In this issue:
The Three Angels’ Messages
David Clayton
Revelation chapter 13 describes the last great crisis which is to face God’s people on planet Earth. This crisis centers around the issue of the mark of the beast, and the Bible makes it clear that the governing authorities of earth will demand that every person, every institution, must submit to the requirements of the beast and receive its mark.
Immediately following the description of this crisis, we move to Revelation chapter 14. This chapter is clearly a continuation of the description of the crisis caused by the beast and his mark. Men have placed chapter divisions in the Bible which help us to find Scriptures much more easily. These sometimes help, but they can also sometimes cause confusion, and in this case, we should not allow the change of chapters to make us think that the subject has changed.
The first thing we see is the 144,000 standing on Mount Zion. We already discussed this group of people in our commentary on Revelation 7 and we won’t spend time on them here now. But let us notice that this group is shown at this point in time, for a reason. The reason is that they represent the group who pass through this mark of the beast crisis, and who remain faithful to God and his truth in spite of all the pressure which is applied by the beast and those who support it. God shows us that in spite of the death threats, in spite of the fact that all earthly support is cut off, there will be those who remain faithful to God regardless. This is the group represented by the 144,000. As we noted in our comments on Revelation 7, these are the ones who pass through “the great tribulation,” and who wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev. 7:14)
Immediately after showing us this victorious group, God takes us back to the narrative. Now John sees an angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to all the inhabitants of the earth.
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (Rev 14:6)
Let me repeat; we should remember that Revelation was not written with chapter divisions. Chapters and verses were put in hundreds of years after the Bible was compiled. Whenever we read the Bible, in order to get the context right we sometimes have to just ignore the chapter divisions. What we are to understand is that the message of this angel is a response to the mark of the beast crisis which we saw described in chapter 13. At this time when the entire planet has come under the control of the beast and his image, when almost the entire world has embraced these principles of evil, when it seems that no one can live unless he adopts Satan’s way, a special message from God is to go to the entire world. This message is described as “the everlasting gospel.”
What we can clearly see is that God’s message for the world, in all ages, has always been the same. That message is the gospel, here referred to as “the everlasting gospel.” In Matthew 24:14, Jesus said:
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matt 24:14)
Jesus said that before he comes again, the last thing that would happen would be the preaching of the gospel to the entire planet. Here in Revelation 14 we see the fulfillment of that promise. When the mark of the beast crisis arises on the earth, in this darkest moment of earth’s history, it is then that the gospel will be preached to the entire world, in a short moment of time.
Three Angels
Now notice that Revelation 14 speaks of three Angels flying in the midst of heaven having three messages to preach to the entire planet. It is clear that these angels represent the people of God, carrying special messages. It is not angels who have been commissioned to preach the gospel, but the people of God, therefore it is clear that these angels represent God’s people carrying his messages at the end of time.
The first angel says:
… Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Rev 14:7)
the second angel says:
… Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Rev 14:8)
the third Angels says:
… If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (Rev 14:9-10)
Seventh-day Adventists have always believed that these three messages apply in a special way to the Advent movement. They believe that the first Angels’ message began to be preached in 1844 when Adventists began to teach the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment. They believe that Babylon represents the protestant churches which rejected the teachings of the Advent movement in 1844. They believe that the mark of the beast is the mark of the Roman Catholic Church and that it represents Sunday observance. Adventists believe that they have been preaching these three messages since 1844.
However, when we look at the context of the three Angels’ messages, we see that the preaching of these three messages comes immediately after Revelation chapter 13, where we see a description of the mark of the beast crisis. In other words the preaching of the three Angels messages takes place after the mark of the beast is imposed on all the world, not before. There is no denying the fact that Seventh-day Adventists have called the attention of the world to the three Angels messages, however, it is also a fact that the preaching of the three messages as described in Revelation 14, does not take place until after the mark of the beast crisis actually becomes a reality.
Three faces of one crisis
These three messages are in fact, three different aspects of the same crisis. The first Angels states that the hour of God’s judgment has arrived. It is the mark of the beast crisis which is to judge the world, it is to be the test which will separate the wheat from the tares. In Revelation chapter 3 when Jesus speaks about the coming crisis here is what he says to the church of Philadelphia:
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Rev 3:10)
He says that the hour of temptation will come upon the whole world in order to try, or to test, or to prove, or to judge those who dwell upon the earth. So the hour of God’s judgment arrives in the truest sense, when the mark of the beast crisis comes upon the whole world. This is the hour of God’s judgment, it is the means by which he will separate the wheat from the tares among all those living on earth.
The second angel says that Babylon is fallen. Babylon is the great false religious system which dominates the whole world, and which is made up of the organized religious bodies which have entered into illicit relationships with the political systems of the world. This includes almost all, if not all, of the recognized denominations which exist in the world today, with the Roman Catholic Church being the chief of them. Babylon is fallen in the sense that it has become deeply corrupted. This is true in a special sense at this point in time, because these denominations which constitute Babylon have at this time embraced the mark of the beast. They have become so spiritually blinded by their association with the world that they cannot recognize that the mark is a symbol of rebellion against God and in their blindness they have accepted it.
This spiritual fall however will be accompanied shortly by a physical fall. Babylon itself is to be utterly destroyed. In Revelation 18 we see her destruction, and God’s people are warned to get out of her before it is too late. But the main point is that this fall of Babylon takes place because she has accepted the mark of the beast. So again we see that the second angel’s message is one aspect of the mark of the beast crisis, just like the first angel’s message.
It is not necessary to comment on the third angel’s message because it is very clear that this message is preached as a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. This message has no relevance, has no impact, until the mark of the beast actually becomes a reality. We may preach about it and warn people about it today, but our preaching will have very little effect because it is not present truth until the crisis actually becomes a reality. When the mark of the beast crisis comes upon the world, then the preaching of the third angel’s message will be “present truth”, it will have a tremendous impact upon the people who live on the planet because everyone will see exactly what the message is about. This is why it will become a means of separating the sheep from the goats. Everyone will demonstrate whether or not he serves God, by how he responds to the mark of the beast. Those who belong to God will reject it, regardless of the consequences, while those who reject God will receive this mark. This is how the sheep will be separated from the goats.
Only one gospel
We should take careful note of the fact that in spite of the three angel’s messages, the everlasting gospel remains the same. The gospel is, was and always will be the truth of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. In essence, it is, “Christ in you.” This is the message to be given to the world. However, the mark of the beast crisis gives us the context in which this message will be preached for the last time, with the greatest power on planet Earth. It will be during the time of the judgment, when popular religion has fallen to an all-time low, when the powers of earth seek to compel everyone to worship the beast, that the gospel will be preached with power and glory. It is then that Christ will be lifted up as never before as the only hope for mankind, as the only answer to the mark of the beast, as the only defense in the judgment, as the only place of refuge when Babylon falls. The message never changes, it is, and always will be the everlasting gospel, the gospel of the kingdom.
It is important that we understand what the messages of these three angels really is. However, it is far more important that we understand where our safety lies when the crisis comes, as described by these three angels. The person who understands the three angels’ messages but does not understand, nor receive the gospel will be lost. This is why, even though we need to understand the message of the three angels, the message for the time is really the everlasting gospel.
Immediately after the three angels’ messages John saw Christ sitting on a cloud with a sickle in his hand:
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. (Rev 14:14)
There is no mistaking what this means. The sickle is an instrument used for reaping crops. What we’re seeing here is the reaping of the harvest of the earth and again we should note that the harvest takes place at this time, because the mark of the beast crisis has already divided the world into two camps. Jesus is represented as sitting on a cloud, but this does not represent the return of Christ, notice what it says in the following verses:
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; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Rev 14:15-16)
the harvest of the earth is reaped, but what is simply means is that God’s people have been identified, they have been sealed and there is no longer any possibility that they can be lost. The following verses make it clear that Christ has not yet returned at this point.
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Rev 14:18-19)
After the harvest of the earth is reaped, then the grapes of the earth are reaped. The grape harvest here, represents those who have rejected Christ. Notice it says, that they are thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God. In the following chapter, chapter 15, we are told that the wrath of God is filled up in the seven last plagues.
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. (Rev 15:1)
So first of all, we have the reaping of the harvest of the earth, then we have the reaping of the grapes of the earth which are then thrown into the wrath of God, which is the seven last plagues. Jesus does not return until after the plagues, so it is clear that this harvest does not represent the return of Jesus, but rather a point in time when the destiny of all men is eternally decided.
This is what the three angels’ messages are really about, it is the means by which God will divide the world into two camps, those who are lost and those who are saved. This is why it is very important that we understand what these messages mean, that we interpret them correctly, and most important, that we understand and receive the only protection which can preserve us in that crisis. This protection is Christ and his righteousness.
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Letters
I am 22 years of age, and was born a Seventh-day Adventist. About three years ago I stumbled across the video “The return of the 4th Angel”. I was simply just looking to learn more about 1888, and about A.T. Jones & E.J. Wagonner; little did I know I would hear the truth about the Godhead. It was the most shocking thing I had ever heard, and I tried to put it off for a while but it just would not go away. I believe God was answering a prayer I had given a year prior to this, whereby I questioned why we don’t pray to the holy spirit.
This question came about as a result of my reading the 28 Fundamental beliefs and doing the V.O.P lessons. I came to the logical conclusion that if God is three then why pray only to one, why not pray to all? So I embarked on that journey of exclusively talking to the Holy Spirit, but every time I tried to do so, I felt uncomfortable. So in a short while, that journey just died out and a year later I stumbled across the Godhead Truth. In short, I just want to say I have been richly blessed and I’ve grown much as a Chrisitian ever since.
The shackles were broken off my legs and I stopped just regurgitating what the Church said (even to some extent the pioneers) but I began truly, genuinely reading my Bible and life is not the same because I found Jesus and my life is fuller than I can contain (John 10:10). More so when I learnt of Justification by faith, my oh my, I was blown away and I see myself growing day by day as I hold onto Christ.
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I’m writing to you from Shillong, the capital city of the Indian state of Meghalaya. I grew up an SDA. However, I got to know about the Trinity issue in January 2015 through a friend of mine who was then an elder of one of the SDA churches in the city. I was very upset and at times hard to believe that my church was wrong. However, with much prayer and study and asking God for guidance, I renounced the concept of a trinitarian God.
I did a personal research on this for about three months before I began worshipping with the non trinitarian group here. I spent the whole of that year (2015) studying and learning various issues relating to this topic. My elder friend also shared with me some videos of Pastors Nader and Imad and one video of Pastor Allen Stump. Pastors Nader and Imad were invited to hold an evangelistic meeting here on October of that same year.
But things began to change last year. Looking back, I can’t help but see how God had led me from one truth to another. I have always wondered why is it that all those years of knowing the ‘truth’ has not led me to live the life that a Christian ought to live. What was the missing piece in the puzzle? A little less than a year ago, as I was discussing with a friend of mine about how we would go about telling others the truth that we now embrace, I found the answer I was looking for. I got the impression that Christ was the missing piece in the puzzle. As SDAs, we tend to place a lot of emphasis on doctrines and prophecies while we leave Christ completely out of the picture. This led me to discover the most wonderful truth of all – CHRIST AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Not too long after this incident I was led to discover you and your ministry. My church elder friend shared a video sermon based on the 1888 gospel. The title of the presentation was ‘The Coming of the Fourth Angel’. You were the presenter in that video. It was an old video which you produced in collaboration with Smyrna Gospel Ministries.
I googled your ministry and I downloaded your Open Face Issues from no. 1 through to no. 108. I’ve kept adding the two latest issues as they were subsequently published in your ministry’s website. I’ve also downloaded “Better Than You Think”, though I’m yet to read it. My wife, my in-laws and I also downloaded and watched your sermons on You Tube. We are greatly blessed by your sermons. I’ve just finished reading the 110th issue of Open Face today. Can’t wait for the next issue.
I have not come across any ministry that focuses on the topic of Christ’s Righteousness as your ministry does. It has certainly been a wonderful experience reading through those articles in Open Face. I admit that I have gained a deeper understanding of issues pertaining to grace, sin, nature of Christ as a man etc.; and how all those seemingly difficult texts of grace harmonize with the keeping of the law. It also goes without mentioning how righteousness by faith fits well into the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. But most of all I realise that Christ’s righteous life has given me hope and it has altered the way I view things.
I know that my e-mail is very long, but I wish to express how grateful I am to God and His Son Jesus Christ for leading me down this path. I am also grateful to you and everyone at Restoration because of the sacrifices you have made for spreading and restoring the truth. May God bless you all. You are in our prayers.
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I come from Zimbabwe and am currently staying and working in South Africa, Cape Town to be precise. I first came across a DVD done by Br David Clayton entitled “Whose Sin?” sometime in 2012 I think, it was sent to me by a Sister in Australia. She has helped me to understand quite a lot of things and the DVD has helped me a lot in my spiritual growth. I joined the SDA church in 2009 having been an un-baptized member of the Lutheran Church from my childhood.
In 2009 I stayed with a brother that I had known from University and he is the one who introduced me to the SDA Church. The people were welcoming and they were good at nurturing new converts. I got baptized and I was made to agree to those vows that are in the church manual. It was a great experience to me and I felt that finally I had arrived. I had the opportunity to serve God in this church which I considered to be God’s Church. I started studying the Bible on my own and I was introduced to the writings of Ellen White. I worked in different capacities within the church and I loved it and felt the zeal for working for Christ. I however began to question a few things that I felt were not in harmony with the scriptures, chiefly the Church’s position on the identity of God.
A brother had given me an e-mail address for a Sister in Australia and had encouraged me to write her and engage her in whatever issues that I felt questionable. I did so and I engaged in extensive conversation and discussions with her. She sent me material in print, electronic and DVDs. One of the DVDs is the one that I referenced above. I watched it over and over, I was so happy because I had never heard anything like that being preached from the pulpit. I searched for Restoration Ministries on the internet and thank God, I managed to locate your website.
When I moved to South Africa in 2013 I was greatly excited about the truths that I was learning everyday. I still remember that at one time I openly questioned the doctrine of the Trinity in church and certain brothers accused me of trying to sow dissent among brethren. They openly told me that that topic was a no-go area for discussion and they quoted the first part of Deuteronomy 29:29. I had volunteered to lead the lesson and they told me that the church board had decided that we were not going to have that lesson. After a year or so a certain brother came to me and told me that he had been doing research on the matter and he confessed that he agreed with me. During all this time I was being sidelined in everything and every programme of the church. In 2015 a certain brother came to preach at our church and he preached the sermon that all the people did not want to hear, he preached from the Bible indicating that the Trinity was a lie and it was the devil’s plan to turn people away from worshiping the “Only true God and Christ whom He has sent”
After the man left there were a series of sermons Sabbath after Sabbath, defending the Trinity doctrine. I did not attend them because I felt that they were aimed at forcing people to accept the Trinity instead of accepting Christ.
I have just finished reading Br. Howard’s book “Escaping the Chains” and I couldn’t help but praise God for such revelations. I think the Church has changed its course from preaching the gospel of Christ to preaching doctrines and philosophies. It makes me sad when I see a lot of people being misled in the name of unity, I think its better to stick to the truth no matter what because its ONLY TRUTH that sets us free.
I thank God for your Ministry, I pray that you continue working for Christ and proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
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I am from Montenegro, a small country in the Balkans that belonged to the former Yugoslavia and which borders with Serbia, Croatia and Albania. I am a Christian who does not belong to any religious organization. Once upon a time I was a Catholic. I rejected it. Then I grew in faith by reading the EGW writings, but I did not officially become Adventist. I believe that the Advent movement is from God. I have not believed in the Trinity for the past 5-6 years.
I am the founder of a NGO organization that promotes Christianity through various projects. We published a lot of good books, we even released the New Revised translation of the Bible in our language, which we believe is the best translation of the world. Through our activities we attracted a number of people in ex-Yugoslavia and we are interconnected through projects, meetings, etc., and that number is increasing. There are over 50 of us who were involved in this, but this number is increasing. There are a lot of people who follow our work. I am the founder of a few web sites.
I want to tell you that I watched a large number of your presentations and read your book and articles in the website, and that helped me a lot to better understand the truth. I can tell you that I rejected the legalistic approach to the Plan of salvation thanks to you. Of course, everything that I heard from you I studied so that I could independently come to my own conclusions. Many of the brothers and sisters here accept this gospel, and it changes their lives as it has changed my life. Thank God that used you.
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I am from India. I just want to say to you that I have received a blessing through your messages and sermons. I praise God day and night.
I hated you before without knowing who you are personally, because I was told by someone that you taught error, especially original sin. I just believed what people say about you without proving for myself whether it was true or not. I have your printed book, “Better than you think”, but I never read it because of the reason I stated above. But one day as I read the book “The Seed and the Everlasting Gospel”, I found out that there is something we inherit from our parents that makes us selfish in everything we do, and that is a corrupt nature. So I began to study on this subject for myself from the Bible and through your book and sermons. Even though I have not finished the study yet, I now believe and understand that our problem is our nature, not guilt.
I am so sorry for my hating against you. Now I know that you preach the truth and you do not preach original sin that Catholicism teaches. Praise God.
The Greatest Parable
One of the hardest questions for Christians to answer, is the question of the brutal, sometimes merciless, genocidal killings in the Old Testament. It is difficult to explain some of these things and especially when the Scripture declares that they were either carried out by God himself, or commanded by God. As a matte of fact, this is one of the strongest objections which people like atheists and other unbelievers have, to Christianity and the Bible. They ask the question, “how can we reconcile these stories with the idea that God is a loving, merciful, just person?” Either the Bible does not tell the truth or else, God is not really a loving person.
This is indeed a difficult question to answer and Christians have usually responded to this question by stating that God is all wise and that he knows best of all. We should not question his actions. Others sometimes suggest that all those who were wiped out by God’s commands were already lost and beyond the hope of salvation. They were people who had become so wicked and depraved that there was no hope for them and therefore God simply carried out judgment upon them in wiping them out.
None of these answers really is satisfactory. God expects us to serve him because we love him, he expects us to see his love in the things which he has done. The Bible is full of declarations that God is good, just, merciful and loving. It is not reasonable to say, “just ignore these terrible acts and believe in God’s love in spite of them.” They are a part of the evidence too.
Neither does it make sense to say, “all these people would have been lost anyway, so God simply judged and punished them before time.” Is this fair? Is this just? Should a person be judged and punished on the basis of what another person knows will happen? Is it justice to judge a person before he has had a chance to demonstrate the truth about himself? Can a just God simply operate on the basis of his own private knowledge in the way he treats people? How then can God be transparent and how can his fairness be seen by all of us?
Two Kinds of Law
No, there is another answer to what was happening in the Old Testament, something which harmonizes the reality that God did indeed command and perform those actions in ancient times, and yet, which still preserves the truth of God’s amazing wisdom, love and mercy.
First of all, let us remember the truth which we have often emphasized: There are two kinds of law, there is legal law and there is natural law. Natural law refers to the laws of nature, those eternal principles which God has set in place which govern how the universe operates. These laws exist in both the physical and the spiritual realm. These are the true laws of life. Legal law on the other hand are laws which are set in place by a governing authority. Legal law does not work automatically, somebody has to make this law and that person has to put penalties in place to ensure that the law works.
The Bible says,
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Gal 6:7)
Here we see a principle of life. What we sow, is what we will reap. This is true not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual realm. Let us notice that this is a natural law. It is not a legal law that we reap what we sow, it is the way nature works. However, we can see that the legal law has been established by God himself as a reflection of this natural law. So for example we see the legal law which says,
“He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.” (Exod 21:12)
If a man sows death, he will naturally reap death. However, the legal rule says, we will not wait for this to happen by nature, instead, those in authority will take you and put you to death by executing you.
God’s Teaching Tools
The next point we need to consider is that the entire Old Testament was set up by God to be a teaching tool, something which was to represent a greater reality. The apostle Paul says,
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)
Paul also speaks about the events of the Old Testament and he says that these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples).
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1Cor 10:11)
In other words, the system which existed before Christ, was a teaching tool, something that God set up as an illustration, intended to teach greater lessons.
One of the greatest teaching tools which God uses, is parables. A parable is a story, or a kind of event which is used to illustrate a greater truth. Sometimes parables are just stories that are told, but sometimes parables are acted out. Here is one example:
At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. (Isa 20:2-4)
Isaiah’s life, for three years was in a sense, not reality. He was play-acting a part representing what would happen to the Assyrians.
It is also important to remember that a parable is not necessarily true in itself, what is important is the truth that it teaches, not the story or the parable itself. For example, when Jesus told the story of the rich man who died and went to hell, it is clear that this was not a true story (Luke 16:19-31). In reading the story, we should look at the point he was making and not the details of the story. If we do, we will certainly come to believe in false doctrines.
The Greatest Parable
The Old Testament becomes easier to understand when we realize that the Old Testament is the greatest parable of all! What we see when we read the Old Testament, is not the truth about God, nor the way he really is. The Old Testament is a parable, but not just a parable like a story which is told, it is actually a parable that was lived, similar to Isaiah’s experience when he walked naked and barefoot.
The first thing we need to understand is that the most important thing is the lesson which it was teaching. The events which are recorded really did take place and they did happen just the way they are recorded, but these stories do not explain the reasons and the motives behind what God was doing.
The Old Testament is a legal representation of how natural law works. In other words, God established a legal system, which was an illustration of how sin operates. The natural law of life is that sin will kill those who get involved with it in even the slightest way. It is sin that destroys people, it is not God. However when God set out to teach this lesson he had to teach it perfectly, because if he misrepresented the truth then the lesson could not be properly taught.
So when we look at the Old Testament we see people being killed by God, or by his servants, for what seems to be very small transgressions. It seems that God is harsh, merciless, exacting. This is not an expression of what God is like, this is an expression of how natural law works. Nature has no mercy, has no feeling, it does not care whether you are young or old, or whether you deliberately transgressed or whether you did it innocently. For example, if a woman picks up a deadly disease whether knowingly or ignorantly, she will be sick regardless. She may pass on that disease to her unborn child. This is how nature works and it operates this way in both the physical and the spiritual realm. This is how sin operates, it is merciless without feeling, uncompromising, harsh and brutal.
A lesson must be accurate
When God set up a system to represent the danger of sin he had to represent it perfectly or else he would have been teaching a lie. He himself represented the law of consequence, the sentences which he passed and the judgments which he carried out were an expression of how sin itself will react in a person’s life. So, in order to teach the lesson accurately, God had to be faithful in carrying out the penalties, since they were an expression, or a parable concerning this law of consequence.
One may ask, but what about the people who died under this system? Are we to conclude that they are all lost? When we watch a movie, or we watch a play, we may see people dying, but at the end we see the same people alive and well. We understand that what we were watching was not the real truth even though it represented something which might be true. This is what the Old Testament was like. Many of those that we saw dying, even dying under God’s judgments are not really lost eternally. I am not saying that this is true of every one, but it is true of many. Under the system of the law, under the illustration, under the parable, they had to die because God had to be true to the lesson being taught. However, ultimately at the end it will be seen that through the system of grace many of them will still be saved. They made mistakes, or sometimes, small transgressions and were killed for it. The story of Uzzah is one such example.
And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. (2Sam 6:6-7)
Another example is the disobedient prophet who was deceived into eating in Samaria when God told him not to (1 Kings 13:7-30). Even though he was genuinely deceived, he died because of listening to man, when God had already given him clear instructions. I think the lesson is that those who look to men to direct them when God has already spoken, will introduce death into their experience. This is how natural law works and under the system of legal law, God had to be faithful in illustrating this reality. Small sins, even ignorant sins will do great harm and will ultimately destroy a person, so the lesson had to be taught.
The story is not over
However, we should remember that under grace, Christ has delivered us from the consequences of sin and so, all who have faith in Christ may escape the effects caused by sin, whether deliberately or ignorantly committed, whether small or great. So, in the true, eternal reality, many of these people who died under judgment, under the system of the law, will ultimately obtain eternal life when it is all over. It will be seen that they were as actors in a play, people who died in the movie, but who come back to life at the end, in the real system of life.
One striking example of this is Moses. Moses did not die because of old age. The Bible tells us that when he died his eye was not dim and his natural force was not abated (Deut. 34:7). Yet he went up to God in Mount Nebo and there he died. It is clear that he was put to death by God. Why did God kill him? He died unto God’s judgment because of his sin just like thousands of others died under God’s judgment during those Old Testament times. Moses had to die, because God had to be true to the lesson that he was teaching. The lesson is that the slightest connection with sin will ultimately destroy a person. This is how nature works and this is the lesson that God was teaching in this system of the law. But we know that under the system of grace Moses has received eternal life! Now that the movie is over, the parable is ended, we see the truth, the way things really are, and we see Moses alive and well.
So the point is this: All the killings that we see in the Old Testament, commanded and carried out by God do not tell the truth about what God is really like, they tell the truth about what sin is really like. The entire thing is a lesson book and the lesson is that if we get involved with sin in any way, sin will end up destroying us. In the New Testament when we are no longer dealing with a parable but dealing with reality, we see the true character of God in living color, and undisturbed, because we are no longer seeing him through the parable of the law, but through the reality of Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life.
For a more detailed presentation of this truth, we recommend our video, “The Greatest Parable,” available on DVD to those who request it, or available for watching on our You Tube channel.
www.youtube.com/user/vidjam
Campmeeting Report
Between April 13 and April 17, believers from all over Jamaica gathered together at Spice Grove in Manchester for our annual camp meeting. Altogether there were about 100 of us who came together to worship God, to praise him and to learn from his word over the four days of the camp meeting. It was not only Jamaicans who were present but we also had visitors from Germany, Romania, Hungary, Canada and as usual, from the United States.
The theme of the camp meeting was, “Called For a Purpose,” but the messages covered a wide range of topics including the Sanctuary, Righteousness by Faith, Church Government, the Character of God, Divine Healing, among other subjects. These sermons have been uploaded to the Restoration Ministries YouTube channel and may be found at:
www.YouTube.com/user/vidjam.
This was the first time that we were worshiping in the newly constructed chapel at our campsite. The chapel is not yet complete and we had no doors or windows, but still nobody paid any attention to the slight discomfort when it got windy or a little cool in the evenings. It was a similar situation with the dormitories. The windows were partially boarded-up with plywood, and a sheet of ply served for a door for both the ladies and the men’s dorm. The brethren slept on pieces of foam laid out on the concrete floor but nobody seemed to mind and all testified that they had a wonderful experience.
One encouraging feature of this camp meeting was that we had visitors from the nearby community at several of our meetings. On one occasion there were as many as eight of them and they showed real interest in what was taking place. Brother Howard had designed some special invitation cards which he and a few others handed out in the community and we were gratified to see that this effort bore fruit in people coming to visit. Some of them were present for several of the meetings.
One of the biggest highlights of the camp meeting was the baptism of three people. Sister Venice had come all the way from Spanish town in St. Catherine to enjoy our camp meeting for the first time, but came especially because she wanted to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Her daughter Samantha came along with her for the experience, but while at the camp meeting she was convicted, and she also decided to be baptized. The other candidate was my own grand daughter, Alana and it was a special joyful privilege for me to be able to baptize her with my own hands.
Some didn’t make it to camp this year, but it is certain that those who came were greatly blessed. We eagerly await next year to see what the Lord has in store for us.
Sunlight For Health
Lenworth Frankson
There is a great deal of scientific evidence which confirms that avoiding the sun could be at the core of a large number of health problems. The scientific evidence, now running in excess of 34,000 studies, describes the many benefits of UV exposure, both for vitamin D production and other benefits that are completely unrelated to vitamin D.
Our bodies produce vitamin D in response to sun exposure on bare skin, and sunlight also produces a number of other health benefits. Both humans and plants need direct sun exposure in order to thrive at their best.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center published a laboratory study using cells to show that exposure to blue and ultraviolet light increases T cell activity. (T cells are a type of white blood cell involved in the immune function and fighting infections)
T Cells are Photosensitive
It was believed that mammals only had photosensitive cells in the eye. Scientists are now finding photosensitive cells in many other areas in the human body. Studies show that T cells possess inherent photosensitivity and this property may enhance their capability of movement on skin. In other words, T cells sense and respond to light. Blue light specifically triggers the production of hydrogen peroxide in T cells, which triggers chemical reactions that result in increased T cell movement. The increased movement or activity, in turn, allows the immune cells to function better.
One interesting thing about this is that once the T cells are activated they also change their antioxidant capacity, which appears to allow for greater hydrogen peroxide production in response to light.
Vitamin D
Scientists refer to vitamin D as a vitamin but it is actually a steroid hormone obtained from sun exposure, food sources and supplements. Vitamin D receptors have been found in almost every type of human cell, from your brain to your bones. Unfortunately the media and many dermatologists have done a disservice to the public by recommending avoiding the sun to decrease skin cancers. This is because they fail to realize that vitamin D deficiency not only raises your risk of skin cancer but many of the most common cancers as well, which claim far more lives than the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma.
Breast and prostate cancers are just two examples where low vitamin D renders a person more vulnerable to more aggressive forms of the disease. Low vitamin D also raises your risk for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases.
The important thing we can do to help the prevention of skin cancer is to spend a sufficient amount of time in the sun as frequently as possible so as to maintain an optimal vitamin D level. A primary risk factor for skin cancer is occasional overexposure, not sensible exposure. Appropriate sun exposure means, first and foremost, avoiding sunburn. Overexposure most likely will result in sunburn but by carefully monitoring the amount of light you are exposed to and the time of day that you are exposed to sunlight, you will get health benefits. For most individuals, safe UV exposure is possible by knowing your skin type and the current strength of the sun’s rays. Be extremely careful if you have not been in the sun for some time. Your first exposures of the year are the most sensitive, so be especially careful to limit your initial time in the sun.
Natural Immune Booster
Evidence from medical research confirms that sunlight has immune-boosting properties. In the study mentioned earlier, light was found to stimulate the production of hydrogen peroxide, which boosted the activity of T cells. As little as five to ten minutes of sun exposure were needed to boost immune cell activity. If you think about it the surface area of human skin is large so all the T cells present in the skin could potentially benefit from the exposure to light. It is important to understand that vitamin D is only produced in the body through exposure to UVB rays, which can be harmful in cases of prolonged sun exposure.
As we already noted, blue light (the blue end of the light spectrum) from the sun’s rays, is capable of energizing infection-fighting T cells, which is one way for boosting our immunity. Excessive exposure to blue light, however, such as that from LED lighting, can be quite harmful, and may be a significant risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. (Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision. We need central vision to see objects clearly and to do tasks such as reading and driving.)
Skin Cancer
We all know that sunlight is hard on our skin. Age gets blamed for wrinkles and as well as rough, dry skin. But the real reason is a combination of age and sun that dermatologists call photoaging. Our genes play an important role as well. Some genes protect while some promote. The same is true regarding skin type. People with pale skin who sunburn easily and don’t tan are more likely to get sun-related skin cancer. The amount of sun exposure and its timing are crucial to sun burn and other problems like skin cancer. Several studies have suggested that suddenly getting a lot of sun is more dangerous then steady exposure over time. There is also evidence, which suggests that over-exposure when you are young, perhaps before your 20th birthday, matters most.
Exposure to UVB radiation from sunlight provides the body for more than 90% of the vitamin D production in most individuals but the widespread use of sunscreens, particularly those with high sun protection factors, can lead to a vitamin D level which is insufficient for protection against a wide range of diseases.
Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet light does not cause skin cancer. Scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, reported that UVA exposure is unlikely to have contributed to the rise in melanoma-a type of cancer found mostly on the skin) over the past 30 years.
No scientific literature has ever proven that sunlight causes cancer in human beings. Most studies that have attempted to find a cause have only found correlations and many scientists have also found that the toxins of the human body reacts with the UV spectrum causing cancer, not the sunlight itself.
Vitamin D can prevent the genetic damage that leads to cancer. When vitamin D binds to specific receptors, it sets off a chain of events, which many toxic agents including cancer cells are rendered harmless. However, if there is not enough vitamin D the system can become overwhelmed and cancer can develop. This is one of the reasons that people living closest to the equator have a much lower incidence (or absence) of specific cancers, which consequently increase, in locations further from the equator.
Blood Pressure
Research has shown that when sunlight strikes your skin, nitric oxide is released into your bloodstream. Nitric oxide is a powerful blood pressure lowering compound that helps protect your cardiovascular system, cutting your risk for both heart attacks and stroke.
UVB light lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels specifically the capillaries in your skin. This directs about 60 percent of your blood flow there. As a result, the sun’s rays will easily penetrate into your blood. Sunlight has UV rays that are known to kill germs and can also help destroy infections in your blood. This aspect of sunlight was used to treat tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Preventing Infectious Diseases
Both UV light and the vitamin D produced when our skin is exposed to light play a role in the destruction of microorganisms and stop their growth. Vitamin D increases production of naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds that destroy the cell walls of viruses and bacteria. UV light also increases blood levels of white blood cells. Some health experts believe that widespread sun avoidance may be responsible for the return of tuberculosis, which now kills about 4,100 people every single day. UV light, especially blue light, also acts as a potent disinfectant of your environment. Research has found that UV light can reduce the spread of tuberculosis in hospital wards and waiting rooms by 70 percent, and helps kill 90 percent of drug-resistant bacteria in hospital rooms.
Mood and Mental health
When we are exposed to sunlight, it enhances the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. This is one of the reasons why we feel better after spending some time in the sun. Light therapy has been used for quite some time for the treatment of a condition called seasonal affective disorder. More recent research has suggested that it can be useful in the treatment of major depression as well. A sunny day may do more than just boost your mood; it may increase levels of a natural antidepressant in the brain. A recent study shows that the brain produces more of the mood-lifting chemical serotonin on sunny days than on darker days. Researchers found evidence that suggest that lack of sunlight and reduced serotonin levels play a role in the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
People with SAD develop symptoms of depression in the winter months when there is less daylight. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating, low energy or fatigue, loss of interest in daily activities, moodiness, and sleeping excessive amounts.
Sunlight for Your Health
Getting a daily dose of sunlight will not only boost our mood but our health and immunity as well. We shouldn’t try to avoid the sun but rather welcome its cleansing healing rays on our skin and in our homes. Random overexposure to sunlight can definitely become a problem, but knowing the time that is best for us to be exposed as well as the amount of time we spend in the sun is important. The more intense the sun the greater our exposure to UV rays (between 10 am-4pm). Early mornings and late afternoons appear to be much safer.
The health benefits of sunlight are many including the reduction of cancer risks, lowering blood pressure, skin and bone health, memory improvement and boosting our serotonin. We are told from the pen of inspiration that sunlight is one of God’s true remedies for humanity.
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power–these are the true remedies.” MLT p. 143
King Solomon wisely stated:
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Eccl. 11:7
Open Face
May 2017
Open Face is dedicated to the promotion and the restoration of apostolic Christianity. In particular to the restoration of those truths which have been cast down to the ground and trampled underfoot by the papacy, and adopted by her daughters.
Our purpose is to motivate our readers to commit themselves wholly to the task of personal preparation for the coming of the Lord, and to the taking of the final warning message to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
Open Face is published bi-monthly, and is sent free of cost to all who desire to receive it.
Editor: …………. David Clayton
Publishing committee: Howard Williams
…………………… Karleen Williams
…………………… Jennifer Clayton
…………………… David Clayton
P.O. Box 23, Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (304) 932-4543
Jamaica: (876) 603-0821
email: vidclay@gmail.com
Website: http://www.restorationministry.com
