John Thiel mp3
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 5: 23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
I wish to apply our meditation to the words of our Scripture reading which we had from Jeremiah 5. I want to connect the context for us that is in relation to one of the divine services that we had of the subject of modern Israel in which we looked into the detail of the Spirit of Prophecy revealing to us that the Seventh-day Adventist church was called modern Israel. I just want to read that quote that we had at that time to bring us to focus correctly here:
My heart aches day after day and night after night for our churches. Many are progressing, but in the back track. “The path of the just … shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Their march is onward and upward. They progress from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory. This is the privilege of all our churches. But, oh, how different has it been with them! They need divine illumination. They must face square about. I know what I say. Unless they shall become Christians indeed, they will go from weakness to weakness, divisions will increase, and many souls will be led to perdition. 5T 93.2
All I can say to you is: Take up the light which God has given you and follow it at any cost to yourselves. This is your only safety. You have a work to do to come into harmony, and may the Lord help you to do it even if self is crucified. Gather up the rays of light that have been slighted and rejected. Gather them up with meekness, with trembling, and with fear. The sin of ancient Israel was in disregarding the expressed will of God and following their own way according to the leadings of unsanctified hearts. Modern Israel are fast following in their footsteps, and the displeasure of the Lord is as surely resting upon them. 5T 93.3
What a scathing statement for the church back in the 1890s because Testimony Volume 5 was written in the 1890s and then she said the church is going backwards. She said that in going backwards, divisions will be increasing. Many people read that and they think it’s applicable for now but no it’s happened already back in the 1880s and 90s. The understanding that we want to receive, is what we read in our scripture reading. He is talking to ancient Israel but according to what Sister White, modern Israel is fast following in their tracks in her time already. God is speaking to ancient Israel. He’s writing to them and he says:
Jeremiah 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: 22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? roar, yet can they not pass over it? 23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
He is writing to ancient Israel and people read this and say, that this doesn’t apply to us but according to what I read from Sr White, ancient Israel is equated with modern Israel and He calls them foolish people. He calls them without understanding having their eyes but seeing not their ears and hearing not.
Laodicea
What’s the message to Laodicea? You do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor and what? Blind and naked. Seeing you see not, and hearing you hear not.
As Sr White described it in Testimony Volume 5, they are fast fulfilling what ancient Israel is doing and with that came that point of the Scripture reading that they do not ‘have a heart that fears the Lord our God and who giveth rain both the former and the latter rain in his season and who reserve earth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’
They do not understand that the harvest is weeks appointed by God. Weeks and when you look at prophecy, what is one day? One year? Weeks of years; that’s what is suggested here from prophetic understanding. ‘He reserveth unto us they appointed weeks of the harvest’
The question is, do we understand the weeks of the harvest? Let us make it our task right now to seek God’s word to understand it.
Jesus
Jesus hails right back to that statement in His parable of Matthew chapter 13. We know well that He gave the parable there in verse 24. He points out in Matthew 13:24 onwards.
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field and then the enemy came in and threw tares in there and when they said to him, shall we pick them those tares up? As they came up, he said no don’t do that. Wait till the harvest lest you pull up the wheat with the tears let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers gather ye together first the tears and bind them in bundles to burn but gather the wheat into my barn. He moves on and then the disciples were confused just like people today are confused but please explain to us what this is about and there we pick it up from verse 36:
The Reapers are the Angels
Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Come those important words that He brings out many times – he who hath ears to hear, let him hear. This always puts me on edge. What is it saying here? There are people who are hearing and they’re not hearing correctly. There are people who are seeing, but are not seeing correctly. He’s pulling us up and saying consider carefully here and so indeed He has given to us, He has appointed to us the weeks of the harvest
As Jesus referred to that harvest back there, what did the harvest appear like? Was it like it is today where the harvesters go through in a day or two and it’s all done? The harvest he said is the end of the world. It is weeks of harvest and the reapers are the angels. Modern harvesting does not bring in weeks of harvest and the harvest procedure in the time of Christ was that a team of employees that went forth with sickles and they would be segregated into different companies. One would go forward and cut and cut and cut with a sickle and the sheaves would be lying on the ground the other one would come up and separate the wheat from the tares putting the tares on one side and the wheat on the other side. Then there would be another one that would be coming with ropes or cords, string, whatever and he would tie together the sheaves and put them up in stooks.
You know what stooks are? When I was a child I grew up in Germany and in those days they were still harvesting in this style. I remember following the team as they were doing this work and then putting up the stooks. I would walk through the fields and there were these stooks of one bundle up leaning up against the other, up against each other and they were left standing in the summer sun to fully dry out. That was the procedure in the time of Christ. The cutters, the sorters, the bundlers, the roping, the stooks left to dry in the summer sun and then the gleaners. Any grain that was left would be picked up by the gleaners. Much to think about what Jesus was using here to describe the time of harvest.
The End of the World
The imagery according to the words of Jesus of this harvest is in reference to the experience of God’s people in the end of the world. The appointed time of the harvest is when in the time of the end of the world. Tell me, have you ever been under the impression that this is referring to the coming of Jesus? That at the coming of Jesus, there’s going to be the separation of the wheat and the tares? Is that the way you have understood it? The majority of the Adventists do but it’s a big mistake, it’s a big mistake which I’m going to share right now, the answer to that.
When does scripture tell us is the appointed time of the end? Let’s turn to Daniel. Here Daniel was seeing in this vision the 2300 day prophecy.
Daniel 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
He’s going to explain to him the 2300 days. As the 2300-day prophecy comes to its completion in 1844, he says that time of the end is appointed by this date, by this prophecy. We understand well that from 1798 was the beginning of the time of the end and the actual beginning of the harvest of the end of the world is 1844.
The time appointed to us of the weeks of the harvest, the time appointed of the end of the world, is 1844 specifically and what happened in 1844? We understand well that was the beginning of the day of judgment of the investigative judgment.
What the Harvest Time is in Reference to that Judgment
Sr White is describing the prophecy or harvest picture. The time of the judgment is a most solemn period:
The looker-on may discern no difference; but there is One who said that the tares were not to be plucked up by human hands lest the wheat be rooted up also. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then the Lord sends forth His reapers to gather out the tares and bind them in bundles to burn, while the wheat is gathered into the heavenly garner. The time of the judgment is a most solemn period, when the Lord gathers His own from among the tares. Those who have been members of the same family are separated. A mark is placed upon the righteous. “They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Those who have been obedient to God’s commandments will unite with the company of the saints in light; they shall enter in through the gates into the city, and have right to the tree of life. The one shall be taken. His name shall stand in the book of life, while those with whom he associated shall have the mark of eternal separation from God. TM 234.2
Now it’s the time of the judgment since 1844 that is according to this statement, the harvest where God’s people are being separated from the tares. That’s what I’m reading here and that’s what I’m presenting before you. That judgment was heralded from 1798 to 1844. That was the announcement that the harvest is ready, and we would expect then that from that time onwards we would discover reapers would we not?
Reapers
What did Jesus say who were the reapers? The angels were the reapers and indeed from 1844 onwards do we see angels at work in the first angel’s message? Revelation 14:6, was he a reaper? He was preaching the everlasting gospel; the word of God was cutting like a two-edged sword. People were either responding or rejecting and then comes the next one that identifies the tares.
Babylon has fallen. He’s identifying Babylon and then comes the third angel and he is binding them together; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Remember that text in verse 12 and the rest of them are going to burn. He tells them they are the tares that again, he’s drying them up together to burn and then we come to the Revelation 18 angel.
That observation that I’ve just shared with you, is plainly stated. I hang dependently upon God’s word, not my own observation and God’s word here and the inspiration is in Early Writings.
I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, “Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.” EW 118.1
How serious a subject this is; this is harvest time. The third angel is the one that is binding in bundles. The other ones have been separating. The third angel is binding them. This has been going on since 1844 and as I mentioned, then comes another angel in Revelation 18.
Revelation 18 Angel
When did he arrive? What is written about that angel? AT Jones made a comment and he claimed that he read that from Sr White in one of his books that I haven’t been able to find. But there in that statement which I will verify from the public statement in 1888.
He is quoting EG White in 1888 in the general conference held at Minneapolis Minnesota.
Taking up a Reproach [E.G. White, writing from Australia): “In 1888 at the General Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the angel of Rev. 18:1 came down to do his work and was ridiculed, criticized and rejected. And when the message he brings again, swells into a loud cry, it will again be ridiculed, spoken against and rejected by the majority.”
That was when the Revelation 18 angel. He commenced his work according to those words
The time of test is just upon us. 7BC 1892 984.6
It was written in 1892.
The time of test is just upon us for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin pardoning redeemer. 7BC 984.6
That’s what happened in 1888.
This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth (The Review and Herald, November 22, 1892). 7BC 984.6
It is the Revelation 18 angel she’s referring to and there in 1888 he commenced his work, and this opens up the terrible time of test that continues to happen within the Seventh day Adventist church and the ongoing work of the reaping in the harvest. Divisions will come it says in fifth Testimonies.
I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven, descending to the earth, and again ascending to heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” EW 277.1
That’s Revelation 18. She’s just quoting here the message of the fall of Babylon. Notice here she’s talking about the church that corruptions have entered into. Since 1844, the work of this angel comes in at the right time:
The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel’s message as it swells to a loud cry. And the people of God are thus prepared to stand in the hour of temptation, which they are soon to meet. I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel’s message. EW 277.1
Sr White then goes on to say that many angels were sent to help them so this is a real harvest time extreme extravaganza. This is all written for the time of 1888 onwards. We go to another very enlightening statement that comes from Selected Messages Book 2. Sr White refers to this angel of Revelation 18.
“Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). This is our message, the very message that the three angels flying in the midst of heaven are proclaiming. The work to be done now is that of sounding this last message of mercy to a fallen world. A new life is coming from heaven and taking possession of all God’s people. But divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed. The wheat and tares grow up together for the harvest. SM2 113.3
She’s now looking at the harvest subject here in reference to the way that people were reacting to the 1888 message. Divisions will come, two parties will be developed.
The work will grow deeper and become more earnest to the very close of time. 2SM 114.1
There’s a lot of Seventh-day Adventists today that have no idea what she’s talking about. She’s talking about since 1888, splintering and separation within the church will take place and then the work will go more and more deeply into splintering and separating of the wheat and the tears. That’s what she is saying here. Basically, she says the wheat and the tears are now together growing together for the harvest. It will get more and more earnest.
And all who are laborers together with God will contend most earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. 2SM 114.1
Who’s doing that today? Where do you see this? Yes, it’s still going on, but it started back there in Sr White’s time that people were contending earnestly for the faith once that was once delivered to the saints. Today we are still in an important work to do.
They will not be turned from the present message, which is already lightening the earth with its glory. 2SM 114.1
it’s already lightening the earth with its glory back there so this brings us from that time according to that statement, it will grow deeper and become more earnest to the very close of time.
Where are we today? Are we not very close to the close of time? What has been going on ever since 1888? Have you been up with this? I have I followed it very carefully what happened in the history of the church from 1888 onwards. I know where I stand today is in harmony with that picture. In Sr White’s time, in the time of 1888 when she was sending out messages to the people (you know because there was all this confrontation and this division in the church), she was sending messages and you can read about those messages in the 1888 books that were printed. Mark carefully:
I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position. 1888 995.2
Every word that I’m reading here is extremely important for us to identify with as character develops man and woman will take their position. Which party?
For varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself. 1888 995.2
Wow. Character is that which is going to bind people together. Character with which he’s binding himself.
The Wheat
Notice the language.
The wheat is being bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in bundles ready to burn. Decided positions will be taken. 1888 995.2
She wrote that shortly after 1888. It’s happening at that time. Where are we today? Can you experience that if you’re going to stand in harmony with original Adventism that you are being bundled? We are bundled here at the moment because of certain circumstances aren’t we? What are you deciding on?
Satan will move upon minds that have been indulged, upon men who have always had their own way, and anything presented to them in counsel or reproof to change their objectionable traits of character is considered faultfinding, binding them, restraining them, that they cannot have liberty to act themselves. The Lord in great mercy has sent messages of warning to them, but they would not listen to reproof. Like the enemy who rebelled in heaven, they do not like to hear, do not correct the wrong they have done but become accusers, declaring themselves misused and unappreciated. 1888 995.2
What are we hearing today? It can never be perfect, wait till Jesus comes. They don’t want to change; they don’t want to acknowledge the truth anymore. Here we stand today. Jesus is very soon to come. We can see it. Probation is close to being closed.
What will be uttered when probation closes, and the plagues start? What will be uttered? Do you know the text? It’s written in Jeremiah 8. Here is a cry of despair what is uttered when probation closes.
Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved.
Those people who are waiting for the harvest to take place when Jesus comes are going to discover ‘we’ve missed the boat. The harvest is past.’
I want to let the Spirit of Prophecy really sharpen our appreciation of what this really means when people say that. What is it that motivates them to say that?
Today Christ is looking with sadness upon those whose characters He must at last refuse to acknowledge. Inflated with self-sufficiency they hope that it will be well with their souls. But at the last great day, the mirror of detection reveals to them the evil that their hearts have practiced, and shows them at the same time the impossibility of reform. (cf. Jeremiah 8:20)…. UL 301.5
They can’t change anymore. It’s impossible and it’s revealed to them. This to be really in harmony with God. They will see it’s impossible.
Every effort was made to bring them to repentance. But they refused to humble their hearts. Now the bitter lamentation is heard, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved” (cf. Jeremiah 8:20)…. UL 301.5
Oh that God will illuminate us in reference to the harvest time and I pray that what we are reading here, is becoming clear to us because what do the stooks have to do? The stooks have to keep on standing there to dry out completely so that there’s no moisture that is brought into the garner otherwise it will go mildew.
What follows after probation closes? What follows the heat? The heat of the plagues, the heat of Jacob’s trouble. Sr White writes about Jacob’s trouble. She says their earthliness has to be removed, not just their sins. Their sins have already been removed but their earthliness has to be removed and then after the heat of the time of trouble such as never was, after that heat, then comes Jesus with His angels and what happens next?
It’s very important that we read this as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit after the third angel’s message has done his work and the reaping is complete.
Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap;
If you have a marginal reading, read it carefully; for the harvest of the earth is not ripe, it is dried. That’s the marginal reading.
Revelation 14: 15 …for the harvest of the earth is ripe (DRIED). 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Most people read that and say, see, that’s the harvest time. No the harvest time has already taken place but there’s been weeks of it prophetically speaking. Years of it and now the wheat is taken into the garner. The stooks are dried out. As I was watching it there in my childhood, the cart pulled by the horses was all the sticks were piled onto the cart and the cart was taken to the place where we were living and they had a big winnowing machine and it was winnowed. The wheat came out of the winnowing machine into bags and taken into garner.
This is the picture that is described by the by the figurative language of that parable. We’re coming to the conclusion of this meditation.
Of what benefit is this knowledge that I have just shared with you? What benefit is it to me? Remember what I read from the 1888 quote:
As character develops men and women will take their position for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts their action.
Is this your experience today? As you make this experience that circumstances are pushing against you, what you believe to be right, pure doctrine is being undermined by those who claim to be God’s church, God’s people. What circumstance is happening to you? What circumstances have been happening to me? I have been brought and you are being brought into the reality that our spirit of what we believe in with all our hearts, is bringing us together into the bundles. That’s what it’s about and we want to identify that clearly not waiting for some future time and then find ourselves in a position where we’ll cry oh no, the harvest has passed, summer has ended and I’m not in the bundles. I love the way that Spirit of Prophecy puts it in 5T:
The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly;” but where do we behold the true advent spirit? Who are preparing to stand in that time of temptation which is just before us? The people to whom God has entrusted the sacred, solemn, testing truths for this time are sleeping at their post. They say by their actions: We have the truth; we are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;” while the True Witness declares: Thou “knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” 5T 101.3
Can you see the seriousness of this message and what are we doing now? Are we going to take our positions? I’ve taken mine. I’m going to fight for the truth that has once been delivered for the to the saints and I have done it for many years now ever since I left the Seventh Day Adventist church. After I did my nurses training in the Sydney Adventist hospital and I saw the dilemma of the church back there in 1971, I decided, Lord where do I go? What do I do?
The message I’ve just shared with you has brought me around. I had to fight for the faith once delivered to the saints. I had to come around and realise how important Sr White’s writings where I had to appreciate the importance of taking hold of all the truths that had been established over the past 50 years in 1904 when she spoke and I made it my study.
I do not preach any other doctrine but the pioneer doctrine. Nothing else an I’m alone to all appearances but I know the statement well. Elijah said well, I’m alone. No we’re not and I’m rejoicing to know that people are responding from all over the earth to stand on this platform.
Don’t wait for the second advent to be separated. Join the bundle that is in truth binding together as it is written in God’s word.
May God help us to put it into action.
Amen
