Athen's Library

THE SECOND ADVENT

THE COMING OF “ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN”

Letter #78B In The Series

August 2003

The battle of Armageddon

The angel, the mighty angel from heaven, is to lighten the earth with his glory, while he cries mightily with a loud voice, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” (Rev. 18:2). Oh, how I wish the church to arise and shine because the glory of the Lord has risen upon her. What can we not do in God if every human agency is doing its very utmost! “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). We would lose faith and courage in the conflict if we were not sustained by the power of God. Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide-awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. What is this? Grace, Grace.  14MR 286.

Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict, but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels with their living cargo will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies, but they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.--7BC 967 (1900).

I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven, descending to the earth, and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to 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 attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, “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 repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel’s message as it swells to a loud cry. And the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation, which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel’s message.  EW 277.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:12-17.

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. Revelation 16:15-18

This, “I come as a thief”

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat... 2 Peter 3:10.

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Revelation 16:15-16.

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. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour’s admonition, “Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Rev. 3:3. GC88 490.

And now, behold, I go to my people. Come! I will make known to you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days. And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said; he has said, he who heard the words of God and knew the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down but having his eyes open; I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not near. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall strike the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. And Edom shall be a possession. Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies. And Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come He who shall have dominion and shall destroy him who remains of the city. And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek was the first of the nations. But his latter end is to destruction. And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said, Strong is your dwelling-place, and you put your nest in a rock. But the Kenites shall be wasted until Assyria shall carry you away captive. And he took up his parable and said, Alas, who shall live when God puts out! And ships shall come from the coast of Cyprus, and shall afflict Assyria and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish forever. And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place. And Balak also went his way.  Numbers 24:14-25.

This says, in the latter days; a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. (war & tumult) EGW says, ...Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle and all the world will be on one side or the other of the question.

The battle of Armageddon will be fought. And that day must find none of us sleeping....  3SM 425.

All the world will be on one side or the other of the question.

Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  Matthew 24:4-5.  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24.

And I looked, and behold, the Lamb {was} standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:1 (NAS.)

All the world will be on one side or the other of the question.  (One side), having His name and the name of His Father. (The other side), false Christs, and false prophets. “In the latter days” there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. Ezekiel 21:26-27.

“He come whose right it is” - is He who comes “in the latter days” and the false prophets are these who say, there is no Christ or Christ’s Son to come (Now to Abraham and his seed....which is Christ were the promises made. Galatians 3:16 - he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. Genesis 15:4) to sit on the throne with Christ on His throne.  “False Christ’s” are those who say, “I am the overcomer that sits with Christ on His throne.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:21.

These two groups will either unite with the Evil angels who are uniting their powers with evil men, or they will be united with the mighty angel from heaven, who is to lighten the earth with His glory.  Remember, All the world will be on one side or the other of the question.  One side will be called by His name and the name of His Father while the other side answers to the name of false Christs, and false prophets.  “In the latter days” there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.  The side I want to unite with is the Angel who cries mightily with a loud voice, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen”.  This message will lighten the earth with his glory. His glory according to John is, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) John 1:14), Christ’s Son.

Isaiah says, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14.

A Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and Lucifer claims that is his position

Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, encouraging men say “I am” the one to take that throne, “I am” the overcomer.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:21.

Paul says it this way, For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Romans 11:25-27.

Satan, because he usurped the position of king of this world from Adam, still claims this title.  For thou (Lucifer) hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14.

That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today. He has “let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen,” even to His covenant-keeping people, who faithfully “render Him the fruits in their seasons.” Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made His interests their own. These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to His ancient people.  PK 713-714.

“Spiritual Israel”, are those who have been grafted in among them and “standest by faith”.

And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a sharer of the root and the fatness of the olive tree with them, do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, it is not you that bears the root, but the root bears you. You will say then, The branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either! Romans 11:17-21.

Moses had written, not the ten commandments, but the judgments which God would have them observe, and the promises on condition that they would obey him. He read this to the people, and they pledged themselves to obey all the words which the Lord had said. Moses then wrote their solemn pledge in a book, and offered sacrifice unto God for the people. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” The people repeated their solemn pledge to the Lord to do all that he had said, and to be obedient.  1SP 240.

Some say that Eden means “appointed times” Moses gives us these “times” and the people said, “All that the Lord hath said will we do” Some think that the people said this about the “Ten Commandments” but not according to this quote in EGW’s writings.  Jesus said ...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.

The battle of Armageddon is over the return of the diadem, and replacing of the crown: and showing Him whose right it is.

The closing book of scriptures (The Tanach), Malachi, says, Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 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, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:4-7.

The message of Elijah is the announcement of the crown: and showing Him whose right it is; and (WHO SHALL DECLARE HIS GENERATION or DESCENDANTS) just as John announced.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Isaiah 53:4-8.

The message of the times in the “torah” tells when in these last day the events will take place.  And remember the one hundred and forty-four thousand, have His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. (Rev 14:1 NAS) This is the “WE” of Revelation 7 ...till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:3.

The first overturning took place when Assyria overturned the house of Israel, the ten-tribe kingdom; the second overturning took place when the king of Babylon overturned the house of Judah, the two-tribe kingdom; and the third overturning took place when Titus in 70 A.D. destroyed Jerusalem.  Thus it is seen that we are now living in the period after the third overturning, the period in which “He Whose right it is,” is to come and set up His Kingdom. 2TG 1 p 10.

The priests and the kings had to have their names and their family tree recorded in the Temple. Jesus had this done at the time of His dedication.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 1John 2:23.

And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child (Son) in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. Luke 9:48.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.  Revelation 3:21.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world... John 5:4.

Athen Slawson