That God's work on Earth can never be lost was clear to a prisoner after many sufferings he endured during his imprisonment. The day came when he was to be burned at the stake, and just before that, in his cell, he wrote the following words: "Today you will burn a goose, but after a hundred years, you will hear the song of a swan; you will not be able to burn him. You will have to listen to him."
Martin Luther recognized himself as the fulfillment of this prophecy: "Jan Hus prophesied for me when he wrote from his cell, 'Now you will roast the goose (for Hus means goose in Czech), but after a hundred years, you will hear the swan sing. You will have to endure him.' And so it will go on, if it pleases God."
In the same land that heard the words of these two witnesses of God, where tin swans adorn the tops of many church towers, another, an Australian, stated in the presence of his colleagues:
"There should be a total of three calls to Adventism, as in Christ's story about the wedding of the king's son. One is made through the African missionaries Wieland and Short and the people with them. The second is this one through us. Neither of these will be heeded. At the end of time, the last, third call to Adventists will come. It will finish the work."
In Judges chapter 20, two unsuccessful attempts to defeat Gibeah of the Benjaminites are described, as well as the whole tribe that stood in defense of the criminals and thus entered the ranks of transgressors of God's Law.
Those who reject the love of truth in the message of righteousness only through faith also reject the Law that is established by preaching faith.It is always the case that such individuals are ready to defend even the greatest crime, as they fall into a state of disbelief which results in great lawlessness or the defense of the same. Just as righteousness through faith transforms the greatest scoundrel into a moral and steadfast believer; so justification by works turns an otherwise reputable and stable believer into the greatest transgressor of the Law. Some believe they are on the safe side if they adhere to traditions and the majority. However, the law of collective guilt makes criminals of those who are passive. When people whom God has appointed to carry out His work appear, then all who do not support and help them are guilty. For they had sworn heavily against anyone who does not come to Mizpah to the Lord, saying: Let him be destroyed.
The first two attacks on Gibeah represent two movements suported from God in Adventism. The first is the movement of African missionaries known as the Committee for the Study of the Message of Justification by Faith from 1888. The second movement was initiated by God from Australia, known as the Brinsmead Movement.
No one in Adventism will receive another light by which they can survive in the time of the end, except for this which is based on the work of Christ, the apostles, the Reformation, the message of 1888, and the three movements in Adventism that He has confirmed. All who are part of spiritual Israel make mistakes, and as we have seen, they have all, in one way or another, gone astray like sheep. However, those who persist on the sinful path, rejecting to examine the foundations of all these reform movements, will not remain part of God's work. It cannot be emphasized enough how dangerous it is to remain on the sidelines or even to fight against the people whom God has raised.
Let us look at the circumstances in which the final victory was won on the third day, the third attack on the fortified city of iniquity. After the second defeat, the sons of Israel gathered around the house of the Almighty God in weeping and fasting until evening. Thank offerings and burnt offerings were presented. The Ark of the Covenant was also there, along with the high priest. The people once again came out with the question of whether they should attack or retreat. God answered that He would finally grant them victory the third time.
This is a vivid, typological representation of the end. We see that evening is approaching, the end of the time of grace. Many faithful today, the remnant from Adventism, gather in faith around the Heavenly Sanctuary and the High Priest in weeping, prayer, and fasting. The time for the answering of prayers has come.
The third time, the battle was fought wisely. Consultations were held and unity was achieved. Nothing was left to chance anymore. Two seemingly failed attempts served as a lesson. The arrogant sons of Benjamin were tactically lured out of the city onto the roads. And at one moment, it seemed that on this third day they would have the same success. They concluded that fortune was again on their side. They once more brought some of the attackers down to the ground. However, they were soon surrounded and almost completely destroyed. Their city was burned, and the fire rose to heaven.Here we see that formalistic Adventism has no perspective at all. God will judge it just like the throne of the beast (Rev. 17:16). The judgment is described in the same words, fire from heaven is like fire to heaven (Rev. 20:9). This is consistent with other prophetic revelations about sinners in Jerusalem. The Lord will strike those who have renounced Him with the sword of His mouth. The Church of God will be the first to feel God's judgments outside of grace.
It currently seems that those who are doing God's work are defeated; it appears that the third movement from God has passed just like the previous two. It seems that the first two were short-lived and that their end has long been sounded. Some of the people who were carriers have fallen, starting to preach greater delusions than the formalists themselves.
It is not difficult to study the history of the message of Christ’s righteousness from 1888 onward. What proves to be much more complicated is the challenge of recognizing the true truth as God sees it amidst so many different and contradictory reports, various stories, and slanders against the character of those whom God has chosen. Without special enlightenment, it is unclear who is on God's side and who is not. Bob Brinsmead is taught in our schools as the greatest apostate. Yet he is someone who, before abandoning the faith and laying down his arms, carried along with his associates the most precious message of truth.
Those participating in the third call do not have a simple task during this time. It requires a complete renunciation of oneself and one’s plans for life, cherished ideas, and interpretations of Scripture and Holy History. They must go through painful experiences of realizing their own failures and weaknesses. You can only weep over weaknesses when you have seen them in defeat. There must have been two defeats.They must acknowledge that God's work does not begin with them, but has a continuity that must be recognized and respected. It is a process of receiving even the smallest ray of light, regardless of who it comes through.
They themselves are children of a flawed religious system that sees itself as infallible, rich, and complete without the need for questioning. Therefore, even truths of the Reformation are ignored from their side; they consider them outdated, even if they are not familiar with them. In this way, those who advocate for them are labeled by their good brothers as preachers of cheap grace, legalists, perfectionists, and fanatics. But we testify that whoever does not come to Mizpah before the Lord has no life.
There is no anointed king in Israel, and everyone does what seems good to them. However, the swan will sing again.
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