John Thiel mp3
We have come to a section of our conference now in which we are concentrating on the not the formation of the jewels, not the polishing and cutting of them, but now as the Lord is finished with His gems with some of His gems, He is using them to gather other gems. This is especially relevant to the time in which we are living and this is the title of our topic, End Time Gathering of God’s Jewels and we have been exercised by the words of Jesus.
Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man that has found the pearl of great price and he sells all that he has to purchase that one pearl. We have seen that Jesus is the pearl and humanity is the pearl. Jesus is the pearl that the believer sells all to purchase Jesus in his life. He gives up everything as dross. Jesus gave up everything, Jesus gave up everything to purchase His gems, His pearl.
He left the worlds unfallen, the society of holy angels in the universe of heaven, for He could not be satisfied while humanity was alienated from Him. The heavenly Merchantman lays aside His royal robe and crown. Though the Prince and Commander of all heaven, He takes upon Him the garb of humanity, and comes to a world that is marred and seared with the curse, to seek for the one lost pearl, to seek for man fallen through disobedience…. TMK 84.3
He finds His pearl buried in rubbish. Selfishness encrusts the human heart, and it is bound by the tyranny of Satan. But He lifts the soul out of its darkness, to show forth the praises of Him who had called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. We are brought into covenant relationship with God and receive pardon and find peace, Jesus finds the pearl of lost humanity and resets it in His diadem.
We’ve been contemplating this activity and especially in reference to this amazing story that Jesus sold everything. What was that? He left the world’s unfallen, the society of holy angels in the universe of heaven. For He could not be satisfied while humanity was alienated from Him. What a meditation. What an attitude that we need to absorb in our mind that He gave up all the good to come to this rubbish place where the pearl has been covered by rubbish. What a story. He was not satisfied while humanity was alienated from Him.
He would inspire the most sinful, the most debased, with hope. He says, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). When a soul finds the Saviour, the Saviour rejoices as a merchantman that has found his goodly pearl. By His grace He will work upon the soul until it will be like a jewel polished for the heavenly kingdom. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 25 TMK 84.5
This is a topic that we have spent on in detail and we must never forget, especially the impressions that were made in our minds of what Jesus paid to purchase this pearl – the human race, and you and me as individuals. We beheld that these gemstones that He found buried in rubbish, these pearls and other jewels were formed. We saw how they were performed. We saw that this is a principle that has worked all through history and as you examine the backdrop here with Jesus in the middle, you see the history of the past from the time, especially this particular backdrop, from the time of the apostles, where the gemstones were found and were polished and all the way through the history, through the dark ages. It’s all there on that backdrop and we now are considering in this hour the last end, because we are living to the in the last end of this gathering of the jewels. The process that has been all through history is the same from the past to the present. Hebrews 11 deals with the gemstones of the past all through history, where faith has been purified in the lives of these people. We come there at the end. It had gone through the experience of Abel, through Enoch, through Noah, through Abraham, right through all the history:
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Our study all the way through is that the gems are being made perfect but they are not to be made perfect without us who live now. That is what Jesus said:
John 10:16 Other sheep I have in other folds…
What must they do with them?
John 10:16 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Relating that to the subject that we have been studying here, there’s one workshop where in the workshop God is perfecting His people. Jesus is saying that He has His fold or His church or His workshop and He says there are others that are not yet part of that, them He must bring to hear His voice and to be brought in for Him to perfect them.
As you read and meditate on that, does this not denote gathering? He is going to gather His jewels that He hasn’t got yet and bring them together into His workshop to develop them so fully that ultimately they will all be together in His crown. All through history, the formation and the gathering of His jewels has taken place but now we are looking at the time of the end. How does Scripture describe the activity of Jesus in gathering His jewels in the time of the end?
Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Here it is; all over the place. There are people that He is going to gather.
Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
The gathering of His jewels from all parts of the earth, those that are not of Israel and those that have been dispersed of Judah, the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah as we read in verse 12 there. In the religious world, especially in the last days, the pastors and the churches have caused havoc to His sheep and to His gems.
Jeremiah 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
That’s the pearl, the righteousness of Christ. You see here that the scattering of God’s people are now addressed that He is going to draw them together. He’s going to gather them together in this particular rendition. That was precisely what is also written in Micah 4. A beautiful description here of this gathering. In that day; He’s talking in the context in that the latter days, dominion, the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem the daughter. Does that ring a bell? In Revelation 12:17 the remnant of the woman’s seed. There it is for the last days there is going to be the gathering of the remnant and the formation of the remnant of the woman’s seed. This is all part of the picture.
Micah 4:6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
The prophecies of Revelation with the three angels’ messages and their culmination in the last section of their messages is Revelation 18:1 to 4 where the actual gathering of the jewels is expressed as a call.
Revelation 18
This is this other angel who comes after the third angel.
Revelation 18 1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,
See what it says there from the other texts? They’ve all fallen, they’ve scattered my sheep, etc. Here is this angel saying that’s all fallen, listen to what I’m preaching to you j- Babylon the Great is fallen.
Revelation 18:2 and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
He is presenting His message. It is concluded with another voice from heaven saying:
Revelation 18:4 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.
Can you see the beautiful meaning of these words from everything else we’ve studied? My jewels, my people. You’re scattered out there. Come out of her, my jewels. I want to gather you together so that you be not partakers of the sins of those that have scattered you and that you receive not of her plagues. This is the last gathering of His jewels in the last days. I love the way it’s written in the Old Testament directly in relation to this scripture as we focus on the gathering of the end time gathering of those jewels:
Zechariah 2:6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Now we’ve got something precious here. What is the part of your body that you protect very fastidiously? When some little speck comes and hits your eye, oh you protect it very carefully. The preciousness of God’s eye, the preciousness of God’s jewels is equated here. I’m calling you to come out, my gems, whoever touches you, you are like the apple of my eye.
I was only a very young boy when I first heard that sermon in one of the Seventh Day Adventist camps. The whole sermon was, “you are the apple of His eye.” and it really touched me. Never forget it and it’s always got a sparkle for me this particular mind exercise of God saying you are so precious to me. Like you protect you the apple of your eye, come out I want to gather you from all the different places of the planet to come together as my people, my gems. Those precious words in verses one to three here it is the gathering of the jewels, the cry, the call.
Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.
Let the Lord polish you, let the Lord cut you, let the Lord do all these things because I want to gather you and it’s interesting while these people were all out scattered in the different churches, aspects and places of the world in Babylon, they were going through their gem experiences of being formed into gems and being polished as much as they could out there. Now they come into the full workshop of God. He is gathering them together and He is wanting them to go through the final processes to be able to set them in His crown. So, who are they? The apple of His eye, His precious, the dearest on earth to Him.
Isaiah 43:4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
The formation of His jewels have been taking place as we read it here, and now He is saying, “Come on, I’m gathering you now, my generation I have made you. I have created you for my glory. I have created you to put you into the crown of my glory. I have made him. I have made you.” That’s what Malachi 3:16 to 18 is all about. It is those people that who are thinking of Him, who are occupied with Him, who are His precious jewels, the apple of His eye, it is those that come together and talk together and He says “I’m going to gather you my precious jewels in this day, in the last days”. Gathered to a place where?
Zechariah 9 16 …for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
He is gathering them together in the last days to make them part of His crown. We’re talking about the last days to reset them in His diadem.
He finds His pearl buried in rubbish. Selfishness encrusts the human heart, and it is bound by the tyranny of Satan. But He lifts the soul out of its darkness. TMK 84.4
Out of Babylon, out from all the parts of the earth.
He is gathering them out of the darkness into His marvellous light. We are brought into covenant relationship with God and receive pardon and find peace. Jesus finds the pearl of lost humanity and resets it in His own diadem. TMK84.4
This process of not recreating the gems, but the process of resetting them in His crown, that is also a process in these last days under the three angels’ messages, under the call of the Revelation 18 angel. This is what it’s talking about. According to our whole backdrop here, we are coming to that period of time at the very end in which His people are being gathered together in the time of the judgment. We consider carefully that these jewels and how they are made manifest in the last days.
Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
These people that are gathered to be gems in His crown, in His diadem. They will shine. They’re brilliant. That’s where He’s taking them to. Remember who has given them wisdom? Jesus He is the one that gives them wisdom.
Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Twinkle, twinkle little star, yes? Those twinkling stars in the darkness. Precious gems. That’s what a diamond is. It sparkles a little bit like a star. They shine. But what does it mean that they will be as the brightness of the firmament and that turn many to righteousness? What is meant by “they shine”? How does Jesus refer to this? They shine how? He is talking to those who are His gems.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Now comes the how to shine.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
How do you shine? You see many people don’t like the idea of works. But the works of obedience to God is the avenue through which these gems shine. Let your light shine. That comes another factor into it because God is doing something to make you a gem to shine for Him. Let Him comes right back to what we had studied. Let Him purge you, let Him chop you, let Him cut you to the depth to bring out the lustre of His light. Let that happen and it means by your good works. Let Him create the good works in you as you cooperate with Him. That’s what Jesus said so beautifully as we’ve quoted in His words:
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
That the world may know. How will the world may know? I in you and the Father in me and as we are together with one another and Jesus is in you and Christ and you are in Christ and the Father is in you, the Holy Spirit is in you. That is how the world by the unity of these jewels will see that God is who He is. As they are made perfect, they are brought into such unity, and they will shine by the perfection of their characters in doing God’s will. So plain. If we will respond and let God work like this in us and become the jewels, what will God do with those who are already His jewels? They will shine and that the world will know. What will God do?
The truth should be presented with divine tact, gentleness, and tenderness. It should come from a heart that has been softened and made sympathetic. We need to have close communion with God, lest self rise up, as it did in Jehu, and we pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew, or as the still showers that revive the withering plants. Let our words be gentle as we seek to win souls. God will be wisdom to him who seeks for wisdom from a divine source…. CW 72.2
Jesus is that, isn’t He?
We are to seek opportunities on every hand. We are to watch unto prayer, and be ready always to give an answer to every one who asks a reason for the hope that is in us. Lest we shall impress unfavorably one soul for whom Christ has died, we should keep our hearts uplifted to God, so that when the opportunity presents itself, we may have the right word to speak at the right time. If you thus undertake to work for God, the Spirit of God will be your helper. The Holy Spirit will apply the truth spoken in love for the soul. The truth will have quickening power when spoken under the influence of the grace of Christ.—The Review and Herald, October 7, 1902. PM 307.1
These are the jewels that have so become at one with Jesus and have been cleaned polished so that they are no longer rough, they are no longer reactive to what other people are doing. When they have to say something, they will be able to exercise gentleness, kindness, courtesy, meekness. They are jewels that shine because they have been purified to be like that. They will be used by God to gather in the others that can only recognise truth through the avenue of these kinds of jewels. What kind of manner the people in the last days have to be to attract the jewels that are scattered around. Here is the manner of the gathering.
All the luster possessed by those who have gained the richest experience is but the reflection of the light of the Sun of righteousness. He who lives nearest to Jesus shines the brightest. And let us thank God that the Master has His hidden ones, who are not recognized by the world, but whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. The luster of the tiniest gem in God’s casket will glorify Him. There are many … who during this life do not seem to be particularly honored. But the Lord sees those who serve Him [Malachi 3:17 quoted] (Letter 94, 1903). 4BC 1184.3
God has jewels in all the churches, and it is not for us to make sweeping denunciation of the professed religious world, but in humility and love, present to all the truth as it is in Jesus. Let men see piety and devotion, let them behold Christlikeness of character, and they will be drawn to the truth. He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself, will be a light in the world. Those who have a knowledge of the truth are to communicate the same. They are to lift up Jesus, the world’s Redeemer; they are to hold forth the Word of life (The Review and Herald, January 17, 1893). 4BC 1184.4
Drawn to the truth; that’s how the jewels gather the other jewels. Those who have a knowledge of the truth are to communicate the same. They are to lift up Jesus the world’s redeemer. They are to hold forth the Word of life and you’ve seen how? No denunciation, sweeping denunciations. Nothing negative at all. Only the uplifting of the pure Jesus in the manner of a beautiful gem who has been prepared for that job. You and I in God’s remnant church, we have to remember what we studied. Rough diamonds are out there. As you meet the rough diamonds, if you are not a pure diamond, if you are still rough yourself, how will you talk and how will you communicate? Just the same as they do. But no, we are to touch the gem that is inside, not the crust. You don’t refer to anything negative about anybody. You look for the gem that is inside and you touch the gem and bring it out. It is powerfully revealed in what is meant with doing. If we are God’s church, if we are the people of God, how will we be used of God to gather the gems from that are scattered amongst all the others?
Let everyone bear in mind that we are in no case to invite persecution. We are not to use harsh and cutting words. Keep them out of every article written, drop them out of every address given. CW 64.1
They’re rebuking so that people won’t be standing in front of you or you will be meeting and they’ll go; “I don’t like this person, you’re cutting me.” No Let the word do the cutting. Show the Word and if the Word is and you’re doing it with all love and kindness, they’ll be more prepared to receive it. It says it so beautifully:
Let all be guarded in their words, lest they place those not of our faith in deadly opposition against us, and give Satan an opportunity to use the unadvised words to hedge up our way. CW 64.1
There is to be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Our work is to study to weed out of all our discourses everything that savors of retaliation and defiance and making a drive against churches and individuals, because this is not Christ’s way and method.—Testimonies for the Church 9:239-244 (1909). CW 64.2
You mustn’t even smell of it. Exercise yourself in the church this way. If somebody is doing something wrong, how do you respond to that? We have to learn it in the church so that when we see the wrongs around us, we don’t go, “Look at what you’re doing,” in our mind. It will come out in our language somewhere. The moment that you see something wrong in another, don’t even look at the wrong, look at the person, at the gem inside and consider drawing the gem out. This is only possible through your appreciation of Jesus. We must be aware that we don’t make a defiance, a retaliation, and make a drive against churches and individuals because this is not Christ’s way and method. They’re in the wrong and we might feel I can give them a bit of a serve. No, that’s not Christ’s way. That’s not the way of the pearl.
There is need of a much closer study of the word of God; CW 65.1
The light which I have to give to our people is, Let no condemnatory speeches be printed in our papers. Manuscript 46, 1900. CW 65.2
Practice it in the church first. If somebody is doing something wrong, don’t get into the subject of condemning them for what they’ve done. Why didn’t you do that? Why didn’t you do this? You’ve done this and that’s why you’re doing this. None of that. None of that. This is not God’s way. No condemnatory speeches.
Every article you write may be all truth, but one drop of gall in it will be poison to the reader. One reader will discard all your good and acceptable words because of that drop of poison. Another will feed on the poison, for he loves such harsh words.—Letter 91, 1899. CW 65.3
God’s jewels can only be used to draw the other jewels who are still rough on the outside.
The ideas expressed in your articles savor so strongly of antagonism that you will do harm, more than you can possibly conceive. Remember that if by the injudicious use of your pen you close the door to even one soul, that soul will confront you in the judgment. Letter 17, 1900. CW 66.2
Whoa! That soul will confront you in the judgment.
O, how much has been said that has turned souls to bitterness and gall against the truth. Words that should have been a savor of life unto life have been made a savor of death unto death by the spirit which accompanied them.—Letter 17, 1900. CW 66.2
We cannot help the Christless by finding fault with them. We have not been given the work of reproving or giving personal thrusts in our periodicals. This attitude is misleading, We are to be “not easily provoked.” Manuscript 46, 1898. CW 66.3
We are to be not easily provoked. That’s a good test now. Are you easily provoked? We are not easily provoked.
We are to remember that by our spiritual attitude we are to show that we are feeding on Christ, the bread of life. By our words, our tempers, and our works, we may testify to those with whom we come in contact, that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us.—Manuscript 46, 1898. CW 66.3
Can you see why we are in the church where God is polishing and doing His work so that we can then be the faithful jewels that attract the other jewels? Really let this flourish in our minds. This is what we are meeting that in the time when the faithful people are going to be drawn out of Babylon.
Many laws will be enacted for the government of nations, calculated to oppress; and old laws that have practically become of none effect, will be resurrected. We need to move forward in our work understandingly and in faith, under the wise generalship of Jesus Christ. A great work is to be done for the Master in proclaiming the last message of mercy to our world, and we are dependent upon authorities and powers to find passage from one end of the world to another, and as long as we are dependent upon the powers that be, we must not divorce ourselves from them, for this is a worldwide message. TDG 250.4
Now you’re picking something interesting up. Right? What’s happening at the moment with this COVID -19? Because the Catholic Church is the beast, they’ve got to really let them have it. No Sister White says no don’t do that that way. We are to treat every person with the respect of the careful touch of there may be one of them is a gem and you will be pushing them out away from this opportunity.
We are to go forward quietly, and when our way is apparently blocked in one direction we are to make no condemnation of the powers that be, for in thus doing we are teaching other powers how to work to hedge up our way. We are not to stir up opposing elements or provoke retaliation or revenge. The climax will come soon enough. It is already stealing on as a thief in the night. And we can speak Bible truth which will not set opposing influences at work.—Manuscript 90, August 29, 1893, “Our Attitude Toward the ‘Powers That Be.’” TDG 250.5
If I become irritated with people around me, I’m going to become irritated with the authorities that are going to pressurise me and the Lord really taught that to me. I don’t like to be irritated by anybody. I’ve got God’s grace. He has brought me to the point where I can love everybody and learn not to be irritated but one thing that still irritates me is things going wrong with my natural world. I’m pulling a hose and it gets caught and I get irritated and I let go in some expression of frustration and the Lord comes and says John, if you do that under that frustration, you’re going to do it to some human being one day. Oh thank you Lord, thank you for polishing me some more and then it happens now He’s polishing me so much on this property. He is letting so many things go wrong to take me over the ground again until I learn from Him to just let it be because He has shown me that when there is a slightest irritation inside of me, I’m going to spark it towards others in my voice and that’s where the Lord wants us to change our inward reactions to the frustrating circumstances that are levelled at us.
It is already stealing on as a thief in the night and we can speak Bible truth which will not set opposing influences at work. This is the work of the gathering of the jewels. God wants to gather His pearls. Let Him use those who are His pearls already, demonstrating the lustre of the pearl of great price. That’s our work.
For the last three sessions of our camp here, we will be examining the gathering of His gems through whom the last gathering from the other folds will be affected. Our study from here onwards now is to actually go into the experience of how God is gathering the gems into His fold whom He will then use to gather the last ones out. Let the Word of God do it for us. How has that happened since Sister White’s time? Our next study will be the gathering of God’s jewels from 1844 to 1888 and then it follows from 1888 to 1914 and then it follows from 1914 to the end. We will see precisely the application of what we have stuied all beforehand.
May God give us grace and understanding and careful attention to the things that we
are reading and studying in His Word.
Amen.
