When we start reading the Bible, one thing that attracts our attention is an instruction that has been given repeatedly in the Scriptures. It says:
“Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage… Ex. 13:3.
“And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm…” Deut. 5:15.
Again and again, it says: “Remember how I brought you out of Egypt.”
Have we noticed this? Almost every time when a prophet or another man of God gives a counsel to the people of God he declares:
“But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence…” Deut. 24:18.
Even hundreds of years after this event they focused their attention on it specifically. Isn’t it amazing? Let us ask you a question: how many plagues fell upon the land of Egypt? Ten plagues. Notice that the people of God were not delivered until the plagues ended.
Similarly, at the close of this earth’s history, we shall not be finally delivered before the plagues are ended. But there is something in this account that we need to take into consideration: did Pharaoh let the people of God go after the first plague? Or after the second plague? Or after the ninth one? What about the tenth plague – did he let the people go after it was finished? Pharaoh let the people of God go in the tenth plague. In Exodus 11 we read:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.” Ex. 11:1.
In the next chapter, in verse 29 the Bible says:
“And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.” Ex. 12:29.
So when God tells his people to remember how he brought them out of Egypt, what does he say? Remember how it was midnight when I delivered you out of Egyptian bondage which represents the bondage to sin. Remember how I delivered you from captivity. But what does the Passover point to in reality? To Jesus Christ because Christ himself would be killed at Passover to redeem us from sin.
Just as in the land of Egypt the people of God were thrust out and allowed to leave where God led them, so in the end of the world will be a going out – this time not from the land of Egypt but from Babylon.
We are told that the only thing that we should be afraid of, regarding the future, is if we forget the way that the Lord has led us and his teachings in our past history.
We are also told that the messages that were proclaimed in the period 1840-1844 will receive added force now as many people have lost their bearings and that these messages need to be brought to everyone. It has also been declared that the message has been proclaimed then and that the rehearsal of this message must not be delayed.
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Rev. 14:1.
In the period of 1840-1844, the hour of God’s Judgment was proclaimed. It was represented prophetically to John by the first angel of Rev. 14. And because that message was rejected by the Protestant churches and they fell and became Babylon, the people of God were called to leave Babylon. And what was the thing that led them out of it? The message of the second angel.
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Rev. 14:8.
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:4.
In Revelation 10 there is a mighty angel who has stood with one feed on the land and with one – on the sea gives the following command:
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 10:11.
The whole chapter 10 of Revelation illustrates the experience of the Advent people. In 1844 a message was given to people that separated them from the fallen churches and delivered them from the bondage of sin. Because those who heard the message of the Second Coming of Jesus in 1844 were more free of sin than those in any other age since the time of the Apostles.
“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” Rev. 11:1.
There is a Judgment going on right now. The commandment given to John that he had to prophesy again has been proclaimed since 1844, in the form of the Third Angel’s Message of Rev. 14.
There has never been a greater need for ardent, self-sacrificing labor in the work of God than now when the hours of probation (the time of grace when God is still to be found) are fast running out. The Judgment is sitting and the Third Angel’s Message, the last message of mercy to the world is to be proclaimed while there is still an opportunity for men to repent, to be converted, and to turn from their sins. We are told:
“When Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of the atonement, He committed to His servants the last message of mercy to be given to the world.
Such is the warning of the third angel of Revelation 14. Immediately following its proclamation, the Son of man is seen by the prophet coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth.” The Story of Redemption, p. 379, par. 1.
Christ entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary on October 22, 1844. As Christians, we claim that we are following the Lamb of God whithersoever he goeth, but without understanding where the Lamb is at every time, how are we able to follow him?
The First Angel’s Message was based on the prophetic periods. It states:
“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev. 14:7.
Many people who claimed to believe in Jesus in 1844 scoffed at the glad tidings of his comings. Instead of accepting it, they declared it to be false. They disfellowshipped from their churches those who loved his appearing, just as Pharaoh thrust the people of God out of Egypt.
“Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they
benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light in the third angel’s message, which shows the way into the most holy place.” Early Writings, p. 260-261.
Have there been false revivals recently? For sure. Every reformation that does not fit into the Third Angel’s Message and does not point the way to the Most Holy Place is a deception of Satan. The last warning message to the world has been proclaimed since then – a message that tells sinners that there is a Judgement begun in heaven and that we are to be judged by the Law, and Jesus is up there for us, listening to our case.
In the last few years, we saw one revival after another in the church – either on a local level, or internationally, but if a certain revival does not present to us the message that leads us to enter with Jesus in the Most Holy Place, if it does not call our attention to the messages that God has given us to share them with the world, of what avail is it? What good does it do, in the end? There’s nothing more we can say.
“Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid… Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD… I will look for him.” Isaiah 8:12-17.
The Lord brought His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand on the 14th day of the 1st month, he made a memorial to this event in the feast of Passover that represents the blood that was to be shed for us in the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. Since then the Lord has called us to remember how he brought his people out of the fallen churches through the Second Angel’s Message. Then he delivered them from the false teachings of Babylon with an outstretched hand in 1844, in the Midnight Cry, connected with the message of the fall of Babylon. Since then, He has told us that we should not forget the light that comes from our past and reject the messages. Yet many people have rashly denied the light from behind and this has led them to worldliness and false teachings. Many have fallen off the pathway. So we pray that the Lord would put our feet back on the pathway so that we can be assured that the light that God has put behind us shines brightly on our feet and we would not lose track in our journeying to the eternal city. While we have the Bible as a light unto our feet and keep our eye fixed on Jesus, we are safe. May the Lord help us so that nothing else would distract our attention from these great truths so that we may reach the goal and his kingdom come.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And 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 21:2-3.