Return To The Lord

This was presented at WCAS event at Spokane Countryside SDA Church on June 25, 2022. It is also viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMnQP3z7C7Y

    Our first two presentations in Ezekiel 8 have given us insight into the dreadful conditions of God’s people– (In Israel’s day and the applications extending to our present time today).  These include: abominations, worship of idols, sun worship, commandment breaking of all types.  

 

    Ezekiel 8 is then followed by the next chapter in Ezekiel 9 where God responded to those who were defiling His temple and desecrating His holy worship.  We read:

 

Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;

Eze 9:4  And the 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.

Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

 

So what do these chapters in Ezekiel mean?  What applications can apply to us today?

 

The prophecies in here in Ezekiel 8 & 9 and Joel chapter 2 are end-time parallel prophecies that have application for us at the end of time.  A number of quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy connect these Scripture chapters with the final judgment time of the Lord.  Probation will then also follow the completion of the investigative judgment. 

 

Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White (1922)  Chapter # 32: Preparing for the Judgment

 

     Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary, to put on garments of vengeance, and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them.

     The crisis is fast approaching. The time for God’s visitation has about come. Although loth to punish, nevertheless He will punish, and that speedily. Those who walk in the light will see signs of the approaching peril; but they are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far from it. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others, looking with strong faith to God for help. “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16. {CET 186.3} 

  

     The day of God’s vengeance is just upon us. The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken, and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry;” but “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” Psalm 34:15, 16. {CET 187.2}  

     Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul-temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost. {CET 189.2}

 

The Great Controversy

   

     The mark of deliverance has been set upon those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done.” Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel’s vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is given: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.” Says the prophet, “They began at the ancient men which were before the house.” [Ezekiel 9:1-6.] The work of destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall. There are none to pity or to spare. Men, women, maidens, and little children perish together.  {GC88 656.2} 

 

Last Day Events

   Here we see that the church–the Lord’s sanctuary–was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men [Ezekiel 9:6], those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust.–5T 211 (1882).  {LDE 248.1}  

 

Maranatha  Chap. 232 – The Pure Mark of Truth

    

    The 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.  {Mar 240.1} 

     Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done” in the church.  {Mar 240.2}  

     The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. . . .  {Mar 240.3}  

 

Two Quotes from EG White Letters

 

1. The Lord reads the heart as an open book. The men who are not connected with God have done many things after the imagination of their own evil hearts. The Lord declares concerning them, “They have turned unto Me their back, and not the face, though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them; yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.” We are amid the perils of the last days, the time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter. Study also the tenth chapter which represents the hand of God as at work to bring perfect method and harmonious working into all the operations of his prepared instrumentalities.  {1888 1303.1}
2. Study the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled; yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time is short. God is calling. Will you hear? Will you receive His message? Will you be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be decided for eternity.–Letter 106, 1909.

 

The Gospels, and actually all of the Bible tells us that there will be but two classes at the second coming.  (Examples = the sheep and the goats; the saved and the lost, etc.)  The two groups are the following:

     

    1.Those with the seal of God (those that sigh and cry for the abominations) (Rev. Chapter 7)

2. Those that are destroyed (those that have Satan’s mark–the mark of the beast). (Rev. Ch 13).

 

Friends, we are Jesus last remnant people.  We are the last of the seven churches that are described in the book of Revelation.  We are the church of Laodicea.  Remember the description of this church?  It is described not only as lukewarm, but they also have need of nothing.  Let’s turn to Revelation 3:14-17.   

   

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (Rev. 3:14-17).

 

    “Because thou sayest; I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: ”  The remnant church which has the two characteristics of Revelation 12:12: “they which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” is our church–the Seventh Day Adventist Church.  The spiritual leadership of the church is the star or messenger of the church.  Therefore, the leadership is giving a message to the church that everything is going spiritually alright, when it really isn’t.  However, the church is also composed of each of us that is in the remnant church.  All of the conditions apply to us in this last church.  We are thought to be spiritually rich, increased with good works, having all of the truth, and not needing anything else.  This spiritual pride makes it blind to the knowledge that we are actually spiritually:

 

     “Wretched”    Appearing as spiritually vile, dirty, and ugly

     “Miserable”    Having painful spiritual feelings and/or thoughts

     “Poor”         Greatly lacking the knowledge of Christ’s righteousness

     “Blind”         Incapable of recognizing spiritual truth or not having spiritual discernment

     “Naked”    Not being clothed with the righteousness of Christ; His works not performed in the heart       

 

Here is how God finds our condition today in this end-time church.  Thankfully God does not leave us in this terrible condition!  We have seen today how our leadership and laity has been given insight in Ezekiel 8 & 9 and warnings from God to us about the results of the choices that we make today.       

 

Friends, this is Jesus final warning to the Church:  Laodicea is about to be spued out because of our insipid state.  Again and again we have been warned in the past, and all of the virgins are fast asleep.

 

So what is the remedy?  

First, we are to humble ourselves & repent.  Biblical counsel tell us the following:

1. John the Baptist in Matt. 3:2,3 said: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

 

1. Jesus: From that time Jesus began to preach in Matt. 4:17 He also preached: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

 

1. The Apostle Paul tells us in Eph 5:6 & 7:  “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”

 

1. John the Revelator in The Third Angel’s Message says:

Rev 14:9,10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, (And, basically eternal punishment will follow!)

 

The faithful remnant have the two characteristics in Rev 14:12:  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

 

The 4th angel’s message in Rev 18:4 tells us: 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.

 

Ellen White has admonition for us in her Manuscript #12 p. 212.3

 

    Our lesson for the present time is, How may we most clearly comprehend and present the gospel that Christ came in person to present to John on the isle of Patmos—the gospel that is termed “the Revelation of Jesus Christ”? We are to present to our people a clear explanation of Revelation. We are to give them the Word of God just as it is, with as few of our own explanations as possible. No one mind can do this work alone. Although we have in trust the grandest and most important truth ever presented to the world, we are only babes, as far as understanding truth in all its bearings is concerned. Christ is the great Teacher, and that which He revealed to John, we are to tax our minds to understand and clearly to define. We are facing the most important issues that men have ever been called upon to meet. The theme of greatest importance is the third angel’s message, embracing the messages of the first and second angels. All should understand the truths contained in these messages and demonstrate them in daily life, for this is essential to salvation. We shall have to study earnestly, prayerfully, in order to understand these grand truths; and our power to learn and comprehend will be taxed to the utmost. { 12MR 212.3 }

 

1. Summary
2. The problem

    Abominations done by the professed people of God

        We have the choice either to Ignore them or acknowledge them

        We also can either condemn the abominations or plead for conversion (Sigh and Cry)

1. The solution we have seen so far is:
2. Pray for reformation “weep” “sigh and cry”
3. Repent
4. Be not partakers
5. “Come out of her my people”
6. Put on The Robe of Christ’s Righteousness, (The 3rd Angel’s Message/Christ our Righteousness) 

So what was Jesus counsel to the church in Laodicea?  How were they to overcome their shortcomings?  Here is Jesus’ solution to our spiritual failures:  We read in Revelation 3:18-22:

 

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 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. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.  (Revelation 3:18-22).

 

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”  Revelation 3:19.

 

    Here in verse 19 Christ in His love tells us:  I rebuke and chasten:  Be Zealous and Repent:   We are counseled to attain; and that is to be zealous, to be fervent, and to have our hearts all aglow in the service of our Master.

    Sweetly, Jesus seeks to encourage us by saying He is rebuking us because He loves us.  We must repent and be sorry for our sins and pray, asking Jesus for ‘white raiment’ of His perfect character; the ‘Gold’ that represents the Faith and Love of Jesus.  Applying the ‘eyesalve’ for our spiritual eyes, means we need to have spiritual judgment and discernment so the Holy Spirit teach us and guide us as we diligently study the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings for ourselves.  Then, in the enabling power of Jesus, we will obey what we find there.

 

    Jesus stands at the door and knocks in verse 20.

    Here is a pointed Spirit of Prophecy quote on Revelation 3:20 says:

  

    “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” I saw that many have so much rubbish piled up at the door of their heart that they cannot get the door open. Some have difficulties between themselves and their brethren to remove. Others have evil tempers, selfish covetousness, to remove before they can open the door. Others have rolled the world before the door of their heart, which bars the door. All this rubbish must be taken away, and then they can open the door and welcome the Saviour in.  {1T 143.2}.  

     Oh, how precious was this promise, as it was shown to me in vision! “I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Oh, the love, the wondrous love of God! After all our lukewarmness and sins He says: “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.” This was repeated by the angel a number of times. “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.” {1T 143.3}.  (Emphasis added).  (Jer. 3:22).

 

Verse 21 reads “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.

 

    This Promise that Jesus will give to the Overcomer is:   “I grant to sit with me in my throne.”  Jesus not only will eat or sup with us but as overcomers, He will share His throne with us.  This is surely the most profound promise in the Bible!  What a reward and privilege it will be to sit with Him on His throne where we can rule with Him over the universe of God’s creation!   Don’t you want to be there?

   

The Choice is yours and mine   Go to JESUS friends, He is the answer to all of our needs

A quotation from the Spirit of Prophecy tells us:

 

”To the church of the present day this message is sent. I call upon our church members to read the whole of the third chapter of Revelation, and to make an application of it. The message to the church of the Laodiceans applies especially to the people of God today. It is a message to professing Christians who have become so much like the world that no difference can be seen.” [Revelation 3:14-18 quoted] (RH Aug. 20, 1903).  {7BC 959.5} 

 

    “Gold tried in the fire.”  Jesus tells us what we need to buy of Him.  The gold is Jesus’ Faith and Love.  This experience is what is needed to transform the Laodiceans from their poor condition to a rich condition in the spiritual sense.

    “White raiment”  The White Raiment is the Righteousness of Jesus. (Rev. 7:14).  The only way that we can be righteous is to have Christ in us.  On this point there would not seem to be much room for controversy.  A few texts will furnish a key to the understanding of this expression.  Says the prophet, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).  We are counseled to buy the opposite of filthy rags, which would be complete and spotless raiment.  The same figure is used in Zechariah 3:3,4.  John, in Revelation 19:8, says plainly that “the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

    The Eyesalve:  The Spirit of Prophecy tells us about the heavenly eyesalve: 

   

    “God requires that the church arouse from her lethargy and see what is the manner of service demanded of her at this time of peril. The lambs of the flock must be fed. The Lord of heaven is looking on to see who is doing the work He would have done for the children and youth. The eyes of our brethren and sisters should be anointed with heavenly eyesalve, that they may discern the necessities of the time. We must be aroused to see what needs to be done in Christ’s spiritual vineyard, and go to work.”  {CT 42.1} 

    The eyesalve is true judgment and discernment.  The eyesalve must denote that by which our spiritual discernment is quickened.  There is but one agent revealed to us in the word of God by which this is accomplished, and that is the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 10:38 we read that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost.”  John the Revelator, wrote to the church in his first epistle, as follows: “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. . . . But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.” (1 John 2:20,27).  We need this ‘eyesalve’ to be able to correctly ‘see’ the truths hidden in the scriptures.  To ‘apply it’ we need to carefully study the inspired Word of God praying for the Holy Spirit to teach us personally.

    “Buy of Me,” says the true Witness, “gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, . . and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”    So how do we ‘buy’ these things anyway?  How do we pay for them?  Just as we buy all other gospel graces.  “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1).

    Salvation is a free gift; but it costs us everything we have and are.  We can only ‘buy’ these things by a complete surrender of our lives and hearts to Jesus.  It’s buying by the asking, we buy by throwing away the worthless trifles of earth and receiving priceless treasures in their place, buy by simply coming and receiving, into Christ’s presence and relationship with Him.  The things to be obtained are priceless cures for our wretched condition.  We must make a complete commitment to Christ.