, he charges God with unfaithfulness to His word, and His promises as being unreliable.

In the cases of those who have had despotic parents, the child grows up feeling negative about approaching God at all. But even this child carries with him the concept that God must do the changing.

It must be immediately apparent that God cannot be approached with the idea that He must change. To come to Him in this way is to ensure that our prayers will not be answered. We, not God, are the ones to be changed, and importunity in prayer is one of the means necessary to achieve this. Therefore, the prayers which do not effect changes in us will never receive the answers we so desperately need. See how the prayer of Elijah changed and changed him until that great man of God was enabled to receive the answer needed at that time. See how his importunity worked to bring him into a closer and more harmonious relationship with the Lord, so that he became more and more righteous, not more and more rebellious, unrighteous, or discouraged. See how there was not even the suggestion in his pleadings that there should be any change or relenting on God’s part. See these vital principles until the powerful conviction fixes upon you that your importunity is not to change the unchangeable God in the slightest, but is to effect such transformations in your life as will remove the obstructions which prevent the mighty manifestations of the Lord’s life, power, and light.

The Example of Elijah

See all this in what Elijah’s prayer did for him:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1035:

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said, “Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.”

What an effective prayer that was! How mighty and how powerful were the results! The rains came, the drought was broken, and the way opened for a mighty reformation to take place in Israel. All this was possible through the changes made in Elijah through his prayer, the wonderful means whereby he was rendered fit to receive larger and still larger blessings from God.

It was through prayers which had progressively changed him, that he became the mighty man of faith who could stand fearlessly and successfully on Mt. Carmel, but apparently that was not enough to qualify him for the effective supplication which at last brought the drought breaking rains. Before he could achieve that victory, there had to be more changes made in him, transformations which could only have been effected by the kind of prayer which contains not even the remotest suggestion that God be modified, but which achieves marvelous sanctifications in the one praying.

A Problem That Affects Us All

At first, those who read these words might scorn the idea that, in their pleadings with the Lord, they are guilty of the awful sin of placing pressure on the Almighty to modify His righteous principles so as to accommodate their needs, but a more careful, heart searching examination of their approach to the Lord will soon show that we all stand under condemnation in this area.

But then, how can it be otherwise in view of the representations of God which were given to us by our well-intentioned but otherwise misinformed parents who unwittingly gave us a false education in the way to approach God. They did the best that they knew, but, living as they did during a period when the light of the gospel was hidden from view because of the prevailing apostasy in the churches, they never realized the nature of the education they were providing us. In any case, we are not interested in apportioning blame. Instead, we need to understand what we were taught and why that, being so terribly wrong, has to be discarded in favor of the correct way.

Even though we might have only hazy memories of our childhood tactics so that we cannot now analyze them accurately and objectively, we can be sure that they were of the wrong character as outlined in this chapter. The simplest way to confirm this is to examine with a discerning mind, the true nature of our approach to God.

You will find, as I certainly did, that there has been the disposition to somehow achieve a change in God, while the thought that we were the ones needing to be changed was reserved for prayers or those parts of prayers confessing and putting away sin. In those prayers we did expect the change to be wrought in us, not in God. The result was that those prayers did change us for the better, but they are the smaller part of our prayers. The greater proportion of our prayer time is spent in seeking other blessings from Him, the things which we feel we need and must have.

But, the Lord is too wise to give us just what we think we must have.

The Desire of Ages, p. 266:

When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask,...

Or it may be that we are unable to receive the blessing. Jesus recognized for instance, that Peter, James, and John, were able to receive more than the others, for which reason they were taken to witness the transfiguration, and were called by Christ to be nearer to Him than were the other disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was not favoritism, but a recognition of the capacity of the three on the one hand, and the lack of it on the part of the others.

Likewise Moses was the only man on the face of the earth who could actually enter into God’s presence on the mountain and then remain there for forty days each on two occasions. Joshua had the capacity to be on the mountain but outside of God’s immediate presence, while the rest of the people had to remain behind a fence around the bottom. God was not showing favoritism toward Moses. Gladly would Jehovah have descended to the people and have talked to them all directly, but they were unable to receive the message in this way.

Whatever the cause might be, quite often we pray for things which have been promised, and which we believe it is God’s will to give us, but apparently receive nothing in reply. Then, unless we have been delivered from our childhood training, we will begin to find fault with the Lord. We will feel let down and betrayed. Inspired by the beauty and power in the promises, we came to the Lord in strong faith expecting much, even more than we could ask or think, only to come away, as far as we could see, with very little if anything. After carefully checking to see if we had met all the specified conditions, and had asked only for what the Lord had promised, and warmed by the assurance that we had the right spirit and motives, we are sure that no change is needed with us. God must be the one at fault.

However, we dare not foster nor speak that thought for it is too terrible to contemplate, but nevertheless, it is the operative force in the subconscious.

Now we have a very real problem. We know that the Lord is the only Source to supply our needs, but He has “refused” to supply what has been requested. Let us assume that the need is so critical that we absolutely must have it. So the situation requires an answer; God alone has the answer to the problem, and He has promised to supply it. But, we conclude,

“He has not kept His promise”;

–for some reason or another,

“He has chosen not to keep His word.”

In the meantime, we are quite sure that our need and our prayer of faith entitle us to the blessing.

What is the only conclusion to which a person with the above described thought-pattern will come? He will most certainly decide that the only possible solution is to change God. Somehow He must be induced to change His mind, to have second thoughts on the matter, to see the case in a different light, and thus be led to modify His decision.

So then, the suppliant becomes importunate. He begins to “plead with the Almighty;” to “beseech” and “beg” Him. If this fails to bring results, then he will become more or less discouraged or rebellious, according to his childhood behavior. Even if he manages to remain with the Lord, he will still experience nagging doubts about God’s justice. Furthermore, all of this can happen to a person who, as far as he is consciously aware, believes that God does not need to change. But, under sufficient pressure, those hidden but motivating beliefs and habit patterns acquired in childhood will emerge into activity. They might be undiscerned at first, but they are there, diminishing our enthusiasm for prayer, and leading to discouragement or rebellion.

This is misbehavior by which, just as a child we aimed to change our parents, so now we seek to pressure God into having second thoughts about His decisions, and accordingly to modify them. Then our thoughts, even though unconsciously, become so focused on “the problem” that the Lord has become to us, that we do not even stop to think that we are the ones who need to change.

For a very long time we have understood these principles, but they have been insufficiently defined in our minds for us to eliminate every false procedure from our prayers. There is much more to be developed on this theme and this will be done in the next chapter where illustrations taken from the Scriptures will make these truths absolutely clear.

Man-Changing Prayers

What we must realize is that no prayer will ever accomplish any change in God, for He has no need to change, and is therefore unchangeable. He rightly declares:

Malachi 3

6 For I am the Lord, I do not change.

Let that truth be fully and forever settled in the minds of God’s people. Then we shall be delivered from the fearful mistake of trying to do the impossible.

At the same time, we are to learn that every prayer, not just those concerned with repentance and confession, is supposed to change us. Let us be established on the truth that:

Steps to Christ, p. 93:

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

Every step we take in our prayer-journey through the sanctuary is designed by Heaven to change us. Therefore we are to enter into every prayer-journey to be changed. We are to expect it and to experience it. To this end every condition must be met. If we are not changed then we have not received the ministry of God as He planned we should. This must lead us to reexamine our approach to God, so that, in the changes in us that this must bring, we shall be enabled to receive the blessing.

In the sanctuary, the Lord has wonderful ministries through which He will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think, but He is unable to because, instead of our prayers being of the character that will change us until we are able to receive these wonders, we are busy trying to change Him. Until we are delivered from so gross an evil, the loud cry can never come.

Prayer That Brings Us Up to God

Messenger and News Review, May 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 23

A Word from the Editor

There has already been a very positive response on the part of many to the message on the power of importunate prayer. Believers are realizing that, while we thought we really knew and were established on the truth that God does not change, there has been a subtle, subconscious denial of this in the actual practice of our approach to God. It is being seen that we have felt that, if only we prayed long and hard enough, the Lord would relent and give us what we need. To those of us who have been able to see the true nature of our prayers to God, this vital revelation has come as quite a shock. There is now no wonder that we are not receiving the answers we rightfully expected, nor that the latter rain has not fallen.

Those who have realized the problem have taken immediate steps to ensure that there is not the slightest thought or intention of calling on God to change, and have turned their attention to discovering instead where they need to change.

The result is that these believers are finding a new power in their prayers such as they had previously longed for but never found. As these continue in this kind of praying, they will realize more and more of the blessings and power of the Almighty, and the way will be prepared for the descent of the latter rain and the speedy finishing of the work.

THE last chapter closed with the thought that the latter rain can never fall until we have been utterly delivered from every trace of any disposition or effort to persuade God to change in order to supply our needs or to accommodate our desires or wishes. But why should this be?

Babylonian Prayers

The answer, at least when it is pointed out, should be obvious enough. To expend effort to effect a change in God is to declare that you know what is for your best good better than He does. Of course you would not be so bold as to think and boast that you are greater than the Almighty, but this does not change the reality of the claim nonetheless. Even the slightest murmur against the Lord or the least feeling of discontent with His decisions shows that there is still a subtle but definite sinful disposition and belief which say that you think yourself wiser than God and that He should change His thinking and redirect His power to change your circumstances thus making things easier for you.

It would be impossible to make a worse approach to the Omnipotent One than to come in the role of a supposed superior to Him while He is regarded as an inferior. Is not this the very foundation and heart of the attitude which Lucifer developed in his approach to Jehovah? Is not this the very essence of Babylonianism’s vaunted pride, and revolt against high heaven? This is the very nature of sin. It separates the soul from God, and leaves him exposed to the destructive forces waiting to engulf him.

Probably the most blatant manifestation of this kind of prayer is found in the Roman Catholic service of the Mass, when before all the people, the priest claims to actually change the wafer and the wine into the actual person of Jesus Christ, who, according to their teaching, has no option but to come at the priest’s command. The entire objective of such a prayer is to change God, to create Him out of a piece of bread and a small quantity of wine. Thus men act as though they are in command of the Creator. This is certainly an effort on their part to change God, not themselves.

It is not surprising therefore that the Catholic writers state:

The Mass is the very heart of Catholic worship. Just as the heart pumps the life-giving blood to every member of the body, vitalizing and nourishing it, so the Mass radiates its abundant graces and merits to all the subordinate devotions of the church, enriching and invigorating them with its own might and power. As the planets cluster around the sun, from which they receive their light and heat, so do all the various types of prayer and ritual cluster around the sacrifice of the Mass. It is the central act of worship in the Catholic Church and no other devotion can compare with it in spiritual richness and efficacy.

“For sheer beauty, dignity, and sublimity,” says Father J. M. Cooper, “there is naught in the whole realm of religious literature that can compare with the prayers of the Mass as the outpouring of the human heart’s deepest reverence and purest love and warmest pleading to the Father of us all. In their sustained majesty and in their august simplicity they are a worthy setting for the supreme act of Christian worship. And they are the more venerable and beloved by us in that for nearly a millennium and a half they have been consecrated by the untold millions who in all ages and climes and races have professed faith in and loyalty to the Eucharistic Christ.”24 The Faith of Millions, p. 307, by John A. O’Brien, published by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, Indiana, 1974.

In the Mass, the priests on behalf of the worshiping people pray to the Lord Most High, but it is a supplication in and through which the roles of God and man are reversed, if that were possible. It is intended to be a God-changing prayer. It is claimed that, when the priest prays over the bread and wine, Christ bodily comes down and enters into these two items. Furthermore, it is claimed that God has authorized this whole approach to himself; that He has actually directed the priest to tell Him when to change and that He will immediately obey when called down from heaven. It is not the least bit surprising then that this prayer is hailed by Catholic writers and speakers as being the living, throbbing heart of the papal system of religion. Let it not be forgotten that the papacy is the most developed continuation of Satan’s rebellion, an uprising for the purpose of inducing God to change His laws so that the unholy ambitions of that brightest of all angels could be accommodated, no matter what the cost to others might be.

The Roman Catholic Church, being as she is the continuation of that first sinful revolt against God, must today hold and teach a prayer-structure which aims at changing the Creator, not His creatures. If this were not so, that is, if the papacy taught her people to pray people-changing and not God-changing prayers, she would be neither the papacy nor Babylon, but would be the true church of God.

Even though we have unwittingly prayed in such a way as to expect the Lord to change to suit our ideas of how the promises are to be fulfilled, that kind of prayer can only be Babylonian or papal. That is a terrible fact which no amount of sincere ignorance can change. Rather, the more intense the sincerity attending the Babylonian prayer, the more serious is the damage done and the farther the soul is separated from the Lord and His salvation.

Over the years we have been progressively delivered from Babylonian and papal ideas, concepts, theories, and practices. For instance, we learned that the deliverance from sin’s bondage can be accomplished only by the eradication of the sinful nature and its replacement by the seed of Christ. This is a principle of operation rejected by every Babylonian church organization. But, we accepted the truth, saw a mighty deliverance effected in our lives, and took a great step out of Babylon.

Other outbound steps followed as we saw the light on the nature of Christ, the character of God, and God’s Sabbath rest, to name but a few of the great separating truths.

Now it becomes obvious that another leap for life must be taken. Babylon must be left still farther behind.

Unless this step is added to the others already made, it is clear that the Lord could never send the latter rain on a person who seeks to effect a change in the Lord, however subtly or ignorantly he might have tried to do so. We need to recognize the structure of our prayers so that we can identify them as Christian or Babylonian, answerable or unanswerable as the case may be. There is no room for carelessness, superficiality, or self-delusion in this analysis of our prayer type. We must know that we have taken this step out of Babylon, or the consequences will be too terrible for contemplation. If we do not come to see and understand the true nature of our prayers, the day will certainly come when, too late to make the required changes, we will see what we ought to have seen and done today, and will know that our indolence will have caused our eternal damnation.

Qualifications for the Latter Rain

Before the outpouring of that promised blessing which…

The Desire of Ages, p. 672:

...claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train,

–we have to develop the ability to project such prayers to heaven as will work great changes in us. We long for the outpouring of Heaven’s richest treasures of grace and wonder why we receive so little of the promised blessing, when our problem lies in the failure on our part by…

The Great Controversy, p. 425:

...the grace of God and our own diligent effort...

–to become qualified to receive the rich blessings with which Heaven longs to endow us. If we could now see the quality of persons which we must become before we are fit to receive the latter rain, we would realize the frightening extent to which we fall short, and the sheer urgency of taking up the work while there is still some time left.

The beginning of this transformation was effected when we were reborn, but great and wonderful as that transformation was, it was not enough to qualify us for the unlimited outpouring of the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. There must follow an unbroken succession of changes until we are fully qualified to receive all that can be received in this life. This thought of becoming qualified for the endowment of heaven’s treasures is one which must grip our minds with force and clarity until we are activated into the most diligent effort in concert with the grace of God. This thought of increased capacity is iterated and reiterated throughout the Scriptures. Once the mind has been alerted to the existence of this principle, it becomes amazing to us how often it is stated or illustrated in God’s written word.

See how the thought is expressed in this statement:

Steps to Christ, p. 93:

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

These are words worthy of sincere, thoughtful, and prayerful meditation. As our supplications do not change God in even the slightest degree, they are not offered for His benefit, even though prayers of true, living, and intelligent faith do bring joy to His great heart of infinite love. But their true objective is to enable us to receive Him.

This means that there is a direct relationship between the effectiveness, frequency, and constancy of our supplications and the level of our capacity to receive the gifts from heaven. Those who bend their knees each morning for a few fleeting moments during which they repeat the same set of formal words, make no progress in spiritual development at all, but steadily sink lower and lower in the scale of developed qualification.

On the other hand, there are those who understand to some degree the truth that we are not recipients of God’s grace merely to be saved from this sin-cursed earth, but are here until our earthly life ends or the Saviour appears, to be ever more efficient and powerful co-workers with the heavenly agencies. Fitness for this work is not achieved by the working of a sudden, effortless miracle, but by exercising to the stretch, every power and talent at our command, while in ever closer communion with Christ we send supplications to the sanctuary above which change us from one level of proficiency to ever higher ones.

While the men and women of the world are totally devoted to the acquisition of wealth for the pursuit of a life of ease and pleasure, the dedicated child of God is concentrating on achieving the progressive fitness necessary to serve the Lord with undivided heart. These are they who learn the power of importunate prayer, the communion which makes no attempt to change God, but effectively transforms the believer from glory to glory.

We must come to the place where we thoroughly awaken to the realization that…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

All who are fitted for usefulness must be trained by the severest mental and moral discipline, and God will assist them by uniting divine power with human effort.

The Experience of Moses

An outstanding example of this is given in the sanctification of Moses who spent most of the first forty years of his life in the Egyptian court where very little if any virtue and morality were to be found.

The Development of Pride

During that time he was being changed in many aspects of his life, not over to the way of the Lord, but over to the philosophies of the sophisticated Egyptians. Before he could ever undertake the mission for which he had been born, there had to be a complete reversal of the direction in which he was being taken.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

Moses had been learning much that he must unlearn. The influences that had surrounded him in Egypt—the love of his foster mother, his own high position as the king’s grandson, the dissipation on every hand, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a false religion, the splendor of idolatrous worship, the solemn grandeur of architecture and sculpture—all had left deep impressions upon his developing mind and had molded, to some extent, his habits and character. Time, change of surroundings, and communion with God could remove these impressions. It would require on the part of Moses himself a struggle as for life to renounce error and accept truth, but God would be his helper when the conflict should be too severe for human strength.

Those were indeed subtle and powerful influences which tended to establish changes in him that unfitted him for his lifework and so drew him away from the Lord. Mentioned first was the love of his foster mother. Here was a powerful woman dedicated to the religion and life-style of the mightiest and richest nation then on the earth. She loved Moses very deeply and exerted all the powerful influences of that intense affection to integrate him totally into her way of life. Her objective was to lead him to forget his Jewish heritage and the God of his people, and become an Egyptian in every sense of the word.

It would be natural for him to respond to that love and thus seek to please her in all things, yet at the same time, he could not entirely forget that he was the offspring of Abraham even though he was a few generations removed from the father of the faithful. It therefore behooved him to act as was fitting for God’s children. What fierce conflicts must have raged within him as he sought to be true to God and, at the same time, honor his loving foster mother!

As the occupant of the high position of the king’s son, he would have been required to attend civil and religious functions, and to officiate at some of them. No doubt his heart was not truly in these performances, yet he could not entirely escape from the effects of being present. Dressed in the richest apparel, standing or sitting with the mighty Pharaoh, and honored by all the people, was enough to lift his heart in pride.

We today associate Moses with humility, for of him it is written,

Numbers 12

3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.

However, those words were not written of him while he was the king’s son in Egypt during which he was not the meekest man on the face of the earth. It was during his forty wilderness years that…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 251:

Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.

If during that period he became patient, reverent, and humble, he must have been impatient, irreverent, and proud before he entered the new phase of his education as a keeper of sheep. Those were some of the results of the time he spent as the king’s heir in the country of the Nile.

The Solemn Grandeur of Architecture

The context and the environment in which this schooling took place was also highly conducive to impatience, irreverence, and pride. Think of the insidious influence and persuasive power of false religion, the all pervading message of which is the supremacy of man, who controls all things according to his will and purpose so that even the gods are obedient to him. If any man should doubt the “truth” of this, he has but to behold the evidence of it in the marvelous achievements of that super race. “The solemn grandeur of architecture and sculpture” continually and convincingly argued how great the nation was whose gifted men could conceive, design, and execute such marvels of construction. It was impossible for the Egyptians themselves to look upon these massive monuments to their extraordinary abilities without experiencing the comfortable assurance that Egypt was the immortal kingdom which would never pass away.

Immersed in this atmosphere, continually surrounded by these convincing and seemingly irrefutable arguments, and participant in the activities at the heart of the whole idolatrous system, Moses was molded to some extent and greatly needed to be changed into the image of His Maker before he could undertake his lifework.

It is quite easy to understand how Moses could be and was influenced by these factors. Very recently I stood in the midst of the new Darling Harbor development on the shores of Sydney Harbor. The area, once covered with shabby buildings, aging warehouses, an ugly foreshore, and dingy offices, had been transformed into a showplace of massive concrete and gleaming glass to commemorate the completion of the first two hundred years of European settlement in Australia. It was a wonder to behold, a masterpiece of human skill and engineering, upon which one could not gaze without feeling that all this had come to stay, that man was indeed the master of his environment, and could safely fashion his own destiny.

The effect was heightened by the solid but graceful freeways curving overhead, and, just across the water, by the cluster of towering office buildings that marked downtown Sydney. I was amazed at what development had gone on since I last saw the city from such a vantage point. Building after lofty building had been reared toward the clouds. There were concrete, steel, and glass structures of dizzy heights. It was an impressive sight.

As I stood there, my thoughts turned to Moses in Egypt, and then I began to study myself to see what feelings were forming in me as I contemplated the scene before me. I quickly discerned that I tended to feel comfortable, assured, and safe in the midst of it all, and I understood how those same feelings would tend to grow on Moses as day by day he continually lived, worked, and played in the midst of the glorious products of man’s skill.

I then turned my thoughts to the operational principles of God’s government which alone have the capacity of immortality, and to the oft repeated Scriptural warnings that no matter how solid the foundations, or well constructed the buildings, they would eventually pass away as in a moment when the time comes. He who invests his future in the securities which men have built up, will crash with them when they come tumbling down.

Time Needed to Remove the Impressions

In Moses’ case,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

Time, change of surroundings, and communion with God [removed these impressions, but it required] on the part of Moses himself a struggle as for life to renounce error and accept truth.

It took time—forty long years of it—to produce in Moses the changes necessary for him to qualify as the man to lead Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. Time is something we find hard to endure. All our days in the advent message have been lived in the hope and expectancy of the immediate return of the coming King. But He has not yet returned, and the sin-cursed earth rushes on its agonizing way to the certain fate of ultimate self-destruction.

Why has He not come? Why does He tarry so long while countless waiting saints come under the power of death and are laid in their graves?

It is because we have not yet caught on to the profound changes which must take place in every one of us before we are fit and able to receive the latter rain. It took forty years of the most intense soul searching and changing before Moses emerged ready for his work. Somehow he saw the need for himself and not God to be changed, and went to work to see this achieved in him with a dedication which would accept nothing less than the very best.

One of the great problems on the part of the early advent believers which contributed very significantly to their permanently sinking into the Laodicean condition, was their unwillingness to accept the fact that it would take time for the Laodicean message to do its work, even though they were plainly told by the Lord that time would be involved and that the work could not be accomplished in a few short months, as the following statement, written in 1859, shows:

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 186:

I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred everywhere. Nearly all believed that this message would end in the loud cry of the third angel. But as they failed to see the powerful work accomplished in a short time, many lost the effect of the message. I saw that this message would not accomplish its work in a few short months. It is designed to arouse the people of God, to discover to them their backslidings, and to lead to zealous repentance, that they may be favored with the presence of Jesus, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel. As this message affected the heart, it led to deep humility before God. Angels were sent in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts for the truth. The cause of God began to rise, and His people were acquainted with their position. If the counsel of the True Witness had been fully heeded, God would have wrought for His people in greater power. Yet the efforts made since the message has been given, have been blessed of God, and many souls have been brought from error and darkness to rejoice in the truth.

The advent believers who made up the church when these words of counsel were given by the Lord, missed their opportunity of being fitted for translation because they were not prepared, as Moses was, to spend every moment of time at their command to be changed more and more into the likeness of Christ. Instead, we cherish the idea that the Lord is coming very soon, and all we have to do is to occupy until He comes.25 PP Editor’s note: The command, “Occupy till I come,” is taken from the parable of the nobleman who went into a far country, Luke 19:12-27. Fred is not denying this command, but is pointing to what the Lord meant by it, and not our misunderstanding of it. This is a potentially fatal mistake. In some way or the other the Lord must succeed in arousing us from our torpid state, and galvanize us into the intensive work of soul searching and affliction which will draw from us prayers designed to change us and not God.

There is not a moment to lose. We have to realize with frightening clarity that, while the work will take time, there is none to spare. Every moment left to us is fraught with eternal consequences, and each aspirant for translation must organize the time available to him so as to extract the utmost advantage in the struggle to change from what we are to what we need to be.

Make a study of how the hours of your day are spent. Then begin a work of disciplined elimination of all that is detrimental to the one all-important work of soul preparation, followed by the clearing away of all that is good enough in itself, but makes no profitable contribution to the objective of being fully fitted to receive the latter rain.

A Qualified People

It will be a people of extraordinary qualifications through whom the Lord will finish the work, but no one will arrive at this pinnacle of proficiency by an instant miracle of divine grace. They will climb to the required level of capability by the combination of their own intensely diligent effort and the enabling grace of God. Most, if not all of us have yet to learn what the word “diligent” means when used in this context. We have yet to realize what it means to be truly disciplined, to put every physical, mental, and spiritual power to the stretch. The time has come for us to absolutely turn our backs on the world and its treasures, and set our faces fully towards the kingdom. Let every prayer you breathe change you. Plead with the Lord to reveal to you what changes you need to make, and then lay hold of His grace to make them.

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.

A Thorough Work Takes Time

Messenger and News Review, June & July 1988 [combined issue]

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 24

A Word from the Editor

We must recognize that the probationary time given to us during our brief earthly journey, is provided for the express purpose of our being changed more and more into the divine likeness. The work begins with a person who is wholly unfit for the kingdom—the unrepentant, unregenerate sinner, and must reach certain well-defined levels before entry into heaven can be granted.

To meet these requirements, we tend to overlook the key factor in making this work possible—the establishment of the new life in the soul, which is correctly known as the new birth. With that, all the other facilities can successfully play their part, but without it, all of them combined to the best degree will fail to bring the desired result.

Earnest daily prayer sessions, diligent Bible study, transfer to congenial surroundings, stern discipline, and rigorous self-denial, are all of great value but only if the candidate for heaven has been born again. Therefore, whatever you do, make certain that Christ is in you, for this is your hope of glory. Do not put your confidence in a supposed experience, but rest not until you know you have been born again. Then, add these other factors to change you into fitness for His service and for a place in the coming kingdom.

Affliction of Soul

WHEN we gain an accurate realization of the heights to which we shall have to attain before we have the capacity to receive the latter rain, we will begin to realize how far we still fall short of the required standard. At the same time, we will be aware of how painfully slow we are at learning the lessons which must be mastered before we achieve the needed fitness to receive the Holy Spirit in His fullness, and thus give the loud cry.

When we comprehend these things, we will not be dismayed at the time it will take, nor complain about the situation. Rather, we shall be very, very thankful that the Lord does provide all the time that is required. But, how much time do we really have? No one knows for certain, but the multiplying signs herald a very imminent appearance of the coming King. Our Saviour is soon to appear to deliver His people and take them home. Great changes will have to be accomplished within us in a remarkably short time. That which took forty years to be accomplished in Moses, will have to be done in us in a much shorter period of time. We have not a minute to spare but will need every moment remaining in which to make ready for that event.

The hour of opportunity will pass sooner than we expect as is verified by the experience of the ten virgins. When the bridegroom did not appear in the early evening, they did not look for him to come before the morning. Then, to their surprise and the eternal unpreparedness of most of them, he arrived at midnight, long before the new day when they expected him. The message, not to be ignored, is that we are not to count on time which we think is still available for our preparation, when in fact it is not there.

“While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” (Matt. 25:5) These changes which must be made to qualify us for that which is coming, are not accomplished automatically. God takes nothing from us, implants no attributes within us, and effects no changes in our characters, attitudes, and thinking without our knowledge, assent, and active participation. We must search our souls through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the inspired Word, to discover every thing, no matter how seemingly insignificant it might be, which is unlike Christ and does not truly reflect the divine principles.

This work was taught in the typical sanctuary service when, for the ten days preceding the great day of atonement, the entire congregation were required to afflict their souls and make certain that every sin had been sent to the sanctuary before the terrible day of judgment.

There was no frivolity during that period. Rather, pervading the encampment was a sense of great urgency, profound earnestness, and godly fear that they would not complete the work of preparation within the allotted time. They showed they understood the solemn import of the words:

Leviticus 23

27 Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering by fire to the Lord.

28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.

29 For any person who is not afflicted of soul on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people.

30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

The threatened separation was without appeal. Those who failed to afflict their souls were separated forever from the camp. Never again could they return so long as they lived. Thus denied of the ministration of the sanctuary as the type of the heavenly ministration, they were cut off from the provisions of salvation and were eternally lost.

It was even worse for them if they worked on that day. Then they were destroyed.

These may seem harsh penalties, but there was no excuse in view of the sternness and the clarity of the warning given. More importantly though, the penalties had to be an accurate type of what will transpire when the great, final day of atonement shall take up the cases of the dead, and then of the living. When that work is completed, probation will have closed forever. Then, as it was in the type in the Old Testament, those who have frittered away their hours of opportunity without making certain that they met the conditions for the reception of the latter rain, the battle against the beast and his image, and the final atonement, will find themselves forever separated from the Lord and His people. There will be no way back then.

Nor can it be any other way. They have despised the Lord’s gracious provisions, and have thus placed themselves where they cannot return. This is their own doing, not the Lord’s. He would have saved them had they been willing to accept the provisions of His abundant grace, but when they did not, they took themselves into eternal separation.

Paul’s Exhortation

Paul was one who realized the necessity of casting aside every single unnecessary interest and activity, and concentrating on the one supreme task of obtaining the fitness to participate in the Lord’s work and taking one’s place in the coming kingdom. His great anxiety was that the believers of his time be led to likewise see and understand the lengths to which they must push themselves in order to obtain the crown which shall never pass away. It is even more needful for us to apply these same stringent requirements to our present preparation today. Ponder carefully the following paragraphs to see if the preparation we are making measures up to the Lord’s specifications:

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 309-312:

In the hope of impressing vividly upon the minds of the Corinthian believers the importance of firm self-control, strict temperance, and unflagging zeal in the service of Christ, Paul in his letter to them made a striking comparison between the Christian warfare and the celebrated foot races held at stated intervals near Corinth. Of all the games instituted among the Greeks and the Romans, the foot races were the most ancient and the most highly esteemed. They were witnessed by kings, nobles, and statesmen. Young men of rank and wealth took part in them and shrank from no effort or discipline necessary to obtain the prize.

The contests were governed by strict regulations from which there was no appeal. Those who desired their names entered as competitors for the prize had first to undergo a severe preparatory training. Harmful indulgence of appetite, or any other gratification that would lower mental or physical vigor, was strictly forbidden. For one to have any hope of success in these trials of strength and speed, the muscles must be strong and supple, and the nerves well under control. Every movement must be certain, every step swift and unswerving; the physical powers must reach the highest mark.

As the contestants in the race made their appearance before the waiting multitude, their names were heralded, and the rules of the race were distinctly stated. Then they all started together, the fixed attention of the spectators inspiring them with a determination to win. The judges were seated near the goal, that they might watch the race from its beginning to it close and give the prize to the true victor. If a man reached the goal first by taking an unlawful advantage, he was not awarded the prize.

In these contests great risks were run. Some never recovered from the terrible physical strain. It was not unusual for men to fall on the course, bleeding at the mouth and nose, and sometimes a contestant would drop dead when about to seize the prize. But the possibility of lifelong injury or of death was not looked upon as too great a risk to run for the sake of the honor awarded the successful contestant.

As the winner reached the goal, the applause of the vast multitude of onlookers rent the air and awoke the echoes of the surrounding hills and mountains. In full view of the spectators, the judge presented him with the emblems of victory—a laurel crown and a palm branch to carry in his right hand. His praise was sung throughout the land; his parents received their share of honor; and even the city in which he lived was held in high esteem for having produced so great an athlete.

Who carry Luggage will be sure to find That in the Race they’re sadly left behind. In referring to these races as a figure of the Christian warfare, Paul emphasized the preparation necessary to the success of the contestants in the race—the preliminary discipline, the abstemious diet, the necessity for temperance.

1 Corinthians 9

25 Every man that strives for the mastery, [he declared,] is temperate in all things.

The runners put aside every indulgence that would tend to weaken the physical powers, and by severe and continuous discipline trained their muscles to strength and endurance, that when the day of the contest should arrive, they might put the heaviest tax upon their powers. How much more important that the Christian, whose eternal interests are at stake, bring appetite and passion under subjection to reason and the will of God! Never must he allow his attention to be diverted by amusements, luxuries, or ease. All his habits and passions must be brought under the strictest discipline. Reason, enlightened by the teachings of God’s word and guided by His Spirit, must hold the reins of control.

And after this has been done, the Christian must put forth the utmost exertion in order to gain the victory. In the Corinthian games the last few strides of the contestants in the race were made with agonizing effort to keep up undiminished speed. So the Christian, as he nears the goal, will press onward with even more zeal and determination than at the first of his course.

Paul presents the contrast between the chaplet of fading laurel received by the victor in the foot races, and the crown of immortal glory that will be given to him who runs with triumph the Christian race.

1 Corinthians 9

25 They do it, [he declares,] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

To win a perishable prize, the Grecian runners spared themselves no toil or discipline. We are striving for a prize infinitely more valuable, even the crown of everlasting life. How much more careful should be our striving, how much more willing our sacrifice and self-denial!

The Gift Is Free, but Development Takes Effort

To some, this intense striving for which the Lord calls, might seem to be a contradiction of the beautiful truth that the gospel is free. The question is raised in their minds:

“If salvation was won on Calvary, and therefore comes to us as the free gift of God, why do we have to strive so intensely to secure the victor’s crown?”

There is no question about salvation being the free gift of God.

Romans 6

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Desire of Ages, p. 490:

Henceforward Christ’s followers were to look upon Satan as a conquered foe. Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; that victory He desired them to accept as their own.

So, Jesus fought and won the deadly contest with the devil and his cohorts. He gained the victory and thereby reduced the enemy to being a conquered foe forever. It is now the Saviour’s desire that we shall accept and thus possess that victory so that we never go out to vanquish the evil one. Instead, we receive the victory as a gift, then, with it firmly in our possession, we go forth to meet an enemy already defeated. Never forget that…

Steps to Christ, p. 49:

It is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, “without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1. It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it.

Why is it then that the believer must stretch every power of his being to the utter limit every day in order to obtain eternal life?

It must be admitted that there does appear to be a contradiction here, but a few moment’s reflection will show that this is not so. Once the distinction is made between the endowment of the gift and the development of it, the difficulty disappears. At the new birth, the believer receives the gift of the new life which can come to him in no other way. It cannot be earned, bought, stolen, or acquired by any means other than as a totally free gift. But, while we receive the fullness of the gift, it is given to us in its undeveloped form. It is but a new born babe, in whom are marvelous potentials awaiting the opportunity to grow and blossom into maturity.

There should not be the least difficulty in understanding this, for it is the way in which the omniscient Creator always works. He supplies the gift; we labor with Him to develop the gifts to their highest possible levels of usefulness. We see examples of this around us every day.

For instance, God could supply us with hot bread on our tables together with sun ripened fruits and tastily cooked vegetables. He could fill the role of a benevolent clothier busily fitting out the entire human family at no cost to them. Likewise, He could provide lovely homes for every person who has ever lived, and so forth. But, in His profound and unimpeachable wisdom, He does not work that way, except under special circumstances such as when Christ fed the multitudes, and when manna was provided in the desert during which time their shoes and clothes never wore out. But even then, the Israelites did not awaken in the morning to find the food sitting in a bowl on their tables. At the very least they had to go out and gather it.

Likewise, when the Saviour fed the multitudes, the food did not miraculously appear in the hands of the people. The disciples, as coworkers with Christ, received the food from Him, and labored quite hard to distribute it throughout that great crowd. Just think how long it would take twelve men to deliver meals to five thousand men with whom there were the women and children.

In the normal situation in which mankind in general finds itself, God, in the form of an absolutely free gift, has placed in man’s hands all the raw materials necessary for the development of everything he needs. Consider his need for food. God gave the earth and the trees and plants which grow thereon, but it is man who must study the provisions made for him. He has to clear the ground, fence out the animals who would deprive him of the fruits of his labors, and it is he who must plow the soil and plant the seed. He waits for the grain to grow, harvests it at the right time, threshes and winnows it, grinds it into flour, and bakes it in the oven. All this represents a tremendous amount of work on the farmer’s part, but it must be done or he will die of starvation. In like manner, man takes the gifts of God such as the timber in the lofty trees and the metals in the soil, to build his houses and supply himself with machines.

That which is true in the material world is equally true in the spiritual. We do not emerge at the new birth into a state of ultimate and complete development. We are to grow toward that over a period of time. In fact, in all eternity we shall not exhaust the quest for absolute or infinite development. Only God has or ever will stand at that level.

But, let no one feel that, because he will never attain to infinite development, there is no point in striving to achieve all that can be developed in him. The riches to be received at every advance step are so great that the true child of God, having once tasted of these good things, will be ever seeking for more and more of these incredible blessings.

The principle involved here is well illustrated in the life of a newborn babe. Someday, his dormant abilities will become active and productive skills. But, as a newly born infant, he is utterly incapable of filling any active positions and, if he never developed beyond his capacities as they were when he was born, he would never be qualified to fill any position in life. Between birth and the day when he shall be recognized as a great achiever, there must be an immense amount of education, training, and development.

This class of people, that is, the few who become truly great achievers, are seen toiling while their less responsible contemporaries sleep or play. They do not waste the precious hours being entertained, nor do they approach their training with casual carelessness. They live with dedicated purposefulness and call into vigorous activity every power of mind and body.

So it must be for the Christian. He has received the gift of eternal life, and as a result is but a beautiful infant in whom resides the presence of Christ. But, at this stage, he is wholly unfitted to engage in the terrible battles to be fought and won before the end comes. There follows the vital work of reformation which is a combination of two things—The cleansing out of every evil trait, attitude, disposition, and sin still lingering in the flesh, and the steady advancement from the lowest to the highest levels of intellectual and spiritual virtue.

It is when men obtain some awareness of that which awaits the achievers, that they become inspired to climb to the highest levels as quickly as they possibly can. Being true and humble Christians, they do not seek to become the leaders and not the tail draggers simply for personal gratification of pride and unholy ambition. They are weighted with the burden of souls, and it is for the salvation of the lost and the glory of God that they seek every added qualification needed for this wonderful ministry.

The Example of Elijah

To further assist in the appreciation of this need to develop every capacity as fast and as high as possible, place yourself in the positions of great men of Bible times who achieved splendid victories for God. Consider the confrontation between Elijah on the one side, and the king with the backing of the priests of Baal, army, and the people on the other.

Prophets and Kings, p. 156:

It was because Elijah was a man of large faith that God could use him in this grave crisis in the history of Israel.

In other words, Elijah by the grace of God and his own diligent efforts had developed a very high capacity of spiritual power, skill, wisdom, and endurance. This enabled him to stand successfully against the hosts of darkness and death.

But, he did not arrive at this height of excellence in a single day, or through some miraculous endowment instantly imparted. Before he even appeared at King Ahab’s court, he had most diligently cultivated every spiritual endowment that the Lord had given until he had the fitness and the spiritual might to stand before the apostate monarch and his court of evil men.

That mighty achievement could not have been realized without a large endowment of the Holy Spirit having been given to the prophet. It was quite a remarkable outcome to enter unchallenged and unhindered into the very presence of the heavily guarded despot, Ahab, deliver a stunning message from God, and to depart as suddenly as he had come. It required Elijah’s having developed a very high level of spiritual capacity in order to accomplish such a mission.

But, his level of capacity there was inadequate for the handling of the crisis on Mount Carmel. But, he certainly had time to add the additional preparatory work which did fit him to be God’s successful instrument for the victory gained that day.

Between his abrupt appearance before the king in his court, and the confrontation on Mount Carmel, Elijah spent much of the drought years by the Brook Cherith. He did not spend the time in idleness, as he might well have done. There was nothing to do so far as the sustenance of his physical life was concerned. Every day, his meals were air freighted in by the ravens, the stream provided his water supply until it dried up completely, and there being no dew, he needed no shelter at night.

Sad to say, human nature does not have the natural disposition to rise above the need of the moment. If the need becomes great and pressing, human nature can rise magnificently to the occasion, and perform amazing feats of valor, heroism, endurance, and sacrifice.

On the other hand, when there is no threat to face, humanity tends to do no more than it has to. Instead of looking ahead, assessing as best as can be done, what the future will demand, and then stretching the developing powers to the utmost so as not to be caught unready, we tend to settle back and enjoy life in the meantime. Despite the warnings in the Scriptures by which we are provided with very graphic pictures of what the future holds for us, the majority will be caught unready. No picture is more compelling than that of the foolish virgins, who made ready only for their present needs while failing to supply themselves with the added capacities necessary to cope with the crisis which was to burst upon them.

Elijah was certainly not a foolish virgin. We can be sure that those months by the brook were spent in feeding on God’s word, meditating, praying, and searching his life to find any attitude, thought, disposition, desire, or other thing which would diminish or wholly cut off the channels of blessing to him. Those prayers were of a character designed to change him more and more into the likeness of Christ.

The man of God did not spend those lonely months in idleness. He would have been up very early each morning to greet and make the very most of the day ahead of him. I would believe that this highly disciplined servant of the Most High never flagged in his dedicated determination to make sure that every day he was reaching higher ground. The results were truly remarkable as were revealed on Mount Carmel.

In your imagination then, picture yourself in a position in the king’s court but without a friend there. Would you feel confident that, as you now stand, you have developed the capacity to deliver that announcement to the king? You might answer by saying that if you were as filled with the Holy Spirit as he was, then you could. No one would quarrel with this reply except that it does not answer the question, which asked whether you had at this moment come to the place where you actually have received the capacity under God to enter where Elijah did, and speak as he spoke.

Then put yourself in Elijah’s position on Mount Carmel. Can you see yourself with your capacities developed to the point where the Lord could use you as effectively as He used the prophet of old? If we cannot see the capacity in ourselves to remain steadfast during these fearful battles, we should be awakened to realize that the time given to us to prepare is a priceless provision for those seeking to qualify for receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. There is time neither to waste nor to lose if we would make our calling and election sure.

There is great value in making such assessments, for they are the means of making plain to us how deficient we are and therefore, what a tremendous shortfall we have to make up in such a short period of time. Yet, it will take time. We must become reconciled to that and not be discouraged if the time seems to pass with agonizing slowness and progress seems too little. As we struggle to excel, the Holy Spirit and the heavenly angels are there to strengthen, to direct, and to endow the believer with power from on high.

Let none make the mistake of looking to God to do for us what we must do for ourselves.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

Many never attain to the position they might occupy, because they wait for God to do for them that which He has given them power to do for themselves.

Naturally, the question will arise:

“What has God given man to do, which He will not do for him?”

Our basic work is to choose the Lord’s way and bring into play the mighty power of the will. Then, once the decisions are taken, we must positively implement them with all the procedures at our command along with the blessed ministration of the Holy Spirit. We have to organize our time so that we spend sufficient hours per day in prayer and study, a work that the Lord does not do for us. We have to learn and practice true temperance, and must learn to recognize evil habits even in their most subtle forms, and then surrender them to the Saviour for His victory over them. There should be little difficulty in discerning what is God’s part and, in turn, ours.

The work to be done will be accomplished only by those who impose on themselves the severest mental, moral, and physical discipline. This, another cannot do for you. Each one is required to bring himself under control. In God’s kingdom, there is no force or compulsion. The only discipline to be found in the new world to come, in the heavenly courts today, and in the true believer in Jesus, is self-discipline. Each aspirant for eternal life must take this work into his own hands, for no one else can do it for him.

In Moses’ case, it took time to erase the effects of the faulty education received in Egypt, but the work was both thorough and successful. In like manner we are warned that the healing message to the Laodiceans will likewise take time to accomplish its work. So we must be prepared for this, and not be disheartened and become slack in this vital work.

Laying Hold of the Latter Rain by Faith

Messenger and News Review, June & July 1988 [combined issue]

By Andreas Dura

THE purpose of this article is to answer certain questions which have arisen since our last studies concerning the true science of prayer.

We learned that the exercise of true faith is a part of the science of prayer, but that there is always the human tendency to want to see or feel the promised blessing before we believe it. The promises, however, must be laid hold of and actually possessed by faith before we see or feel anything. The same is true for the promise of the latter rain. It too must be laid hold of by faith before we see or feel it.

This all sounds very simple. I claim the latter rain in faith, and then I have it. Yet it is not so simple as it seems. No true child of God would say,

“I have received the fullness of the latter rain,”

–before God reveals, in His time, that this is so. That would be presumptuous, and would show that we have not understood certain important principles. Let us see why this is so.

Everything we now possess in faith, we now possess in fact. It is not a product of the imagination, or an opinion, or an expectation that we shall, maybe, receive the blessing in the uncertain future. It is something that we possess in actual fact—now!

Let us look at some examples to confirm this. When the nobleman, whose son was at the point of death, laid hold of and possessed Christ’s promise by faith, his son was actually healed at that moment, even though the father did not see it at that same time. When the man at the pool of Bethesda laid hold of Jesus’ words, he became whole in fact. When we lay hold of the promise of deliverance from sin, then, in the selfsame moment we are freed from it in fact, even though this deliverance does not become visible to us until the next temptation arrives. The same is true of all the promised gifts. When we possess them by faith, we possess them in fact.

It is now necessary to differentiate between the possession of faith and the possession of the gift. Faith is the arm with which I lay hold of the promised gift. The arm itself is not the gift. We possess the gift only when we have laid hold of it with the arm of living faith. Our first need is to have this arm, and then we must lay hold of the promise. Two examples, those of the nobleman and Elijah, will help us to illustrate this point.

Before Jesus could say to the anxious father, “Your son lives,” the nobleman needed a living faith. This he received after Jesus had revealed to him his need. We read,

The Desire of Ages, p. 198:

He knew that he was in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all things were possible.

That is living faith, but his son was not yet healed! Before this healing could be effected, the father had to grasp Jesus’ promise with this living faith. It was then that his son was healed.

The Desire of Ages, p. 199:

At the very moment when the father’s faith grasped the assurance, “Your son lives,” divine love touched the dying child.

The same is true of Elijah. He had a living faith that it would rain in Israel.26 See Prophets and Kings, p. 155. But the rain was not yet there. Elijah had first to lay hold of the promised gift with this faith. He did this by going to the top of the mount to pray.

Prophets and Kings, p. 157:

As he prayed, his faith reached out and grasped the promises of Heaven, and he persevered in prayer until his petitions were answered.

Then, when he had grasped the gift, he was in possession of it, and the rain clouds were there.

Now, someone might say,

“As soon as I have the arm of faith, I can lay hold of the gift.”

Such a doctrine as this overlooks a very important point. Living faith is only one of the necessary factors to laying hold of the promised gift. Another factor is the fulfillment of the conditions. That is the reason why the son of the nobleman was not healed at the same moment the father had living faith. That is the reason why Elijah had to pray seven times until he had actually laid hold of the gift of rain. And that is the reason why we cannot yet say that we have received the latter rain in full measure.

The conditions for receiving the latter rain have already been revealed: true repentance, the ending of sin, and bringing in of everlasting righteousness.27 See Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19. As we pray for the latter rain in living faith, we need to be daily growing in the work of true repentance and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness. Every day we lay hold of—and actually possess—as much of the latter rain as we can receive, that is, in proportion to our repentance. And who can say when this daily growth has been completed? Only God knows that. And it is for this reason that we shall all be surprised when the fullness of the latter rain comes. We will not consider ourselves prepared for it at that time.28 See The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560-561.

Space does not allow us to continue with this topic at the moment, but I think that this article has answered some important questions and that it will encourage and strengthen our faith.

The Effect of Surroundings

Messenger and News Review, August 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 25

A Word from the Editor

The Word of God can be correctly understood only by those who are blessed with the spirit of discernment. We need to truly comprehend what this means, and to know for ourselves what is involved before we can be students of the Master Teacher.

The unchangeable law which governs the success of our seeing the kingdom of God, says that only those who are actually members of Christ’s family by being born into it, can be students in God’s school. From all others, the divine, saving truths are as hidden as if they never existed. Men may amass an incredible amount of information, may pride themselves as discoverers of great truths, but their supposed light is all darkness, and will have no saving effect on them.

This is why Jesus solemnly advised Nicodemus that, if he was not born again, he could not even see the truths about the kingdom. The man to whom those words were addressed was very intelligent, and well educated according to the world’s standards, but he had not been born again, and therefore was blind to the wonderful truths the Saviour had come to reveal. The light was truly shining in the darkness, but the man in that darkness could neither see nor comprehend it.

We are in deadly peril of making the same terrible mistake. Let us make sure we understand that only that light acquired while we sat at the feet of the divine Teacher since we have truly been born again, is trustworthy.

IN OUR study of prayers which change people, we have been looking at the awesome struggle of Moses to achieve the changes in himself from what Egypt had made him, into a man acceptable for the Lord’s serviced. He who had been impatient, irreverent, and proud, had to be changed into a man who was…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 251:

…patient, reverent, and humble, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.

To achieve this admirable transformation, required…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

...time, change of surroundings, and communion with God.

We have already given some thought to the time factor in effecting this change. Now we must turn our attention to the next factor—change of surroundings. To provide this, the then future leader of the Israelites was removed from Egypt, from which he fled to the land of Midian, where he spent the next forty years.

Why Moses Required a Change

What a change in surroundings that was. In Egypt as the son and heir of the reigning Pharaoh, he lived in what would then have been the finest and most luxurious home on the earth. He would look out of his windows on an impressive view of towering obelisks, massive buildings, and stately homes. All around him were compelling witnesses to the power and skill of men, incessantly arguing that mankind could do very well without Jehovah. Pharaoh was to put this very sentiment into words when Moses returned from his forty years of absence from Egypt.

Exodus 5

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.

The Egyptians were powerful, proud, and self-sufficient. They felt that they were masters of the earth and had no need of God whatsoever. Therefore they defied the God of heaven and plunged to the deepest depths of rebellion against the Most High. During centuries when the wrath of an offended God was mercifully held in restraint, while at the same time the Egyptians increased in prosperity, wisdom, culture, and power, they lost all fear of the consequences of sin and the authority of the Almighty.

To the enslaved Israelites, God seemed to have forgotten them, or, they must have asked themselves, was it that the power of their oppressors was so great that Jehovah could not deliver His people? It was a terrible period of suffering, despair, darkness, misery, and death for the Hebrews. Multitudes of them were born in slavery, and lived their entire lifetime without being delivered. No wonder their overlords boasted of their superiority over, and disregard for Jehovah.

This was the atmosphere in which Moses was raised, and, while he ever refused to deny the God of his Hebrew fathers, his environment did have a telling effect on his character. We know this because it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248:

Moses had been learning much that he must unlearn. The influences that had surrounded him in Egypt—the love of his foster mother, his own high position as the king’s grandson, the dissipation on every hand, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a false religion, the splendor of idolatrous worship, the solemn grandeur of architecture and sculpture—all had left deep impressions upon his developing mind and had molded, to some extent, his habits and character.

The fact that Moses was influenced by his environment is no wonder, but, the fact that he was is no proof that he had to be. That he was is understandable but nevertheless, inexcusable. Joseph had walked the same path before him and had actually become…

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 222:

...ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Like Moses, he was separated for many years from the people of God, and except that each of them had succeeded in winning souls to the gospel, they walked very much alone. I know of no record of either of them having been blessed with the conversion of their associates, but it would be most unlikely that they had no success in this field.

Let us then consider the weight of temptation that rested on Joseph every day so we can better understand what both he and Moses had to endure. Of Joseph it is recorded:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 222:

Psalm 105

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

From the dungeon Joseph was exalted to be ruler over all the land of Egypt. It was a position of high honor, yet it was beset with difficulty and peril. One cannot stand upon a lofty height without danger. As the tempest leaves unharmed the lowly flower of the valley, while it uproots the stately tree upon the mountaintop, so those who have maintained their integrity in humble life may be dragged down to the pit by the temptations that assail worldly success and honor. But Joseph’s character bore the test alike of adversity and prosperity. The same fidelity to God was manifest when he stood in the palace of the Pharaohs as when in a prisoner’s cell. He was still a stranger in a heathen land, separated from his kindred, the worshipers of God; yet he fully believed that the divine hand had directed his steps, and in constant reliance upon God he faithfully discharged the duties of his position.

An even more splendid example of flawlessly maintained integrity in a hostile, contaminating, and evil environment, was provided by Jesus when He lived for thirty years in Nazareth, a town renowned for its wickedness, so much so that when he was informed that the Messiah had appeared out of that town, Nathaniel exclaimed:

John 1

46 Can any good come out of Nazareth?

Daniel and his companions provide a further assurance that one can live in a corrupt environment without being contaminated by the evil of its influence. Like Joseph and Moses in Egypt, these four lived and worked at the nerve center of power and its attendant corruption in the all-powerful kingdom of Babylon, yet there is not the slightest suggestion in the sacred records that they were tainted thereby.

Without disparaging Moses, or even suggesting that, had we been in his position, we would have done better, it must be said that he did not have to be molded, to some extent, in habits and character by his associates and surroundings in Egypt. But, the facts were that he was, and therefore had to be moved to a new location where the changed surroundings would be conducive to the healing of his wounds and the changing of him into the likeness of His Father in heaven.

It is important that we not overlook the vital fact that Moses did not plan the transition from the luxury, power, and pride of Egypt to the simplicity, austerity, and remoteness of Midian. Nor did the Lord arbitrarily relocate him to his new surroundings. Rather, the almighty Plan-maker and Problem-solver turned Moses’ terrible mistake in slaying the smiter of one of the Hebrews, into a blessing.

In considering the changes which were developed in Moses’ life and character during his time in Egypt, we need to appreciate the fearful nature of the temptations and pressures brought to bear upon him every day. The occupation of a prince being groomed for the position of the future Pharaoh of Egypt, required him to live the life of an Egyptian, to participate in the activities of the royal family and the court, and to identify with the national interest. This is more than was required of either Joseph or Daniel.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 245:

By the laws of Egypt all who occupied the throne of the Pharaohs must become members of the priestly class; and Moses, as the heir apparent, was to be initiated into the mysteries of the national religion. This duty was committed to the priests. But while he was an ardent and untiring student, he could not be induced to participate in the worship of the gods. He was threatened with the loss of the crown, and warned that he would be disowned by the princess should he persist in his adherence to the Hebrew faith. But he was unshaken in his determination to render homage to none save the one God, the Maker of heaven and earth. He reasoned with priests and worshipers, showing the folly of their superstitious veneration of senseless objects. None could refute his arguments or change his purpose, yet for the time his firmness was tolerated on account of his high position and the favor with which he was regarded by both the king and the people.

This paragraph highly commends Moses’ stand in Egypt, and, without question, it was a noble and faithful stand to take. Had he not taken it, he would have chosen earthly power and fame in preference to the Lord’s service, and eternal life. Yet, there was in his taking this very course, a certain factor which, because it was overlooked, prevented his attainment of higher levels of sanctification. It is a danger which attends the steps of all those who are successful in both temporal and spiritual matters. It is something of which we all must beware, lest we stumble to our ruin.

The very nature of the problem is such that it tends to divert our attention away from an awareness of its existence, and also away from the necessity for our being changed from what we are to what we need to be. This is dangerous, for we need to be constantly aware that we must be changed. This means that every time there is the presence of any attitude, disposition, tendency, reaction, or thought which tends to make us feel like staying the way we are, then we must be able to discern it and be quick to combine our effort with God’s grace to bring about the changes indicated by the Holy Spirit.

How then did the course Moses took during his stay in Egypt, generate an element of danger? By choosing loyalty to God, Moses attracted spiritual and material blessings, and was conscious of God’s personal protection over him. This reflected God’s approval of Moses to the extent that his life mirrored the divine image, but the man of God would tend as most of us do, to feel that he had God’s general approval, and that his standing with the Lord was secure. Thus there would be no great pressure on him to agonize in prayer, to search his life, and to study himself to see what changes needed to be made.

I am sure that we can all identify with this kind of situation. When all things are going well, we feel we are blessed with God’s approval, and we tend to rest from the work of heart examination and of exerting every effort to change into the divine likeness. This leads to spiritual complacency and apostasy if we are not alerted to a true awareness of our situation. It was thus that Israel fell away from God time after time.

It is when things are running smoothly and we are doing very well that we are in the greatest danger. So it was with Moses. In his great prosperity, he was largely unaware of the virtually imperceptible changes creeping over him despite his decided stand for the truth, and would therefore not be inclined to study what was happening to him, nor would be paying much attention to the work of changing for the better.

Under these circumstances, Moses needed a change of surroundings to awaken him to a very real awareness that all things were not what he had supposed them to be. The change came with dramatic suddenness. In a single day almost, by his own action, he was wrenched out of his place and his position, was deprived of his enormous wealth, and was forced to flee for his very life to a distant and obscure land.

The Radical Transition Led to Repentance

The transition was so great and unexpected that it could not but direct him to a searching examination of himself, his attitudes, evaluations, aspirations, and convictions. He would want to know why this had happened, and why what he was and had done had precipitated the crisis and robbed him of so much.

This sobering self-examination would have revealed much to him, and would have prepared him for the educational features of his new environment in Midian, of which he was now prepared to take the utmost advantage. He was now removed from an environment which spoke almost entirely of the prowess and vaunted supposed self-sufficiency of man, and placed in surroundings which, correctly understood, spoke of the perfection, eternity, righteousness, justice, beauty, splendor of God.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248-251:

Shut in by the bulwarks of the mountains, Moses was alone with God. The magnificent temples of Egypt no longer impressed his mind with their superstition and falsehood. In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High, and in contrast realized how powerless and insignificant were the gods of Egypt. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away. In the stern simplicity of his wilderness life, the results of the ease and luxury of Egypt disappeared. Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.

Moses writing the book of Genesis in Midian This paragraph clearly describes the part played by his surroundings in the reeducation of Moses. But, in order for the things of nature to have such a profound influence on his life, he had to be able to correctly read the messages written into those surroundings. The fact is that...

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 251:

In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High...

Meditate on those words, “he beheld the majesty of the Most High.” They mean that Moses was actually able to see God revealed in the elements of nature, and it was because of this capacity that he was enabled to change from what he had been in Egypt to what he had to become before he was fit to lead the people to the promised land. To Moses,

Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power.

He did not merely admire the great manifestations of God which were revealed in His handiwork, but learned to read them as messages from the almighty Jehovah, the Creator of the entire universe, and the Source of life for every creature in existence.

Natural Surroundings Not Enough

Therefore it was not enough for him to be placed in this environment, for he would have spent the remainder of his life out there without being changed as he needed to be, if he had not received the ability to discern in God’s created works, the great, saving truths to which all nature bears witness.

When the Written Word Is Unprofitable

The created works of God are just as much the revelation of His character and ways as are the written Word, the Scriptures. It was...

Psalm 33

6 By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

The fact that the Lord spoke the universe into existence, should confirm in our minds the profound truth that nature is just as much the Word of God as is the written Word, and that therefore, the same principles of interpretation apply in the understanding of the one or the other. One vital rule is that…

1 Corinthians 2

14 ...the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

For a few moments, consider the truth of this as it relates to the written word. The Bible is still the world’s best-seller, which means that it is found in more homes around the world than is any other book. In many of those homes the precious book is never opened, with the sad result that its great blessings are never experienced by the dwellers in the house. It is part of the surroundings, but exerts no power to change the people no matter how drastically they might need to be changed from what they are to what they must become.

In other homes the Bible is opened on a regular basis so that the family can engage in the formalistic ritual of “morning and evening worship.” A brief prayer is uttered, a few verses read, and some thoughts are expressed. The children are bored, the whole atmosphere is lifeless, and nothing of value is gained by anyone.

In some other homes, the Bible is opened and avidly studied. An evangelistic fervor fills the atmosphere in the home, and the conversation centers mostly around Bible teachings. But, what is believed in one home sharply disagrees with what is taught in another, and another, until the uncommitted observer concludes that the Holy Scriptures are so ambiguous, mystical, and unreliable that they can be used to support any doctrine you might fancy.

But why such confusion? It is because the divine Teacher is not sought in His own appointed way, and men seek to understand the truth without His inspiration, guidance, and counsel. There is no hope in the universe that man, without being born again and thus enlightened from within, will ever understand God’s Word. The truths of God can come to us only by revelation through the infallible ministry of the Holy Spirit. What must be understood from the outset is that a person can be located in surroundings the very best suited for his growth in grace, but will not be shaped for the better if he is devoid of the divine Teacher.29 PP Editor’s note: This is also expressed in Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Then there are those homes in the world which stand apart from the ones listed above. In them the written word is read with minds illuminated by the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry. As each such student receives the life of God from the sacred pages, he is surrounding himself with powerful influences which change him for the better.

When God’s Created Works Are Unprofitable

Now what is true of the written Word is equally true of the created Word. There are multitudes of people around the world who love to be out in the world of nature. When vacation time comes, the city dwellers flock to the mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the forests, and the seas. They literally surround themselves with the beauty, perfection, and majesty of nature, but they do not behold the majesty, power, and perfection of the Creator, and are not therefore changed by the ministry of their surroundings as Moses was.

Then there are the men who work as farmers, forest workers, botanists, nurserymen, and so on. Such people are surrounded with the Lord’s created works every day, but they too do not have the light of heaven with which to correctly read the character and truth of God as revealed in all their surroundings.

Consider too the biologists and naturalists who spend their entire lifetimes in the study of plants and animals which are living witnesses to the power and perfection of the Creator, and never see Him in these things at all. Instead, they develop a view of the origin of species which ignores God altogether. As far as they are concerned, He does not even exist nor ever has. Instead, they see life forms and their homes evolving by the inherent intelligence and power within themselves. They utterly reject the teaching that God is the infinite Source of everything in existence, and deny the principles of righteousness and redemption.

All this proves that to be placed in a natural environment is not enough in itself to effect the far-reaching changes required to fit a person for his life work, and for a place in the kingdom. If it were, then the entire sin problem would be solved simply by placing mankind back in ideal surroundings once more. We know that is not the solution. In fact, one of the worst things that can be given to the unrepentant is power and prosperity, for he will simply use these as more effective instruments for his iniquity. Let it be forever remembered that it was in perfect surroundings that Lucifer and our first parents fell into sin.

The Spirit of Discernment

For a person to receive the light, truth, and blessings the Lord has put into nature, he must enter those surroundings blessed with the spirit of discernment, which is the capacity to hear what nature has to say about its Creator, and even then they must have the tuition of the divine Teacher within. Without this, the very best of surroundings will fail to produce the desired results.

This lesson must be seen and acted upon by every believer in God today, and especially by those who, as parents, are entrusted with the care of seeing that their little ones have the best Christian education. The immediate need is not to make sure that we live in the ideal environment where we are cut off from worldly influences, and have surrounded ourselves with God’s messages of love as found in His created works. That is quite important, but, let it be said again so that none will miss the point, that is not the immediate and primary need.

Think of the situation in these terms. A person who is not born again does not have the spiritual discernment to hear and understand the voice of God speaking through nature, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Therefore, you could place that individual in the most perfect surroundings, even the Garden of Eden itself were it still accessible, and he would emerge after as many years as he could remain there, without being changed into the divine image as Moses was.

On the other hand, if a person is truly born again, and is blessed thereby with the capacity to see and understand the divine witness through nature, he can successfully live in the worst possible surroundings without being dragged down into the world’s iniquity and sin. The Lord Jesus demonstrated the truth of this by living a sinless life in Nazareth, a town noted for its extreme iniquity.

Daniel and his three friends provided the same assurance when they lived perfect lives in the midst of Babylonian corruption, just as Joseph did in the midst of Egypt’s blatant iniquity.

Obviously, the ideal situation would be one in which the person concerned was born again, and at the same time lived in surroundings which drew the thoughts upward to the Lord. Such was the situation with Moses after he fled into Midian from Egypt.

The second and less desirable combination would be one in which the born again was located in surroundings which were seething with wickedness as was the situation with Moses while he lived in the Egyptian palace, with Christ growing up in Nazareth, with Joseph in Egypt, and with Daniel in Babylon.

But the worst possible situation is the one in which a person is not yet born again and takes up residence in evil surroundings. Under those circumstances, the individual will be conformed more and more into the likeness of evil. He will have no power to resist the iniquitous influences.

The second worst set of conditions is the one in which the unregenerate is fortunate enough to dwell in pleasant circumstances. While he will not be changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ, such a person should be more inclined to develop a better modified improvement of the old man than will the city dweller. This is why country children usually manifest a generally better character than those who grow up in the large cities, though some might dispute this.

The Importance of the New Birth

It has been stressed that it is necessary to be able to behold the majesty of the Most High in the mighty mountains, the broad plains, the animal and plant life, the canopy of blue by day, and the star bejeweled sky above at night. This ability comes with the new birth and never without it. It is the eyesalve spoken of in Revelation 3, which is so much needed by the blinded Laodiceans who had lost the gold of faith and love, and the white raiment of righteousness.

The Desire of Ages, p. 139:

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive wisdom from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge, and everyone that loves “knows God.” 1 John 4:7.

Think carefully about the words in this small paragraph.

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive wisdom from heaven.

Contrition is repentance, the gift from God by which we are enabled to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and which step enables us to grasp by faith the death and eradication of the old man and the implantation of the new man, even…

Colossians 1

27 ...Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The receiving of the new life is the new birth experience, and the blessing of God’s great love in the heart. These are not make-believe, imaginary promises, but an actual experience. The believer does in actual fact literally receive Christ’s own life into his soul. Then he is able to receive the wisdom that comes from above, and to have God for his Teacher.

It therefore becomes the urgent work of every soul to make sure that, whatever their surroundings might be, they do have the contrition, faith, and love that enable them to receive and understand the wisdom of heaven. On parents in particular rests the heavy responsibility of making sure that their children have the blessed new birth and therefore have the key of knowledge.

It has not been usual for parents to make this their first consideration. They are usually bent on taking their offspring to more favorable surroundings on the supposition that that is the key factor. But it must be realized that, without the new birth, no amount of favorable surroundings is going to effect the necessary changes in their little ones.

If the Lord is the Plan-maker in your life as He surely should be, then you have no need to concern yourself about choosing your environment. Even if your circumstances have been caused by your own sins, or by the sins of others, leave that to the Lord while you make sure that you have the contrition, faith, and love which will enable you to receive heaven’s wisdom no matter what your surroundings might be.

The Power of Communion with God

Messenger and News Review, September 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 26

A Word from the Editor

God is fully committed and cannot, will not, change. In immortal print He has declared what He will do once we have fulfilled the required conditions, and thus cleared the way for the promises to be fulfilled. For instance, He has declared that He is the Lord, our Doctor, and that He will heal all our diseases.

We read the promise, believe it, and accept it, but, while in some cases the relief comes immediately, in others, it is as if the promise had never been made. Without relief, and apprehensive that the promise is not reliable, we suffer on.

At this critical moment we must take a correct stand. We must totally reject any thought that the promise is not sound, and that God is unreliable. We must absolutely recognize and confess that the restriction is with us and not with the Lord, even though we are completely unable to discern anything amiss in ourselves. The fact that we cannot see it, is no proof that the problem is not there.

Now is the time, not to give up praying, but to lay our case before the Lord as never before. The hindrance must be discovered to us so that we can be delivered from it and the Lord can fulfill His promise. Some of these evils are so well disguised and deeply hidden, that it takes a long time, even months before we are able to see them. Whatever you do, do not stop praying for deliverance.

AS WE have seen, Moses emerged from Egypt needing to have great changes made in him. The terrible effects of having lived as a mighty prince in the most immoral and iniquitous environment in the world, had left their marks on his mind and to some extent had shaped his disposition. There was a mighty amount of unlearning and learning to be accomplished in him before Heaven would consider him fit to lead Israel to the Promised Land.

All Three Factors Required

As we learned from Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 248, to achieve this, “time, change of surroundings, and communion with God” would be needed. Already consideration has been given to vital roles played by the first two of these factors, and it is now time to consider the importance and necessity of entering into communion with God so as to achieve the required changes as speedily as possible.

But, before we begin this study of communion with God, let a very vital point be made which is this: Only when these three factors work in company with each other will they individually and collectively effect the desired results.

For instance, as is evident enough, if the time is spent in idleness or in the pursuit of profit or pleasure, it certainly will not serve to effect the deep and enduring changes needed. Instead, it will produce the opposite result. We all have time, but so few use it to the best advantage.

Likewise, one may spend much time in surroundings most conducive to the building of a life and character approved of God, but, unless the Lord is there to reveal the wonderful, saving truths contained in His created works, neither time nor surroundings will profit in the least. Instead, that which the Lord intended to be a blessing will prove to be a curse. Let this point be firmly fixed in the mind as we now begin our consideration of communion with God as a mighty factor in our…

2 Corinthians 3

18 ...being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Communion vs. Saying Prayers

There is a very great difference between kneeling down and saying our prayers on the one hand, and communing with the Lord on the other. In the former, the habit pattern of which was established in childhood, the same set form is repeated each time we kneel, no real contact is made with the Lord, and there is no definite intake of divine power. It would probably be safe to say that it is better not to pray at all, than to engage in this lifeless form.

Communion with God is communication with Him, the flow and counterflow of heart to heart, which results in the reception by the believer of the life of God itself. It is the means whereby the child of the Lord comes into direct contact with the Almighty and becomes charged with health-giving, life-giving power and vitality. No one can come into this inner circle of divine energy without being changed. Everyone needs to learn to enter the presence of the Eternal One every day.

The disciples of Christ began to learn the distinction between merely saying prayers and communion with the Creator when they were given the privilege of beholding and hearing Christ in prayer. What they learned that day was in refreshing contrast to the pretentious and ostentatious prayers of the Pharisees loudly prayed at set times in the hearing of all around them in the open street. They had been subjected to this form of prayer long before they had ever met the Saviour.

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 83:

The Pharisees had stated hours for prayer, and when, as often came to pass, they were abroad at the appointed time, they would pause wherever they might be—perhaps in the street or the market place, amid the hurrying throngs of men—and there in a loud voice rehearse their formal prayers.

There was no power, virtue, or value in such exercises. Not one such prayer ever passed to heaven mingled with the meritorious righteousness of Christ. Therefore, they were never heard by God and, just so surely, were never answered.

No one was blessed and few if any were permanently impressed by these exhibitions of pride and formalism. But they were not entirely without value, for, when the disciples who were familiar with the Pharisees behavior, saw the opposite performance of Jesus in prayer, they were so impressed that they spontaneously and earnestly cried,

Luke 11

1 Lord, teach us to pray…

This event came about in the following manner:

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 102-103:

The Lord’s prayer was twice given by our Saviour, first to the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, and again, some months later, to the disciples alone. The disciples had been for a short time absent from their Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud. The Saviour’s face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of the Unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.

The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father. His days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was from hours spent with God that He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. The disciples had come to connect His hours of prayer with the power of His words and works. Now, as they listened to His supplication, their hearts were awed and humbled. As He ceased praying, it was with a conviction of their own deep need that they exclaimed,

Luke 11

1 Lord, teach us to pray.

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 140:

Christ’s disciples were much impressed by His prayers and by His habit of communion with God.

His was the kind of communion with God which effects changes great and small in those who are being readied for ministry both during the final period of sin’s reign, and throughout the eternity of service to be rendered after sin has been finally destroyed. No one can pray as Jesus did without becoming more and more changed into His likeness. Even Christ himself was transformed through His powerful prayer life.

Christ’s Communion with His Father

As will now be demonstrated from the evidences contained in the Scriptures of truth, the prayers of Christ were designed, not to change God in the least, but to change Him and the situations with which He was confronted. To some this may seem to be saying too much. They will argue that He was already perfect and, as such, totally sinless. So what need was there for Him to pray as He did? After all, He was God in the flesh on this earth!

But we are told that He needed to pray and that He definitely felt the need of it.

Steps to Christ, p. 94:

...the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer...

The Desire of Ages, p. 362-363:

In a life wholly devoted to the good of others, the Saviour found it necessary to withdraw from the thoroughfares of travel and from the throng that followed Him day after day. He must turn aside from a life of ceaseless activity and contact with human needs, to seek retirement and unbroken communion with His Father. As one with us, a sharer in our needs and weaknesses, He was wholly dependent upon God, and in the secret place of prayer He sought divine strength, that He might go forth braced for duty and trial. In a world of sin Jesus endured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with God He could unburden the sorrows that were crushing Him. Here He found comfort and joy.

The awareness of that need was so strong that it drove Him to spend a very large proportion of His time in prayer. In fact, He remained in continual communion with His Father:

Education, p. 80:

But the life of Jesus was a life of constant trust, sustained by continual communion; and His service for heaven and earth was without failure or faltering.

The Desire of Ages, p. 362:

No other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was that of Jesus; yet how often He was found in prayer! How constant was His communion with God! Again and again in the history of His earthly life are found records such as these:

Mark 1

35 Rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 5

15 Great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

16 And He withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Luke 6

12 And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Jesus did not spend these long hours in prayer every day and often deep into or throughout the duration of the night, simply as a required religious exercise. He did it because He clearly understood that He needed to, because it was indispensably necessary for the success of His mission and for total victory over the evil one.

He entered into those prayer sessions, those close, intimate communings with the Lord, in need of decided changes in himself and the people to whom He ministered. Once again, some at this point would ask how it could be that the perfect One would ever need to have changes made in himself, and it is quite true that, on His divine side, no changes would ever be needed. The truths which He taught were flawless. There was not the slightest shadow of error mixed in with them, not the merest trace of Babylonian darkness. No change was indicated or called for so far as His beliefs and teachings were concerned. Nor was there any need for Him to change His beautiful character. His love was perfect, His purity unsullied, His righteousness flawless, and His integrity unimpeachable. There was no necessity for Him to modify His attitudes, or to revise His thought processes. His relationship with God called for no repentance of sin, and His dealings with men called for neither confessions nor apologies.

Wherein then did the Saviour need to pray so that changes were effected in Him?

In the first case, while the truths which He taught were absolutely free from error in the slightest degree, as a man upon this earth, He had to grow in the knowledge of that truth from day to day. There was no stopping place for Him even as there is none for us. All will recognize this truth as being applicable at least to His childhood years of which it is written:

Luke 2

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Wisdom, according to Webster’s Third International Dictionary, is the intelligent application of learning. Without the acquirement of knowledge that learning brings, there would be nothing with which to form wisdom. Therefore, the fact that Jesus increased in wisdom, means that He was likewise increasing in knowledge. The truth that the increase in wisdom was in fact a growth in knowledge is confirmed in the following statements:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1117:

Though He increased in knowledge, and the grace of God was upon Him, yet He did not become lifted up in pride, or feel that He was above doing the most humble toil. . . .

The knowledge He was daily obtaining of His wonderful mission did not disqualify Him for performing the most humble duties. . . .

In the sanctuary of the home, Jesus received His education, not merely from His parents, but from His heavenly Father. As He grew older, God opened to Him more and more of the great work before Him.

Thus it was that on the occasion of His first visit to Jerusalem, Jesus, as He viewed the solemn service of the Passover, began to understand His own mission to this earth. He became aware of this as He connected the prophecies of the Old Testament to the services in the temple, and saw that, unmistakably, they pointed to the work He had been sent into the world to accomplish.

The Desire of Ages, p. 78:

For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers He bowed in prayer, while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life. New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour.30 See also pages 82, 146.

If we have entertained the belief that Jesus came into this earth already endowed with the unlimited, infinite knowledge and wisdom of the Deity, then this awakening of the boy Jesus’ mind would never have taken place. He would already have known it from the beginning. But the Redeemer came into the world with only that which is available to any one of us. When a child, He thought and spoke as a child, and when He became a man, He thought and spoke as an adult. Daily, through communion with His Father both in the study of the Scriptures, and prayer which linked Him with the mind and life of the Infinite, He was being changed from one level of uncontaminated knowledge to a higher one. Growth and achievement were on a day by day basis, and every new dawn was the threshold for greater acquisitions of light and truth than that gained during the previous hours of His life.

This steady increase in general and specific knowledge was accompanied by an ever enlarging capacity to evaluate the real nature of the society in which He dwelt, while comprehending with force and clarity the cause of the ills which were destroying the world of that time. Note the description of this in the following paragraph:

The Desire of Ages, p. 84-85:

As the condition of the people began to open to His mind, He saw that the requirements of society and the requirements of God were in constant collision. Men were departing from the Word of God, and exalting theories of their own invention. They were observing traditional rites that possessed no virtue. Their service was a mere round of ceremonies; the sacred truths it was designed to teach were hidden from the worshipers. He saw that in their faithless services they found no peace. They did not know the freedom of spirit that would come to them by serving God in truth. Jesus had come to teach the meaning of the worship of God, and He could not sanction the mingling of human requirements with the divine precepts. He did not attack the precepts or practices of the learned teachers; but when reproved for His own simple habits, He presented the word of God in justification of His conduct.

Christ’s changing from one to ever higher levels of knowledge, wisdom, and perceptions was not over and done with when He became a man. His education was not confined to His boyhood and youth. He had accepted the limitations of fallen humanity, and therefore had to grow and develop within those limitations, in the same way in which we are likewise to grow. Every day during His earthly sojourn, He learned more and still more.

What must not be overlooked is that this knowledge and wisdom could be acquired only by communion with God through the medium of the written word, and by prayers of such power and effectiveness as would enable Him to make a living connection between himself and the infinite Source of all life, knowledge, and wisdom.

From day to day, Jesus had to be changed physically from a man hovering between life and death, a man so exhausted that His closest of kin and even His disciples feared He would die, to a man vibrant with energy, restored in vitality, and filled with mighty power. It will be when we likewise experience such incredible changes through communion with the power of God, that we will begin to know for ourselves what real communion with God is. Note the words which describe first of all the extent to which His life was threatened by sheer exhaustion, and the wonderful restoration achieved through communion with His Father.

The Ministry of Healing, p. 55-56:

Often His incessant labor and the conflict with the enmity and false teaching of the rabbis left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the freshness and life and power that seemed to pervade His whole being. From hours spent alone with God He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men.

The Desire of Ages, p. 363:

In Christ the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite pity. As a man He supplicated the throne of God till His humanity was charged with a heavenly current that should connect humanity with divinity. Through continual communion He received life from God, that He might impart life to the world. His experience is to be ours.

When His experience does become ours, we will know for ourselves the awesome power of it, and will realize the pressing, essential necessity of keeping our fellowship with God fresh and alive. The promise is there; the Lord longs to give us the richest of His blessings, but it is left with us to reach out by faith and lay hold of the offered treasure. We and not God are the cause of our separation from Him, and of the weakness of our Christian witness. Only by a life of constant communion can this lack be supplied, and the believer be fitted for a place in the kingdom.

The Desire of Ages, p. 827:

All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind. The grace of God enlarges and multiplies their faculties, and every perfection of the divine nature comes to their assistance in the work of saving souls. Through co-operation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.

Jesus, during His life on earth, certainly demonstrated the truth of these words. He was One who daily consecrated soul, body, and spirit to God, and constantly He did receive a fresh endowment of physical and mental power. If we will learn to commune with God as He did, this experience will also be ours.

Strengthened to Endure the Test

The changes in Christ were not limited to the increase of knowledge and the restoration of depleted physical and mental powers. He also received large measures of spiritual power as well. His faith was strengthened, and His hold on the eternal realities made more secure. One occasion revealing this was on the Mount of Transfiguration where Christ spent many hours in prayer, of which it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 419-420:

Presently Christ tells them that they are now to go no farther. Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of Sorrows pours out His supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to endure the test in behalf of humanity. He must himself gain a fresh hold on Omnipotence, for only thus can He contemplate the future. And He pours out His heart longings for His disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness their faith may not fail.

Consider now in what ways the prayer of Christ was to change Him on that eventful evening.

The Desire of Ages, p. 420:

He [prayed] for strength to endure the test in behalf of humanity.

Christ would not spend valuable prayer time asking for that which He already had. Therefore, the fact that He prayed for strength is clear proof that He did not at this time have the needed strength. He knew this with great clarity, and, knowing that, He understood that He had to be changed from One who lacked the strength to One who had all the power needed.

It was because of this that He could not contemplate the future unless He gained a fresh hold on Omnipotence. He had to be changed from One who could not contemplate the future to One who could. There was only one way by which He could experience these vital changes and it was by entering into communion with the Infinite Source. He did this, and the resulting changes were wonderful to behold. The Man who ascended the mountain without the strength needed to endure the test, and who could not contemplate His awful future, came down from those rugged heights with the strength to endure the test, and with the capacity to contemplate and face the future. We can be sure of this when we behold His faultless performance in righteousness from His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane till His death on the cross.

All the disciples were likewise in need of the same changes, but, despite Christ’s repeated revelations to them of what the future held, they never did truly see their great need for strength. This was true even of the three who accompanied Him up the mountain for the express purpose of being changed from weakness to strength. While at first they united in prayer, they were soon overcome by weariness and fell asleep. While Jesus communed with Moses and Elijah, they lay deep in slumber and missed tremendous blessings which the Lord longed to give them and which they needed so desperately.

But even the wonderful strength which the Saviour received on the mountain had to be refreshed when the hour of tremendous need arrived. When a person is faced with great temptations and needs to spend time in close communion with the Source of life and power, God provides the time and the place for it. Thus, Christ was granted the necessary time and place in the Garden before He was arrested.

Judas could have arranged for Christ to be taken as He left the upper room or on the way to the Garden or at its very gates or immediately upon His entry into Gethsemane. But, God’s protection was over His Son as it had been throughout His entire ministry. Until His time should come, there was no man who could touch Him, as was demonstrated over and over again. The Almighty knew that Jesus had to spend time in communion in the Garden in order to give Him the total victory over the very natural tendency to escape from suffering and return to His Father.

Consider the critical changes which took place in Jesus during that period of final communion before He expired on the cross. During the walk from the upper room to the Garden, Christ communicated some precious instruction to His devoted followers. As they moved along together, Christ was composed and strong, but, as they approached the retreat, a very real, and, to the disciples, alarming change came over Jesus.

The Desire of Ages, p. 685-686:

As they approached the garden, the disciples had marked the change that came over their Master. Never before had they seen Him so utterly sad and silent. As He proceeded, this strange sadness deepened; yet they dared not question Him as to the cause. His form swayed as if He were about to fall. Upon reaching the garden, the disciples looked anxiously for His usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest. Every step that He now took was with labored effort. He groaned aloud, as if suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden. Twice His companions supported Him, or He would have fallen to the earth.

Satan knew that the hour of final opportunity in which to defeat Christ had come. So, he marshaled every power at his command to destroy the Saviour’s faith. The struggle was of incredible intensity, and…

The Desire of Ages, p. 686:

As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness.

For a long time the battle raged on until…

The Desire of Ages, p. 690:

...the fate of humanity trembled in the balance.

The Redeemer was sorely tempted to give man up to his choice, while He returned to His Father, and He came to the very brink of doing so. But, as He continued His communion with His Father, a great change came over Him. He become strong and determined, casting away any thought of abandoning man to His fate.

The Desire of Ages, p. 690, 693:

Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from that last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission:

Matthew 26

42 If this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done.

What a wonderful change was wrought in the Saviour that night, a change which would never have been if Christ had not known or employed the awesome power of communion with His Father.

Steps to Christ, p. 94:

His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.

We need far more changes in our thinking, attitudes, and so forth than Christ ever needed, for He was the sinless One. Yet, how often, like the disciples, we are found sleeping when we should be communing. God provides the time and the opportunity even as He did for Jesus, but we have to recognize them as such and make the most of the time given. Opportunities which we fail to take up are gone forever, and defeat is sure to follow. The disciples found this, when, after sleeping in the Garden when they should have been praying, they were unable to bear the testing time. Instead, they all forsook Him and fled.

After that, they had time and opportunity to repent, but we will not. If we fail the coming test, we shall be lost forever, for, that proving will decide our eternal destiny.

Then let us learn the power of communion to make the needed changes in us, and to give us the strength for coping with the powers of darkness.

The Principles of Effective Prayer

Messenger and News Review, October 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 27

A Word from the Editor

During its past history, the church of God has missed its way again and again. After an excellent beginning, during which the believers were single-sighted for the glory of God and the building of the kingdom, the original vision dimmed, the workers lost their original direction, and the resultant confusion dissipated the movement’s strength and effectiveness.

For instance, subsequent to the great disappointment in 1844, the Adventists became devoted to the adding of house to house and land to land. They showed that they cared more for earthly security than for the preparation for eternity.

God planned that the strategic position of Israel would enable Jerusalem to be the missionary center of the world, but Solomon and the Jews recognized the business potential of her location, and set out to make the most of it. So, they became rich in the gold which perishes, and poverty stricken in the treasures of heaven.

At all costs, we must be careful not to repeat the tragic mistakes of the past. We must not lose sight of the fact that there is time left now only for preparation for what is soon to burst upon a world totally unready for it. Once the present day of opportunity is past, it will be forever too late to do what must be done now. It will pay no one to have accumulated gold and silver, houses, and lands when the day of final reckoning comes.

THE type of prayer which effectively prepares the believer for the outpouring of the latter rain, is the kind which changes the person more and more into the likeness of God, while taking great care to ensure that there is not the slightest disposition to call upon God to modify or to change. Developing the capacity to pray this kind of prayer is the responsibility of the believer who must choose to place himself under the educational guidance of the divine Teacher. Let consideration now be given to the principles of effective prayer which the Lord’s children must understand, and the procedures they must follow.

A Sense of Our Need

The first one to which we will give attention is that we must be very much aware of our great and urgent need to be changed. We need to know this and also to realize that, unless these changes are made, we will be so poorly equipped to fight in the last great battle, that we will fail and be eternally lost. Human nature has a dangerous tendency to resist change until the need becomes so pressing that it rises up to save itself, but sinks back as soon as the threat has gone. We need to fear this disposition, and fight against its influence with all the powers at our command.

Mostly we like ourselves as we presently are, and accept what we are as the best that we can be. Our humanity withdraws from the agonizing struggle required to break up the old habit patterns and institute a stern discipline which will exclude sin and accept only uncompromising righteousness. We were happy enough to accept the wonderful changes wrought by the new birth, but that was only the beginning. The work of reformation must follow the initiation into the school of Christ, to take the work of changing us to the point where we are not partially but altogether different from what we were when the gospel first found us. The carrying through of this work to the ultimate standards is extremely difficult for humanity to achieve, for we are far too prone to be content with the blessings gained from a good beginning.

But, we must remember that we are not merely preparing for a place among the sinless angels, nor are we only seeking forgiveness for our sins.

However, to aspire to more than a heavenly mansion in Paradise and to receive more than forgiveness of sins, requires the pursuit of perfection to the ultimate degree. But, that which is of immediate concern is the fact that between us and the heavenly mansions there is to be fought the most testing battle ever to be waged in the history of eternity. Satan will bring to bear on the church all the subtlety, cunning, force, and hatred which he has acquired and developed during six thousand years of bitter and too often successful campaigns against the followers of Jesus. He has sharpened his weapons to the keenest edge and will use them all to the best advantage as he enters upon the final stages of the last conflict. Only those who emerge victoriously from that struggle will receive the seal of God, and be saved out of that final generation.

It would be safe to say that none of the believers in Jesus who will participate in that coming battle knows the pressure that will be brought to bear upon God’s people then, and the consequent extent of the need to prepare for that time. We are altogether too much like the disciples of Jesus, who, despite repeated efforts on Christ’s part to make them aware of what would come upon them, went on dangerously unaware of the crisis which would find them all unprepared.

But they did not need to walk in ignorance of what they soon had to face. They had access to all the sources of information the Saviour had in addition to His personal tuition. From the written word as taught to Him by His Father in heaven, Jesus had the clearest understandings of what was coming, and of the kind of preparation needed to successfully cope with it.

So realistic was Christ’s evaluation of the power, persistence, and cunning cruelty of the enemy on the one hand, and the fearful weakness of fallen humanity on the other, that He did not have to drive himself to take time for communion with His Father, the Source of life and strength. Instead, He sought out the place of prayer with eager steps, and loved to linger in the divine presence. It was always with reluctance that He left the secret place of fellowship with God to return to His appointed post of duty. But, He would never face the enemy unless He had adequately fortified himself through long hours of communion which sometimes lasted for the entire night.

It was because Jesus understood His need on the one hand, and, on the other, knew that the only place where He could obtain the resources with which to supply that need in super abundance was in the secret place of prayer, that He made His life to be a life of communion with God.

If the disciples had realized their need and had experienced the power of communion to answer that need, they too would have made their lives to be lives of communion with God.

To us, the same principles apply.

But how do we come to the place where we are able to adequately assess the extent of our need and the urgency of seeing that it is supplied to the point where we will be driven to flee to the Mighty One for strength?

There is only one way and it is the way employed by the Saviour. He had a comprehensive awareness of what was coming against Him, but the only source of information available to Him was the same as that which we have—the word of God. In it are contained descriptions of the crises faced by God’s people in the past, the issues involved, the tactics employed, the cruelties inflicted, and the sufferings endured. We have the records of all these things as Jesus encountered them, and we have the prophetic delineation of events yet to transpire.

Yet, most likely up to the present we have read these details without becoming aware of the far-reaching scope of our need. We have been deeply interested, but have not been moved to make that all-out, special preparation beyond the casual efforts expended so far.

If this is the case, then we certainly do have a need—the need to understand our need. Take this problem to the Lord and ask Him to be your Teacher as He has never been invited to be before. Ask Him to teach you as He taught Jesus through the testimonies contained in the written word, until you are vividly aware of what is to overtake the world, and what will be hurled against the church.

Then lay aside all the alluring, confusing, blinding influences of sin which tend toward complacency and slumber while the enemy is stealing upon you. Strip your life of every unnecessary interest and activity that does not have a direct bearing on your service to the Master, and plunge into a deep, Spirit-directed study of the principles which motivate the kingdom of light, and those by which the other empire operates.

Education, p. 190:

The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme, of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy, and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found.

If upon close and candid examination of ourselves we find that we have no particular sense of need such as will drive us to spend an increasing amount of time in communion with God, then it is time to be decidedly concerned, yea, even alarmed for our spiritual condition. Then we must flee to the mighty Problem-solver and ask Him to make the Scriptures so clear, and its warnings so compelling, that we will be driven to spend time in communion with the Lord.

No longer then will we kneel briefly to say our prayers, before we dash off to face life’s duties unprepared, but will abide in His presence until our whole being is charged with a heavenly current that will reinvigorate the physical, mental, and spiritual powers.

Education, p. 260-261:

Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work.

These workers can never attain the highest success until they learn the secret of strength. They must give themselves time to think, to pray, to wait upon God for a renewal of physical, mental, and spiritual power. They need the uplifting influence of His Spirit. Receiving this, they will be quickened by fresh life. The wearied frame and tired brain will be refreshed, the burdened heart will be lightened. . . .

Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him—this is our need. Happy will it be for the children of our homes and the students of our schools when parents and teachers shall learn in their own lives the precious experience pictured in these words from the Song of Songs:

Canticles 2

3 As the apple tree among the trees in the wood,

So is my Beloved among the sons.

I sat down under His shadow with great delight,

And His fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 He brought me to the banqueting house,

And His banner over me was love.

That is the experience in communion which we need. If we do not have it, let us not sit around useless and helpless. Rise up with intense, unstoppable determination to establish this kind of experience in our lives.

Trying to Change God

The next point which we shall now consider in our quest for successful entry into person-changing communion with God, is that we shall be utterly convinced in ourselves that there must not be even the slightest effort or desire on our part to change God. We are to have it forever settled in our minds that all the transforming which must be done, has to be accomplished in us, not in the Lord. Furthermore, we need to be convinced in our minds that a great work of changing must be done, and must dedicate ourselves to that work, aware that, until the changes are made, we are placed where the Lord cannot give the blessings we so much need and which He so much desires to pour upon us.

Experience has shown that even though we have awakened to the fact that in the past we have expected that our prayers would change God, and have put away this evil with repentance and strong resolutions never to be guilty of that sin again, there still remains the subtle tendency for us to desire that the Lord should change in order to accommodate us. Therefore, we have to mount a constant guard against this tendency so that we can reject the very thought of it the instant it asserts itself.

I believe that it will help a great deal if we understand why it is that this problem tends to persistently arise. It is because we wish to arrive at the desired solution by a different, much more pleasant route from that over which the Lord would take us.

Attempts to Change Christ

An excellent example of this is provided in the experience of Christ’s disciples. They had left everything for Jesus, were born again Christians, and had been ordained to the ministry. They were totally devoted to the ushering in of the long-promised kingdom, and sacrificed everything for the cause except their ideas of how it was to be done.

They found that God’s ways were quite unacceptable to them, and, in consequence, continually applied pressure on the Saviour to revise His ways to conform to theirs. We need to really understand and to be powerfully convicted that, whenever we are not totally and absolutely surrendered to the divine will, we shall certainly expect that the Lord will change. So certain is this outcome, that whenever we find the least or any disposition to call upon the Lord to change, it is a sure revelation that we are not totally surrendered to the Lord’s will, that we have not fully adopted the Sabbath rest principles.

Consider some of the instances when this disposition was manifested by these devoted followers of Jesus. We will also note the positiveness with which the Saviour refused to be party to their plans.

When Jesus began His ministry, the popular expectation was that He would replace the Romans with the Jews as the current world power. This was to be done by a military campaign, even though the Redeemer showed no disposition to use these methods.

The matter came to a head after the feeding of the five thousand. The people saw for themselves the incredible power of Christ and knew that He was able to deliver them from the Romans. He had, in fact, come to do this, but not in the way they either expected or wanted. His way was to change the heart of both the Roman and the Jew, to expel the bitter hatred and rivalry which separated them, and to bring them into the beautiful brotherhood and fellowship of the gospel.

This program called for the complete changing of the people, but the people did not see their need for becoming different from what they were. They saw themselves as the elect of God, the chosen people, the children of faithful Abraham, and the ones to whom all the covenant promises were given. Furthermore, they were so particular about the performance of the sacrificial system, and their observance of the Sabbath. How could such a people need to change!?

It was tragically false reasoning, for what they thought was the reality was in fact but the dead shell, the outward appearance, the whited sepulcher, from which the living heart had departed. There was no people upon the earth which needed changing as much as they did, but they had no sense of their great need, and therefore did not even consider that the problem lay with them.

Once they had established themselves in such a position, there was only one possible outcome—they would do all in their power to induce God to change. That is the way it has always happened and that is the way it always will. It is the simple outworking of the cause to its relevant effect.

The miraculous provision of the evening meal to the five thousand emboldened them with confidence and enthusiasm to take Christ and force Him to become king.

The Desire of Ages, p. 378:

The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. It is the modesty of Christ, they say, that causes Him to refuse such honor. Let the people exalt their Deliverer. Let the arrogant priests and ruler be forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God.

They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement.

As typical as were the workings of these people in their determination to force the Lord to change, was Christ’s response to their efforts. It will always be His response. He will never be party to any approach to Him which carries any call or suggestion that God be changed. He will never be the Intercessor of such prayers, for, under no circumstances will He ever present them to His Father. Therefore, it is an absolute waste of time and effort to offer up to God any prayer which is directed in any way toward calling upon Him to change.

Instead, let every believer redesign his prayers so that they change him from what he was to what the Lord designed he should be.

Murmuring Against Him

The outworking of evil does not end with the effort to modify God’s principles, procedures, and actions. The next step is murmuring against our loving heavenly Father. We become impatient with the Lord, think of Him as One who does not keep His promises, and the One to blame for all our troubles. Be warned that the moment you find yourself thinking along these lines, you can be assured that you have been working on effecting changes in God, while paying no attention to the great changes needed in yourself. See this happening in the experience of Christ’s disciples! See how the frustrated effort to force Christ into kingship, was followed by murmuring against Him!

The Desire of Ages, p. 379-380:

The disciples had not put off immediately from the land, as Jesus directed them. They waited for a time, hoping that He would come to them. But as they saw that darkness was fast gathering, they “entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.” They had left Jesus with dissatisfied hearts, more impatient with Him than ever before since acknowledging Him as their Lord. They murmured because they had not been permitted to proclaim Him king. They blamed themselves for yielding so readily to His command. They reasoned that if they had been more persistent they might have accomplished their purpose.

Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts. Love of honor had blinded them. They knew that Jesus was hated by the Pharisees, and they were eager to see Him exalted as they thought He should be. To be united with a Teacher who could work mighty miracles, and yet to be reviled as deceivers, was a trial they could ill endure. Were they always to be accounted followers of a false prophet? Would Christ never assert His authority as king? Why did not He who possessed such power reveal himself in His true character, and make their way less painful? Why had He not saved John the Baptist from a violent death? Thus the disciples reasoned until they brought upon themselves great spiritual darkness. They questioned, Could Jesus be an imposter, as the Pharisees asserted?

Thus the terrible condition of separation from Jesus overtook them. While they were in this state of darkness, He did not and, in fact, could not join them. Instead, He agonized in prayer for them until the storm, bringing them face to face with death, swept away their self-confidence, and made them realize their desperate need of Him. Then He came to them, walking safely over the water.

Rejection of the Cross

But the lessons they ought to have learned from this experience escaped them. A short time later, Jesus, by asking two vital questions:

“Who do men say that I am?”

–and,

“Who do you say that I am?”

–drew from them the confession that Jesus was actually God in the flesh. The Saviour then assured them that their ability to see this was the work of His heavenly Father.

Jesus now considered that they had advanced sufficiently in their Christian experience to accept the divine solution to the problems which had been generated by sin.

The Desire of Ages, p. 415:

Hitherto He had refrained from making known to them anything relative to His sufferings and death.

So, He, for the first time, began to explain to them that the kingdom was to be established through loving service by which the hearts of those who would be members of the realm would be changed. He explained that this would stir up the enmity and hostility of the ruling class who would persecute and crucify Him.

Matthew 16

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

If the disciples had put away the persistent disposition to reform Jesus according to their ideas, they would have responded with humble submission to this wonderful revelation. They would have accepted that this was God’s way of doing things, and would have been thankful for their being given such invaluable guidelines for the future. But, the entrenched disposition to call on God to change did not have to develop in the wrong direction as it did in Peter. He and the other disciples could have said,

“We cannot understand these principles, and we find in ourselves a powerful resistance to them. We are to see in this the need for a great change in our beliefs and attitudes. Let us confess this great problem to the Master so that He can effect the needed changes in us. We refuse to take on the work of insisting that God make the changes.”

Had they done this, how different the story would have been! They would have very quickly been educated in the principles of God’s kingdom, and would have accepted the pathway of God’s choosing, and would have not been shattered by the events which occurred in the crucifixion. But, instead, the deeply established disposition to tell God how to accomplish His work remained. Peter rose up as spokesman for himself and the rest of the group and declared that this procedure and its outcome were totally unacceptable.

Matthew 16

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!

The Desire of Ages, p. 415:

Speechless with grief and amazement, the disciples listened. Christ had accepted Peter’s acknowledgment of Him as the Son of God; and now His words pointing to His suffering and death seemed incomprehensible. Peter could not keep silent. He laid hold upon His Master, as if to draw Him back from His impending doom, exclaiming, “Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You.

This is an excellent example of a man calling for God to change. Jesus had outlined God’s way with great clarity, but Peter did not accept that way. He declared that he looked for another course—one that did not involve the cross. Of course, Peter’s rejection of God’s way in favor of his own, did not change things in the least. God is unchangeable, and did not make the slightest concession to Peter’s reaction.

By this time we should have begun to realize the extreme seriousness of praying in such a way that God is called upon to change. It is to imply that God falls so far short of infinite perfection, that man, the subject of His creative power, is wiser than He. This is the heart and nature of all iniquity—the exaltation of the creature above the Creator, of man above God. It cuts us off from the stream of life, and separates us from the Lord. It is the way of death.

No wonder then that the Saviour reacted as forthrightly as He did to Peter.

The Desire of Ages, p. 415-416:

...the Saviour was moved to utter one of the sternest rebukes that ever fell from His lips:

Matthew 16

23 Get behind me, Satan: you are an offense unto me; for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

If we could see as Christ did, the real nature of seeking to substitute God’s ways with man’s, we would make haste to ensure that every trace of the slightest disposition to call upon God to change, would be erased from our minds forever. We would then concentrate on praying prayers which are designed to change us!

Like ourselves, the disciples were slow to learn. They did not come to understand that it was in them that the changes were needed so that, as must be expected, more murmuring broke out among them, and continued right up to the Lord’s Supper. They continued to reject the cross.

Education, p. 88:

So they went on, the crisis drawing nearer; they, boastful, contentious, in anticipation apportioning regal honors, and dreaming not of the cross.

The Footwashing

When they at last came to the upper room, there were strivings among them as to who should be the greatest in the coming kingdom. So it was that none of them were prepared to fill anything less than the highest position, and therefore, would not perform the duties of a servant.

Then Jesus stepped into that lowly place and provided them with a very clear picture of the kind of kingdom He had come to establish. It was one in which the King himself was prepared to perform any service, no matter how humble, that was necessary to ensure that salvation is brought to the lost.

Peter certainly understood what Jesus was saying by His actions, and he positively objected to the message brought to him. He was indignant at the thought that if the King washed the feet of His subjects, what would the subjects themselves have to do? The glittering crown, the splendid attire, the high station, and the expectation of being envied, honored, and served by all, were suddenly endangered. In defense he cried,

John 13

8 You shall never wash my feet!

Do not miss what Peter was doing. He was calling on Christ to change the principles and structure of His kingdom, while he steadfastly refused to consider that he was the one who needed to change. Christ’s quiet but firm reminder was that there would be no change.

8 Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.

It was Peter, not the Lord, who needed to do all the changing. It was very much a life and death issue, for, if Peter was not prepared to change, while abandoning all thoughts of effecting a change in God, he would find himself separated from eternal life. The matter is just as critical, just as serious today as it was back there at the Lord’s supper. Either we win the battle over this persistent problem or we shall find that we have deprived ourselves of our membership in the body of Christ and will perish eternally.

Summary

We have now briefly considered two essential factors in effective, person-changing prayers:

A very real sense of need, and

The unshakable conviction that God is not to be changed, but we are.

If these two objectives are realized, we will find that there will come a marked increase in the power of our prayers, and a decided acceleration in our achieving fitness for the reception of the latter rain.

Another Look at the
“God-Changing” Tendency

Messenger and News Review, November 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 28

A Word from the Editor

It is time now as we approach the church’s hour of power, that we become able to appreciate the awesome might which was manifested in Christ’s healing ministry. He did not merely arrest the disease. More, much more than that, He sent a recreative charge pulsing through the stricken bodies of those who sought His aid thereby rejuvenating the wasted lives.

Consider well the following descriptions of the results of some of Christ's miracles all quoted from The Ministry of Healing:

“Then he who had been borne on a litter to Jesus rose to his feet with the elasticity and strength of youth.” page 77.

The leper’s “...blood becomes healthy, the nerves sensitive, the muscles firm. The unnaturally white, scaly surface peculiar to leprosy disappears, and his flesh becomes as the flesh of a little child.” page 69. The old had become young!

These were nothing less than manifestations of creative power, the like of which we have not seen, but should be witnessing in our time. The better we realize the possibilities resident in the power the Father has invested in His Son for the perfecting of the saints and the finishing of the work, the sooner we shall see miracles of the same caliber being repeated now.

IN THE last issue, we touched briefly on the sin of murmuring which arises as the inevitable consequence of the presence in our prayers of the disposition to demand that God change. We saw how the multitude and Christ’s disciples joined forces to compel Him, if they could, to change His ideas in regard to the kingdom, and do His work according to their concepts of how it should be done. How delighted they imagined they would have been if the Saviour had complied with that which in their feeble wisdom they were calling on Him to do. But their joy would soon have changed to sadness and despair. They could not see that if Jesus were to surrender to their wills, their rejoicing would be but short-lived, for such a course on the Redeemer’s part would have been a sellout to Satan who would then have been completely free to reduce the world to immediate ruin.

But Jesus was far too loving and merciful to do that. He would never depart in the slightest degree from His Father’s will, and therefore would never seek to have His Father change in any manner whatsoever.

As I have been studying and writing on this subject of late, I have been decidedly impressed with God’s absolute integrity. There is not the faintest possibility that He will ever compromise His righteousness. His obedience to those great eternal principles contained in all His laws is impeccably perfect. I have been made aware of the utter futility of asking God to change in any way whatsoever.

It is essential that those who seek to gain power and efficiency in their prayer life understand the infinite extent to which the Lord carries this principle. In both the Old and New Testaments are numerous examples of God’s faithfulness in this regard. He has conclusively demonstrated in the face of all arguments which may be advanced to the contrary, that when He makes a promise, or passes a judgment, He will fulfill that word even if, by so doing, His cause on the earth suffers a terribly painful and time-consuming setback.

Paul vs. the Church Leaders in Jerusalem

Nowhere is this better revealed than in the case of Paul versus the Jewish leaders in the Christian church. A detailed analysis of this is found in Entering into God’s Sabbath Rest, Chapters 10, 11, entitled “Problems in the Early Church,” and “Another Reversion.”31 PP Editor’s note: These are the chapters in the 1983 version of Entering into God’s Sabbath Rest. In the 2005 version, the chapters are 33 and 34. We will not repeat all that information in this chapter, but will draw some vital conclusions from the information contained in those references. It is therefore recommended that, at this point, those chapters be carefully and prayerfully read.

In the Jewish Church whence came many of the early believers in the truths taught by Christ and the apostles, church organization was a system of man ruling over man, where there was no place for Christ to be the one true Head of the church. When the early Christians came out of the fallen Jewish Church, they tended to bring with them the same form of organization. There were those who believed that it was their God-given responsibility to control the workers and to direct the church.

During the great council at Jerusalem, the Lord was able to open the eyes of all concerned to see the error of this position, and, in consequence of the harmonious working of the members in their relation to Christ as their Head, the cause prospered wonderfully. This was the time when they had the least excuse for apostasy, yet the leaders reverted to their evil principles. They brought to bear on Paul, all the pressure they could muster in their determination to bring him under their control, and, at the same time, placate the apostate Jews, who had been angered by Paul’s powerful declaration that the sacrificial system had ended at the crucifixion.

Paul had received his commission and his message directly from his Head, Jesus Christ. Among other truths, he had been directed by the Most High to announce that the sacrifices and offerings had been terminated, and that they were now to look to a heavenly sanctuary. Not only was he to teach this, but he was also to live it. Therefore, when he acceded to the demands of the leaders in Jerusalem to participate in a ceremony he had vehemently preached was abrogated, he was compromising his commission, and, worse still, placed himself on the enemy’s ground and under his power.

Now then, if God had sent him to the temple, he would have been perfectly safe, but it was Satan, working through the church leaders, who had influenced him to go. Therefore, as Jehovah has warned what would happen in this kind of situation, Paul forfeited the divine protection. Note these words of counsel from the Lord himself; words which cannot be taken lightly:

Early Writings, p. 125:

God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.

So, God has sworn that, if we go to these places without being sent by Him, then He will not keep us. This is an eternal principle with the Lord which was just as valid in Paul’s day as it is in ours. It matters not to God how serious the threat to His cause might be. He acts only within the framework of what is right no matter what the cost. Thus Jesus, as the perfect and complete Revelator of the Father’s character, demonstrated that, no matter how great the pressure brought to bear on Him, He would never compromise His principles, not even if it cost His life. Of Jesus it is written:

The Desire of Ages, p. 121:

In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.

Christ showed that, exactly as the Father does, so man is to live, not according to that which is expedient, or political, or acceptable to our feelings, but by the word of God.

When Paul, even though he did it with the best of motives, placed himself on the devil’s ground, he opened the door for a mighty flood of evil to overtake the church that would take centuries to mature, and even longer to counteract.

It developed as follows: While Paul remained free, he was a mighty bulwark for the establishment of the true divine order in the church, otherwise known as the mystery of God, but, when he was removed from circulation, the mystery of iniquity was able to assume an increasing control in the church until the papacy was fully established. Instead of the work being finished in a short time, it has been delayed for close to two thousand years. Fearful darkness has enshrouded mankind, terrible cruelties have been inflicted on millions of innocent people, and God’s character has been misunderstood.

All this is very much to God’s hurt, but He would rather suffer all that than to change the least of His commandments.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 417:

God had not ordained that Paul’s labors should so soon end, but He did not work a miracle to counteract the train of circumstances to which the course of the leaders in the church at Jerusalem had given rise.

The threatened outworkings were of such a magnitude and seemingly interminable duration, that if ever special divine intervention were justified, it was then. The Lord could have given Paul special protection while he was at the temple so that he could have carried out the ceremony undetected and thus not have been arrested. But the plan formed by the leadership called for him to be seen, for they wished that he give a witness to the Jews that he was not against the sacrificial system. Therefore, God could not save Paul from being seen and arrested.

Then, the Lord might have delivered him from prison, but there was no repentance on the part of the church leaders who had put him there, so, the Lord could not set him free. The mighty apostle was kept under detention almost continually until the day of his execution, the church was robbed of the ministry of him whom they most needed, and the mystery of iniquity took over full control.

Not Our Will, But His

Through it all, God demonstrated that He had sworn to His hurt, and, no matter how fearful the loss to His cause, He would not change. Let the lesson be learned by every child of the Lord, that, no matter how desperate our need, or importunate our prayer, the Lord will give us only what He has promised to give, provided we have fulfilled the conditions of faith and obedience. We must never lose sight of the wonderful adequacy of the promises of God to cover every possible legitimate need.

We must therefore become thoroughly acquainted with the assurances given by the Almighty of what He will do to meet varying situations, needs, and circumstances. This information is found in the written and created word, and it is left with us through the study of the Scriptures and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to learn what the Lord has, and has not promised to do. This will require much study and prayer, for the knowledge of these things is never acquired by the slothful and the superficial. As we learn these truths and live by them, we will cease to send up petitions which would require the Lord to change in order for Him to fulfill them. Thus our prayers will be uttered more and more within the limitations of what the Lord can do, and, naturally, we will see more and more of those earnest petitions being granted. Let it be clearly and forever understood that the Lord will do only what He has promised to do. Therefore, before we come to God with a petition, let us be sure there is a promise covering that situation.

For instance, many ask God to subdue the carnal mind, or, in other words, to force an evil tree to bring forth good fruit. God has never promised to do that, but has warned that it is asking the impossible:

Matthew 7

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Romans 8

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be.

So, there it is. Not only has God never promised to force the carnal mind to be subject to the law of God, but has declared that this simply cannot be. Therefore, it is worse than a waste of time to ask God to bring your carnal mind, which is the old man, the sin-master, into subjection to the law. God has never promised to do that, so we can never successfully ask for it.

But, what the Lord has promised to do, He will do, provided the conditions have been faithfully met.

Steps to Christ, p. 95:

If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.

By contrast with His faithfulness, how weak and vacillating we are, and how prone to be governed more by policy than by the strictest adherence to righteous principles. I can see as never before that the time has come when we must become really serious about finishing with transgression, making a final end of sin, and establishing everlasting righteousness in our lives. We have talked much about perfection over the years, but have we become truly determined about achieving and maintaining such a condition? Have we forever separated from the fearful mistake of expecting the Lord to change so as to accommodate the solutions which we find attractive to our humanity, but which are in fact the worst things we could think up?

We earnestly desire to live by every word the Lord speaks, but no doubt feel discouraged with our performance. Why is this? Why do we not experience more success than we do?

One very valid reason is that we do not discern the real nature of our approach to the Lord. We are confident that our prayers are of such a nature as will receive full acceptance by God, and wonder why the answers we receive fall so far short of supplying our needs! We have failed to perceive that we have attempted to change the unchangeable God.

The Sure Sign of Self-Will

The problem is: How do we recognize that we are guilty of looking to God to change so as to suit us? As the cruel thorns on the tree identify the class to which the tree belongs, what indications attend this disposition? A sure and certain sign is the rising up of a spirit of murmuring and discontent. Wherever we detect the presence of this activity, we are to know for certain that it is but the follow-on from the exercising of the disposition to force the Lord to modify His ways—to take Him by force and make Him king over the kingdom which we have designed.

With infallible certainty, murmuring will always follow where a total submission to God’s will has not been achieved. We will never murmur unless we see God as the one who needs to change. Where there is smoke, we know there is fire. So, the presence of murmuring against God is the smoke which declares the presence in us of a dissatisfaction with God’s behavior leading us to believe that He should change. To gain the full victory in this field, more than a sincere resolve to cease from this evil will be needed. It will not be enough to determine never to complain against God again, for that is but the fruit which grows out of the root, which is the compulsion to effect changes in God. Unless the root is eradicated, it will continue to bear evil fruit which will shut out the presence of Christ.

So it was that the disciples and the multitude firstly tried to force Christ to occupy the throne of Israel, and, when this failed, they murmured against Him. When Christ frustrated their intentions by refusing to deviate from His Father’s will in the slightest, they went away with rebellion in their hearts. It could not be any other way. The root was still in them, so that the evil fruit had to spring forth.

The Desire of Ages, p. 380:

They had left Jesus with dissatisfied hearts, more impatient with Him than ever before since acknowledging Him as their Lord. They murmured because they had not been permitted to proclaim Him king.

Let us try to identify with these men. They had left Jesus with dissatisfied hearts. Have we not done the same? We come to the Lord in earnest prayer aware of our great need, but more or less subconsciously mapping out the way in which the prayer is to be answered. Without our realizing it, we have taken over the role of plan-maker from God. We have usurped His position without the power or the wisdom to fill it. That is but to exhibit the spirit and procedures of Babylon from which we have been commanded to completely separate.

When we follow the ways of Babylon even though unwittingly, the Lord does not fight for His rights, but leaves things to work themselves out in the hope that we will eventually become aware of the tragic error of our ways. In the meantime, we will be seeking answers to our prayer that are pleasing to us, and, when we do not receive what we think the Lord should give us and in the way in which we think it should be bestowed, we will find ourselves coming away with dissatisfied hearts, and the spirit of murmuring thus developed will separate us from God. This can happen even when praying for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

There will not be any real progress in developing a life of communion with God until we understand the problem confronting us, and by the grace of God and our own diligent effort, put the evil root away. Two things must be understood and accepted:

The Lord will not answer our prayers in the way we have mapped out, and,

Therefore, if the prayers have not been answered, then the fault lies with us and not with God.

The Sin of Murmuring

Let us look more closely now at the sin of murmuring so that we can better understand its real character and its evil nature. As surely as we come to see these things, we shall put them away forever. In Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 380, it is called “...the spirit of murmuring that was the curse of Israel.”

There are many references to this sin in the Spirit of Prophecy and every believer would do well to study each one carefully and deeply. We shall not do that here as there is not the space for it, but we will strive to understand why it is regarded with such loathing by the Lord.

It is because it is not merely the expression of a dissatisfied heart, but because it is the repetition of the sin committed by Satan in heaven, the iniquity which is the heart and foundation of all sin. It is the attempted exaltation of man above God, the serious denial of faith in God.

The absolute basis of all service to Jehovah is implicit, unwavering, total faith in God.

Hebrews 11

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith is an exceedingly powerful weapon in the hands of a believing child of God. It is so mighty in fact that he who learns, grasps, and maintains true faith will never be guilty of the sin of murmuring. Those who complain against God are thereby advertising that they are cursed with the sin of unbelief. Consider with great care the definition of faith given in:

Education, p. 253:

Faith is trusting God—believing that He loves us and knows best what is for our good. Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness.

Let us now consider this powerful statement to see how it is the perfect cure for the desire to change God, and the murmuring it spawns.

Education, p. 253:

Faith is trusting God...

Trusting is a step beyond belief in another person, although belief must be there, for no one can trust one in whom he does not believe. Trusting is an active committal of your entire self and all that you have to the one in whom you believe. It is the handing over of your entire self to the Lord. It is unquestioning submission of one’s life to God’s will. We trust Him so implicitly, so totally, that even when He leads us into places where it seems that only evil can befall us, we do not draw back but press forward without question and with unshaken faith.

This sounds all so inspiring and wonderful as we now read these words in the calm security of the present untroubled scene, but it is a different matter when we are called upon to maintain our calm trust in God when facing the worst.

I know whereof I speak on this point, for I preached the message on Entering into God’s Sabbath Rest, not once, but time after time. Then I spent months writing the book on the subject. I love that message and really believe it. As it developed in my mind, I felt reasonably assured that I would faithfully live it, but I found it a very different matter to live the message with calm consistency in the face of dire threats to life and property. As the times came when things were slipping from bad to worse, and there was no visible evidence that the Lord even cared, then it was that I was appalled to realize how weak and inadequate my faith and trust in God actually were.

Christ: The Model Believer

Jesus Christ is the model believer, the One who best revealed to us how to put our entire trust in the Father. See Him sleeping in the bottom of a fishing boat, while a storm of incredible fury threatened to sink the boat at any moment. Those hardy fishermen had come through many savage storms during the period when they earned their livelihood on the lake, but they had never seen a tempest which had raged with the incredible fury of this one, nor had they ever been so frightened, for they were positively terror stricken.

But the Saviour was resting in total unconcern in the bottom of the boat. Why should He care! His Father had directed Him to cross to the other side, and in obedience to that command, He had embarked on the voyage. It was not for Him or His disciples to concern themselves with the perils they would encounter. That was God’s responsibility. He was not caught by surprise. Therefore, nothing could befall them on that voyage which the Lord did not foreknow, and for which He had not made adequate provision.

So, why should the Saviour sit up in the darkness worrying about their prospects of coming safely to the other shore? He believed that...

Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 333:

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.

His Father had commanded them to cross the lake and therefore there was nothing to stop them unless unbelief arose in their hearts. So Jesus left the matter of their accomplishing that journey so completely in the Father’s care that He could sleep soundly through the most savage tempest ever to descend upon that lake.

What a splendid example of trusting God. Jesus had a very clear understanding of what His responsibilities were and He did what He had to do with great faithfulness. No sin of His ever separated Him from the Father. There was no uncertainty as to what He was required to do, no confusion about where His role ended and God’s began. So, He could sleep through savage storms, stand without retreating a single step as madmen rushed upon Him, mingle with those who sought to assassinate Him, and be unaffected by the plots of His enemies to destroy Him.

Protecting Him so that He could completely fulfill His mission was the Father’s responsibility, so Jesus never gave thought and care to this aspect of the problem. He never even spoke about it except when His disciples raised the question as they did for instance shortly after the death of Lazarus.

The Desire of Ages, p. 526-527:

After waiting for two days, Jesus said to the disciples,

John 11

7 Let us go into Judea again.

The disciples questioned why, if Jesus were going to Judea, He had waited two days. But anxiety for Christ and for themselves was now uppermost in their minds. They could see nothing but danger in the course He was about to pursue.

8 Master, [they said,] the Jews of late sought to stone You; and are You going there again?

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?

“I am under the guidance of my Father; as long as I do His will, my life is safe. My twelve hours of day are not yet ended. I have entered upon the last remnant of my day; but while any of this remains, I am safe.”

This was faith and trust on Christ’s part, not presumption. The key to this certainty lies in the words:

“I am under the guidance of my Father; as long as I do His will, my life is safe.”

Christ only ever asked two questions:

The Desire of Ages, p. 121:

What is God’s command? and what His promise? Knowing these, [He obeyed] the one, and [trusted] the other.

Thus the Saviour fearlessly and openly returned to Lazarus’ tomb, a place that was so dangerously close to Jerusalem, the seat of power occupied by His most deadly enemies who were dedicated to the earliest possible termination of His life. As powerful and determined as those men were, they could not arrest and crucify Jesus until His time had come. He went to Bethany and departed thence without hindrance or arrest. Why was this so? It was because without any questions whatsoever, He was executing the Father’s will.

Compare this with Paul’s experience when he went to the temple not in obedience to God’s will, but to man’s. He was so unsafe that the very worst happened to him. He was arrested, tried, condemned, imprisoned, and at last taken to Rome, where he was finally executed, even though the Lord had ordained that his ministry should not so soon end.

Jesus died exactly at the very moment of time ordained by God; Paul died a long time before God planned he should.

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 417:

God had not ordained that Paul’s labors should so soon end, but He did not work a miracle to counteract the train of circumstances to which the course of the leaders in the church at Jerusalem had given rise.

Those who are as totally submissive to the Lord as Christ was will never be guilty of the awful sin of murmuring. They will never have the slightest feelings of dissatisfaction with the Lord, nor will ever complain along the way. They will have true rest and perfect peace even in the midst of the wildest storms.

What is the murmurer saying by his complaining? He says much. He declares that he is wiser than God and therefore above God. This being so, he and not God is the one who should be making all the decisions as to what should be done for the best good of himself and the church of God. Murmuring then is the ultimate sin, the exaltation of the creature above his Creator, the elevation of man above God and in the place of God. No wonder it was called “the curse of Israel.” It is Babylonianism in its worst form; it is the manifestation of the antichrist, the man of sin, from whom we are to come out in total separation. We are to touch not the unclean thing.32 2 Corinthians 6:17.

From now on, let us each one carefully examine the nature of our prayer life to ensure that we have totally abandoned the desire and intention of calling on God to change, and that we have become so trustingly submissive to His will, that every trace of murmuring has been eliminated. When this is accomplished, we may be sure that a new freshness and power will manifest itself in our prayer lives.

Faith That Can Endure Weariness

Messenger and News Review, December 1988

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 29

A Word from the Editor

So the year numbered, 1988, has drawn to its fateful close. During its many hours a tremendous number of decisions have been made which will tell for time and for eternity. Because the Sabbath Rest principles are so little known and even less respected and followed, most of the choices made have been unfortunate, and will grow into a fearful harvest of trouble and disaster.

Those of us who are old enough to see at least some of the effects of the decisions made earlier in life will clearly understand this principle. It will be with the deepest regret that such will consider the past and its mistakes.

But the ending of the old year is the beginning of the new during which, having learned from our previous mistakes, we can avoid making choices which will be to our detriment.

One of the most important lessons to be learned is that no one can successfully plan his own life. Each must choose to accept what the Lord plans for him. That is the secret of making right choices. Those who follow this pattern can never go wrong. The Lord will guide him safely to the very end of his days, and, on looking back, he will see both the wisdom and the love of God in every decision which has been made for him.

WE CAN now see as never before that there is a reason for Heaven’s delay in answering our petitions until we have learned the power of importunate prayer, that is, until perseverance and determination have won through. It is because it takes time for us to see the real nature of the sin which is blocking our access to the Source of all our blessings, and it requires time to develop the capacity to receive what the Lord has for us. Those who thus learn to cling to the promises of God until they receive them are thereby refined, strengthened, ennobled, and sanctified. They become purified in heart, and possess a powerful, living faith, by which they are filled with righteousness. So, painful and even frightening as the experience can be, the outworking of it is extremely beneficial and quite necessary for the successful preparation of those who will march victoriously through the final conflict.

When the believer passes through these periods when it seems that the Lord is not even hearing his petitions, the natural tendency is to conclude that he has been forsaken, and is therefore lost. Admittedly, this is a possibility, but only if over a long period of time he has stubbornly clung to cherished sins.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 187:

Individuals are tested and proved a length of time to see if they will sacrifice their idols and heed the counsel of the True Witness. If they will not be purified through obeying the truth, and overcome their selfishness, their pride, and evil passions, the angels of God have the charge: “They are joined to their idols, let them alone,” and they pass on to their work, leaving these with their sinful traits unsubdued, to the control of evil angels. Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.

A soul thus abandoned by the heavenly agencies, has obviously committed the unpardonable sin, and he will have no knowledge of the power of importunate prayer. To commit the unpardonable sin is to call the work of God, the work of Satan, and vice versa. It is unpardonable because the more the devil comes to us, the more we shall accept him as our friend, while any attempt on God’s part to draw us to Him will be rejected as coming from the enemy.

The Patience of the Saints

However, let none jump to the conclusion that, because there is a delay in his prayers being answered, he must therefore have committed the unpardonable sin. There is the other reason mentioned above, that time is required to change the petitioner to the place where he has the capacity to receive the larger blessing. There are frequent cases in the Bible where men who walked very close to the Lord, had to importune God for quite some time before the needed answer came. The most outstanding example is that of Christ himself during the long battle with the devil in the desert, when day followed day of agonized prayer without the slightest indication that Heaven was even interested. But the indication was quite the opposite from the fact of the situation, for it would have been impossible for Heaven to have been more interested, solicitous, sympathetic, or supportive than it was.

Then, there was Jacob’s night at anguish, Elijah’s repeated pleas for rain, and the refusal on the part of the leper and various other sick ones, to be put off when at first they were not able to reach the Saviour.

So, when the dedicated Christian who is walking in the light of truth, finds his selfless prayers are seemingly going unheard, he is not to be alarmed by this even though it is a severe test of his faith. It is worthy of notice that the proving of his trust in God will be much less difficult to bear when he understands that what he is passing through is a normal phase of becoming prepared for eternity. He can even rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord is working vital changes in him in preparation for larger blessings than he has previously received.

Never will this knowledge and confidence be more needed than in the coming time of Jacob’s trouble. Then, day after day will pass by, devoted to agonized prayer for victory over Babylon the Great, but, even though the situation will be desperate in the extreme, and God’s people will have no one else to turn to but Him in this time of utmost need, it will seem that the Lord will be unconcerned and indifferent to their cries.

Then, like Jacob, they must know the power of importunate prayer, by which they will cling to the promise and not let it go until Heaven hears. It will be a time when clinging to and believing in the promise will seem like a futile exercise. To all appearances, their faith will seem to be pointless and fruitless, and praying a waste of valuable time. But they will have to rise above the witness of sight and circumstances to the point where they never let go regardless. To accomplish this, they must understand the purposes the Lord has to accomplish through importunate prayer, and in faith submit themselves to the exacting experience.

Seeing God’s Character in His Word

And they must know the character of God—must have learned for themselves that He is absolutely faithful to His word and to His people; that He loves with an intensity of love which is infinite; that He knows what is for our best good; and that He will never betray sacred trusts. It would be impossible to overemphasize the critical necessity of knowing these things about God in order to maintain faith in Him during periods of terrible trial. Those who lose their knowledge of God and their faith in Him will certainly be overthrown by the enemy, and will be led to put their trust in themselves and their own works.

Victory is gained by faith, but you cannot have faith in a God whom you do not know.

Romans 10

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This is true of saving faith only if the word by which it comes is the revelation of Jesus Christ and of the Father. That this is a fact is beyond dispute, for…

Steps to Christ, p. 10:

The word of God reveals His character.

Steps to Christ, p. 88:

Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures,—and how much more is it true of the New,—“They are they which testify of me,” the Redeemer, Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. John 5:39. Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ. From the first record of Creation—for “without Him was not anything made that was made”—to the closing promise, “Behold, I come quickly,” we are reading of His works and listening to His voice. John 1:3; Revelation 22:12. If you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures.

But it is one thing for the Scriptures to be in fact a wonderful, and truly living revelation of Christ and His Father, and quite another matter for the Bible student to see the Father and the Son in all the writings. To so many, they are but a compilation of historical events, the fascinating delineation of future developments, the presentation of doctrinal truths, and a collection of spiritual songs.

Those who see nothing more than this and thus fail to behold our eternal, loving Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ revealed in all the Scriptures, remain saddled with the most erroneous views of the divine character. To them He is a potentate who visits punishments and destruction on all those who do not obey His arbitrary commands. They know Him as a being who is exacting, unreliable, and apt to fail you when you need Him most. Of course, they will deny that they carry these concepts, but when the basis of their thinking is properly examined, that is how it will be shown to be.

No one who has thus failed to gain a true concept of God’s beautiful character will be able to build the kind of faith that will make his importunate prayer to be truly effective. We must know God! His long-suffering, His enduring mercy, His incredible love, His perfect integrity, and His impeccable righteousness must be comprehended by us or we shall not have the faith required to guarantee victory.

Whenever there is the urgent need for deep soul searching and cleansing from sin or earthliness, there will appear the call to exercise the power of importunate prayer. During the time of Jacob’s trouble after all sin has been removed, but there remains the work of utterly cleansing all earthliness away, the person-changing, cleansing work must be taken to the highest possible level. To understand the process by which we attain to this level of perfection, let consideration now be given to the following paragraph describing what the saints must endure during the last great battle of the ages:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.

This is a powerful description of what the living saints will pass through just before the Saviour returns in the clouds of heaven. Yet, none of these words alone, nor all of them put together can adequately portray how trying, how fearful, and how terrible that coming time will be. Only when it is all over and God’s people know for themselves what those words really meant will they be able to understand the lengths, depths, and breadths to which they shall be tested. Then, those who will be finally victorious will really know the power of importunate prayer.

The Season of Distress

Let us now really strive to understand the paragraph just quoted. It begins by stating:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried.

The first part of the sentence declares that the coming season will be one of distress and anguish. These are exceedingly strong words which are used to describe the mental state of a person facing an extremely threatening situation from which there is no visible means of escape. To him it will seem that he is now doomed to destruction, as, in this coming situation, he sees the entire world marshaled against him. He will be surrounded, every earthly support will have been cut off, every hiding place uncovered, and all hope removed. Even heaven seems closed against him, for he hears and sees no answer to his desperate, agonized cries. Only those of us who have been placed in situations of grave peril can begin to realize what the coming test will be like.

The Great Controversy, p. 622:

It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.

Those then who have lived an untroubled life devoid of any grave spiritual crises, have no idea of what is before them if they remain faithful to the end. Those who have been through the deep waters will have some idea, but will still fall far short of really knowing what it will be like. Therefore, we would do well to be very grateful for having been led through periods of distress and anguish. This will provide us with a far better prospect of being victorious.

This “season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith...” Let us now concentrate on the word “require.” A requirement is something which is necessary and indispensable. Therefore, the nature of this coming season is such that we have to be in possession of faith if we are to emerge safely on the other side.

You might say that we have always understood that faith is the victory, and this is true, but have we really understood the kind of faith and what it must do to withstand the pressures of that last, fearful struggle? That is the question!

One way in which faith is seen to operate is that we read the promises of God and believe that the Lord will do just what He has promised to do. Then we claim the promise in prayer, and when the Lord grants us that for which we asked, we believe that we have exercised faith and have been rewarded accordingly.

There is no doubt about this being the common understanding of the average believer. To learn that, one has but to listen to the testimonies of praise to God which are given from time to time by believers in public assembly. They tell how, during the interval since the previous camp meeting, they were faced with problems which were promptly handed to the wonderful Problem-solver, who very speedily solved them. For this speedy and faithful discharge of His guarantees, the one testifying declares his deep gratitude and pledges his undying loyalty to the Almighty.

Without any question, this is very good indeed, and we shall be ever grateful that we do have a loving, wise, generous, and merciful Father who so often provides speedy answers to our petitions.

Obviously, it is easy to believe in a system which works quickly, and with little or no pain, but there are times when faith is tested to the uttermost in the following way:

The believer is placed in a position of critical need which contains a threat not only against himself, but also against the cause of God as was the case with Jacob when his enraged brother was coming after him. So the believer, in desperate need, turns to the glowing promises designed to meet the very threat he is facing, and lays hold of the divine assurances, expecting that the Lord will rush to his aid and clear away the obstacles. But, to his alarm and dismay, he is able to discern no divine answer. With the terrible threat looming larger and closer, the situation becomes more desperate by the day as it did in Christ’s awesome struggle with the devil on the mount of temptation.

Now the distressed suppliant begins to agonize in prayer, but day follows day without the slightest indication that God is even listening, let alone answering his pleas, or fulfilling his claims on the glorious promises. Disaster and death advance remorselessly upon him, and are even permitted to overtake him. Look at the tragedies which struck the righteous Job, and the death which placed Lazarus in the tomb. It appeared that these men received from the Lord, the very opposite from that which He had promised. So the believer watches helplessly as disaster and death overshadow him.

Where now is the covenant-keeping God? What now of His glowing promises? Is this His answer to the confident exercise of faith? To maintain faith in God under these circumstances is the kind of testing which those who are finally victorious must endure. It is the kind of faith…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

...that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried.

It is the kind of faith which continues to maintain an unquestioning trust in the promises of God, despite the fact that the very opposite is befalling us. When we have this kind of rest in the Lord, we will be truly able to say with Job:

Job 13

15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

This is to say,

“Even though He appears to do the very opposite from what He has promised, I will still believe in Him.”

That is faith in God. That is the faith of Jesus!

Through all these perilous paths, the Lord will never really break a single promise He has made. The endurance of weariness, delay, and hunger, is not something which the Lord demands, but is a factor needed for the development of that character which will fit us both for the coming conflict and for our place in the kingdom.

Faith That Overcomes Weariness

What kind of weariness is this, and what does it mean to endure it? There is no weariness to be compared with that produced by the exhaustion of nervous energy caused by severe and seemingly endless stress. This drains the system of vital force until, if severe enough as it was with Christ, it can be life-threatening.

The Ministry of Healing, p. 55:

Often His incessant labor and the conflict with the enmity and false teaching of the rabbis left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, feared that His life would be sacrificed.

At the end of the forty days in the wilderness,

The Desire of Ages, p. 131:

After the foe had departed, Jesus fell exhausted to the earth, with the pallor of death upon His face. . . . The angels now ministered to the Son of God as He lay like one dying.

That was extreme exhaustion such as we have never experienced nor will ever be called upon to bear, yet the Saviour was able to maintain complete victory over this terrible weariness. While the disciples had the best of intentions to pray through the night with their Master, they did not do so, and, up till the resurrection of Jesus at least, they did not develop a faith which could endure weariness. Instead, their tiredness overcame their faith and they consistently fell asleep.

For confirmation of this we have but to view their behavior on the mount of transfiguration. There, Jesus prayed for a fresh hold on Omnipotence so that He could successfully contemplate the future.

The Desire of Ages, p. 420:

At first the disciples unite their prayers with His in sincere devotion; but after a time they are overcome with weariness, and, even while trying to retain their interest in the scene, they fall asleep. Jesus has told them of His sufferings; He has taken them with Him that they might unite with Him in prayer; even now He is praying for them.

The same defeat was suffered by them in Gethsemane. Into the Garden’s inner recesses, the suffering Saviour had led the three, Peter, James, and John, for He needed their prayers, and it was very necessary for them too that, instead of spending time in sleeping, they devote the hours spent in the Garden to prayer. The crisis rushing upon them required an extent of preparation which could only be accomplished by the maximum use of every second remaining before it struck. The facts were that there were simply no moments which could be spared for slumbering.

This does not mean that they and we must spend every night in prayer instead of sleeping. The requirement to do so will come from time to time, such as it did for them on the night Christ was to be betrayed and arrested, and as it will come for us in the rapidly approaching time of Jacob’s trouble.

What they were about to face in the coming hours required that they exercise the faith by which they had the victory over weariness, so that no matter how tired they might have been, they would spend the time wide awake in prayer. Without this period of close communion at the sacrifice of sleep, they had no hope of being overcomers in the hour of temptation so soon to overtake them.

We know that they slept when they should have been awake. We know too that, on that same night, they all forsook Christ and fled for their lives, while one of them went so far as to deny Him with cursings. But do we see the connection between their failure to watch and pray even at the cost of desperately needed sleep, and the terrible defeat they consequently suffered at the hands of Satan and his agents?

Sleep is a legitimate need of the human nature, a necessary factor in the preservation of our lives, but there are situations when this powerful force must be denied in order to provide time for prayerful communion with the Everlasting Father. Physical rest must be sacrificed just as we also have to deprive ourselves of the satisfaction of other human needs at times so that we can render totally dedicated service to the Lord, and develop that spiritual strength needed to bring true success in our confrontations with the evil one. To maintain wakefulness under these conditions can be a fearful battle which is won only by the exercise of that…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

...faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried.

As already stated, the three disciples whom the Lord took with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane, did not have this enduring faith, so they slept when they should have been overcoming by faith, and spending the time in communion. By not doing this, they ended up fleeing from the enemy when they would otherwise have been steadfast and faithful. But they would have had the memory of their previous failures to remind them to stay awake and pray, such as on the mount of transfiguration, and this would have made them most anxious not to repeat the same unfortunate performances. So, they placed the power of their wills on the right side, and fought against the desire to sleep, yet they failed. The fact that they did is clear proof that the victory can be gained and maintained only by faith in divine grace combined with diligent effort. Note the expression of this thought in the following paragraph which begins with Christ’s rising with painful effort to see if His disciples were watching with Him unto prayer:

The Desire of Ages, p. 688:

Rising with painful effort, He staggered to the place where He had left His companions. But He “found them asleep.” Had He found them praying, He would have been relieved. Had they been seeking refuge in God, that satanic agencies might not prevail over them, He would have been comforted by their steadfast faith. But they had not heeded the repeated warning, “Watch and pray.” At first they had been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified, wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. They had prayed as they heard the strong cries of the Sufferer. They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor which they might have shaken off if they had continued pleading with God. They did not realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest prayer in order to withstand temptation.

Jesus knew as they should have known that the nature, severity, and magnitude of the pressures of temptation they would face that very night would require a level of faith and spiritual strength which could only be acquired by renouncing sleep, and spending much time in deep, earnest communion with God. Knowing of their previous failures to watch and pray in a time of crisis, He feared that they might have succumbed to the same temptation. Therefore, in His deep concern for them, He arose from the ground and went to see if faith had triumphed over weariness so that they were fully awake, absorbed in communion with God, and were thus gathering strength to meet the approaching storm.

But to His dismay, He found them asleep. This meant that He had to pray, not only for himself, but for them as well. Note carefully that, if He had found them awake and praying, instead of having fallen asleep,

The Desire of Ages, p. 688:

...He would have been comforted by their steadfast faith.

Jesus knew how weary they were, how powerful the temptation to fall asleep, and how strong the faith required to overcome the problem. Thus when He found them sleeping, He recognized that they lacked the steadfast faith which the situation required. If He had found them awake and praying, He would have known that they had gained a great victory over their flesh through a faith which was steadfast, that is, a faith which was unyielding, determined, and enduring.

They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor which they might have shaken off if they had continued pleading with God.

Those men were fortunate in that they still had time to recover from their lack of that faith which endures weariness, delay, and hunger. Probationary time did not end at the cross. There was still time for them to recognize their sin in denying their Saviour, to repent of it, and be cleansed of it. They took full advantage of the offers of mercy and became men mighty in faith and righteousness.

But, it will not be so during the time of Jacob’s trouble. Any failure then, even in the slightest degree, will relegate the one who has sinned to a category from which there can be no recovery. Every provision for forgiveness and cleansing will have been closed, because there will be no Mediator between God and man.

The Great Controversy, p. 425:

Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

From the Scriptural evidences which have herein been considered, it is evident that only those who today are learning the power of importunate prayer, only those who are developing the faith that can endure, or, in other words, outlast and therefore triumph over, “weariness, delay, and hunger,” will be able to successfully remain steadfast during the coming period of severest trial.

This intense suffering will be necessary in order to effect the purification and character development of God’s people to the place where the righteousness of God will be revealed in unblemished purity and splendor in and through them. That means that the work in each believer will be carried to the ultimate possible limits where it hurts the most and imposes the greatest test. It will truly…

The Great Controversy p. 621:

...require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.

All should ask themselves if they have passed successfully through similar experiences, and, if not, why not? All should be seeking to learn for themselves the power of importunate prayer, and be developing that faith which can endure all things no matter how severe the test might be. There is no time to lose, no time for sleeping through prayer time now.

Faith That Can Endure Delay

Messenger and News Review, January 1989

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 30

A Word from the Editor

As we enter the new year, we leave behind an era in which, to our keen disappointment, the latter rain did not fall, nor the loud cry begin.

Soon, three years will have gone by since the Lord directed us to pray without ceasing for the latter rain to fall, but, so far, we have not seen this wonderful blessing descend upon us.

But, those prayers have not gone unanswered, for there has been an amazing work of cleansing taking place in the lives of the believers. I am seeing it happen in my own life, and, at the same time, to my astonishment and encouragement, letters are coming from believers and statements are being made by others, telling of an identical work of cleansing taking place throughout the world.

This work is particularly related to the removal of wrong attitudes against God, such as the feeling that He is indifferent to our suffering, and does not bother to keep His promises. The temptation to think this way has been very real, especially to those of us who have known swiftly answered prayers and general prosperity, but are now faced with delayed answers, unrelieved sufferings, and threatened loss.

But such temptations are being overcome and with these victories comes the joyous realization that God is very diligently at work making us ready to receive the latter rain.

AS WE learned in our last chapter,

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness....

We now need to learn that it will also…

...require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger.

When these powerful forces are added to the factor of weariness, the believer will truly find himself stressed to the limits. Unfortunately, the pressure will take beyond their limits those who have not heeded the warnings to develop the kind of faith required, and they will fail never to rise again. Be comforted with the thought that none need be in this category, for ample provision has been made for all to acquire the quality and strength of faith needed to be overcomers in that day of ultimate testing.

Let consideration now be given to “delay” as a factor in the struggle to obtain final victory.

Delay as a Means to Develop Character

Firstly, it needs to become a settled realization in our minds that delayed answers and victories are not uncommon, and have been part of the experience of even the best of Christians. Elijah prayed seven times before the delayed answer came. We do not know how long each of those prayers were, but we can be certain that they were not brief utterances. Each prayer involved deep and extensive heart searching which takes time, but how much in Elijah’s case, we do not know. The best we can do is make an assessment.

The fanatical priests of Baal had labored around their altar from the morning…

1 Kings 18

29 ...until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice.

The time of the evening sacrifice was about 3:00 PM. Then Elijah built the Lord’s altar and offered the brief prayer which cleared the way for the sacrifice to be consumed. Then followed the slaughter of the priests of Baal. So it was probably close to 4:00 PM before Elijah began to pray for rain. When he had finished, and had returned to the waiting king, the sun had set and…

Prophets and Kings, p. 158:

The shades of night were gathering about Mount Carmel as Ahab prepared for the descent.

Depending on the time of year, this could have been as late as 7:00 PM. Therefore, we would conclude that between two and three hours were spent by Elijah in importunate prayer, during which time the answer was delayed until he had been changed into a state of deep humility with a sense of total dependence upon the Almighty. Two or three hours might not seem like much time, but when you consider the intensity of the day’s experiences and the heavy weight of responsibility still upon him during his prayers, it must have seemed to Elijah like a very long time.

So, for those who are tested by long delayed answers to prayer, there is encouragement in the truth that a man as mighty in faith and the Holy Spirit as Elijah was, likewise experienced delays in the answers to his prayers.

As previously noted in these studies, Jacob’s life was embittered with the memory of sins, the real nature of which he had to wait twenty years to discern.33 See Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 197-198. No doubt he had prayed over these things without ceasing during that long period, but the answer to his prayers had been delayed during that trying period until he had become ready to receive the blessing.

Daniel, a man against whom no sin is recorded, was another whose faith had to endure delay, even though previously he had received a virtually instantaneous answer to his petitions as recorded in Daniel 9:1-27, when the mighty angel, Gabriel, appeared to him before he had even finished his earnest plea. That was…

Daniel 9

1 In the first year of Darius...

Later,

Daniel 10

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia,

–the answer did not come so promptly. Then, stripped of anything which would pander to the flesh, he spent three full weeks in importunate prayer during which time no answer came back to him until Gabriel finally appeared before him. The delay must have been very trying to him, a severe test of faith, especially when a previous answer had been so immediate.

The reason for the long wait before light shone through, cannot be apportioned to Daniel, as was the case with Elijah and Jacob. There was an invisible cause which was the stubborn resistance of King Cyrus against God’s will for him to release the Jews so they could return to the Promised Land. Satan was there to exert all the pressure at his command to ensure that the king continued to resist the divine direction to let the people go.

So critical was the issue and so powerful were the forces striving for the mastery that Gabriel had to remain in the king’s court during the entire period of Daniel’s prayer which lasted for twenty-one days. But Daniel had a faith which could endure delay, even twenty-one critical days of it, so that he could continue to importune God for the answer until it came regardless of how long the waiting time might be.

Finally, Christ himself came to Gabriel’s assistance so that the angel could be released to answer the prophet’s petitions. Daniel testifies to the experience in the following words:

Daniel 10

10 Then, suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

11 And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

12 Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I am come because of your words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

What a splendid example this is of the faith which could endure delay. During the period of praying and waiting, his faith was severely tested and tried, for it is extremely difficult to continue supplicating the throne of grace when there is no audible or visible response, or any other indication that God is hearing and answering our petitions. But, despite the delay, and undeterred by it, the man of God continued to intercede for his people until the answer came.

We have found in the Scriptures that one of the purposes of importunate prayer is the changing of the person until he has the capacity to receive the blessings the Lord desires to give him. Such a work was accomplished in Elijah as he continued through seven prayer sessions. Evidently, the same ministry was performed in Daniel, for the angel said,

Daniel 10

12 ...from the first day that you set your heart...to humble yourself before your God.

At the time when these words were spoken, Daniel, who was eighteen when he was carried captive to Babylon, would have been about eighty years of age. Behind him were all those years of illustrious achievement, with no records of defeat and failure. He had ever been growing in grace, in righteousness, and in the knowledge of God.

One would expect that such a man would not be lacking in humility, yet he approached the ministry of importunate prayer setting his heart to achieve greater depths of this grace.

Delay Caused by Others

So, the life of Daniel plainly teaches us that another problem which can prevent the immediate answer to prayer is the need for hearts other than our own to be changed. God cannot force His will on anyone, for it is against His principles to compel anyone to do His service. Therefore, He must wait until the play and counter play of all the forces involved, persuades the key individuals to make the right decision.

An excellent example of this is provided in the persuasion of King Cyrus to send the Jews back to their homeland once more.

Under Satan’s personal and extremely hostile leadership, powerful forces were marshaled to oppose this move. The Persian princes, governors, counselors, and presidents held the deepest fears of what the consequences of such a move might be. They had taken the time and effort to familiarize themselves with the turbulent history of Israel. They remembered how they had repeatedly risen from slavery and captivity to become a powerful, history-changing force in the world. In view of previous Jewish victories, they were not in any mind to initiate another opportunity for the Jews to repeat their past performances by becoming a threat to be reckoned with.

Furthermore, to release the Jews was to give up a nation of servants whose industry and skills greatly enriched the kingdom. The Persians had a keen business sense by which they measured the enormous financial cost of releasing the Hebrews, a factor which strengthened their determination to hold God’s people in continued bondage.

On the other side of the controversy, were the mighty forces of righteousness which were speaking to the king and his advisers. Among them was the presence of Daniel whose deliverance…

Prophets and Kings, p. 557:

...from the den of lions had been used of God to create a favorable impression upon the mind of Cyrus the Great.

A second factor revealed in the same paragraph was that…

The sterling qualities of the man of God as a statesman of farseeing ability led the Persian ruler to show him marked respect and to honor his judgment.

Reading on, we find revealed the third mighty influence working to counteract the negative thrust of those who were determined to thwart the Lord’s will. This was the work of God through the Holy Spirit and the angels to move the king to action in the right direction.

Prophets and Kings, p. 557:

And now, just at the time God had said He would cause His temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt, He moved upon Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning himself, with which Daniel was so familiar, and to grant the Jewish people their liberty.

It was through the outworking of these opposing forces that the Lord was able to lead the mighty sovereign of Persia to make a favorable decision. It was a wonderful achievement for the forces of righteousness, and I cannot readily think of another in history to match it. Instead, the ruling power has had to be broken by the outworking of its sins before the Lord’s people were set free.

There are many Bible revelations of this principle. God could not and would not bring His people out of Egypt until Pharaoh officially and unconditionally released them. He who had stubbornly refused to free the enslaved people, had to be brought to the place where he was glad to see the last of them.

That point of time was reached when, after the disastrous effect of ten devastating plagues, the king’s power was broken. Those plagues, as we perfectly well know, were not divine afflictions by which the Lord beat the Egyptians into submission. Instead, they were the natural outworking upon the Egyptians of their own transgressions and iniquities. Year after year the Egyptians, from the highest on the throne to the lowliest in the land, wantonly transgressed every physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual law. By their own sins they were robbing themselves of strength until their power was entirely broken. Then Israel could go free, and they did.

Let it be emphasized that, irrespective of how righteous one of the Jews might have been, or how much time he had spent in importunate prayer, he would not have obtained his freedom before the rest received theirs; that is, not until the power of Egypt to hold them was broken.

In like manner, while Caleb and Joshua, those two men mighty in faith, had the qualifications to enter Canaan when they first came to Kadesh-barnea, they still had to wait until all the people entered in forty years later. No amount of importunate prayer on their part would have changed that. Those two wonderful men along with Moses and their families had a faith which could and did endure weariness and delay.

It might be argued that, because the Israelites had taken up the sword as the solution to the conquest of the land, they would have had to put armies into the field which were more powerful than the enemy’s. Thus, Caleb and Joshua by themselves would have been no match for the forces occupying the land.

Let none make the sad mistake of arriving at such a conclusion. Two men filled with the faith which animated and empowered Caleb and Joshua, were more than a match for all the forces which the Canaanites could commit to battle. There can be no doubt about this, for the truth of it has been convincingly demonstrated in Bible history. See Jonathan and his armor bearer routing the Philistine host. See also how no Jewish soldiers at all achieved the destruction of the armies of the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, when Jehoshaphat’s army was led to battle by unarmed priests singing as they advanced. When they arrived at the intended battleground, they found that their enemies had destroyed each other. So too, Sennacherib’s army was wiped out without a single blow being struck by the Jews. These and other events demonstrate that the Lord does not need vast armies with which to accomplish His work.

But, in spite of this fact, God’s people still must experience delays in the answer to their prayers when certain conditions are in existence. What also needs to be seen is the truth that these special conditions are the product of the unbelief of the church. For instance, the Jews would never have had to remain in Egypt as long as they did, if they had concentrated on living righteously by faith. It is a fact that gospel truth either hardens or softens, and, the more powerful and living the truth is, the more rapidly the one or the other of these effects will be produced. Thus, if the children of Israel had walked very close to the Lord while slaves in Egypt, their righteousness would have accelerated the apostasy of their overlords, God’s protection would have been discarded much earlier, and the plagues would have descended much sooner.

For those among the captives who maintained a close walk with God, and who never gave up hope, the seemingly endless delay was a very trying experience indeed, and especially since it was no fault of theirs.

So, it is important that we understand what is the cause of the delay which we are presently suffering. It is needful that we ascertain to what extent changes have to be made in ourselves so as to clear the way for the workings of the Holy Spirit, and to understand the conditions around us which are the further cause of delay.

Delay During Christ’s Temptation

If, after considering the evidences presented above along with further witnesses not included here because of space limitations, you still are not convinced that delays are necessary and inevitable, then consider the testing of Christ on the mount of temptation where He provided a perfect example of how to exercise the faith which can endure weariness, delay, and hunger.

After His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into a wilderness area empty of any human life, so that He could make very special preparation for His mission. At first, all went well.

The Desire of Ages, p. 118:

When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father’s glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human weakness.

While this was happening, Jesus was having a wonderful experience, one during which it was very easy to maintain trust in the love and care of His Father.

The Desire of Ages, p. 118:

But the glory departed, and He was left to battle with temptation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human nature shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony,

Isaiah 52

14 His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.

Now was Satan’s opportunity. Now He supposed that he could overcome Christ.

Now why should the glory of God depart from a completely sinless being, the Son of God himself? That is quite a significant question! We know that the divine presence is withdrawn from those who commit sin, or from those upon whom sin is placed as in the case of Christ in Gethsemane, and later on the cross. But, why did the glory of the Lord leave Him who was sinless, and at a time when He was shut in by the Father’s glory and absorbed in communion with God?

This question becomes more serious when the effect of this departure of the Father’s presence is realized. It caused Jesus to become worn and haggard with mental agony, and weak and emaciated from starvation. His mental agony was caused by His feeling utterly abandoned both by God and man, and from being left exposed to and unprotected from the power of the evil one. To Him it seemed that there was no hope for the future, and that the cause for which He had sacrificed everything was already a total failure.

It is impossible for those of us who have never suffered a period of severe mental anguish to have any idea of what torture this was to His spirit, and how destructive to His nervous system. Only those who have suffered through such a period, and have learned thereby what actual damage it can do to the human mind and body, will have any knowledge of what the Saviour passed through. It left Him so marred that, when He returned to the Jordan, no one recognized Him except the prophet John, and he only by inspiration.

During that terrible time, the Redeemer was desperate for deliverance. Without ceasing, His prayers flowed heavenward, but, no matter how importunately He prayed, no answer was returned. It was as though His Father was completely disinterested, and cared so little, that He did not even listen to His son’s desperate pleadings, let alone answer them. If ever a person needed a faith which could endure and thus outlive delay, Christ surely needed it at that time. It is one thing to suffer delay when there is light ahead shining in the darkness, when there is a conscious sense of the Lord’s guiding presence, and when we understand the reason for the delay, but it is another matter when none of these evidences are available. During these dark times, one has to struggle beneath the weight of a terrible temptation to let go of the divine promises, and turn to his own works. How easily Christ could have turned His back on the wilderness and returned to the habitations of men, and what a temptation it must have been for Him to do so.

Let us now address ourselves to the question of why the Saviour to all appearances had to be deserted and why there was such a delay before the answer finally come.

Christ suffered fearfully from the temptations leveled against Him in the desert, but God was not the Author of those temptations, nor was He the One who determined that there should be a delay, or how long it should be. Yet, it appears that the Almighty is the One who decides when, how, where, and why the trial should come. The Scriptures even declare,

Genesis 22

1 ...that God tested Abraham.

Therefore, in a certain sense, this is true, but, unless we distinguish between temptation as the devil exerts it, and the manner in which God permits it, we shall fail to understand either the character or the works of God.

The principle involved is set forth in the following paragraph:

The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1094:

What is temptation? It is the means by which those who claim to be the children of God are tested and tried. We read that God tempted Abraham, that He tempted the children of Israel. This means that He permitted circumstances to occur to test their faith, and lead them to look to Him for help. God permits temptation to come to His people today, that they may realize that He is their Helper. If they draw nigh to Him when they are tempted, He strengthens them to meet the temptation. But if they yield to the enemy, neglecting to place themselves close to their Almighty Helper, they are overcome. They separate themselves from God. They do not give evidence that they walk in God’s way.

But what circumstances were permitted by God to tempt the sinless One? Why did He have to suffer so much for so long before finding deliverance and relief?

It was Adam and his children who had set up the circumstances which brought temptation upon the Saviour. In the Garden of Eden, where it all began, Adam had yielded to Satan’s temptation without enduring until the Creator’s next visit when he could have submitted the problem to Christ for His solution. Thus he showed himself lacking the faith that can endure delay. In order to redeem man, Christ had to display the faith that can endure delay to the ultimate limits.

It is not easy to cling with unyielding faith to the living promises of God when our prayers seem to be going unheard, and we see no visible reason for the delay. But, those who are finally victorious during the time of Jacob’s trouble will have to possess the faith which can endure or outlast delayed answers.

The purpose of this chapter has been to demonstrate that delays in answering our prayers are not something new and singular to us. They have tested the greatest Christians including Christ himself, and are very much a part of the work of fitting us up for the final battle, and for a place in the kingdom.

Faith That Can Endure Hunger

Messenger and News Review, February 1989

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 31

A Word from the Editor

“O what a glorious truth! God is waiting to forgive all who come unto Him with repentance. Preach it. Lift up Jesus high that the people may behold Him...” Selected Messages, book 1, p. 106.

It would be well to ask yourself the question: “Have I the same view of God as is pictured in this statement? Do I see Him as the One who is so eager to forgive me that He is waiting for me to come to Him so that He can bequeath this blessing to me? Or do I look upon Him as a stern, exacting judge of whom I must beg to be pardoned?”

If we view the loving Father as a stern, severe disciplinarian who must be persuaded to forgive us, we will be reluctant to soften our view to match reality because we would fear that to be forgiven so freely would encourage one to be careless about sinning and repenting.

It is true that this danger exists and no one knows this better than the Lord but, despite this undesirable possibility, the Lord calls us to experience and proclaim the powerful truth that the everlasting Father is waiting to forgive and will freely pardon all who will come to Him in true repentance.

But remember that, when His healing touch banishes the stain of sin, and fills the life with righteousness, He gently warns: “Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

IN THE last two chapters, we have been studying the warning given in The Great Controversy, p. 621, where it is written:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried.

So far, consideration has been given to the factors of weariness and delay as being fearful pressures to be endured by a steadfast faith. Without doubt they will be mighty forces to be reckoned with in the context of the struggle of the last days. The more clearly we understand this, and the more accurately we evaluate the strength and determination of these factors, the more strongly and urgently will we be motivated to gain the fitness necessary to endure what is coming. Woe to those of us who permit the warnings to pass unheeded, and allow ourselves to drift along unconcerned until overtaken in the heat of the battle without special preparation to meet the emergency.

Now it is time to consider the third factor mentioned in the statement; namely, hunger.

Hunger During Jacob’s Trouble

During the time of Jacob’s trouble,

The Great Controversy, p. 629:

The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food, they will not be left to perish. The God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that “walks righteously” is the promise:

Isaiah 33

16 Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Isaiah 41

17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

On first reading this paragraph, it might be felt that it is somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, it declares that the righteous will suffer for want of food, but on the other we are assured that angels will supply their wants, that bread shall be given them, and their water supply is assured. It is natural to conclude that if bread and water are made sure, and the guarantee is given that angels will supply their wants, then they could not suffer from hunger.

Yet it is declared that they will not merely be hungry, but will suffer from hunger. What does this mean? How do we reconcile this seeming contradiction? Obviously, we need to modify our understanding of the extent to which the bread and water shall be supplied. It certainly will not be so abundant that the people of the Lord will escape from suffering through being hungry, but it will be sufficient to prevent their dying from starvation.

At this time food shortages will be extremely acute, and in most places, nonexistent. This will be due to a number of factors. The first will be the failure of crops which will wither under the scorching heat of the sun.

The Great Controversy, p. 628:

The prophets thus describe the condition of the earth at this fearful time:

Joel 1

10 The land mourns;…

11 ...because the harvest of the field is perished.

12 ...all the trees of the field are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate…

18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture…

20 ...the rivers of water are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Amos 8

3 The songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, says the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth in silence.

So, any scanty amounts of food which the withering crops might produce will be consumed by the fires which will also sweep away the pastures and the forests. Food animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs will not alleviate the situation, for they will die in the fires or from starvation. Their putrid carcasses will become totally unfit for consumption except by the scavengers.

But there will be another source of supply in the secret storehouses of the rich and the powerful who will have bought up large quantities of provisions as they saw the impending dire shortages. But this action will not preserve them from want, for the masses will suspect what they have done, will break into their premises, and will certainly discover the hidden stores.

In the wild, uncontrolled, frenzied struggles which will follow, many will lose their lives. The owners of the food will use whatever weapons they will have to defend the victuals on which their continued living depends. Before these weapons are wrestled from their hands to become instruments of their own destruction, they will have cut down some of their attackers.

Nor will the food be spared. Glass bottles, containers, and flasks will shatter as they crash to the floor to mingle their nourishing contents with shards of broken glass, and the blood of those who died trying to seize them. Ruptured sacks will spill their contents into the accumulating mess, while cans of heating and lighting oils, ruptured, will send their volatile contents across the room. It will take but a shower of sparks from a short circuit or the flame from a discharging firearm for the inflammable fluids to erupt into an explosion and a fire. There will be no water with which to quell the flames, which will soon reduce to ashes the food, the bodies of those who died trying to steal it, and the mansion in which it all happened.

It is not difficult to understand that the wicked will die from hunger and starvation during this period of time, for the earth will have ceased to yield her bounties to them, and they cannot look to God as the Source of supply, for they will have utterly rejected Him, and therefore will have no connection with Him. Yet, there will be survivors, mainly because the first four plagues will not be universal. If they were,

The Great Controversy, p. 628:

...the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off.

But, while the wicked are left to perish, the righteous will be sustained, but not to the extent that they will be free from suffering as a result of hunger.

It is well worth our while to understand what this means and why.

Food from Ravens, and Manna

The righteous will be miraculously sustained as was Elijah by the ravens, and thereafter for the duration of the drought in the widow of Zarephath’s humble home, and as were the children of Israel in the desert.

We are not specifically told what the ravens brought to the lonely prophet seated by the brook as it diminished every day, but we do know what he ate at the widow’s house. It was the very plainest of food consisting of precisely the same recipe each day during the months which remained between his arrival there and the showdown on Mount Carmel. Daily, the widow took a small quantity of wholemeal flour, mixed it with oil and water, and baked it over a small fire.

Under normal circumstances, no one could call this a balanced diet containing all the nutrients essential to healthy living, nor was it interesting, or appealing to the appetite. Furthermore, if a person today were to live on such an inadequate and deficient diet for months on end, he would be certain to come down with scurvy and other diseases brought on by malnutrition.

However, both Elijah and the widow remained in excellent health while living on this diet, which would indicate that the Lord especially blessed the flour with nutritional values not normally found in meal. It is true that the widow’s son died during this period, but there is no available evidence on hand to indicate that his fatal illness was caused by an inadequate diet.

During their wilderness wandering, the Israelites subsisted on the daily supply of manna, the bread from heaven. Again, it was an extremely monotonous, plain, uninteresting, and seemingly inadequate diet about which the people from time to time complained very loudly. Imagine yourself living on the same food at every meal for forty years straight. If you took three meals a day, that would be close to forty-four thousand identical meals. We would expect that the Hebrew mothers did their best to inject some variety into their cooking, but the possibilities would be severely limited.

Not having any chemical analysis of the manna, we cannot tell if it contained all the elements heeded to provide a truly balanced diet, yet we must believe that it did, for it sustained them in excellent health and strength during all their extended wanderings. While they lived on the manna God provided, of them it is written,

Psalm 105

37 And there was none feeble among His tribes.

This truth is further confirmed in:

The Desire of Ages, p. 824:

When they fulfilled the conditions, the promise was verified to them.

Psalm 105

37 There was not one feeble person among their tribes.

When they eventually entered the Promised Land, all was different. They then had access to a wonderful variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. How refreshing this must have been after the wilderness diet.

Living by the Promises

A study of the provisions the Lord made for Elijah and Israel helps us to understand what the Lord will provide during the time of Jacob’s trouble when His people will suffer for want of food, but they will not be left to perish. It becomes clear that the Lord will provide enough so that they will live when the wicked all around them are dying, but not enough to prevent them from suffering very severely from hunger. We can expect that for some periods there will be no food at all and no visible prospects of relief. Then they will really be in distress. In fact, the suffering will be so severe especially when coupled with weariness and delay, that they will definitely fear that they will perish with the wicked who will be falling in death on the right hand and on the left, before and behind.

Add to all the suffering and tests pressing their fearful weight upon them through weariness, delay, and hunger, the awful threat of immediate martyrdom, and we will begin to appreciate the kind of faith which will be required to successfully endure this time of trial. It is true that they will then have in the promises of God, the absolute assurance of total deliverance, but the appearances will proclaim that the Lord has no intention of honoring His word, when this is in fact quite untrue.

When at the present time, under conditions for removed from the dreadful crises of the future, we read the positive messages contained in the promises, we tend to feel that, when the testing time comes, we will need but to rest in those divine assurances, and thus make the passage through the troubled waters a relatively smooth one. Consider for instance, the power in these promises which, according to The Great Controversy, p. 629-630, are directly applicable to the coming hour of temptation:

Psalm 121

5 The Lord is your Keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

Psalm 91

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation,

10 No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

One of the promises in the first verses quoted above is that the sun shall not strike the believer by day, nor shall the moon strike him by night. During this time, power will be given to the sun…

Revelation 16

8 ...to scorch men with fire.

We have no difficulty in understanding how the sun will smite or strike the unprotected by day, but how will the moon strike by night, so that protection is needed from it, seeing that it is but a reflector of the sun’s rays and not in itself a direct source of heat?

The moon will still be then as it is today, nothing more than a reflector of the rays from the sun. Therefore, if the sun develops the capacity to scorch men with great heat, the power of the moon will also be greatly increased. In situations where the temperature has been raised by a savage sun mercilessly beating down from a cloudless sky throughout the day, the suffering people hope for some relief when the night arrives, but the moon by beaming the increased reflected rays of the sun to the earth, will make the nights to be almost as unbearable as the day. Only God’s people will find any protection from these fearful scourges.

The promises quoted above assuring us of adequate protection during the time of Jacob’s trouble, are both adequate and positive, but, it is one thing to rely on them in the calm comfort of our present situation, while it will be something else to cling to these promises with unyielding faith when the pressures are really being brought to bear upon us. This will be especially so when every appearance, every witness of sight and circumstances, loudly declares that God has no intention of keeping His glowing promises.

To make matters still worse, the wicked will taunt the Lord’s people with the very argument that the Lord is not doing for them that which He said He would do. Note this as it is revealed in the following paragraph.

The Great Controversy, p. 620:

Yet to human sight it will appear that the people of God must soon seal their testimony with their blood as did the martyrs before them. They themselves begin to fear that the Lord has left them to fall by the hand of their enemies. It is a time of fearful agony. Day and night they cry unto God for deliverance. The wicked exult, and the jeering cry is heard: “Where now is your faith? Why does not God deliver you out of our hands if you are indeed His people?” But the waiting ones remember Jesus dying upon Calvary’s cross and the chief priests and rulers shouting in mockery:

Matthew 27

42 He saved others; himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

Like Jacob, all are wrestling with God. Their countenances express their internal struggle. Paleness sits on every face. Yet they cease not their earnest intercession.

We read that it will be a time of fearful agony, but how little we now appreciate the intensity of that future suffering. If we did, we would not be as casual and complacent in our approach to our immediate future, but would be extremely diligent in preparing for what is coming. Will we learn now or when it is forever too late that…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

Each of these three factors—weariness, delay, and hunger—when present alone are formidable forces with which to contend, but when combined, they are almost unconquerable, and, of the three of them, hunger would almost certainly be the weapon of greatest effectiveness in Satan’s hands. This is because hunger is the most life threatening of the three, and because it generates the strongest manifestation of the law of self-preservation in the desperate drive to escape from dying.

The Desire of Ages, p. 122:

Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord’s first great temptation none is more important than that bearing on the control of the appetites and passions. In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have been most effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind. Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers that God gave to man as a priceless endowment. Thus it becomes impossible for men to appreciate things of eternal worth. Through sensual indulgence, Satan seeks to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God.

Resisting temptations of this nature is a major part of the work of sanctification, and, at times, the seeming lack of progress can be very discouraging. There are periods when we have apparently lost more ground than we have gained, and we feel that we will never achieve the required standard of perfection.

But, for those who do enter the time of Jacob’s trouble with victory over the flesh, hunger, as a powerful temptation to surrender the battle to the enemy, will mount a different and much more powerful appeal from what it does in these days of relative ease and plenty when we are not faced with death from starvation.

The Hunger Factor in Christ’s Temptation

This is best understood by looking at the nature of the battle with hunger which Christ fought and won in the wilderness of temptation shortly after He was baptized. He went there conversant enough with His mission to know that He must not die before the time appointed in the divine plan. The timing for His great sacrifice, as revealed in the prophecy of Daniel 9, was still three and a half years away when He entered the desert to be tempted of the devil. He knew that should He die before the designated moment, the plan of salvation would utterly fail, God and He would stand exposed before the unfallen and fallen inhabitants of the universe as incompetent problem-solvers, and that this would trigger such a loss of confidence in Them as would render the government of God inoperable. The kingdom would pass away.

With men, the all important objective is to preserve human life, so much so that they will, by using life support machines, keep a person alive for years even though he or she is totally unconscious. No expense is spared to achieve this. At the same time, the conscious who can still help themselves, devote every resource at their command to prevent themselves from losing their lives once they come under threat.

But with Jesus, the preservation of His own life was not the chief consideration. He lived for the salvation of the kingdom as a place where His Father’s children could live in perpetual peace and prosperity. There was about Him an intensity of purpose in the achievement of these objectives which we can understand only to the shallow depths to which we have experienced the same dedicated determination. But, as we near the very end and are blessed with the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in latter rain power, we shall become as divorced from earthly interests and considerations as He was, and shall not be concerned with the preservation of our lives except as that is essential for the vindication of the Father’s cause and character, and for the continuation of the kingdom.

Just as Jesus knew He must not expire from hunger before it was time to die on the cross, so, during the time of Jacob’s trouble, we will know that it is essential, indeed critical to the success of God’s cause, that not one of us dies. But as we suffer desperately for want of food, and, at the same time, are threatened with martyrdom, there will be tremendous pressure on each believer to resort to any means available to obtain food, escape the weapons of our enemies, and thus remain alive for the sake of the kingdom.

Were the believers to acquire food by any means of their own devisings, their doing so for the sake of the kingdom would never justify their action. They will have to endure the hunger to whatever degree the Lord permits, without devoting even a second of time to any thought of turning aside to get even one life saving morsel of nourishment.

To some, this might seem an extreme position to take until we refer for light to our finest Exemplar—Jesus Christ. His suffering from deprivation of food to the point where He literally faced death from extreme hunger was a definite type of the experience through which we will pass in the coming period of Jacob’s trouble. The issues will be the same, and the course to be followed by the one hundred and forty-four thousand will be an exact copy of the steps taken by Christ on the mountain top in the desert.

Jesus was in a place as destitute of food supplies as the earth will be in many places during the falling of the seven last plagues. He experienced the draining away of His life forces and knew that it was critically important that He survive the ordeal, “for the sake and salvation of the kingdom.” But, His Father, who as the loving Parent, was responsible for providing Him with His needs, seemed to have missed the point, and, becoming busy elsewhere so it appeared, had seemingly abandoned Him to His fate and the loss of the kingdom. Thus the Saviour was tempted to conclude that the full responsibility for the success of His mission now rested with Him alone, and that He must provide himself with food so that He would have the vitality and strength to do God’s work. It was a temptation He had to resist at any cost to himself, and He did. He refused to lose faith in His Father, and thus take to himself a work which belonged to Him alone.

Jesus could have easily provided himself with food. While there was no food to be found anywhere in the wilderness, there was plenty beyond the edge of the desert. It was simply a matter of departing from where He was dying from hunger, to one of the places where friendly hands would gladly have fed Him. He would have been saved from dying, so that He could continue His mission. What could be wrong with such a practical, simple, and “justifiable” solution to His problem? But notice that the suffering Saviour did not take a single step in that direction. Let none miss this point, for then we will see what it means to have a faith which can endure hunger along with weariness and delay.

The Desire of Ages, p. 121:

In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven; and a sufficient and constant supply was given. This provision was to teach them that while they trusted in God and walked in His ways He would not forsake them. The Saviour now practiced the lesson He had taught to Israel. By the word of God succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited God’s time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.

It will help us to have a faith which can and will endure severe life threatening hunger during Jacob’s trouble, if we have it settled in our minds and permanently established in our thinking that, when suffering so acutely, we are not to even think of finding food for ourselves whatsoever. We are to understand that that is the Father’s responsibility, and that He will supply our needs when the time of His appointment comes.

Our task will be to engage in such importunate prayer as will work those changes in us needed to fit us for giving the final manifestation of our Father’s righteous character, while leaving the matter of our physical sustenance to Him. Having become established on the fact that we are to utterly leave God to be the Provider, we will then be free to concentrate on the issues which we must meet, and the hour of temptation in which we must gain the final victory.

When that battle is fought and won, we will surely know what it means to have…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

...a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

The Victory of Faith

Messenger and News Review, March 1989

Pray for the Latter Rain, Part 32

A Word from the Editor

One of the saddest moments in the history of eternity will be when those who were thoroughly convinced that they had devoted their lives to the doing of God’s will, will be told by the Lord that He never knew them, and are sent away as workers of iniquity. See Matthew 7:21-23.

These people had not set out to deceive themselves or anyone else. They genuinely believed that they were doing the Lord’s work and executing His will, when in fact they were not. So, the time will come when they will face the shocking truth that they are eternally lost. No wonder there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Wherein lay their fearful mistake?

They did not see that doing God’s will is not achieved when a person takes on a work for God in the confidence that the Almighty will be so pleased with his offering that He will accept it. Doing the will of God is walking in the path which the Lord has marked out, not in one which the individual has laid out for himself.

Christ is the only Head of the church and, therefore, He alone has the power to assign anyone to any position anywhere. Every person who is doing a work for God other than that which the Head has assigned him, is not working for God at all, is a worker of iniquity, and will be refused a place in heaven.

THOSE who have diligently studied the message on praying for the latter rain as presented so far, will have a much clearer awareness than they previously had of the kind of faith which must be possessed by all those who will successfully endure the testing time before us. As they view their present spiritual deficiency, they will be thankful that…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

At the same time, we naturally long for our sojourn in this earthly desert to come to an end; to see the termination of the iniquity which is flooding the world with violence, suffering, disease, sorrow, and death. While it is good to feel that way, at the same time it is important that we do not become so preoccupied with these legitimate desires, that we miss the present opportunity to develop the strength of faith which will enable us to endure the coming terrible test.

Jacob’s Test: A Willingness to Deny Self

Jacob’s victory was the victory of a faith which could…

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

...endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that [would] not faint though severely tried.

It will likewise be that, by the same faith, the coming victory will be achieved. His experience is both the example and the assurance of it.

Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded.

Every true believer in Jesus will welcome these words as the positive assurance that, even though they will be placed in a furnace of the fiercest heat, they will be kept by the all-victorious hand of Omnipotence from being consumed.

Jacob’s history is also an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been deceived and tempted and betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with repentance. While Satan seeks to destroy this class, God will send His angels to comfort and protect them in the time of peril. The assaults of Satan are fierce and determined, his delusions are terrible; but the Lord’s eye is upon His people, and His ear listens to their cries. Their affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem about to consume them; but the Refiner will bring them forth as gold tried in the fire. God’s love for His children during the period of their severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity; but it is needful for them to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected.

Now, from the pen of inspiration comes a solemn warning which reads:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it.

So, there is a vital part for us to play which begins with the willingness to deny self. If we are not willing to do this; not willing to agonize before God; not willing to pray long and earnestly for God’s blessing, we will not obtain that blessing.

And what is that blessing?

It is the victory over the final confederacy of Satan’s forces, commonly known as the beast and his image. Unless we have that blessing, we will find ourselves weak and defenseless in the hour of desperate need, the sport of the enemy, and the victims of hopeless despair.

So then, we need to address ourselves to the critical question as to precisely what it means to deny self in this kind of situation? In what way did Jacob demonstrate his willingness to deny self at the Brook Jabbok, and what would he have done if he had not been prepared to deny self? The answers are quickly found by studying Jacob’s experience and actions in the light of the principle that obedience to God’s commands will always require the denial of self to some extent or the other. Therefore, to say, “those who are unwilling to deny self,” is the same as saying,

“Those who are unwilling to obey God because to do so invites the threat to life or property or both.”

So then, was there a divine command involved in Jacob’s situation, to obey which seemed to imperil the lives of every one of his families? There certainly was! After twenty years in Midian serving His uncle, Laban, the Lord directed him to return at once to Canaan.

Genesis 31

1 Now he [Jacob] heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s and from what was our father’s he has acquired all his wealth.

2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable to him as before.

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 193:

Jacob would have left his crafty kinsman long before but for the fear of encountering Esau. Now he felt that he was in danger from the sons of Laban, who, looking upon his wealth as their own, might endeavor to secure it by violence. He was in great perplexity and distress, not knowing which way to turn. But mindful of the gracious Bethel promise, he carried his case to God, and sought direction from Him. In a dream his prayer was answered:

Genesis 31

3 Return unto the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you.

Jacob had found refuge from his angry brother in the land of Midian, but there another danger had developed which was just as threatening. The sons of Laban were becoming more and more unhappy about the growing prosperity of Jacob, thus posing a serious threat to the personal safety of Jacob and his families. What a difficult predicament was that in which Jacob was placed. To leave Laban was to expose himself to the murderous wrath of Esau, but to remain where he was, invited the same fate at the hands of Laban and his sons.

Quite rightly, he took the matter to the great Problem-solver who directed him to return to Canaan with the promise that the Lord would go with him. This meant that God would protect him from whatever dangers were to be encountered on the way, or which would confront him on his arrival back where Esau was the reigning power.

With both the command and the promise of God in his possession, one would expect that Jacob would then have had no further problems. We would think that all that he had to do was to obey the simple direction to return while trusting the Lord to make the bidding, a sure enabling. But it proved to be much more difficult than that. When he awoke from the dream, he would have been fully aware that God’s command would simply transfer him from one position of terminal threat to another of equal if not greater magnitude. He could have reasoned that if God’s solution to the first problem—the menace of Laban’s sons—was flight, should he not likewise be directed away from Esau’s domain?

Without a doubt, self rose up with “logical” arguments to the effect that, while he certainly should obey the voice of the Lord in escaping from the selfish and therefore dangerous Laban, he should choose a place where he would be safe from both Laban and Esau. But he had to realize that there was no place upon the earth where he would be safe if God was not with him, which He certainly would not be if the patriarch had walked in a path of his own devising. He had to live by that conviction, and not by the demands of self. This principle is beautifully enunciated by the Master Teacher in these words:

The Desire of Ages, p. 527:

John 11

9 If any man walk in the day, [He continued,] he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world.

He who does the will of God, who walks in the path that God has marked out, cannot stumble and fall. The light of God’s guiding Spirit gives him a clear perception of his duty, and leads him aright till the close of his work.

10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.

He who walks in a path of his own choosing, where God has not called him, will stumble. For him day is turned into night, and wherever he may be, he is not secure.

In leaving Laban and directing his footsteps toward Canaan as God had commanded him, Jacob demonstrated his willingness to deny self, by walking in the path which God had marked out as distinct from one which self would indicate as being a preferred route. But to make this choice, he had to fight a hard, stern battle with self, for he was not at peace in himself as he set out on the journey toward the promised land. He lacked that absolute faith in his heavenly Father which would have enabled him to journey on in perfect peace as it is written:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 195:

Though Jacob had left Padanaram in obedience to the divine direction, it was not without many misgivings that he retraced the road that he had trodden as a fugitive twenty years before. His sin in the deception of his father was ever before him. He knew that his long exile was the direct result of that sin, and he pondered over these things day and night, the reproaches of an accusing conscience making his journey very sad. As the hills of his native land appeared before him in the distance, the heart of the patriarch was deeply moved. All the past rose vividly before him. With the memory of his sin came also the thought of God’s favor toward him, and the promises of divine help and guidance.

As he drew nearer his journey’s end, the thought of Esau brought many a troubled foreboding. After the flight of Jacob, Esau had regarded himself as the sole heir of their father’s possessions. The news of Jacob’s return would excite the fear that he was coming to claim the inheritance. Esau was now able to do his brother great injury, if so disposed, and he might be moved to violence against him, not only by the desire for revenge, but in order to secure undisturbed possession of the wealth which he had so long looked upon as his own.

Thus, the nearer he came to his homeland, the greater the pressure upon him to flee for his own life and for the lives of his family members, and the more definite the need for him to deny the clamors of the powerful law of self-preservation.

Only if we have been placed in the same situation as was Jacob, where we are literally faced with the wanton, savage slaughter of our families and the people of God, and there is no visible escape from the disaster, can we truly understand the pressure upon him to bow to the demands of self, and flee to a place which appeared to be a sure refuge. Only then could we truly realize that the nearer the moment of disaster approached, with still no visible deliverance in sight, the more frantic one would be tempted to become, and the more resolutely one would have to resist the unhallowed demands of self-preservation. Thus the strength of will which was sufficient to deny self enough for Jacob to obey the Lord’s command to leave Laban, would never have been adequate for him to face Esau. In the meantime, there had to be a marked strengthening of his determination to be willing to totally deny self and continue on in direct obedience to the Lord’s command.

Satan, of course, was quick to perceive every factor which could be used to his advantage, whether it was truth or error. Consider then how he would have used the following to offer Jacob a seemingly justifiable reason for deferring his confrontation with his furious brother. The patriarch was burdened with some serious problems in his spiritual life, and the devil knew it. We read that...

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 198:

Doubt, perplexity, and remorse had embittered his existence...

The enemy would have whispered to Jacob that he was in no fit state to weather the crisis about to burst upon him, and the troubled man would have had to agree. He needed faith, not doubt; certainty, not perplexity; and forgiveness and peace of mind, not remorse. Jacob would have fully agreed with this assessment of his critical needs. Warming to his subject, the devil would have continued:

“Until these changes take place, you have no hope of gaining the victory, and there is no time left here and now. Quickly, before it is forever too late, flee to a secure place where you will find time to obtain deliverance from these liabilities. Then, charged with living faith, you can emerge from hiding to successfully face your vengeful brother.”

Self always welcomes the deferment of the day of deadly peril and the patriarch would have found Satan’s propositions to have been most attractive, logical, sensible, and practical, especially as, seemingly, they did not call on him to openly reject God, even though this is in fact, what they involved. All too frequently we find records in the Scriptures of individuals who have accepted this kind of compromise, while quieting their consciences with the thought that they have not refused to face the test, but have simply suspended proceedings till a more favorable occasion presents itself. What they really did was to demonstrate their unwillingness to deny self, and thus they voided themselves of the precious blessing they so much needed.

This is the recourse of unbelief, and the effects are usually fatal. The principle is clearly revealed in the crossing of the Red Sea.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 290:

God in His providence brought the Hebrews into the mountain fastnesses before the sea, that He might manifest His power in their deliverance and signally humble the pride of their oppressors. He might have saved them in any other way, but He chose this method in order to test their faith and strengthen their trust in Him. The people were weary and terrified, yet if they had held back when Moses bade them advance, God would never have opened the path for them. It was “by faith” that “they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land.” Hebrews 11:29. In marching down to the very water, they showed that they believed the word of God as spoken by Moses. They did all that was in their power to do, and then the Mighty One of Israel divided the sea to make a path for their feet.

The great lesson here taught is for all time. Often the Christian life is beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, “Go forward.” We should obey this command, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness, and we feel the cold waves about our feet. The obstacles that hinder our progress will never disappear before a halting, doubting spirit. Those who defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there remains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey at all. Unbelief whispers, “Let us wait till the obstructions are removed, and we can see our way clearly;” but faith courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all things.

In Jacob’s case, “The imagination” pictured “impending ruin before and bondage or death behind.” Laban was the threat of bondage or death behind, and Esau was the impending ruin before, but the voice of the Lord spoke clearly, “Go forward.” Jacob knew he must obey that command regardless, and thus displayed a willingness to utterly deny self even if so doing were to cost him his life.

Acting on the Lord’s Timing

The Lord’s timing is perfect, so that when He brings us to a certain point, we are to act on it there and then, for the opportunity might never come again. On their coming to the Red Sea,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 290:

The people were weary and terrified, yet if they had held back when Moses bade them advance, God would never have opened the path for them.

It was then or never, for the Lord had not provided a later point of time when they would be given a second opportunity. This does not mean that the Lord never gives a second occasion for the reception of the same blessing. Thus, for instance, when the Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land the first time, the Lord brought them back for a second and successful attempt. Let it not be overlooked though, that the generation which did not enter in the first time, was not given the second opportunity. That was reserved for another people namely, their children.

Another warning of the vital importance of grasping the blessing immediately it is offered to you was when, for instance, the Saviour came to the crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda, it was the right moment of time for the paralytic. The Holy Spirit had worked on mind and heart to impress him with the realization of his helplessness and his great need of a deliverer. Thus, when Jesus arrived in his presence, he had lost all faith in the system in which he had previously trusted, and was ready to accept deliverance from the Great Physician. As the man’s faith took hold of Jesus’ word,

The Desire of Ages, p. 203:

Every nerve and muscle thrills with new life, and healthful action comes to his crippled limbs. Without question he sets his will to obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles respond to his will. Springing to his feet, he finds himself an active man.

Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man might have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he believed Christ’s word, and in acting upon it he received strength.

David Seeking Refuge Among the Philistines

Another example of a man of God demonstrating his unwillingness to deny self, is found in David’s seeking refuge with the Philistines who granted him residence in Ziklag.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 672:

With the six hundred men under his command, he passed over to Achish, the king of Gath.

But while this seemed a prudent move in itself, it was David’s unwillingness to deny self which caused him to make it. That is made clear in the very next paragraph.

David’s conclusion that Saul would certainly accomplish his murderous purpose was formed without the counsel of God. Even while Saul was plotting and seeking to accomplish his destruction, the Lord was working to secure David the kingdom. God works out His plans, though to human eyes they are veiled in mystery. Men cannot understand the ways of God; and, looking at appearances, they interpret the trials and tests and provings that God permits to come upon them as things that are against them, and that will only work their ruin. Thus David looked on appearances, and not at the promises of God. He doubted that he would ever come to the throne. Long trials had wearied his faith and exhausted his patience.

In order to appreciate the power of self in bringing about the action of David in crossing over into Philistia, it is necessary to understand how wearing those years were during which he was in constant flight from Saul. I used to think that the rigors of this period in his life actually served to toughen him, but I have since come to see that, instead, they served along with other factors, to rob him of strength and vitality, and sapped the fountain of life. The fact of this is clearly established in the following statement:

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 749:

He had reached the age of three score and ten. The hardships and exposures of his early wanderings, his many wars, the cares and afflictions of his later years, had sapped the fountain of life. Though his mind retained its clearness and strength, feebleness and age, with their desire for seclusion, prevented a quick apprehension of what was passing in the kingdom, and again rebellion sprang up in the very shadow of the throne.

It is true that this paragraph describes David’s condition as it was long years after he crossed over to the king of Gath. Then, at the age of seventy, he was a weak and enfeebled man whose fountain of life had been sapped. This certainly was a premature aging of one who had been a man of tremendous vitality and great strength, for, even today, seventy is not a great age. There are many who live on enjoying a vigorous life well beyond that limit, but not if they have been through what David had suffered, which, among other things were “the hardships and exposures of his early wanderings.” These had come to their conclusion by the time he went to live at Ziklag, but the physical damage had been done that would contribute to his being prematurely enfeebled and aged.

In the light of these facts, David must have approached the Philistine border so wearied with the constant hardship and unremitting stress, that his entire being must have craved for relief from the exhausting life-style which had been forced upon him. So strong was the pressure exerted upon him by self to escape, that he lost sight of the guiding principles of Sabbath rest and strict separation from the enemies of the Lord and himself. He demonstrated that he was, at that time, unwilling to deny self and thus forfeited the blessing he might have had.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 672-673:

The Lord did not send David for protection to the Philistines, the most bitter foes of Israel. This very nation would be among his worst enemies to the last, and yet he had fled to them for help in his time of need. Having lost all confidence in Saul and in those who served him, he threw himself upon the mercies of the enemies of his people. David was a brave general, and had proved himself a wise and successful warrior; but he was working directly against his own interests when he went to the Philistines. God had appointed him to set up his standard in the land of Judah, and it was want of faith that led him to forsake his post of duty without a command from the Lord.

God was dishonored by David’s unbelief. The Philistines had feared David more than they had feared Saul and his armies; and by placing himself under the protection of the Philistines, David discovered to them the weakness of his own people. Thus he encouraged these relentless foes to oppress Israel. David had been anointed to stand in defense of the people of God; and the Lord would not have His servants give encouragement to the wicked by disclosing the weakness of His people or by an appearance of indifference to their welfare. Furthermore, the impression was received by his brethren that he had gone to the heathen to serve their gods. By this act he gave occasion for misconstruing his motives, and many were led to hold prejudice against him. The very thing that Satan desired to have him do he was led to do; for, in seeking refuge among the Philistines, David caused great exultation to the enemies of God and His people. David did not renounce his worship of God nor cease his devotion to His cause; but he sacrificed his trust in Him to his personal safety, and thus tarnished the upright and faithful character that God requires His servants to possess.

This event in the life of David was the triumph of the demands of the flesh over the controlling power of the spirit; the victory of the law of self-preservation over the principle of self-sacrificing love; the conquest of faith by unbelief; and the demonstration of David’s unwillingness to deny self. Whereas Jacob had refused to take a single backward step, or to deviate to the right or the left, David compromised his principles and failed the Lord badly.

Fortunately for him, his probation had not closed as it will for those of us who will be involved in the final struggle. He had the time and the opportunity to repent, and be restored to divine favor.

Elijah Fleeing for His Life

Another with whom self-preservation became the most important factor was Elijah when he was awakened by the messenger at the gates of Jezreel, and was advised that the wicked Jezebel would have him executed the next day.

For him, it was a sudden and fearful test, with the awful pressure on him to make an immediate decision which he did. Aroused from very deep slumber, he saw only that Jezebel’s power was far from broken as he was so sure that it would have been. He beheld nothing but failure for the Lord’s cause, and, instead of committing the problem to the Lord, acted out the dictates of the flesh. Instead of standing fast for the honor of God and everlasting truth, he fled for his life.

These stories from the past solemnly warn us that we shall be called on to willingly deny self when it will be most difficult to do so. God’s past servants were, as we shall be, worn down by the continual stress of their situation; were faced with seemingly certain death and disaster as a result of obeying the Lord; were under fearful temptation to take matters into their own hands; and felt that they had to turn back, to flee for their very lives. Those who did, deprived themselves of the blessing of great victory, and had to face the same test later, under even more forbidding conditions and circumstances. On the other hand, there were many who demonstrated that the victory can be won, that self can be crucified, and that man can live by every word which proceeds from God.

Jacob’s Victory

How then did Jacob demonstrate his willingness to deny self? It was by refusing to walk in any other way than that marked out by the Lord, no matter how costly the Lord’s way appeared to be. It was extremely difficult to do, for the desire to escape suffering and live is one of the most powerful forces known to man. Fortunately for those who have truly partaken of Christ’s righteousness and have learned to rest all things in God’s loving care, there is a power which transcends the pressures which can be exerted by the kingdom of darkness.

Let it then be forever remembered:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it.

The perfect victory which Jacob gained, by which he came to see the real nature of his sin, was delivered from the doubt, perplexity, and remorse which had embittered his life’s experience, was filled with the sheer joy of his salvation, and was saved from his outraged brother, was far more to be desired than the temporary security gained from flight or fight.

Let every believer in Jesus share Jacob’s determination to always be willing to deny self. Victory cannot otherwise be gained.

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded.

Related Articles

Days of Intense Preparation

Messenger and News Review, May 1991

THIS is the sixth year in which prayer in a special and direct way has been ascending from among us for the outpouring of the latter rain. When the call first went forth in 1986, it led to the high expectancy that the latter rain would be poured out almost immediately. But this did not happen. Instead, the Holy Spirit answered our prayer in a different way from what we expected, which is not unusual. What we now need to see is that what has happened since 1986 is an exact fulfillment of prophecy.

The prophecy is found in the story of Elijah’s battle with deep dark apostasy, his triumph over it, and his successful supplication for rain to water the parched earth.

Israel, under the leadership of Jezebel, was in the grip of Baal-worship, from which the Lord separated Elijah completely. At the present time, we understand that the churches from which we have separated are likewise also walking in the same darkness, for which reason we can have no fellowship with them whatsoever.

In the confrontation with the enemy forces on Mount Carmel, the gospel was revealed in all of its mighty power. The awesome destructive forces in the fire of such intensity that it consumed not only the sacrifice, but also the stones and the water, was a portrayal of the terrible power of sin to destroy. So powerful and all-consuming was that fire, that the people felt themselves directly threatened with death. God wanted them to know, by experience, how endangered they were so that they would realize for themselves the power of God’s salvation. They were to perceive that the fire which should have consumed them, devoured the sacrifice instead.

So great and effective was the demonstration given that the people with one voice testified to the integrity and mercy of the Most High. They caught a true vision of His wonderful character of love. They saw Him, not as their destroyer, but as their Saviour.

We too have passed over the same ground. The Lord has taught us that sin and sinners are the great and dreadful destroyers, and that our heavenly Father is the loving Saviour, who diverted the penalty from us to himself in the person of His Son. We have seen the character of God in its true light, have been made aware of our fearful condemnation, and have experienced salvation for ourselves all before 1986.

Now let us look more closely at what has taken place since then as prophesied by what happened in Elijah’s experience. When the victory on Mount Carmel had been achieved, Elijah expected the immediate down-pouring of the rain in answer to his prayer of faith. That this is so is evident from the fact that, after he had prayed the first prayer, he sent his servant to see if the clouds were gathering. It is obvious that, if he had not expected the rain then, he would never have sent his servant to check just then.

In exactly the same manner, we, after praying for the outpouring of the latter rain for the first time in 1986, fully expected that it would fall immediately. I know that I approached each camp meeting with the hopeful expectation that at one of these conventions, we would be endowed with power from on high. Like Elijah, we prayed for the much needed blessing, and like his servant, we looked for it, but when all the camps for the year were ended, we could only say as did Elijah’s servant,

1 Kings 18

43 There is nothing!

Yet he had said to the king:

41 Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.

Elijah heard no sound of rain with his physical ears. It was with the hearing of faith in God’s word that he knew there would be a great rain.

Prophets and Kings, p. 155-156:

It was not because of any outward evidence that the showers were about to fall, that Elijah could so confidently bid Ahab prepare for rain. The prophet saw no clouds in the heavens; he heard no thunder. He simply spoke the word that the Spirit of the Lord had moved him to speak in response to his own strong faith.

The lack of any visible evidence that the rain was about to fall did not change the declaration that there was the sound of abundance of rain. So too at the present time, the fact that we had to say with Elijah’s servant, “There is nothing!” does not weaken the prediction that the latter rain is coming. Six times Elijah prayed; six times the servant reported, “There is nothing!” To all appearances, nothing was happening, but that was only apparent, and not real, for, through this process, a great and essential work was being done in Elijah.

The Review and Herald, May 26, 1891:

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came.

This is precisely what has been happening among us, the antitypical Elijah people. There has been a work of cleansing going on within us which has been so marked that we can even see the difference in ourselves. A sweeter, humbler, more trusting, more loving, and more patient spirit has been developed in us.

Nothing was out of time or place when Elijah prayed on the mountain top those six times with no visible answer being given. God was carrying His perfect work forward all according to plan, and He is doing the same today. These are days allotted to the crucial work of deep and thorough preparation, and it is vital that we be…

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 507:

...daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, [for otherwise,] we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.

What a tragedy that would be!

Plain of Sharon – Rain in due season

Desperate Solution

Messenger and News Review, September 1991

ON August 6, I was traveling southwards by train between Frankfurt and Heppenheim, Germany, when I had a thought-provoking experience.

The train had just begun to pull out of the station, when the whistle sounded a long and urgent blast, and the driver braked the train to a shuddering halt.

The thought immediately crossed my mind that someone had flung himself into the path of the train as a means of committing suicide. I deduced this from the fact that train whistles are intended to warn human beings of their danger. So, the urgent blast of this train’s warning device, could only have been directed at a human in danger.

If the endangered person had escaped the peril, the train would have proceeded once the driver had satisfied himself that the one he had warned was uninjured. But this train remained stationary so long that its passengers got off to see what had happened. Sure enough, a man was lying absolutely still underneath the locomotive after being struck down by the advancing engine. We had to wait nearly an hour before we were picked up by another train.

A person must sink to a very low point of despair in order to resort to such a desperate means of escaping his or her troubles. Yet we hear that this way out is being used more and more by distraught humans. But why choose such a violent end when there are much gentler ways of ending life? It could be that they are seeking to inflict a final revenge on human society by imposing as much inconvenience and suffering as possible.

Before the end comes, God’s true people will be driven to terrible depths of despair as we are warned:

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

When waves of despair such as no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.

The “waves of despair which no language can express” which God’s people will feel just before the end, are far, far worse than the despair experienced today by those who are driven to suicide, but in that future day, we, if faithful, will not resort to such measures in order to escape. Instead, we will “cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.” In this way alone can true escape be found from the incredible pressures and perils yet to come in the future.

Therefore, do not be surprised if today God delays His answers to your prayers until you are driven almost to hopeless despair. He is preparing you for that day “when waves of despair which no language can express” will “sweep over the suppliant,” when our only hope will be to “cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.”

The Great Controversy, p. 621:

The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

The Tarrying Time Lingers

Messenger and News Review, January 1992

OUR accurate and comprehensive understanding of Bible prophecy leaves us with no doubts that we are passing through the final tarrying time of the church’s history. Soon, and none of us know how soon, the Latter Rain will fall and we shall be through the long waiting period.

It is a very trying time when we are tempted to cast aside our confidence in Christ’s soon coming. For decades we have been repeatedly aroused by messages, some true and many false, heralding the imminent appearing of key events. Each of these has raised our hopes. For a few months as in the case of the downfall of Communism, we were buoyed up with expectation, confident that the developments occurring in one place on the globe would become universally established. So, we expected that the fall of Communism, the king of the south, in eastern Europe would be rapidly followed by the fall of this power in Korea, China, and Cuba.

But it has not happened so far. Once again, things have quieted down. The rest of the Communist world seems so unmoved that it will be there forever.

In the meantime, our hearts ache with longing to see it all ended, and we be taken home. We may feel that it is all too much, too many hopes raised to be followed by disappointment until it is felt we can never hope again.

How shall we relate to this situation? How shall we copy with this pressure? What message have we found in God’s Word which has been a consolation and hope in this testing period?

Personally, I have drawn great courage and food for faith from the experience of Israel after they had been delivered from Babylonian captivity, and returned to their own land to rebuild the city and the temple therein.

Their captivity had seemed to go on interminably, but at last had come the prophesied deliverer, King Cyrus. Like us, the Jews, including Daniel, expected immediate release, but it did not come. Months of weary waiting followed. Daniel filled the role of the good example by turning to the prophecies relating to the ending of their bondage. This inspired the wonderful prayer uttered after Babylon’s fall, and recorded in Daniel 9.

Soon the flat or waiting period passed, and weary waiting gave way to stimulated activity. There was much to be done in preparation for departure, but all were happy, for things were happening. They were moving forward.

Upon arrival back at Jerusalem, again happiness prevailed as they set about clearing the sites for walls and buildings, and, before long under the leadership of Zerubbabel, things began to take shape. This was a high period during which there was movement producing positive results. The people were happy and hopeful.

But the next flat period was approaching. The altar of burnt offering was erected and consecrated. Great joy was expressed by many of the people, but the very old men who had seen the glorious temple built by Solomon and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, wept unrestrainedly when they saw the great difference between that magnificent temple and the one now rising from its ruins.

This was a very sad mistake on the part of these men.

Prophets and Kings, p. 565:

Could those who failed to rejoice at the laying of the foundation stone of the temple have foreseen the results of their lack of faith on that day, they would have been appalled. Little did they realize the weight of their words of disapproval and disappointment; little did they know how much their expressed dissatisfaction would delay the completion of the Lord’s house.

Satan capitalized on this situation by sending the faithless Samaritans to harass and frustrate them, with the result that many of the builders became discouraged and there were those who ceased building.

In the meantime, the powers of darkness were striving to their uttermost to influence King Cyrus to act against God’s people.

Prophets and Kings, p. 572:

For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus; and before the contest closed, Christ himself came to Gabriel’s aid.

It seemed to the Jews struggling to finish the building, that everything was against them and nothing was for them, and that the prophecies would never be fulfilled.

Now comes the description of that time which, right now, fills me with such cheer:

This was a time of wonderful opportunity for the Jews. The highest agencies of heaven were working on the hearts of kings, and it was for the people of God to labor with the utmost activity to carry out the decree of Cyrus. They should have spared no effort to restore the temple and its services, and to re-establish themselves in their Judean homes.

Like them, we have been called out of Babylon to rebuild the great truths of the heavenly sanctuary. With what joy we entered into the busy activities arising from the execution of this great responsibility. But there have been a series of seeming delays, of flat spots between periods of elevated hope. But that which the human mind regards as a setback, is in fact a day of “wonderful opportunity.”

It is a time when…

The highest agencies in heaven are working on the hearts of kings, and it [is for us,] the people of God, to labor with the utmost activity to carry out the decree of [God]. [We should spare] no effort to restore the temple and its services, and to re-establish [ourselves in our heavenly home].

We are to be assured that the mightiest of the angels are busily doing all that heaven can do, and we are called upon to support them by doing all that we can do in this “time of wonderful opportunity.”

Prophets and Kings, p. 572:

But in the day of God’s power many proved unwilling. The opposition of their enemies was strong and determined, and gradually the builders lost heart. Some could not forget the scene at the laying of the cornerstone, when many had given expression to their lack of confidence in the enterprise. And as the Samaritans grew more bold, many of the Jews questioned whether, after all, the time had come to rebuild. The feeling soon became widespread. Many of the workmen, discouraged and disheartened, returned to their homes to take up the ordinary pursuits of life.

No greater mistake could they possibly have made. It greatly delayed the work of God and robbed them of their spiritual experience from which they seemed never to have recovered.

We cannot afford to make the same mistakes, for it is too late in history for that. We have their example. Let us learn by their mistakes.