Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER XXVII.

LITERAL INTERPRETATIONS LIMIT IN TIME AND PLACE IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES RELATING TO THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE: SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATIONS ARE WORLD-WIDE AND UNLIMITED IN TIME UNTIL THE SECOND ADVENT.

Spiritual things are world-wide in scope, whereas literal things are limited in time and place. For example: when a prediction concerning Israel is applied in a literal sense to Palestine, that prophecy is limited to that particular locality, and it is also limited to a particular time. Take the prophecy in Joel 2:23-27. Early and latter rains are predicted to fall upon the "land" of Israel. V. 18. Futurists apply this passage to literal rains which, they say, are now beginning to fall in Palestine. Such an application limits the prophecy in regard to both time and place. But the spiritual application is world-wide in scope and, in a limited degree, continuous in time, during this "dispensation of the Holy Spirit." While we look for the Holy Spirit to be poured out in a special way in the closing days of the work of the preaching of the message, yet it is true that down through all the centuries of the Christian era people have prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and God, in fulfilment of this passage of Scripture, has given them rains—"showers of blessing" (Ezek. 34:26)—according to the seasons of the workings of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of individuals or churches. By studying A.A. 54, 55; T.M. 399, 506-512, etc., it will be seen that the Spirit of Prophecy, in harmony with the Scripture, teaches that, while Pentecost was the "early rain" and the special manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the last days is the "latter rain" yet, throughout this dispensation, individuals have received their early and latter rains to quicken spiritual life and to prepare the character for heaven. Thus the prophecy of Joel 2:23-27 has a world-wide, spiritual fulfilment throughout "the dispensation of the Holy Spirit." T.M. 511.

At the time of the second advent the harvest will be reaped. The Saviour declared: "the harvest is the end of the world: and the reapers are the angels." Matt. 13:30, 39, 40. Rev. 14:14-20 pictures the reaping of "the harvest of the earth." While there will be the reaping of "the harvest of the earth" at the end of the world, yet from the commencement of the plan of redemption there has been a reaping of the harvest. Jesus said: "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matt.9:37,38; Luke 10:2. "Say ye not, There are four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." John 4:35-38.

The Papal teaching of the dignity and power of the Roman Catholic priesthood is another, of many examples, illustrating that Satan deceives by limiting to earthly persons or places truths which apply in a universal sense to the body of the church. The members of that church are educated to believe that the keys of heaven and hell are in the hands of the priest. By wrong interpretations of Matt. 16:18, 19; John 20:22, 23, the people are taught to believe that the priest can bind and loose, and remit sins. The New Testament teaches that every believer is a priest (see Rev. 1:6; 5: 10; 20:4; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9, etc.) offering up "spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually." Heb. 13:15. "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom. 12:1.

To the church as a whole—with each individual sharing alike in privilege and power—has been committed the solemn charge of handling the keys of heaven and hell by bringing the knowledge of salvation from sin, by bringing the sinner into contact with the Saviour, and by prayer leading the sinner to lay hold on eternal life. As the church joins with the Saviour in the work of salvation, she becomes a channel of blessing to all who accept her message; but those who reject will be destroyed in the day of the Lord's wrath. Thus the power of life and death is not in the hands of a few literal priests, but belongs to the whole church, every member of which is a spiritual priest offering up "spiritual sacrifices." The error lies in the limitation placed upon that which God intends should be applicable to His children in all the world. The same error—of limiting to time and place truths that are world-wide—appears throughout Satan's counterfeit system of interpretation.

The Futuristic interpretation also limits to time and place the prophecies picturing "the final conflict" between Israel and her enemies. Ezek. 38, 39; Joel 3; Zech. 12, 14; Rev. 16:12-16, etc. While having a special application in the last days, yet, in a certain measure, they have been applicable to individuals and the church in all places and at all times during the Christian era. Notice Joel 3:14, which reads: "Multitudes. multitudes in the valley of decision." How often this passage has been misapplied in connection with the erroneous Palestinian interpretation teaching a gathering of warring nations in "the valley of Jehoshaphat." "Multitudes" are pictured as being then "in the valley of decision." By that literal interpretation the prediction is limited to that time and place. When the whole setting is spiritually applied in connection with Christ and spiritual Israel, Joel 3 becomes a message applicable, in a general sense, throughout the Christian era. There has always been enmity between the followers of Satan and those who love the Lord; there has always been a mustering of the forces of Satan against the church; in a sense, people have always been before the throne of God for judgment; there have always been multitudes in the valley of decision; but, as the finale of the great controversy draws near, these predictions also have special significance in relation to the final gathering of Satan's army against the church: in relation to the final judgment day, when "multitudes" will be "in the valley of decision" for the last time.

How incongruous to teach from Joel 3 both a literal gathering of nations "into the valley of Jehoshaphat" for "Armageddon," and the spiritual application of the statement "multitudes in the valley of decision"! How incongruous, when "the valley of decision" is "the valley of Jehoshaphat," and the "nations" are the "multitudes"! The "multitudes," or "nations," are not gathered "into" the literal "valley of Jehoshaphat" (it is far too small); but they are spiritually gathered before God in the symbolical "valley of Jehoshaphat." How incongruous to limit the "multitudes in the valley of decision" to Palestine, during the 6th plague, and to thus apply this verse after probation has closed and all "decisions" for eternity have been made! The Spirit of Prophecy applies Joel 3:14 to the time of the preaching of the gospel; to the "multitudes" now in all the world: "The destinies of souls are balancing. Multitudes are in the valley of decision. . . . Prompt, energetic action may save an undecided soul." 4T. 446; 6T. 406.

The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy refer to the age-long struggle between Christ and Satan as the "war," or "battle," or "controversy." This "war," or "battle," is described by the Revelator from its commencement in heaven (Rev. 12:7) until its close (Rev. 12:17; 13:4, 7; 16:14; 17:14; 19:11; 20:8). "Armageddon," the "battle . . ."of God Almighty," is the finale of this world-wide, age-long conflict between the forces of good and evil. The erroneous belief that such passages as Rev. 16:12-16; Ezek. 38; 39; Joel 3; Zech. 14, etc., refer to a literal Palestinian conflict of nations in the last days limits to place and time that which, in principle, has been in progress in all the world throughout human history. In contrast, the spiritual interpretation of these prophecies, while teaching that they have a special significance in the description of the final conflict, also shows that, in principle, they have been applicable in a limited sense to individuals and the church throughout the conflict between good and evil. While the literal interpretation limits the usefulness of these prophecies to Palestine and to the last hours of human history, the spiritual interpretation shows that they have had a spiritual significance for hundreds of years. One of the tests of the true interpretation of these prophecies concerning Israel is the value to the individual.

The teaching of a military "Armageddon." based upon the erroneous interpretations of prophecies relating to Israel and her enemies, limits to place—to Palestine—and limits to time—to the very last hours of this world's history when the literal interpretation of these prophecies cannot be of spiritual value to the individual or church—truths which are now applicable to the church in all the world.

Satan counterfeits by limiting to Palestine in relation to the literal Jews that which the Third Angel's Message applies spiritually in relation to spiritual Israel in all the world.

The spiritual interpretation of such prophecies as Rev. 16:12-16; Ezek. 38; 39; Joel 3, etc., shows that they have contained a message to individuals, as well as to the church, at any time and place, but that their culmination concerns the world-wide final conflict.

A study of the prophecies in the Apocalypse relating to the closing scenes reveals that events reach a culmination at that time. The message of the second angel, given first in 1844, will, in the final hours of probationary time, be sounded with greater power throughout the world. See G.C. 389, 390; 603. The gathering, or uniting, of the remnant church is now in progress. See Isa. 11: 11, 12; P.K. 373, 376; E.W. 74, 75; 6T. 133; 7T. 172; 9T. 51, etc.

"The agencies of evil are combining their forces, and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis." 9T. 11. See further extracts from the Spirit of Prophecy given in "What is Armageddon?" pp. 37-44. The gathering of "the kings of the earth and of the whole world," described in Rev. 16: 14-16, does not refer to a sudden military gathering of nations to Megiddo, but refers to the culmination of the work of deception carried on through the years by Satan in his preparation to "unite" the world to "join" him "in his last struggle" against God. See GC. 623, 656; T.M. 465.

In "The Great Controversy," pp. 561, 562, we read:—

"Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. . Little by little he has prepared the way for his master-piece of deception in the development of Spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. Says the prophet: 'I saw three unclean spirits like frogs . . . they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.' (Rev. 16:13, 14).''

This extract shows that "the battle of that great day of God Almighty "comes as the culmination of world-wide events. By the time of the 6th plague "the wicked have fully united [or "gathered"] with Satan in his warfare against God." G.C. 656.