CHAPTER VIII. THE SEALING WORK

The seventh chapter of the book of Revelation continues the description of events taking place under the sixth seal. Already the signs, which prophecy foretold would appear in the heavens, have been seen. Not only did men witness the phenomena, but as early as 1844, and since that time, these things have been recognized as signs of the second appearing of the Son of man, and as such, have been preached before all the world. When the Saviour was giving the signs by which men should know of the approach of the second advent, He mentions, in addition to the strange appearance in the heavens, “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” This distress of nations follows the falling of the stars, and as it is the subject with which the seventh chapter of Revelation is introduced, it places that chapter, when considered chronologically, between the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of the sixth chapter of Revelation. ^{MarginLet them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Isaiah 41:22, 26.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. Matthew 28:19.
There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Luke 21:25, 26.}SSP 127.1

“After these things,” that is, after the occurrence of the signs mentioned in Revelation 6:12, 13, “I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth.” John’s view of heaven had opened to his mind the workings of the government of God, and the work of the angels was revealed as he watched the loosening of the seals. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Angels who excel in strength, do the bidding of Jehovah, hearkening unto the voice of His word. Gabriel, the angel of prophecy, is by no means the only one who has a specifically assigned task. To John are shown four of these heavenly beings, standing on the four corners of the globe, holding the winds that they might not blow. Winds symbolize war or contention. There has been more than one war in the past, as well as more than one dark day; but at a certain period of time, there should be a distress of nations differing from all previous international troubles.SSP 128.1

In the opening of the fifth seal, when the church as a church came from the Dark Ages, two great principles born of the Reformation, and cutting short the persecuting power, finally made martyrdom impossible. These two principles then came into existence under the names of Protestantism and democracy. Protestantism, representing the religious phase of society; democracy, or the principle which recognizes the equal rights of all mankind, representing the civil government. In other words, the results of the sixteenth century Reformation were not seen alone in the organization of Protestant churches; ^{MarginAnd after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Revelation 7:1.
Zechariah 14:9.
God is the King of all the earth. Psalm 47:7.
Hebrews 1:14.
Psalm 103:20.
I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Daniel 10:21.
Psalm 34:7.
Matthew 18:10.
The king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. Daniel 11:40.
Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. Isaiah 17:12, 13.
Revelation 13:8.
Genesis 4:3, 4.
Revelation 12:14-16.
Isaiah 60:16.
Isaiah 61:6.} but there was at the same time a protest against the absolute monarchy which had borne sway for a thousand years. Under these conditions the salvation of the cause demanded a new soil for the cultivation of freedom. For this purpose God had already opened America and Southern Africa. The South African colonies failed to profit by their opportunities, but in America both Protestantism and democracy-freedom to worship, and the equal rights of men in civil affairs,-blossomed and bore fruit in the Constitution of the United States. During the first half century of this nation’s existence, it was watched with a most critical eye by monarchs and statesmen of Europe. But as the government grew stronger, and one state after another was added; as its ministers received recognition in foreign courts; and as its products were sought in foreign markets, the people of European governments saw, that democracy was no longer an experiment, but a possibility.SSP 128.2

There was restlessness in Europe. From the days of Napoleon, France was divided in its opinions, and the desire for a representative government, was more than once made known. Any manifestation on the part of subjects in all European countries was jealously watched by the sovereigns, and all uprisings were put down with unusual severity. The elements were gathering for a storm, the low mutterings of distant thunder were heard; yet each ruler tried to convince himself that his throne was secure. France, fortunate or unfortunate, as one may choose to view the matter, appears, however, to have been the center from which the waves of commotion started. In 1830 the French ministry, ^{MarginHe increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. Job 12:23, 24.
Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Romans 13:3, 4.
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. Proverbs 28:15.
Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. Isaiah 26:15.
There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counsellor. Nahum 1:11.
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Isaiah 9:3.
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms. Isaiah 23:11.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. Daniel 4:17.
All people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. Daniel 5:19.} fearing that too much authority was being exercised by the Chamber of Deputies, issued an ordinance declaring all recent elections illegal, restricting suffrage, and limiting the freedom of the press. This act was met by mob violence, and resulted in the unseating of the reigning monarch and the enthroning of a new French king, who, because he was crowned by the middle classes, was called the “citizens’ king.” The name was significant. The common people were coming into power, and had nations followed the leadings of Providence, there might have been, in the next few years, a peaceful reorganization of Europe. Instead, however, the people, especially of dependent countries and provinces, were oppressed. But the French uprising had its effect. “In Saxony and in the minor states of Germany, disturbances were consequent on the tidings of the revolution at Paris.” In Poland there was an uprising, a result of the movement in Paris. One result traceable to the French trouble, occurred in the year 1832, when “eight thousand Poles were sent to Siberia.” In Germany, unity was foretold by the formation of the customs-union between 1828 and 1834. Uprisings occurred in Italy, demanding independence ^{MarginShall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. Psalm 94:20.
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death. Psalm 94:20-23.
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. Isaiah 14:6.
Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Isaiah 47:11.} and unity. In 1833 the system of slavery in the British colonies was abolished. In 1837 Victoria became ruler of England; and the repeal in 1846 of the Corn Laws, which imposed duties on imported grains, was an omen of the increasing liberality of the British government. Events might be multiplied, to show the sharp division between those who favored popular rights and those who still fought for the divine right of kings.SSP 129.1

The internal pressure became greater. It was recognized by all that some settlement must soon be reached. The climax came, when in 1848, mob violence again broke out in France. For two years there had been a scarcity of food, and the rabble rebelled against all authority. The king, Louis Phillippe, abdicated, and escaped to England. Except for the courage and firmness of a few French statesmen, who guided affairs through this critical period, the scenes of the Revolution of 1789, would have been repeated. The soldiers fraternized with the mob. Only through the wisest management, a socialistic Directory was avoided. Instead, the motion for a provisional government, prevailed. A constitution was adopted which provided for a president who should serve for a term of four years. Louis Napoleon was elected first president of the new French Republic. This was the eventful year of 1848. Judson, in his work entitled “Europe in the Nineteenth Century,” says this revolution “was like a lighted match touched to the dry prairie grass after a drought. The flames flashed at once throughout the continent.” In Germany “new ministries were installed which were pledged to a liberal policy.” “Prussia ^{MarginRighteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. Daniel 2:37.
The balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. Hosea 12:7.
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Ecclesiastes 4:1.
Ezekiel 14:13.
Her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. Lamentations 1:6.
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Ecclesiastes 9:14-16.
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good. Proverbs 16:20.
But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries. Psalm 38:19, 20.} and Austria were thoroughly disturbed by the movement for freedom and national unity.” In Germany nearly five hundred men gathered, determined to organize a provisional government. The disturbances in Prussia, forced the king to swear to maintain a new constitution. Both Hungary and Vienna revolted, and this furnished the long coveted occasion for the Italians to throw off Austrian rule. Thus, in a brief period of time, many crowned heads of Europe submitted themselves to the people.SSP 131.1

In the midst of the turmoil and strife, came a sudden calm. No man could assign any reason for it. Like the troubled waters of Gennesaret when Christ spoke peace out of the storm, tumult and confusion ceased. The four angels had been stationed on the earth to hold the winds of strife till the servants of God could be sealed. Europe had been wrought upon until the power of an absolute monarchy was practically a thing of the past. There was now an opportunity for the ripening of the principles of the Reformation. The closing work in the earth, will be a continuation of the movement set on foot when the darkness of the Middle Ages was broken. God has prepared the earth for the rapid spread of the Gospel, and the sealing work is now going on.SSP 132.1

“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, .. saying, ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our ^{MarginWisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times. Isaiah 33:6.
Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. Psalm 75:5-7.
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. Psalm 33:16.
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:2, 8.
Revelation 14:9-12.} God in their foreheads.’” Nations are represented as being held in check by the angels of heaven until the servants of God are sealed. Men are led to ask, “What is this seal placed upon the foreheads by which God recognizes His servants?” God’s chosen people are always a peculiar people; they are called to be a nation of kings, a royal priesthood, who show forth the virtues of their Commander. Jehovah looks not on the outward appearance, but weighs character, and places His seal on those whose hearts are right toward Him. When Abraham was called to become the founder of a nation, God gave to him “the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had.” To the seed of Abraham, who live in the time of the end, the same God gives a sign, or seal, of the righteousness of the faith which they have. This seal comes not because of boasted pride, or self-supremacy, but by simple faith in the promises of God, as a child learns from its mother. Christ, looking up to heaven, said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” This sign or seal, is a direct revelation from God, to those who will accept with the faith of a little child. “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” That which the Father and Son alone can reveal is a knowledge of God, and this knowledge of God, is the seal placed in the foreheads of the chosen generation. To this, Paul testifies in the words, “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His.” The seal then is the knowledge ^{MarginWho gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14.
1 Peter 2:9.
Look not upon his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7.
Romans 4:11.
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3.
Matthew 11:25.
Matthew 16:17.
This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3.
2 Timothy 2:19.
Ezekiel 20:20.
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15.
Ezekiel 20:12.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21.
Exodus 31:13.
Exodus 31:17.
The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. Jeremiah 10:11, 12.
John 4:24.} of the true God, and this, Jehovah has placed in His Sabbath. “Hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” “Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” This seal is a sign of sanctification, and it is a sign forever. “Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.” Again He says, “It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” This was spiritual rest, for “God is a Spirit,” and knows no rest but spiritual rest. The rest, the blessing, and the sanctification of the Sabbath of Jehovah are all spiritual, and only such as are living in a condition symbolized by the first seal, can rest as God rested. Such, and such alone, have a knowledge of God. The seal placed in the forehead by the angel, cannot be read by man; only God and heavenly beings can read it. For this reason, no civil law can enforce Sabbath keeping. Man may keep the form one day in seven, but only a knowledge of God can give the seal in the forehead. Christ was a living commentary on true Sabbath observance, and the things which He did on that day, reveal the mind of God toward the children of men. “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” ^{MarginThe Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Ezekiel 9:4.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11.
Genesis 2:2, 3.
Exodus 34:21.
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; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. Isaiah 58:13, 14.}SSP 132.2

In these texts, the day upon which God rested, and which He subsequently blessed and sanctified, is plainly stated to be the seventh day. And from that seventh day on which Jehovah rested, all future seventh days have in them the blessing and the sanctification. The use of the word seal directs the mind to a legal document. When a ruler’s seal is attached to a legal paper, that seal contains the name of the one in authority, his right to rule, and the territory over which he rules. These features are all made prominent in the seal contained in the law of God. To-day the seal is usually placed, either at the beginning, or at the close of the decree or law; but in the divine law it is placed in the center, that nothing may be taken from, or added thereto. The fourth commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.... For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Herein lie the three specifications of a seal: first, the name,-the Lord thy God, Jehovah; second, the authority,-Creator; third, the extent of territory,-the heavens and earth. Take away this command from the decalogue, and it would contain no seal. God’s right to rule rests in the fourth commandment, and the seal will be placed in the foreheads of those who thus know God. The knowledge of the creative and the redeeming power of God, is revealed by Christ in the fourth commandment of the decalogue. ^{MarginMatthew 24:90.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12.
Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse. Esther 8:8.
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. Isaiah 8:16.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot o one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:17, 18.}SSP 135.1

In 1848 the Angel from the East called to the four angels to hold the winds of war until the servants of God were sealed in their foreheads. Since 1848, in the quiet which has prevailed among nations, light upon the Sabbath of Jehovah’s law, has been going to every nation of the earth. It began gently as the rising sun; it shines to-day with the clearness of the noonday rays. Thousands, in all quarters of the globe testify to the saving health in the Sabbath observance.SSP 136.1

The number of the servants of our God is now being made up. “I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” Character alone is the basis of the sealing work. The promise of the new earth was made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; but the literal descendants of these patriarchs, failed to develop a character which would place upon them a seal of the living God, and they were rejected as a nation. Then the Gentiles, like branches from a wild olive tree, were, contrary to nature, grafted into the Jewish root; and those who bear fruit unto righteousness will partake of the inheritance once promised to Jews of the flesh. The places in the twelve tribes, which might have, been filled by the direct descendants of Abraham, will be occupied by children by adoption. The attention of all heaven is directed toward this sealing work; for when it is over, the plan of redemption is completed. The one hundred and forty-four thousand are divided into classes called by the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. These are character names, and those ^{MarginThus saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. Ezekiel 46:1.
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:30.
That day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Revelation 7:4.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:9-12.
Madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant. Nehemiah 9:14.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it. Isaiah 56:2.
If some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Romans 11:17, 18.
Romans 11:20.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14.} who develop the character, will be classed under the tribe bearing a name indicating that character. To illustrate; “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.” Burden, bearers are here described. Those, who, looking forward to the promised future home are willing to couch often beneath heavy burdens; and like the patient ass, even bear double burdens, that the cause of God may prosper. They are free and happy in this service; and the cause of God would never move forward in the earth if it were not for these loyal burden bearers,-these faithful Issachars, spending their lives “couching down between two burdens,” while close by perhaps, are the representatives of Naphtali, who bear no burdens. “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.” Free and lighthearted, he sees a thousand places where he can speak goodly words, and spring hastily to give a helping hand, that the representatives of Issachar, bowed down under their heavy burdens, would never see, neither does God expect it of them. All are needed to make the number complete. ^{MarginHow often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Luke 13:34.
Behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. Ezekiel 9:11.
Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. Revelation 7:5-8.
Genesis 49:14, 15.
Galatians 2:9.
Isaiah 9:6.
Isaiah 22:22.
Of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. 1 Chronicles 12:32.
Judges 5:15.
Genesis 49:21.
The words of the pure are pleasant words. Proverbs 15:26.
Proverbs 16:24.
Psalm 119:103.
A soft answer turneth away wrath. Proverbs 15:1.
Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. Judges 5:18.} Let not the burden bearer think, that because he bears the heavy burdens he is the most important. He is only one twelfth part of the whole. One company will represent Levi, whose life seemed a failure through sin; and yet through victory in God, the Levites became teachers in Israel. And of unstable Reuben it is said, “Let Reuben live, and not die.” He became the “excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.” Judah represents the leaders, those before whom the others bow down. Every phase of the work is represented, and the name of each tribe will be placed on one of the gates of the city of God. The tribe of Dan is omitted in the final count, and two portions are given to the family of Joseph to make up the twelve. Of Dan it was said: “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” God purposed that Dan should judge Israel righteously. Keen observation, and quick discernment are necessary for a judge. These gifts were given to Dan, but instead of using them aright, he was “a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” In ^{MarginBut now are they many members, yet but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.1 Corinthians 12:20, 21.
Genesis 49:5-7.
They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Deuteronomy 33:8-11.
Genesis 49:3, 4.
Deuteronomy 33:6.
Genesis 49:8-12.
Deuteronomy 33:7.
At the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Revelation 21:12.
Revelation 7:5-8.
Revelation 7:6-8.
Genesis 49:16, 17.
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. Psalm 50:20-22.
Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off. Psalm 101:5.
1 Kings 3:7-28.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. Matthew 25:24-28.} other words, he became a backbiter, a cruel critic. The gift intended for a blessing, when perverted, became an injury, causing others to fall. The cruel critic, the one who always detects the evil in others and speaks of it first, has the gift of judgment misdirected. None who persist in this work, can ever enter the kingdom of heaven; for the “accuser of our brethren” was cast out of heaven once, and neither he, nor his representatives, will ever enter its shining portals again.SSP 136.2

Once more the prophet John was shown the end of the sixth seal. The creatures of God’s love were gathered from all ages. An innumerable company of the redeemed were seen standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed with the robes of Christ’s righteousness; but throughout eternity, they will remember that both robes and palms are the result of the sacrifice of the Son of God. With one voice the song rings through heaven, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” The redeemed host sing the song of their experience; and the angels who are acquainted with each individual, the four and twenty elders, and the four beasts who have had a similar experience, respond to the mighty chorus.SSP 139.1

Then, as if again to call attention to the little company who have suffered most, one elder, pointing to the one hundred and forty-four thousand, said, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” He answers his own question, saying, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white ^{MarginRevelation 12:10.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. Revelation 7:9-11.
Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Revelation 7:12-15.
Hebrews 5:8, 9.
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.} in the blood of the Lamb.” The Saviour Himself was made perfect through suffering, and, as a man, gained the place on the throne beside the Father; because He overcame. The life of the one hundred and forty-four thousand is pictured in the experiences of the apostles who lived nearest to the Saviour when He was upon earth. Because they have lived as He lived, and passed through the trials which He endured, and Satan has been forced to acknowledge that he found none of his own nature in them, “therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”SSP 139.2

Before the rebellion in heaven, Lucifer was a covering cherub, standing always in the presence of God. In his fall he took with him a multitude of angels. The place once occupied by Satan and his angels, will be filled by the hundred and forty-four thousand, when they gather at last about the throne, where they serve God day and night in His temple, with God Himself dwelling in their midst. This is their reward for the hunger and thirst endured on earth. They form the bodyguard of their Saviour, and He leads them to the fountain of living waters. They, who, on earth clung to the knowledge of God when the world was given over to idolatry, have an infinity of truth to learn, and endless ages for growth and development. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” That beginning was made here on earth, when, to be true to the knowledge of God, men ofttimes suffered hunger and thirst, tribulation and persecution. ^{MarginThe Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Job 1:8.
1 John 3:2, 3.
The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Ezekiel 28:14.
The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9.
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Revelation 3:10.
They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. Isaiah 49:9, 10.
Hebrews 11:27.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:16, 17.} But he who endures as seeing Him who is invisible,-the Lamb, who is in the presence of God, will one day be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. In that day the tears of earth will be wiped away by the joys of eternity. “Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” On earth they have felt the heat of the sun’s rays, and although, after the restoration, the sunshine is sevenfold brighter than at present, yet the little company stand so near the throne, and are so enshrouded by the intense light of the Father and Son, that the sunlight is no longer noticeable. The appearance of one angel on earth dazzled the eyes of the centurion’s guard at the Saviour’s tomb, and they fell like dead men. Light is the result of an abundance of life. What must be the purity of those who partake of divinity to such a degree that they walk in the very presence of the Creator?SSP 140.1

These are redeemed from among men. They come from the last generation,-that race which is almost extinct because of the prevalence of disease and sin. But the blood of the Lamb is all powerful, and places these next the throne. “Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” The matchless love of Christ, who can understand! ^{MarginMoreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. Isaiah 30:26.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matthew 13:43.
The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Matthew 28:2, 3.
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Micah 7:18.Romans 5:20.}SSP 141.1