John Thiel mp3 The Gathering of the Jewels Conference
It’s the formation of God’s pearls, the theme of our conference has arisen from the scripture in Malachi 3:17. When I make up my jewels, the term make up my jewels contains two thoughts:
- Making His jewels, forming them
- Gathering them into His casket
The first segment (this conference) of making His jewels is contained in the first three sessions of this conference that will be devoted to the formation of those gems. The two middle sessions are to spend time to actually behold them. To behold these gems and last of all the last four is in reference to gathering of these jewels.
In consideration of the forming of the jewels, a casket of jewels includes many different varieties of jewels and in general apply to pearls, gold, diamonds and other gemstones the casket of jewels and the crown has many different varieties of jewels. God’s people constitute just such an array of different individual precious items. Each one of us is a different kind of jewel and each one in its formation is distinct in process. Every jewel in the formation of that jewel goes through different processes depending on what kind of a jewel it is.
We will look at the formation of pearls and what the pearls go through. Let us consider the day to which God is referring to in that day when He makes up His jewels, the time period that is referred to.
Malachi 3:17And 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.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
He will make a man more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. Ophir was a place that Solomon obtained his gold from which had the purest kind of gold that was obtained at that time. The word ‘Ophir’ is more precious than the golden wedge of ‘Ophir’ is being used here. It’s the most precious gold that could be found at that time.
The period of time in which God is making up His jewels, is a period which commenced, especially after the sun was darkened and the moon was blood. During this period of time, the formation of the very last jewels of earth’s history will take place. In different words, of the hundred and forty-four thousand, these precious jewels, it is that what is referred to in Malachi 3:17 to 18 when He makes up His jewels. God is making up His jewels during that period of time and in Daniel 12 you can see them shining there when it comes to the close of probation and the very experience of the final time of God’s wrath.
Daniel 12:9 Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end and there in the time of the end. 10 In that time many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand.
There is a period of purification that only the wise will understand and that’s what we are studying so that we will be the wise who will understand while many people don’t know what’s going on. This is the time of purification.
Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness and of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
The stars are often associated with gems shining at the night. Here are God’s people that when the work of purification has been completed, they shall shine like precious jewels. That’s the day in which the Lord is making up His jewels. What does it take to make up a pearl? What actually is the experience of a formation of a pearl? It is a metaphorical experience of a pearl being created for God’s people to be able to understand what they’re going to be going through. For the Lord to develop a pearl, we want to have a clear understanding of this development of a pearl.
“Pearls are formed when an irritant like a grain of sand, a fragment of shell, or a parasite gets inside a mollusk’s shell, causing the mollusk to secrete layers of a substance called “nacre” (mother-of-pearl) to coat the irritant and protect itself, eventually creating a pearl.”
“This is a clam kind of a shell. As a defence mechanism, the mollusc secretes a fluid, thousands of very thin concentric layers of nacre, a secretion of calcium, of calcium carbonate, arginite, and conchialin. These are the secretions that the shell secretes, the muscle secretes, until a lustrous pearl is formed. It takes a period of time with this secretion that is layer upon layer upon layer around that irritant.” https://rawpearls.com.au
God’s people who are living in the last days of the time of God making up and forming His jewels, if they will be pearls, they are subjected to many irritants. Do you like being irritated? The flesh doesn’t, the mother of pearl doesn’t like it either. That’s why it puts these layers of liquid around it to make it more comfortable for itself so it doesn’t irritate so much anymore. But it keeps on doing it because it gets bigger and bigger.
Ministry of Healing page 497 gives us the living experience of us forming into a pearl for those of us who are getting irritated in the last days.
So long as we are in the world, we shall meet with adverse influences. There will be provocations to test the temper; and it is by meeting these in a right spirit that the Christian graces are developed. If Christ dwells in us, we shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful amid frets and irritations. Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism. This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a personal battle to fight. Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful, unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory. MH 487.2
These are irritants. Provocations to test the temper. Oh, do I feel that? Irritations, threats. If Christ is in us this will happen. Ever get annoyed with each other children? One of you accepts the other one and annoys him, irritates them. Do you know what that’s talking about? It doesn’t just happen to children. It happens to adults too. As we meet these in the right spirit, the graces of Christianity are developed. It is during these times that these things are released upon us. I know it so well. I go through that all the time. As I’m going through it and that something is irritating me, I have to keep on remembering what I’m sharing with you now.
We are to form righteous characters in the likeness of Christ. How is that depicted in the Spirit of Prophecy? What is the pearl? How is the pearl depicted?
The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain. No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God. It is without a flaw. COL 115.1
That’s the pearl. What was that? The righteousness of Christ. Is that pure pearl? How did Jesus form that pearl? How was that character formed? Because Jesus’ righteousness is the pearl. How was that pearl formed?
How the Righteousness of Christ Was Formed
Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
It’s interesting that it starts with the words in verse 7, “In the days of His flesh…”. How was the pearl formed in the literal mollusc? “In the flesh of the pearl.”
Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. For the pearl to be developed in the mollusc, was the flesh of the pearl suffering. That’s why it was exuding this liquid, because it was uncomfortable, it was suffering.
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
The righteousness of Christ as a pure white pearl has no defect. How was it developed? By the sufferings of Jesus in his flesh. How specific is that metaphor, that symbol? There is suffering for Jesus to develop His righteousness. It has no defect and no stain. It is formed in suffering. Where in His flesh? This is what I thrill as I study God’s word, that the Bible speaks and spells it out for us.
1 Peter 4:1 For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh. Where did he suffer? In the flesh. 2 Arm yourself likewise with the same mind, for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.
The Righteousness of Christ is developed overcoming all sin. Pure and perfect character, the pearl, His pearl of righteousness. We can we see that exact scenario, the picture of a pearl being formed by the flesh of the molluscs suffering the continual irritation. As a consequence there comes this beautiful white glittering pearl suffering in the flesh. Let’s explore that analogy, suffering in the flesh.
Suffering in the Flesh
In our own experience, before Jesus was introduced to my soul, before Jesus really becomes livingly clear to me, what is written about our flesh? Among whom? Among the wicked.
Ephesians 2:3 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
According to this, without any irritant in the flesh, how do we function? We do just what the flesh wants, nothing to irritate it. Without Jesus in our life, we do the things that our flesh wants to do. The flesh is happy and comfortable doing what it wants. That’s how we start. When Jesus is introduced into our life, something begins to happen inside of me.
1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
What is this Scripture saying to us? The flesh, the ways of the world are pleasing to the fallen state of man. He is happy enjoying the things of the flesh. And God has chosen to interfere with our flesh. He has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the fleshly wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world with what God has put there. In fact, if Christ comes into you, if the Holy Spirit takes of Jesus and shows it to you, how does the flesh feel? How does the flesh feel with Christ in you? With the Holy Spirit working in you. How does the flesh feel?
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
How does the flesh respond with Christ being taken by the Holy Spirit and brought to us? What is it? The flesh is irritated. The human natural mind is irritated. This is quite different to the way that many times Christians portray Jesus. Jesus is not an irritant. He is a beautiful comfort to us as human beings, only to those who have been irritated by sin and who don’t like their flesh. Because the world gets irritated. It gets very annoyed by experience. When you are working for God in the world of sin, people get irritated by the pure truth that you convey of Jesus. They don’t really like the Jesus that is the Jesus that God sent. They follow a Jesus of their own imagination. Something that soothes and comforts the flesh doesn’t irritate it. The Bible tells you outright that the flesh does not like the real input of the Holy Spirit. It’s an irritation to the flesh. Are you getting the picture? Is it forming now? A pearl is formed in the flesh of a mollusc by suffering. And it’s the suffering of Christ in the flesh, just as He suffered in the flesh.
Let’s see from the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy whether this is true, that Jesus was an irritant to those that were in the flesh.
Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers because He was not like them. His standard was not their standard. In looking to men they had turned away from God, and they had not His power in their lives. The forms of religion which they observed could not transform the character. They paid “tithe of mint and anise and cummin,” but omitted “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” Matthew 23:23. The example of Jesus was to them a continual irritation. He hated but one thing in the world, and that was sin. He could not witness a wrong act without pain which it was impossible to disguise. Between the formalists, whose sanctity of appearance concealed the love of sin, and a character in which zeal for God’s glory was always paramount, the contrast was unmistakable. Because the life of Jesus condemned evil, He was opposed, both at home and abroad. His unselfishness and integrity were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness were termed cowardice. DA 88.1
Tell me, listen carefully children. Think carefully about this. If Jesus was a brother to you, would this be true about you? Jesus brothers, Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers. His standard was not their standard. In looking to men they had turned away from God and they had not His power in their lives. The forms of religion which they observed could not transform the character. They pay tithe of mint etc. The example of Jesus was to them, follow carefully, this is a direct irritation statement. The example of Jesus was to them a constant irritation. He hated but one thing in the world and that was sin. He could not witness a wrong act without pain which it was impossible to disguise between the formalists whose sanctity of Jesus.
He was opposed both at home and abroad. His unselfishness and integrity were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness were termed cowardice – “He’s a coward.” That’s the way the flesh responds to Jesus. It’s an irritant and I read it didn’t I? This is not my fabrication. It is inspiration that tells us this.
The prejudice of the Pharisees lay deeper than their questions would indicate; it had its root in the perversity of their hearts. Every word and act of Jesus aroused antagonism in them; for the spirit which they cherished could find in Him no answering chord. DA 387.3
That’s the true Jesus. If He lived amongst us today in your home, in my home, and I am not converted, He would become an irritant. Indeed, as we look at it in reference to Judas:
The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. The gospel of the grace of God, with its spirit of self-abnegation, can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world. The two principles are antagonistic. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. DA 509.1
When Jesus’ suggestions come in and say, “No, you shouldn’t be doing that. Now children,” you can understand this. You just want to do something that you’re not allowed to do and you get told, “No, you can’t do that.” What comes up inside of you? “Yeah, yeah,” you get annoyed. Does that happen? That’s the flesh. It irritates the flesh. When God comes along and says, “Here is your duty,” the flesh goes, “no” I don’t want that. Do you experience that? The flesh becomes irritated. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.
Let’s examine this irritation so that we can identify the irritation that happens with my natural man that is therefore going to develop a pearl if I’m going to focus my mind on Jesus by choice. Judas was continually irritated by what Jesus stood for and he didn’t respond to the development of that pearl.
So far as Judas himself was concerned, Christ’s work of love had been without avail. But not so as regards his fellow disciples. To them it was a lesson of lifelong influence. Ever would its example of tenderness and long-suffering mold their intercourse with the tempted and the erring. And it had other lessons. At the ordination of the Twelve the disciples had greatly desired that Judas should become one of their number, and they had counted his accession an event of much promise to the apostolic band. He had come more into contact with the world than they, he was a man of good address, of discernment and executive ability, and, having a high estimate of his own qualifications, he had led the disciples to hold him in the same regard. But the methods he desired to introduce into Christ’s work were based upon worldly principles and were controlled by worldly policy. They looked to the securing of worldly recognition and honor—to the obtaining of the kingdom of this world. The working out of these desires in the life of Judas, helped the disciples to understand the antagonism between the principle of self-aggrandizement and Christ’s principle of humility and self-sacrifice—the principle of the spiritual kingdom. In the fate of Judas they saw the end to which self-serving tends. Ed 93.2
But for those, the disciples, who also were affected by the natural man, they saw why their frustrations had to happen so that they could develop the pearl inside of them. There is one example. A person who is following the natural man in self -serving. To serve yourself is to make yourself feel comfortable. You’ve got to feel comfortable. Nothing should annoy you. Nothing should irritate you. You get rid of all your irritants, including Jesus, and then you’ll be happy. That’s the natural man. So, whenever you come face to face with irritants, remember a pearl is meant to be developing.
The voice and passions must be crucified. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The will, the appetites and passions, will clamour for indulgence, but God has implanted within you desires for high and holy purposes, and it is not necessary that these should be debased. This is only so when we refuse to submit to the control of reason and conscience. We are to restrain our passions and deny self. 19MR 327.1
You see it’s spelled out for us here? That my will, my appetites and passions will clamour for indulgence. The flesh will clamour. It will go contrary to what is expected of me in my will, in my appetites and in my passions. How does that actually reveal itself? You want to eat something that really tastes nice, but you know it’s unhealthy. Now that you know it’s unhealthy, but you really want it, your flesh is saying, “I want that, I want that.” Well, to not give it, the flesh is going to be disappointed. The flesh is going to say, “But I want it!” And the Spirit says, “No, you will not.” So, there is an irritation, something that creates a reaction inside of me.
The very beginning of the evil was a neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer, then came a neglect of other religious duties, and thus the way was opened for all the sins that followed. Every Christian will be assailed by the allurements of the world, the clamors of the carnal nature, and the direct temptations of Satan. 5T 102.1
These are the things in our nature that cause irritation.
No one is safe. No matter what our experience has been, no matter how high our station, we need to watch and pray continually. We must be daily controlled by the Spirit of God or we are controlled by Satan. 5T 102.1
If we are controlled by Satan and we are going to follow the natural flesh, the flesh will not be irritated. The flesh will be happy. So, we have a very clear indication again here of the actual experience that is part of a development of the pure white character of the
pearl of Jesus with the irritant of Christ in the flesh, his brothers were irritated by Christ’s purity and righteousness. With the irritant of Christ in the flesh, what is the benefit that is derived now in the plain statements of God’s Word?
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
He who suffers in the flesh, what will cease from sin? In other words, the pure righteousness of Christ will be formed. Jesus himself was made perfect. The pearl of great price was developed in Jesus because of the suffering. This is the benefit that is derived from the frustrations, the threats and the irritations that the flesh has to suffer. The pearl is developed.
Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
What was that? Jesus learned by the things that we learned that beautiful display of an obedient child, of an obedient man, to display to us how is a person made perfect? He became the author of the formation of the pearl. Jesus, the pearl of great price, became like that because He was suffering. People don’t like to hear such a message. I never forget I was doing some missionary work in Adelaide and I shared the story of the sufferings that are necessary. Just about every message I was sharing in the Bible study with these people that were gathered there, it was to do with the sufferings of Jesus. If we’re going to develop the righteous character and the person that invited me to give these Bible studies, he said, “Do you have to keep on sharing subjects of suffering, suffering, suffering.” That’s why he expressed, repeating into existence through suffering.
As we meet, remember what we read there, that He became the author of salvation. He became the author of the development of the pearl. As we meet the same sufferings in the flesh that Jesus endured, and we endure unto the end the pearl will develop just like it does in the literal development layer after layer of Christ’s righteousness covers our flesh, our sin, covers it. Layer after layer and develops the pearl.
In order to understand the value which God places upon man, we need to comprehend the plan of redemption, the costly sacrifice which our Saviour made to save the human race from eternal ruin. Jesus died to regain possession of the one pearl of great price… LHU 48.3
We need to comprehend it, we need to appreciate it, understand it. The plan of redemption. Did you pick that up? Jesus died to regain possession of the pearl of great price. The pearl of great price now is contained in Jesus’ righteousness for us.
The life of God’s children is a life of self-denial, of self-sacrifice, a life of humility. Those who are not partakers of His sufferings cannot hope to share in His glory…. We are to be judged according to the manner in which we use the knowledge of the truth which has been presented to us. LHU 48.3
Jesus developed for us the possession of one great pearl of great price and the life of God’s children is a life of self -denial to let that become theirs as Jesus came to develop that.
The Lord gave His only begotten Son to ransom us from sin. We are His workmanship, we are His representatives in the world and He expects that we shall reveal the true value of man by a purity of life and the earnest efforts put forth to recover the pearl of great price. LHU 48.4
Ernest efforts put forth to recover the pearl of great price.
Our character is to be modeled after the divine similitude and to be reformed by that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The grace of God will beautify and ennoble and sanctify the character. The servant of the Lord who works intelligently will be successful. Our Saviour said “Greater works than these shall be done, shall he do because I go unto my Father.” LHU 48.3
Did you notice something very important here? I can’t emphasise this strongly enough. God wants us to exercise our intelligence. Isn’t that what I read? I appreciated the prayer to help this servant so the servants that here can receive it. The servant of the Lord is to have an intelligent understanding of the development of the character. It’s the intelligent knowledge that when I’m going through my irritants of the flesh, I’m learning to bear those irritants until there is no more reaction against what God is doing and wanting us to do. Oh do I know this experience and why I’m sharing this with you is ecause I am in this battle. I’m praying that we will all understand that when something is irritating me, and I’m not showing a perfect reaction to that, the Lord is still at work to try and get me to get the perfect reaction to it.
It happens to me all the time. As the repeated activity of this happening to me, keeps on softening and subduing my reactions. Instead of blowing up, I’m becoming more and more calm over the period of time until finally a pearl will come forth. That’s what the Lord is doing with us all. We are to have this intelligent understanding. Such a precious statement. We are to work intelligently and as we do that, we will be successful. Daniel 12:3 is what we read. The wise will understand. The wise will understand what’s happening to them. The wise will shine as the stars in the firmament.
Let us take courage when irritations come to our carnal nature, if we will apply what at that time? It is called the balm of Gilead, that is Jesus. It is a chemical reaction. It is a chemistry of laying upon the irritation, the balm of Jesus. The gentleness that Jesus responded to when His flesh was irritated, when He was suffering, we follow His example closely. And as we do so, we will come forth as pearls to shine in God’s kingdom. I hope and pray that this formation of the pearl will help us.
Our next study will be formation of the jewel. How that happens in the rough first of all but in the meantime, let us take this living experience intelligently.
