Athen's Library

Dear Friends,

As responses begin to come in from the letter on Matthew 20, they are arriving with questions.  I will do my best to answer all legitimate questions, but for those that are not interested in seeking truth and are asking questions trying to entrap or trip me in some way, I’m sorry but you will find no answers here.

Question:  Who are you, what is your real name?

Answer:  My real name is Athen Slawson.  I am the second son of K. and M. Slawson who were lifelong members of the Seventh Day Adventist church.  My grandparents on both sides were also Seventh Day Adventists making me a third generation Adventist.  In school I had a difficult time reading and dropped out at the beginning of high school.  I found and married an Adventist young lady and raised my family in the truth of the Third Angel’s Message.  We attended church regularly and camp meeting every year.  The Lord opened and closed doors in my life and in this way led me into fellowship with students of the Bible and in time I began to learn about the message of the Kingdom of Glory and its Laws.  Next I learned about the Second Adam and Eve.

Question:  By what authority do you write?

Answer:  In the winter of 1979-80 the Spirit began to give me an understanding as to the identity of the Three Angels flying in the midst of Heaven, and how they show Jesus’ family and the righteous harvest.  The Spirit took me back to the story of creation and explained the plan of salvation in a way I had never understood before.

I was shown that when God created Adam, Eve was within Adam, veiled by his flesh. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Genesis 2:22.  And when Adam looked upon his wife he envisioned, the whole human race, veiled by her flesh.  And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20.

I was shown because of sin, Adam and Eve could not produce a righteous harvest, the wages of sin was demonstrated in the death of Abel at the hand of his brother. ...Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. Genesis 4:8.  Then I was shown for the second Adam to bring salvation, He must do for our first parents what they could not do for themselves, namely provide a righteous harvest.

Adam and Eve’s sin brought death to them and all of their descendents.  In death they lost their inheritance and dominion, in essence they handed over their God given authority to the tempter right there in the garden.  Jesus Christ is the Second Adam, or as Paul says it the last Adam.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.

In the story of Ruth and Boaz we are given a glimpse of how Jesus, our near kinsman has a Son and offers Him in the name of the first Adam to redeem our lost inheritance.  Jesus is the one John saw sitting upon a white horse.  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Revelation 6:2.  The bow in His hand having the same shape as a rib represents His helpmeet, the Second Eve, while the arrow is His Child, the righteous harvest.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Psalms 127:4.

The Story of Aaron’s rod, attests to this.  This rod was a walking stick or staff, the stem of a tree that had been cut off from its roots, but yet overnight it was able to sprout, bud, blossom and bring forth ripe almonds.  Jesus too was cut off from His roots; and as He lay in the tomb He appeared to be just another dead stem of the tree of Jesse.  But like Aaron’s rod there was something different about Him.  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; John 5:26.  Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, married the church and brought in converts.  I, like most of you thought that this was the extent of it, but the Spirit took me to Galatians and had me read, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16.

The Spirit explained how we must not confuse the symbolic with the literal.  Jesus with His church is the symbolic.  Jesus as the second Adam with His Wife the second Eve veiled by His flesh and released when the roman spear opened His side at Calvary, is the literal.  They too, like our first parents receive the commission.  ...Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it... Genesis 1:28.

Jesus is the one that died the death of the testator; He is the one that makes sure the will.  Even though He has risen from the dead, He can not be the heir of His own will and testament, that honor belongs to His Son. 

Remember Abraham is the type here, he was promised a son and God said a servant in his household could not be his heir. ...This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. Genesis 15:4.  Abraham took a bondservant in order to help God out, but God said the bondwoman and her son can not be the heir either.  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. Genesis 17:21.  The heir would have to come through Sarah his legal wife, this fact is so important to show the plan of salvation that God personally, made this promise to Abraham and Sarah.  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; Galatians 3:19.

Abraham and Sarah received their promised son before Moses even wrote the law in a book, making it impossible for Isaac to be the seed spoken of here in Galatians.  Therefore we see the law that was added because of transgressions must remain in force until the Son promised to Christ is born.  The announcement for the Coming of Christ becomes a type for the announcement of the Coming of the Son of Man.  Jesus said speaking of John the Baptist.  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. Matthew 11:14.

The work of John was foretold by the prophet Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” [MAL. 4:5, 6.] John the Baptist went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to prepare the way of the Lord, and to turn the people to the wisdom of the just. He was a representative of those living in the last days, to whom God has intrusted sacred truths to present before the people, to prepare the way for the second appearing of Christ. And the same principles of temperance which John practiced should be observed by those who in our day are to warn the world of the coming of the Son of man.  CTBH 39

There are no letters or titles behind my name.  I have not attended any accredited college in pursuit of a degree in theology.  I do not claim to have studied this out on my own, for I by myself do not have the ability to do that.  It is only by the directing of the Spirit that I have any authority to write.

Question:  Isn’t the Return of Jesus and the Second Advent the same event?

Answer:  No, they are two distinct events.  The Second Advent is the birth of the Son of Man who sits and rules with a rod of iron on His Fathers throne during the kingdom of glory.  This King is typified by the, offering of Isaac, and the, offering of the scapegoat; in both instances these offerings escaped death.  His kingdom is typified by the stone kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  This kingdom is divine, brought into existence without hands in the time of the ten toes, nations, and then it grows until it fills the whole earth, showing it is established during probationary time.  The Return of Jesus occurs after probation closes when He comes to receive His kingdom.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8:19.

God through the knowledge imparted by the sacrificial service gave to Israel a compacted prophecy of the plan of salvation for two reasons.  First, God desired Israel to comprehend the intricacies of His plan so they could become His ministers to convey to all nations the plan for reconciliation of the human race unto Himself.  When ...They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified... DA 36, they were not able to discern the difference between the First and Second Advents.  The second reason was by offering sacrifices that pointed to the sacrifice Jesus would make, they were allowed, by faith, to live in the kingdom of grace even before it was established.  The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man... Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ. Even after entering upon His earthly mission, the Saviour... might have drawn back from the sacrifice of Calvary. In Gethsemane the cup of woe trembled in His hand. He might even then have wiped the blood-sweat from His brow, and have left the guilty race to perish in their iniquity... But when the Saviour yielded up His life, and with His expiring breath cried out, “It is finished,” then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had before existed by the promise of God, was then established.  AG 19.

Immediately after the plan of redemption was assured, the kingdom of glory was instituted.  This kingdom will not be fully established until the Second Advent, but we by faith are allowed to live in this kingdom just like Israel was allowed to live in the kingdom of grace before it was established.

The kingdom of glory is the kingdom of the freewoman and her son.  Those that wish to live in the kingdom of glory before the King is born must live there by faith, faith without works is dead.  Anyone not showing works remains in the kingdom of grace.  These works are not works to earn salvation but rather works that show their faith as they follow their High Priest in His work in the Heavenly Sanctuary.  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. Revelation 14:4.

The earthly sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly and as such was a model to allow us to see the important days and times of the different official duties of the high priest.  Those who have faith in Jesus and whose actions show that they are following Him in His priestly work for them in the heavenly sanctuary become, by promise, joint heirs with the son of the freewoman even though He is not yet born.  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Galatians 4:1-2.

The Second Advent is the birth of the Seed promised to Jesus.  If the heir is under tutors and governors then so are the joint heirs.  Christians are those who have Jesus as their Father and the church as their mother.  Christians who keep God’s Sabbaths receive, by promise of the impending adoption, the honor of calling Jesus their Father and the free woman their Mother.  This official adoption can not and will not take place until after the promised Son is born.  Until this occurs the Christian church must be under tutors and governors,  The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not . Matthew 23:2-3.

Question:  If what you say is truth why didn’t Mrs. White teach it?

Answer:  Jesus when speaking to the disciples asked the question, But whom say ye that I am?  Jesus blessed Peter for the answer he gave and explained that God the Father had revealed this to Peter.  The Spirit explained to me that people misunderstand this verse.  The rock which Christ builds His church upon is Inspiration (God’s master plan to reveal His will to humanity through chosen human instruments).

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:16-18

In 1888 Elder Waggoner brought to the General Conference a message of a new understanding of Galatians.  Mrs. White writing about this event, in the book, “Taking Up A Reproach”, testifies that the message and the messenger were ridiculed and rejected and the angel bearing this truth returned to Heaven.  I believe that if this message had been accepted, Mrs. White and the early church would have taught this message.

Question:  You said that another message joins the Third Angel’s Message.  How does this happen?

Answer:  First of all it was Mrs. White that wrote there would be another message to join the Third Angel’s Message.  I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. They were descending to earth, and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to earth, and unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which went before and followed after this angel, penetrated every where, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is again given, with the addition of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time, and joins in the last great work of the third angel’s message, as it swells into a loud cry. And the people of God are fitted up every where to stand in the hour of temptation which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united in the message, and fearlessly proclaimed with great power the third angel’s message.  1SG 193.

How does this take place?  The message brought by the first angel does not need to be repeated.  ...Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. Revelation 14:7.  The Judgment hour started with the “ninth hour call”, it continues to the end even though it is divided into two parts by the half hour of silence and the “eleventh hour call”.

The second angel’s message is a call to “come out of Babylon”.  God’s church is founded on the rock of Inspiration.  The churches that reject the Spirit of Prophecy are the fallen churches, and the original call by the second angel gathered God’s people out of the fallen churches into the truth of the Third Angel’s Message.  The message of the fall of Babylon is given again.  This message is in actuality the preaching of the straight testimony.  The straight testimony is what causes the shaking in the church.

Before I can tie all this together I must explain what the straight testimony is.  The Spirit explained it to me this way.  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.  The law spoken of here is the tablets of stone upon which God wrote His ten words.  Both sets of tablets, the ones broken and the ones Moses hued, were placed within the ark.  The ark was hidden and is not accessible for us to verify what is written there.  The only way we know what is written there, is through the testimony Moses received during the forty days he spent in the mountain with God. 

Moses did not write the ten words but rather the definition of these words plus all the laws that would govern God’s Kingdom and Christ’s work to bring salvation to fallen humanity.  These writings Moses placed in a pocket on the side of the ark for a witness.  It is this that the Spirit told me is “the law and the testimony”. 

Now with this in mind let’s go back to the repeat of the Second Angel’s message.  A mighty angel comes to repeat the Second Angel’s message and joins his voice with the third angel.  His message is the straight testimony or the laws of God and of His kingdom.  This message purifies the church and prepares them to be the first fruits of God’s Kingdom, who will then stand together with the Lamb on Mt. Zion, at which time the Kingdom of Glory is established. 

The Second Angel’s message then calls God’s people out of all nations and all churches into His Theocracy.  This is the judgment of the living and it begins immediately after the half hour of silence.  This judgment continues over a period of time and those that accept God’s laws over the “man of sin’s” laws are brought into a place of safety.

Question:  Exactly what is your point?  Maybe I’m stupid, but I just don’t follow your reasoning.

Answer:  Jesus said that He would build His church upon the rock of Inspiration.  There is a truth for every generation, and as such there must be revealed truth for every generation.  It is time for the judgment of the living to start.  The Lord will not start this judgment until He has sent a warning.  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.  God revealed that it is time for the judgment of the living, and so by the urging of the Spirit I am writing the warning.  The leaders of the church are teaching the Second Coming of Jesus instead of the judgment of the living.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:9.  There is an immediate need for a thorough understanding of the writings of Moses concerning the rules governing the salvation work of Christ and His kingdom.  Christ, to enforce the will of his Father, became the author of the statutes and precepts given through Moses to the people of God. Christians who extol Christ, but array themselves against the law governing the Jewish church, array Christ against Christ.  RH, May 6, 1875.

Those who are teaching you that Jesus could return tomorrow, next week or next year are teaching the doctrines of men.  When the angel that joins his voice with the third angel begins to teach, he will be teaching the straight testimony.  This will cause a shaking in the church because no one wants to be under the tutorship of Scribes or Pharisees on the subject of the Law of Moses.  The soul-saving message, the third angel’s message, is the message to be given to the world. The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are both important, immensely important, and must be given with equal force and power. The first part of the message has been dwelt upon mostly, the last part casually. The faith of Jesus is not comprehended. We must talk it, we must live it, we must pray it, and educate the people to bring this part of the message into their home life. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).  3SM 184.

The faith of Jesus is not comprehended because it is part of the mystery of God that is just beginning to be understood.  Until Jesus, our near kinsman, brings forth a righteous harvest in the name of our first parents, thus fulfilling their commission to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth with righteous children, like Boaz and Ruth did for Naomi, there is no inheritance for us.  Whether or not you heed this warning, it is being given.  God will not wait forever, if you do not make yourself available the work will go forward without you.

With love and prayers that we may be sealed with The seal of God, New Jerusalem, and a Glorious Star containing Jesus’ New Name.

Athen Slawson