Hidden Eyes & Closed Ears
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Now!
Some of the most astonishing prophecies in the Bible
have to do with the proportion of people who will be saved at
the coming of Christ. Jesus clearly taught that only a comparative
few would be ready to inherit His kingdom. He said, "Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
Matthew 7:13, 14.
In Luke 18:8, by asking a very penetrating question,
Jesus implied that the "few" might be even less than
we could hope or imagine. "Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Again, the
Master spoke of the final separation in these words: "And
as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days
of the Son of man." Luke 17:26. Only eight people were
saved from the flood and "as it was then" so shall it
be at His coming. Other Bible writers and prophets use similar
language to portray the "little flock," the "remnant,"
and the "few" who will prove faithful to the very end.
The fact that so few will be saved is not nearly
as shocking as the reason given in the Bible for their loss.
It seems obvious that great multitudes will be excluded from heaven
even though they professed Christ, worshiped Him regularly, and
spend much of their time doing wonderful works in His name. Jesus
said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matthew 7:21-23.
These verses reveal that the earth will be flooded
with a lot of false religion in the last days. Millions will
be spending their time, their effort, and their money in promoting
a religion that involves apparent miracles, apparent spiritual
gifts, and much enthusiastic activity. All of this is explicitly
spelled out in the teaching of our Lord. Yet those many will
finally be utterly rejected by Jesus and shut out of heaven.
Talk about startling truth! More people need to get their eyes
open to this little-understood situation that will characterize
the end time. Then we need to find out how to avoid the vast
spiritual delusions which will cause so many religious people
to be lost.
Why will they be rejected in spite of their devoted
worship and ministry in the name of Jesus? It has caused some
people almost to despair of salvation. How can one know that
his own religion will not finally be found in this category?
Let us seriously look for the answers to these questions. Our
salvation does not depend upon our sincerity, but upon finding
the truth in God's Word and obeying it!
Obedience Is the Acid Test
of a Valid Religion
The first point we must understand is this: RELIGIOUS
ACTIVITY IS QUITE USELESS IF WE ARE NOT DOING THE WILL OF GOD.
Christ declared that calling on God's name, and even leading
out in great selfless humanitarian programs, will be wasted if
obedience to God's will is excluded. Mark this fact upon the
table of your mind and never forget it-the Scriptures exalt OBEDIENCE
as the distinguishing test of a valid religion. Those who engage
ever so fully in the preaching the name of Jesus-with time, talent,
and money-and do not keep His commandments, cannot meet the approval
of God. In fact, because they are not obeying Christ, such worshipers
actually open a door by which Satan can enter unrecognized and
work miracles through them, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, which they ascribe
to the power of God. The plaintive plea, "Have we not prophesied
... and in Thy name cast out devils?" is proof positive
that their miracles had been done by some other power than that
of Christ, albeit in His name. If Jesus never knew them, who
else could work such miracles? Only Satan. The Bible speaks
of "the spirits of devils, working miracles," in Revelation
16:14.
By the way, what did Jesus mean when He said, "I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity"?
How does one really come to "know" the Lord? The beloved
John tells us, "Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither
known him." 1 John 3:6. "He that saith, I know him,
and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him." 1 John 2:4. Knowing Him means we obey Him.
Biblically, it is impossible to be a true child of God while
refusing to obey the commandments of God. Willful disobedience
cuts off the relationship, drives away the Holy Spirit by which
we are sealed, and effectively removes the individual from the
position of grace.
Now we begin to see how simple it is to test the
religious spirits that are in the world today. It is time that
we look past the stimulating music, the spellbinding oratory,
and even the exciting witnessing programs and apply the test set
up by the great Author of all truth-Jesus Himself. He made it
exceedingly clear that the original requirements of God have remained
unchanged. The condition of obedience which would have kept man
in Eden becomes the condition for his restoration to Eden. "If
ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15.
Love Is Not Legalism
We must not fail to emphasize at this point that
element of love which must also attend all acceptable obedience.
Forcing the forms of compliance without a personal love-experience
with Christ the Saviour is fully as fatal a mistake as omitting
all obedience. Jesus had to deal with the cold formalism of the
Pharisees over and over again. And because He so thoroughly condemned
the program of salvation by works, many have hastily assumed that
He considered obedience unimportant. Now we need to see the beautiful
balance in Christ's doctrine of faith and works. He taught that
obeying in order to be saved is the worst kind of legalism,
but obeying because we are saved is the acid test of a
true religious experience. Obedience follows true faith just
as surely as day follows night. Incidentally, the word "legalist"
has been thrown around with too much abandon. I greatly fear
that many sincere Christians have been accused of legalism only
because their love for Christ led them to be more particular in
their obedience than their accusers. Never forget that a legalist
is one who believes that he can be saved by his works. The person
who keeps the commandments because he doesn't want to displease
the God he loves is not a legalist at all. The old argument is
often heard, "I'd rather see a happy, loving Christian who
doesn't keep all of the commandments than to see an unloving one
who strictly obeys the law." Why try to measure degrees
of guilt? Both are completely wrong. Our feelings have
nothing to do with it. Christ has established the standard of
measurement. Nothing less than a "faith which worketh by
love" will be accepted.
But let us return to the alarming proposition that
most of mankind will be lost, including the fervent religious
activists. Worship is commanded in the Bible and is a necessary
ingredient of true religion, but will a host of worshiping Christians
be lost? Jesus said, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9. Another
shattering statement of truth! People will engage in vain worship
if they reject true doctrine in favor of man's tradition.
When Is Worship Vain?
On several occasions Jesus urged the necessity of
walking in all known truth. "If I had not come and spoken
unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for
their sin." John 15:22. "If ye were blind, ye should
have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."
John 9:41. When a man learns a point of truth in the Bible and
refuses to obey it, he is guilty of practicing sin. Such a man
is fighting the Holy Spirit whose primary work is to guide into
all truth. This refusal to obey hardens the conscience, causing
the Holy Spirit to finally withdraw and leads to the unpardonable
sin. No wonder such worship is vain. By rejecting the commandments
of God in favor of human traditions, the Holy Spirit is spurned.
According to Acts 5:32 only those who obey are eligible to be
filled with the Spirit.
Let us pause now and consider the profound significance
of what we have discovered. The vast majority of people will
be lost, including many who work miracles in Christ's name, worship
Him, and claim to know Him as His children. The reason they will
be lost is that they do not love Him enough to keep all of His
commandments. For some reason these ardent church workers have
learned to look lightly upon the law of God. Most of them consider
it legalism to believe that disobedience could keep them out of
heaven. Satan has blinded their eyes to the beautiful, intimate
relationship of love and obedience. Millions of Protestant Christians
have actually been taught that their obedience or disobedience
can have no effect whatever upon their ultimate salvation.
In view of the deep-rooted tradition of popular Christianity
today, we can see how Satan has manipulated millions into a state
of mind to reject the claims of God's moral law. Under the twisted
interpretation of a cheap grace (someone has called it "sloppy
agape") the stage has been set for the devil's master strategy
of deception. The final contest between truth and error will
revolve around the basic issue of loyalty or disloyalty, obedience
or disobedience. And the focus will be squarely on the fourth
commandment which contains the great distinctive sign of God's
creative power and authority.
Sunday-A Tradition of Man
It seems more than coincidental that Jesus spelled
out "traditions of men" as the false doctrine that would
lead into vain worship. The chief tradition today which has turned
multitudes from keeping the Ten Commandments is the doctrine of
Sunday-keeping. Almost any Christian of any persuasion can defend
and extol nine of the Ten Commandments. It is only the Sabbath
which has stirred deep hatred and prejudice against the holy law
of God.
Who inspired that attitude of contempt for the only
part of the Bible which God wrote with His own hand? How have
so many millions been led to equate obedience with legalism?
The tragedy is that ministers have largely been responsible for
turning people away from obedience. Repeatedly in my evangelistic
crusades people tell me of angry tirades made by their own pastors
against the Sabbath. Unable to give any Bible reason for Sunday
observance, and frustrated by the insistent questions of their
flock, many pastors turn to emotional attacks upon the validity
of the law. I have found that these attacks generally follow
two lines of argument. The fundamentalist group of preachers
emphasizes the "spirit of the law" while insisting that
the letter is not binding. This allows for the specific seventh
day to be set aside for Sunday. The other group of more liberal
theologians contends that no special day of worship is necessary
and the believer is entirely free from all claims of the law.
Since sin is defined in the Bible as "the transgression
of the law," and Paul affirms that "Where no law is,
there is no transgression," any attack on the law serves
only to weaken man's convictions about sin. 1 John 3:4; Romans
4:15. James tells us that the breaking of even one commandment
is a violation of all ten, and constitutes transgression or sin
(James 2:10-12).
Is it a serious matter to tear down confidence in
this great hand-written moral code of God? Do men take sin more
lightly when they lose faith in the authority of the Ten Commandments?
Without question they do. The strange circumstance of ministers
teaching people to sin is not easy to comprehend. It is only
when we study the great lines of prophecy concerning these last
days that we can begin to understand the phenomenon. Apparently,
God had to deal with unfaithful pastors in both Old and New Testament
times. Some strong judgments had to be pronounced against the
shepherds who misled the flock. Watchmen who would not tell the
truth about approaching dangers were held accountable for the
deaths which resulted. Such preachers are actually turned into
agents of the evil one. Paul wrote, "And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore
it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the
ministers of righteousness." 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15.
Only the inspired Book would label these ministers
in such a blunt manner. Apparently, God looks upon such men as
actual ministers of Satan because they fear to tell the truth
and, instead, give their own ideas. It is time to understand
the great conspiracy of Satan to lead men of the cloth-high-placed
religious leaders-to teach perverse doctrines in the name of Christ.
Paul predicted that "the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine ... And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Timothy
4:3, 4.
It is interesting to note that these last-day teachers
are described as turning their ears away from the truth. This
means that they saw it, understood it, but did not want to acknowledge
it. God made exactly the same charge against His priests in the
Old Testament. "Her priests have violated my law, and have
profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between
the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between
the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths,
and I am profaned among them." Ezekiel 22:26.
The priests of the Old Testament hid their eyes from
the Sabbath and the ministers of the last days would turn their
ears from the truth. How tragic! In other words, they would
see it but would try to get away from it by refusing to keep looking.
I have often talked to ministers of various persuasions on the
subject of the Sabbath. Some have honestly admitted that Saturday
is the true Lord's day of the Bible. Others reject it for various
reasons. A few just could not believe that God was so particular
about which day to observe. They reasoned that God would be understanding
with those who found it more convenient to keep a different day
than the seventh day. Some ministers that I talked with do not
really accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
Preachers in Doubt
It is shocking to realize how skepticism and higher
criticism have robbed many pastors of their faith in the Bible.
Even many of the old-line conservative evangelical denominations
are becoming riddled with doubts about the inspiration of the
Scriptures. Often that is used to justify their rejection of
the Sabbath.
In one Amazing Facts crusade I spent an interesting
afternoon with a Southern Baptist minister who had requested an
interview on the Sabbath subject. Some of his members were attending
the Amazing Facts crusade and had questioned him about what they
had learned. For the first time in his life he delved into the
subject in order to find answers for his people. Then he asked
me to meet him in his church office. I listened in amazement
as he explained why he could not accept the Sabbath. I was amazed
because the Southern Baptists have had the historic reputation
of being fundamental, Bible-believing Christians. But this young
man, who graduated from the Louisville Southern Baptist Seminary
in 1975, did not believe in the Genesis story of creation. He
denied the flood story and affirmed his belief in evolution as
the explanation of man's existence. He explicitly rejected the
story of Jonah and the whale. Finally, I asked him if he believed
in the virgin birth of Jesus. His answer was, "I don't believe
it is necessary to believe in the virgin birth to be saved."
I wish I could tell you that this attitude is exceptional
among the Baptists, but it is not. This pastor assured me that
over half of the Southern Baptist ministers believed just like
he did. I certainly hope he is mistaken about that estimation,
and I'm frankly of the opinion that he was exaggerating the numbers.
Nevertheless, I'm convinced that the majority of this young preacher's
classmates had lost their faith in the inspired Word while studying
at the seminary, just as he had.
Finally, under close questioning, he weakly affirmed
some kind of personal faith in the virgin birth even though he
didn't think it was too important. I asked him if his congregation
knew about his views on the Bible, and he assured me that they
did not. He did not dare preach the things that he believed.
I said, "Dave, if your church knew what you have expressed
to us, they would fire you on the spot." I could understand
perfectly why he was afraid to preach his convictions.
It should not be too great a surprise to see this
wave of skepticism growing. Basically, it is one of the signs
of the end of time. We are watching prophecy being fulfilled
before our eyes. What I have just told you is only one of the
dramatic signs that Jesus is coming very soon.
Do you wonder how the seminaries and great denominations
have drifted into this sort of open doubt of the Word of God?
One reason is obvious. By denying the Sabbath they opened the
door to doubts about the literal six-day creation. Another easy
step led to the vast periods assigned to evolution. God gave
the Sabbath as a divine reminder of His sovereign creative power.
Representing His authority as the only true God, the Sabbath
was to be a weekly reminder that the only God deserving of worship
is the One who alone had the power to create and recreate. As
a sign of both creation and redemption, observance of the Sabbath
would be a perpetual protection against the evil of evolution
as well as modernism. When the churches rejected the Sabbath,
they also rejected the strongest bulwark which would have protected
them from the kind of deadly disbelief which the young minister
expressed. No man can be an evolutionist or a modernist who truly
believes and keeps the Sabbath.
If the Sabbath Can Be Changed
Then the Bible Can Be Changed
This state of confusing doubt is also the fruit of
antinomianism which has been so widely espoused. By trying to
do away with the moral law of the Ten Commandments, the churches
have compromised the doctrine of an infallible Bible. If the
Sabbath can be explained away, if the great basic moral law can
be nullified, then almost any other part of the Bible can be rationalized.
And it has been, by millions who were taught to do so by the
preacher behind the pulpit.
What does God think about those who have created
this shameful breach in His law? Through the prophet Malachi
God describes the failure of His ministers to uphold the law:
"For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should
seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord
of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused
many to stumble at the law ... according as ye have not kept my
ways, but have been partial in the law." Malachi 2:7-9.
God charges the preachers with being partial in the
law. That means they preached part of it but not all of it.
They caused people to stumble at the law, which indicates that
they influenced people to break it. Throughout the Old Testament
God outlined the development of a Satan-inspired program to set
aside His law.
Closing this subject, I would like to trace one chain
of such prophecies, all links of which are related by a common
symbol. I want you to notice the connecting thread which is picked
up by both major and minor prophets and woven through their writings.
God's Law-A Protecting Wall
The chief symbol of God's law seems to be that of
a wall, and it is used extensively throughout the Old Testament.
Isaiah dramatically represented disobedience to the law as a
break in the wall. "This is a rebellious people ... children
that will not hear the law of the Lord. ... Therefore this iniquity
shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high
wall." Isaiah 30:9-13.
Follow closely now as we allow other inspired writers
to enlarge upon this basic concept of the breached wall. Ezekiel
indicated that some transgressors of the law would try to cover
their act of sin by smoothing over the break in the wall. Unfortunately,
they would substitute some weak, counterfeit material to make
the wall look good but which would not prove to be acceptable
at all. "Woe unto the foolish prophets. ... Ye have not
gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge ... and one built
up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar."
Ezekiel 13:3-10.
Here God rebukes the spiritual leaders for not making
up the gaps and breaches in the wall. As the watchmen on the
walls they were to be the very first ones to notice any weakness
and to warn of the break immediately and make restoration of the
defenses. In this case, not only were the priests not making
proper repair of the breach but were condoning a dangerous substitute
of weak materials which God could not approve. The untempered
mortar represents an effort to gloss over the seriousness of the
defect by false teaching instead of leading the people back to
full obedience. Repeatedly God had to warn the priests against
weakening the authority of His law. Malachi warned the priests:
"Ye have caused many to stumble at the law ... ye have not
kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." Malachi
2:8-9. It was such an attitude that caused God to rebuke them
for daubing the wall with untempered mortar.
The Wall Broken-
The Sabbath Breach
Now we are ready to establish the interesting fact
that the primary breach in the law had to do with the fourth commandment.
The prophet picked up the theme of the wall again in Ezekiel
22:26-28. "Her priests have violated my law, and profaned
mine holy things ... and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths.
... And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar ...
saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken."
Here we have a specific breach of the law (Sabbath
breaking) connected with the untempered daubing. Again, it is
the priests, or preachers, themselves who are responsible for
the error. As we have already noted, they have broken the law
by hiding their eyes from the Sabbath. This indicates that they
clearly saw it but deliberately turned away and refused to recognize
or obey it. But what does it mean that they daubed the wall with
untempered mortar? It doesn't take a lot of intelligence to see
that they were trying to fill up the Sabbath breaking with counterfeit
material that did not really restore the wall at all.
Furthermore, they would try to make it seem that
God had approved what they had done, saying, "Thus saith
the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken."
Question: Have religious leaders tried to put some
false, unscriptural day in place of the true Sabbath and tried
to make it appear that God condones it? Indeed they have! Instead
of restoring the true seventh-day Sabbath, which had been breached
by pagan infiltration of the early church, they brought in a day
dedicated to ancient sun worship. Without a line of biblical
authority they honored that day with the title "Lord's Day"
and continually say, "Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord
hath not spoken."
God Measures the Wall
Does the Lord indeed approve of this unholy tampering
with His perfect law? Jesus said, "In vain they do worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew
15:9. No amount of daubing with foreign, untempered material
can make the wall whole again. Only the restoration of the original
material, the seventh day of the week, can satisfy the great plumbline
of God's scrutiny. He is the Author of that law-the builder of
the wall-and He will accept nothing less than the full original
strength and proportion. "Thus he shewed me: and, behold,
the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline
in his hand. ... Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline
in the midst of my people." Amos 7:7, 8. A plumbline is
used to determine the exact straightness of a wall, and God will
measure His people by His holy law. Jesus declared that even
worship is vain and empty when the commandments of men are taught
instead of His commandments. "Thus have ye made the commandment
of God of none effect by your tradition." Matthew 15:6.
By these words Christ surely established that tradition will
be used to nullify His law. Thus we can see how the untempered
mortar represents the tradition of Sunday worship, which is applied
to the breach in the law. The result is the institution of a
section of wall which is alien to the original, perfect one.
Someone may object that we are taking verses out
of context and that the wall symbol does not refer to God's law
in these modern days. The prophet Ezekiel indicated that the
counterfeit wall would be daubed with untempered mortar in the
last days, and that the seven last plagues would bring its total
destruction. "Say unto them that daub it with untempered
mortar, that it shall fall ... and a stormy wind shall rend it."
Ezekiel 13:11.
Wall-Daubers
Destroyed by the Plagues
Does the Bible give us any information about the
time of this great deluge of hail? John the revelator describes
the event in these words: "And there fell upon men a great
hail out of heaven ... and men blasphemed God because of
the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."
Revelation 16:21.
Here is evidence that the false wall of tradition
will be dealt with at the time of the seven last plagues. God
speaks of that judgment on the wall as "my wrath" in
Ezekiel 13:14-15. "So will I break down the wall that ye
have daubed with untempered mortar ... and it shall fall,
and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof. ... Thus will
I accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon them that have daubed
it." What is His wrath?
God refers to the seven last plagues as His wrath:
"Seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them
is filled up the wrath of God." Revelation 15:1. Do you
get the picture now? His wrath in the destruction of the counterfeit
wall is accomplished by the overflowing hail, which is one of
the last plagues, also designated as God's wrath. This places
the judgment on the wall-daubers at the end of time when the seven
last plagues are poured out.
But how can we be sure that this untempered mortar
is truly the tradition of Sunday worship? In case there is any
doubt remaining on this point, please weigh this final proof.
The wrath of God falls ONLY upon those who have the mark of the
beast. "If any man worship the beast ... and receive
his mark ... The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
of God." Revelation 14:9, 10.
Now let's do some reasoning together. The facts
of God's Word are before us. Since the seven last plagues fall
only upon those who have the mark of the beast, and since the
counterfeit wall-builders receive the plagues, we have to conclude
that the wall-builders have the mark. We have already shown that
the Sunday tradition was used in the daubing. Does this mean
that Sunday-keeping is connected with the mark of the beast?
Indeed it does. For a full explanation of this fascinating connection,
write for the free booklet, THE BEAST, THE DRAGON, AND THE WOMAN.
Even without looking into the subject any further we can see
that those who daub the wall (change God's law) are Sunday advocates
and that they also receive the plagues which fall ONLY upon those
who have the mark of the beast. One would have to be blind to
miss the fact that the mark is tied closely to Sunday-keeping.
Let us now pursue the wall symbolism further in the
writings of the Old Testament prophets. God was deeply concerned
about the gap or breach that had been made in His law. He is
quoted as saying, "And I sought for a man among them, that
should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me."
Ezekiel 22:30.
In view of the diversionary tactics of daubing tradition
into the breach, creating a false wall, God is represented by
the prophet as searching for someone who will "make up the
hedge" and "stand in the gap." What a picture
is presented here! Did God find those who would have the courage
to restore unpopular truth? Does the Bible finally describe the
faithful rebuilding of the wall to meet the specifications of
God's plumbline?
Let Isaiah take up the thread now and paint the final
picture. "And they that shall be of thee (of God) shall
... be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths
to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from
doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight,
the holy of the Lord, honourable ..." Isaiah 58:12,
13.
Here, without any equivocation, we find a clear description
of those who will repair the breach and restore the original wall.
It is those who turn back to the true Sabbath, and who enter
into the work of clearing the debris of tradition, so that the
Sabbath may again glow as the delight of God's people-a holy day
and honorable. Freed from the false allusions cast by antinomians
and libertines, the law of God will be recognized as the great
moral standard of grace-saved Christians-evidence of a genuine
love relationship with Jesus.
Gathering up these golden threads of Bible truth,
we can summarize the prophetic story very easily and quickly.
In the last days great thrusts will be made by false shepherds
to weaken the authority of God's law.
Influential religious groups will join forces to
lead people to reject the true Sabbath. By setting aside the
fourth commandment, a breach is made in the law which is represented
as a protecting wall. While counterfeit material is used to restore
the gap in the form of Sunday worship, God finds a people who
will be called the repairers of the breach and who turn back to
keeping the true Sabbath. Those who try to change His law by
substituting the pagan day of the sun receive the mark of the
beast and experience the punishment of the seven last plagues.
But let us close this discouraging prophetic picture
on a note of hope and assurance. Not all will be found tearing
down or trying to change God's law. In the book of Revelation
God points out His saints and describes them in these words:
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation
14:12. A remnant will not go along with the traditions of men.
They will not accept any substitute for the requirements of God.
As the last end-piece of the apostolic church, they are characterized
by loving Jesus supremely and keeping His commandments. Satan's
final desperate battle against God will take place over the loyalty
of this little group. Here's the way John viewed that clash:
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments
of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation
12:17.
May God grant you the courage to be a part of that
remnant church which has the faith of Jesus, the testimony of
Jesus, and keeps all of His commandments. These truly may be
designated as the saints.
In summary, note how link upon link of related texts
show the fortunes and misfortunes of the wall-God's law.
1. The wall represents God's law. A breach in the
wall represents breaking the law (iniquity). Isaiah 30:9-13,
"This is a rebellious people ... children that will
not hear the law of the Lord ... therefore this iniquity
shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high
wall."
2. False ministers did not repair the break. But
they did try to mend the gap with weak, untempered mortar, a counterfeit
material. Ezekiel 13:3-14, "Woe unto the foolish
prophets ... ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made
up the hedge ... and one built up a wall, and lo, others
daubed it with untempered mortar."
3. The breach in the wall was the Sabbath, which
the preachers saw, but hid their eyes from it. Instead of restoring
the true Sabbath, they used the pagan Sunday (untempered mortar)
as a substitute, claiming that the Lord said it was all right,
when "the Lord hath not spoken." Ezekiel 22:26-28,
"Her priests have violated my law, and profaned mine holy
things ... and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths ...
and her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar ...
saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken."
4. The counterfeit wall (Sunday) will be revealed
and destroyed when the plagues fall (hail). Ezekiel 13:11,
"Say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar that it
shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great
hailstones, shall fall and a stormy wind shall fall; and a stormy
wind shall rend it."
5. Hail is one of the seven last plagues. Revelation
16:21, "And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven
... and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail;
for the plague thereof was exceeding great."
6. The plagues are called "the wrath of God."
Revelation 15:1, "Seven angels having the seven last
plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God."
7. The wrath of God (plagues) fall on those who have
the mark of the beast. Revelation 14:9, 10, "If any
man worship the beast ... and receive his mark ... The
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God."
8. God's wrath (plagues) fall on those who used the
untempered mortar (Sunday). The plagues and destruction prove
that these events take place at the end of the world and that
these prophecies apply to our day. Ezekiel 13:13-15, "I
will even rend it ... and great hailstones in my fury to
consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed
with untempered mortar ... Thus will I accomplish my wrath
upon the wall and upon them that have daubed it."
9. God looked for those who would repair the gap
or breach in His law correctly. Ezekiel 22:30, "And
I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge,
and stand in the gap before me."
10. God finds those who will repair the breach.
They will restore the true Sabbath to its right place. Isaiah
58:12, 13, "And they that shall be of thee ... shalt
be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of the paths
to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from
doing thy pleasure on my holy day."
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