30. Sealed with the Father’s Name
A. The Parable of the Virgins
The parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25 reveals some interesting light on what distinguishes the wise from the foolish virgins. The obvious difference between the wise and the foolish is the supply of oil that the wise virgins had. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit which sustained the wise virgins in following the Bridegroom to the marriage supper.
The second factor that distinguished the wise from the foolish virgins was the fact that the admittance to the marriage feast is determined by whether the Bridegroom knew the guests. Getting to know someone obviously takes time and the foolish virgins ran out of time to get to know the Bridegroom.
Is there a connection between having a supply of oil and knowing the Bridegroom? Jesus made it clear to the disciples the connection between Himself and the operation of the Spirit. We touched on this issue in chapter 22, but will revisit it again here.
Joh 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Jesus said, that He is the one that would come to us. Through the Spirit Christ abides with us. Notice again these statements:
“The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be.” 8MR p. 49
“Let them study the seventeenth of John, and learn how to pray and how to live the prayer of Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their hearts, making their joy full. His words will be to them as the bread of life…” RH Jan 27, 1903
“As by faith we look to Jesus, our faith pierces the shadow, and we adore God for His wondrous love in giving Jesus the Comforter.” 19MR 297
B. Knowledge of the Bridegroom Comes through Jesus Our Comforter
Jesus is clearly portrayed as the Comforter and it is clearly explained to us how this takes place.
“It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name." "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" [John 14:16, 17].” This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. 14MR 179
The Spirit referred to in John 14:16-18 is the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ. It is through the supply of oil that the virgins come to know Christ. It is claimed that the Holy Spirit as a third person facilitates this process of getting to know Christ, but such a belief contradicts the Bible, the Spirit of prophecy and common sense. The basic principle of intimacy and drawing close to someone does not occur in the context of a third party that is a separate and distinct personal being. In other words, a man cannot develop a strong sense of intimacy with his wife through his best man; that is adultery!
Satan has introduced theories to obscure Jesus from our view as our Comforter and it has left our church ready to die.
“The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die, is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them…” RH August 26 1890.
The reception of the Spirit comes from a true knowledge of the Father and the Son. In chapter 3, we made the point that receiving the life of God could only occur by a correct identification of both God and man[1] and that identification process was established through the Commandments of God. [2]
It must be self evident that a belief in a True Father, His Son and their omnipresent Spirit is a completely different God to a concept of a co-eternal Trinity. The ramifications of the different beliefs are tremendous and are mutually exclusive. Many people suggest this is a small issue. Such a statement reveals a lack of understanding of the issues involved and is completely reckless.
C. Israel’s Striking Example of Worshipping False Gods
On the borders of Canaan, Israel was seduced into worshipping a false god.
Num 25:1-3 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
How could Israel, right on the borders of Canaan, suddenly turn around and become engaged in the worship of false gods? These things have been written for our admonition.
“At first there was little intercourse between the Israelites and their heathen neighbors, but after a time Midianitish women began to steal into the camp. Their appearance excited no alarm, and so quietly were their plans conducted that the attention of Moses was not called to the matter. It was the object of these women, in their association with the Hebrews, to seduce them into transgression of the law of God, to draw their attention to heathen rites and customs, and lead them into idolatry. These motives were studiously concealed under the garb of friendship, so that they were not suspected, even by the guardians of the people.” PP 454
The Adventist church for over 50 years from its inception had little intercourse with the daughter of Babylon. But after a time some of our men began to train in non-Adventist institutions. These institutions worshipped a Trinity God and believed in the immortality of man. How could such association enhance our standing? Added to this was the dialog between our church leaders and the evangelicals Martin and Barnhouse. In this association the church emerged with a strengthened view of the Trinity and a different view of the nature of Christ. Is it so difficult to see that Adventism has been influenced by Babylon on the borders of Canaan?
Many of our scholars would scoff at such “silly notions” but such men are usually trained in the same such institutions and many of our own institutions have adopted many of the poisonous influences of the evangelical world. I contend that Adventism has repeated the history of Israel and is now worshipping a false god after the manner of the daughters of Babylon that surround us.
D. Can’t be Sealed in the Worship of a False God
Note carefully the difference between what is written in the foreheads of the 144,000 and what is written on the forehead of the woman that rides the beast.
Rev 14:1 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 17:4-5 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
For any worshipper, that which is placed at the centre of their thinking is the God that they worship and serve. Why do the 144,000 have the name of the Lamb’s Father written into their foreheads? Why is not the Trinity, the triune God written into the foreheads of the believers?
In contrast, the woman who rides the beast has her mind filled with a mystery and with Babylon or confusion. The god she serves is a total mystery and causes great confusion and this confusion leads to great abomination as revealed in Romans chapter one. In contrast to a God who is known through the creation, the harlot’s God is a confusing mystery.
Whenever we stray from the worship of the true God, the mind is filled with a mystery, a false system of worship that is an abomination to God. Notice the following:
Jer 2:11-13 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Israel was often seduced to the worship of false gods. What makes us think we are immune from such possibilities?
We notice in Jer 2:13, that when Israel forsook God, they were cut off from the fountain of living water. The Spirit of God no longer flowed to them because they had rejected the true knowledge of God. In the next chapter God states the following:
Jer 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
A failure to recognize the true God, breaks our connection to the source of life and it prevents the latter rain from occurring. Notice the procedure that occurs during the time of the shaking when God’s people pray for the Spirit:
“Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then He would look to His Father, and appear to be pleading with Him. A light would come from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne.” EW 54,55
The light came to God’s people from the Father to the Son to the believers. If we don’t truly believe that God is the Father and He has a Son, but rather believe in a Trinity, then if he poured out his power to such individuals, God would confirm their belief in a false god. This will never happen. The latter rain can only come when we know the only true God and Jesus Christ. The mystery of the Trinity is a false God that causes God’s people to be charged with having a whore’s forehead. Israel was never considered Babylon but she was considered a whore when she forsook the worship of the true God.
E. False Worship Exposes Believers to Destruction.
The blessing of God to Israel was always dependent on them keeping His commandments. A failure to observe the commandments brought a curse. The commandments are a hedge of protection and when that hedge is broken then God’s people are vulnerable to destruction.
Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
The Co-eternal Trinity sourced from the daughters of Babylon is not the God of the Bible and as such is a violation of the first commandment. A violation of the commandments breaks the covenant that God’s people have with Him.
We noted earlier that God’s people are sealed with the Father’s name in their foreheads. God’s followers recognize the Father as the great source of all and recognize that His Son has inherited everything from Him. In recognizing the true God they have a correct connection with the source of life and can receive the much needed oil to go into the wedding feast. Those who do not worship this God are exposed to the slaughter of the avenging angels of Ezekiel 9.
Eze 9:1-6 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. (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. (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; (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. (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: (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.
Those who refuse to worship the true God will be sent a strong delusion that they should believe a lie.
2Th 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Dear friend, these are extremely serious issues. We must have the Father’s name written in our foreheads, not the mark of the mysterious Trinity. To avert the danger our church has exposed itself to, we must confess our sin of breaking His commandments and denying His Son. We must plead for time before the avenging angels come and slaughter the faithless inhabitants of Jerusalem. We must sigh and cry for our city and our brothers and sisters that are engaged in false worship.
There are plenty who point out the sins of the church but it is usually with delight and enjoyment, but God’s true people love the church and are in anguish over its condition. They still love their leaders and plead with God to help them to see the great danger we are in. Notice that those who are sealed are still in the city, when the sealing takes place. They have not moved out of the city to a “holier” place. They stay in the city and sigh and cry and plead with God and anguish over their own sins as well as those of their brethren.
Let us acknowledge that we have all slumbered and slept. The whole church has been seduced by the Trinity delusion both the wise and foolish virgins. Let us return to the God of our fathers and plead to be sealed with the seal of the Father.
[1] “This lie (Satan’s lie in the garden) also destroyed man’s concept of God as his fountain, his treasure and centre of his life. In this terrible state, man could no longer communicate effectively with God because man had lost the identity of both parties: himself and God.” Page 30
[2] “Romans 7:10 tell us that the commandments were ordained to life. 1 John 3:4 says that sin is the transgression of the Law and Rom 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. Therefore the commandments were given to protect our life. This means that if the commandments protect our life and our life comes through communion with God then the Commandments should reveal the true identity of both God and man and also indicate the boundaries of that communication.” Page 30
