A. T. JONES
If on this occasion I can say something to enable you to see the fullness of the truth expressed in the Sabbath-school lesson that you have studied and recited, I shall be satisfied. I do not know whether in this hour I shall get beyond the first verse of your Sabbath-school lesson. It will make no difference if I do not, because to know the truth, with its consequences, that is expressed in that verse, is to know everything. Indeed, all the verses that follow but express the consequences of the truth of that verse. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.1
That verse reads: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.2
Whosoever believes that, and grasps the fact there stated, is prepared to understand the fullness of the salvation that the Lord Jesus brought to the world. And whosoever does not so grasp that which is stated in this verse as to recognize it constantly, can not grasp, in its truth, in its sincerity, the salvation that Christ has brought. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.3
All have sinned: and death came by sin. But all of us have sinned as the consequence of that which was brought to the world,—because of our being in that vortex into which the world was plunged by the sin of that “one man” to whom God gave the world in the beginning. “By one man sin entered in the world.” When sin had so entered by that one man, it was impossible for any of his, of themselves, to rise above that which he had entailed. It was impossible for any of us to receive from him more than he had. And after he had sinned, sin only was that which he had. Consequently, he sunk the human race under the power of sin—in the sea of sin; and because of that sin we all have sinned; and so death has passed upon all. When that one man sinned, death passed upon him; and he never could draw any of us, any of his posterity, higher than he was. Consequently, when he became subject to death, by sin, we all became subject to death, because, being thus crippled, we all have sinned. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.4
But it is the great problem, to begin with, to get mankind to realize that each one is the subject of death,—that only death is that which belongs to us, as we came into the world, and as we are naturally in the world. If each person in the world would hold upon his heart, would hold in his very consciousness, the truth that death has hold on him,—that to death he is subject, as expressed in the Scripture, though not in our translation: “Death is their shepherd,“—that death is the watchman over all mankind,—that death is to deach one as a shepherd herding his flock,—there would be a universal readiness to believe the gospel. But by thousands, even of the people who fear the Lord, and who have a heart to serve him, that truth is not recognized, and by the vast multitudes of people it is not believed at all. And that is why the gospel is allowed so little place in the lives of men. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.5
The deception of thinking that they have life in themselves has been for ages, and is still, the bane of mankind. This deception is couched in the conception of the immortality of the soul. Vast multitudes of the human race, and indeed the whole human race, naturally, as it is, have come under the power of that deception—of thinking that they have life themselves so certainly that even the Lord himself can not deprive them of it. Through the deception in which they are involved, they have come to believe that a part of themselves is “immortal,” and, logically enough, that, therefore, it is “a part of God”—and then the conclusion, “How can God destroy a part of himself?” By that argument they convince themselves that the Lord himself could not destroy them, if he wished to. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.6
The whole human race is naturally under that deception. And the way in which they came under this deception is precisely the way in which they came under the deception of sin. It is a part of the original deception: yea, rather, it is the very kernel of the original deception. For what was it that the deceiver said to the woman, to get her to depart from God into sin? What was it?—“Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be like God.” You will be like the divine, and not subject to death. That was the original proposition in the original deception that brought us under sin; that was the original deception into which the race went by that “one man,” by whom came sin and death; and it is not strange that this deception of men’s thinking that they have life in themselves should be as widely disseminated as is sin. The two things came in together; and they belong together forever. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.7
But the Lord spoke otherwise. Before this deceiver spoke, the Lord had said: “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17. And this was the truth. It was the truth when he spoke it; it was the truth the day they ate of the tree; and it is the truth forever. And the only reason that Adam and Eve did not die in the very hour that they ate, is that Jesus Christ stepped in between, and took upon himself the curse of sin, and its penalty of death. And this he did in order that mankind might be delivered from the death into which they had been plunged by that “one man.” Therefore, since the Lord Jesus stepped in between, and himself received the stroke of death that must come upon the man the day he sinned; and since the Lord Jesus did this solely in order that the man might have the opportunity to receive life instead of death, it became essential, and in the gift of Christ that day it was given, that the man and all mankind should have sufficient space in which to breathe to allow them to live long enough to fix each his choice of life or death. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.8
That is the origin, that is the source, and that is the philosophy, of the life which now we have in the breath that we draw moment by moment. It all lies solely in the gift of Christ: it is indeed Christ, and only Christ. Each person to-day and ever is directly indebted to Christ for the life which he has in the breath that he draws moment by moment. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.9
But now, this which we have, which mankind call life,—this is not in reality true life. The Scripture has defined it: the word of God has named it, not in a figure, but in a statement of truth in answer to the ever-pertinent inquiry, “What is your life?” And you know the answer. “It is even A VAPOR, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.10
This life which we have is truly only a vapor. It is given merely as a breath,—“for a little time,“—in order to extend to us the opportunity to seize upon life indeed. Without this life which is but a vapor, we should have no opportunity, man himself anywhere never would have had any opportunity, to partake of life indeed. Surely, if it were not that this life, even though it be truly a vapor, were given us, mankind would never have had any opportunity to breathe at all after Adam sinned. And let it be repeated, for it can not possibly be repeated too often, this breath itself is given us by the gift of the Lord Jesus; and for the breath drawn moment by moment, every soul in the world to-day, and ever, is dependent upon the gift of Christ, which he made when man had sinned. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.11
The word that Jesus spoke, therefore, is literally true,—true in every sense,—when he spoke of himself as “the living bread which came down from heaven,” and “giveth life unto the world.” For all the life that the world has to-day, is because the Lord Jesus gave himself to receive the stroke of death that otherwise must have come upon the man at the beginning, because of the sin that he had sinned. And, in another place, Christ himself said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.12
Oh, that tells the whole story again! When did Jesus come, in the meaning of that text? When was his coming? When was he offered? At what time was the offering of Christ made? He is the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world.” The offering of Christ, in its very substance, was when, in the beginning, the man had sinned, and had become subject to death because of the sin. Then and there Christ gave himself: there he set himself forth as the offering. Though not actually appearing in flesh, as afterward, though not actually dying the death, yet there he gave himself: the gift was as certainly made then as it is now. Consequently, when he came thus at the beginning, he came that mankind might have life; because just then mankind needed life. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.13
Adam and Eve needed life from that day in the garden; for if Jesus had not then offered himself, if he had not then thus “come,” death would have come to them the day that they sinned. But the Lord Jesus came and gave himself, and thus took upon himself all that was to fall upon them, or upon us, that Adam and Eve might receive what was better. And in the nature of things, they must have breath to enable them to live long enough to give them time to choose that which God had brought,—the gift of himself, which is life. consequently, at that point he came, that mankind might have life. Then, whosoever will take the proper advantage of this breathing space, of this life which is but a vapor, which is given to us solely that we may choose that which is life indeed,—life eternal,—receives life more abundantly. At the moment when the man had incurred death, He came that we might have life, even life enough to allow us to breathe, in order that we might make use of this breathing spell of life in such a way that we should have life more abundantly, even the life which is eternal substance, even as the fullness of the life of God. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.14
So, you can see that this life which all men have for the mere passing moment, is not real life: it is “even a vapor.” And this death that we meet when that vapor “vanisheth away” is not real death: it is a sleep. Only that life which is the life of God is life indeed; and only that death from which there is no resurrection, from whose power there is no possible deliverance,—only that is death indeed. This life which is but a vapor, and this death which is but a sleep, form for mankind a valley of decision between the life which is life indeed and the death which is death indeed. And this life which is life indeed, is the life, and that death which is death indeed, is the death, referred to in the gospel of Christ, in the word of God, in calling us unto himself, and in giving the gift to deliver us from the curse under which we are: “I have set before you life and death.... Choose life that you may live.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 643.15
So, then, death has passed upon all men: death is the master, death is the sovereign, death is the shepherd, of the human race. But thanks be to God, who gave his only begotten Son; and blessed be the name of the only begotten Son, who gave himself, that we might have life, and that the death might not fall upon us without our deliberate choice. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 644.1
And behold! in the abundance of his mercy and the greatness of his grace, God gave not merely a single breath to breathe; not haply an hour in which to live; but has given to every one in the world, time upon time, time upon time, hour extended upon hour, day upon day, of this breathing spell, so that, if by any means in the long-suffering of God, each one might receive the gift and lay hold upon life indeed, instead of receiving death indeed at the last, as that which he has fixedly chosen. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 644.2
WE have shown that the sixth of the seven trumpet angels ceased to sound Aug. 11, 1840; and that then, as says the Scripture, “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” Revelation 11:14. The third woe and the seventh trumpet are identical. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.1
When “the seventh angel sounded,” said the prophet, “there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” And now is the time. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.2
The prophet also said, “The nations were angry.” This we have seen fulfilled in the nations since 1844, even to the present hour—the nations that are now in the distress and perplexity of the China entanglement. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.3
The prophet further said: “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:18, 19. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.4
Now we wish it to be clearly seen, and it may be, that the events here named are identical with those of Revelation 14:6-20—the threefold message—and 16:1-21—the consequences of rejecting that threefold message; that the events of Revelation 14:6-20 and 16:1-21 are but an explanation in full of those mentioned in Revelation 11:18, 19. To make this plain, we shall here bring together the statements of Revelation 11:18, 19, and the corresponding ones of chapters 14 and 16. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.5
1. “And thy wrath is come.” Revelation 11:18. The third angel says, “If any man worship the beast and his image.... the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” 14:9, 10. And in the seven last plagues is filled up the wrath of God. 15:1, 6-8; 16. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.6
2. “The time of the dead, that they should be judged.” Revelation 11:18. “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven.... saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” 14:6, 7. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.7
3. “That thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great.” Revelation 11:18. This time of reward is at the coming of Christ; for he says: “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” 22:12. Again he said: “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:14. But his coming follows immediately the Third Angel’s Message; for, says the prophet, “I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” “And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14, 16. This harvest is the end of the world.” Matthew 13:39. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.8
4. “And shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18. “Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.” Revelation 14:17-19. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.9
Here are shown two reapings. One is by the Son of God, reaping the harvest of the earth, gathering the wheat into the garner of God. The other is to gather together those who are to be cast into the wine press of the wrath of God. The former are the fruits of the true Vine, Jesus Christ. For he says: “I am the true Vine.” “I am the Vine, ye are the branches.” This is the Vine of heaven; for Christ, the true Vine, came down from heaven to do his Father’s will; and of this Vine the “Father is the Husbandman.” All who abide in Christ, the true Vine, will be gathered by the angels into the kingdom of God, when he comes on the white cloud to reap the harvest of the earth. The others are called the clusters of the vine of the earth. Those have no connection with the heavenly Vine, but are of the earth, earthy. And when the clusters of this vine are gathered, it is only to be cast into the wine press of the wrath of God. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.10
This same result is shown by John the Baptist under another figure: “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11, 12. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.11
5. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” Revelation 11:19. Why is this called the ark of his testament?—Because within it is his testimony, as there was in the earthly temple, which was a pattern of the heavenly. “In the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” Exodus 25:21. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.12
But what was the testimony, or testament, that was put in the ark? “He gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18. “And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” 32:16. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.13
These tables Moses broke when he came down from the mount and found the people given up to idolatry. Then said the Lord to Moses: “Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou breakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.” Then, said Moses: “I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me.” Deuteronomy 10:1-5. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.14
This ark was called the ark of the testimony, or testament, because in it were the tables of the testimony which God gave to Moses, and that testimony was the ten commandments. It is this alone that gave it the title of the ark of the testimony. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.15
Now we have shown that this sanctuary, or temple, on the earth was only a pattern, or figure, of the sanctuary, or temple, in heaven. Therefore, that testimony, which gave to the ark of the earthly sanctuary the title of the ark of the testament, must be identical with the testimony that gives to the ark in heaven the title of the ark of his testament; that is, the ten commandments. Now this temple of God in heaven is opened at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. There is shown the heavenly ark of his testament; and connected directly with this stands Revelation 14:12,—the Third Angel’s Message,—saying, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.16
6. “And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19. This is identical with the record of the events of the seventh plague. For, says the Scripture, “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.... And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” Revelation 16:17-21. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.17
But the seven last plagues comprise the wrath of God. This wrath is poured upon those who worship the Beast and his Image, upon those who refuse to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And the Third Angel’s Message is to warn men against that worship, that they may escape this wrath; and it calls them especially to “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.18
These things show that these three messages of Revelation 14, and the wrath which is foretold by the third of these, and the coming of the Lord, which follows the third, represent events referred to as occurrent when the seventh angel shall sound. It is therefore absolutely certain that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the Third Angel’s Message of Revelation 14 is due to the world. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.19
Here we must refer again to Revelation 10:7, where the angel declares with an oath that “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.” We have shown that the mystery of God is the gospel, and that the gospel if the power of God unto salvation, and that therefore in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound, the power of God for the salvation of man will be finished in those who believe, and in behalf of those who will not believe. Note especially that this is in the days when the seventh angel begins to sound. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.20
From the texts presented in former articles, as well as those already given in this, it is plain that the events connected with the Third Angel’s Message end with the end of the world. Therefore, the Third Angel’s Message is the means by which God makes his last effort for the salvation of men; and by which he perfects forever all who shall meet him in peace when he comes in glory. Ephesians 4:13; 5:25-27; Colossians 1:27. Thus it becomes of the utmost importance to the children of men to know when the Third Angel’s message is due to the world. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.21
In our article of September 18, in discussing the subject of the mystery of God and its finishing, we cited the sanctuary and its services of the Levitical law, and showed that they were typical of the heavenly sanctuary, and the work of Christ in his priesthood. We showed that the services ended with the cleansing of the sanctuary, and that Christ’s priestly service ends at the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, and we showed that this cleansing began in 1844. Therefore this last service of the gospel, the finishing of which is identical with the finishing of the mystery of God, began in 1844. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.22
Again: we showed that the cleansing of the sanctuary was really a work of judgment. It was so understood by those who performed the service; and it was so intended to be understood by the Lord, who established the service. This is made certain by the fact that whosoever was not a partaker of the services that day was cut off without mercy when the services closed. He had no further chance. His probation was gone. This was but typical of the work of Christ once for all, and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary must be likewise a work of judgment. This answers exactly to the words which describe the scenes of the seventh trumpet when it begins to sound, that then was come “the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” And as we have seen, this cleansing of the sanctuary, this work of judgment, this “time of the dead, that they should be judged,” began in 1844. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 648.23
But this time of the dead, that they should be judged, is the same time referred to in Revelation 14:6, 7, in that message which carries still the everlasting gospel to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, yet saying with a loud voice to all, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Paul preached this same gospel, but not that the hour of his judgment was come, but simply a judgment to come. Acts 24:25; 17:31. But when the time comes when the seventh angel shall begin to sound, then it is declared, in accordance with the same gospel, the hour of his judgment is come. But this, as we have shown, is identical with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, which began in 1844.Ttherefore it is certain that the seventh angel began to sound in 1844. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.1
That this “hour” of judgment is not the great day of Judgment, which comes at the end of the world, but is a time that precedes the end of the world, answering to the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, is shown by the fact that two other messages follow this one before the coming of the Lord and the end of the world. But these two do follow this one, and the third of these is the Third Angel’s Message, which warns all men against the worship of the Beast and his Image, and against receiving his mark, under the dreadful penalty of having to drink the wine of the wrath of God; and which at the same time calls all to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.2
This wine of the wrath of God is the seven last plagues, with the last of which come the lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail, which come at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. These commandments are the testimony of God, which was brought forth prominently when the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.3
All these things are but the events that occur in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound. And as we have found that this seventh angel began to sound in 1844, then it was, and onward, that the Third Angel’s Message is due to the world. When this message is finished, the mystery of God will have been finished. When this message closes, the work of the gospel will be closed. And when the seven last plagues, which are pronounced by this message against those who worship the Beast and his Image, shall be poured out upon them who have the mark of the Beast, and upon them who worship his Image,—with the pouring out of the last of these comes the end of the world. ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.4
Therefore, now is the time when there is danger of being drawn into the worship of the Beast and his Image. The people now living are the ones who are concerned in this. The people now living are they who will be called upon to make an image to the Beast, and to worship the Beast and his Image. These are also the people who will be warned by the message of God against all those things, under penalty of suffering the seven last plagues, and will be called to the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus because “the hour of his judgment is come.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.5
Now is the “hour.” “Get ready, get ready, get ready.” ARSH October 9, 1900, page 649.6