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The Seven Thunders and the Mystery of God

Present Truth Bible School, Pastor Eric Betts Page 1 of 3

Sabbath June 28, 2007 Worship Service Revelation 10:3-4, 7 3

And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The seven thunders were fulfilled under the 1st and 2nd angels messages and under the parable of the 10 virgins in 1844.

Review and Herald When the third angel's message is preached as it should be, power attends its proclamation, and it becomes an abiding influence. It must be attended with divine power, or it will accomplish nothing. I am often referred to the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five foolish. This parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very letter, for it has a special application to this time, and, like the third angel's message, has been fulfilled and will continue to be present truth till the close of time. In the parable, the ten virgins had lamps, but only five of them had the saving oil with which to keep their lamps burning. This represents the condition of the Church. The wise and the foolish have their Bibles, and are provided with all the means of grace; but many do not appreciate the fact that they must have the heavenly unction. They do not heed the invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." {RH, August 19, 1890, 3}

What happens when the 7th angel begins to sound? Revelation 11:15, 19 Way in into the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary is made, which was fullfilled at the end of the 2300 years of Dan. 8:14 in 1844

How is it that the mystery of God will be complete under the 3rd angels message? Revelation 14:9, 12 -The Message of the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus.

What do God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus have to do with the mystery of God being finished? Galatians 2:20 When Christ lives in us we live by the faith of the Son of God, which fulfills the 3rd angels message What does this have to do with the mystery of God being fulfilled? Colossians 1:26-27 The mystery of God is experienced by Christ living in us … " the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles" We are living in the time of the finishing of this message The message of the 3rd angel is the message of victory over sin Romans 8:1-4. When Christ is in us we are made free from the law of sin and death When we’re in Christ His righteousness is fulfilled in us Romans 8:10 When we respond to the love of God, we come into Christ and He in us

The Seven Thunders and the Mystery of God

Present Truth Bible School, Pastor Eric Betts Page 2 of 3

How do we respond to the love of Christ? Romans 2:4 Repentance (a change, turning around, reversal) begins when a person responds to the love of Christ. We have no power in ourselves to confess and repent, it is by God’s goodness. How do we respond to that goodness? Psalm 100:105 We enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise. The sanctuary represents Christ Himself and illustrates the plan of salvation. What is the thing that causes the sinner to sorrow and confess? Zechariah 12:10 The innocence of the Lamb. When we look on Him whom we have pierced, we shall mourn for Him, leading to repentance Acts 5:31 Repentance and confession is poured upon us by the spirit of grace and supplication because the goodness of God has led us to repentance.

 What is our duty once we’ve confessed our sin? To by faith believe that our sins have been forgiven and believe upon the work of Christ on our behalf Hebrews 10:19-20. We don’t wait to be perfect before coming to Christ because we can’t cleanse ourselves, God draws us to Him by His Spirit and is even willing to reason with us Isaiah 1:18 We enter into the Most Holy Place by faith, by Christ Hebrews 10:21-23.

 Where does the washing and sprinkling take place? At the laver we are cleansed and enter in by faith to the Holiest Hebrews 10:24-25 We enter in with boldness, through Christ, with full faith in what Christ has done and is doing in our behalf, a full assurance of faith This faith is a fulfillment of the 3rd angels message (Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus) Hebrews 7:25.

 Where is the intercession made? In the 2nd compartment of the sanctuary Hebrews 7:26 What does it mean to be holy, harmless and undefiled? Romans 6:22 Holiness is freedom from sin Christ enters in the Holiest, as our intercessor, holy, harmless and undefiled When Christ is in us, He is in us holy harmless and undefiled Because of this we have faith to enter in, knowing we’ve been cleansed God’s goodness leads us to repentance This is the experience that God is giving to those who will give the loud cry at the end of time

The Seven Thunders and the Mystery of God

Present Truth Bible School, Pastor Eric Betts Page 3 of 3

Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White We all went under the tree, and sat down to look at the glory of the place, when Brethren Fitch and Stockman, who had preached the gospel of the kingdom, and whom God had laid in the grave to save them, came up to us and asked us what we had passed through while they were sleeping. We tried to call up our greatest trials, but they looked so small compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory that surrounded us, that we could not speak them out, and we all cried out, "Alleluia! heaven is cheap enough!" and we touched our glorious harps and made heaven's arches ring. {CET 61.1} Early Writing Page 17: Brethren Fitch and Stockman.-- In the account of her first vision Mrs. White makes reference to "Brethren Fitch and Stockman" as men she met and conversed with in the New Jerusalem. Both were ministers with whom Ellen White had been acquainted and who had taken an active part in proclaiming the message of the expected advent of Christ, but who had died shortly before the disappointment of October 22, 1844. {ew 298.3} Charles Fitch, a Presbyterian minister, accepted the advent message from reading William Miller's lectures and through his meeting with Josiah Litch. He threw himself wholeheartedly into the proclamation of the expected advent of Christ at the close of the 2300-year period, and became a prominent leader in the advent awakening. In 1842 he designed the prophetic chart used so effectively and referred to in early writings on page 74. He died a little more than a week before October 22, 1844. His death came about through illness contracted through over-exposure in conducting three baptismal services on a chilly autumn day. (see Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4, pp. 533-545.) {ew 298.4} Levi F. Stockman was a youthful Methodist minister of the state of Maine who in 1842, with about thirty other Methodist ministers, embraced and began to preach the second advent of Christ. He was laboring in Portland, Maine, when in 1843 his health failed. He died of tuberculosis on June 25, 1844. It was to him that Mrs. White, as a girl, went for advice when in her discouragement god spoke to her in two dreams. (see Early Writings, pp. 12, 78-81; Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4, pp. 780-782.) {ew 298.5 Those who will give the loud cry at the end of time will proclaim the message of victory over sin In order for Christ to abide in us, we must abide in Him by responding to His love.

Charles Fitch was a Presbyterian, before he became a Millerite. He was cast out of the Presbyterian Church because he believed in the message of Victory over Sin in Christ. Therefore God could use him in the Advent Movement, because they all believed in that message. Only those who embrace that message at the end of time, will give the loud cry, as those who embraced that message in the 1840's gave the midnight cry. It is this sense that the parable of the Ten virgins will be repeated.