“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at [thy] side.” Isaiah 60:1-4.
There are over six billion people in the world today, including one billion Muslims, one billion Catholics, one and one half billion Chinese, one billion Indians etc. The Lord cannot effectively save these people with the tameless sermons of today. It will need a sanctified ministry invulnerable to death, speaking all languages, and under the Pentecostal Power to do such a work. God’s glory – His character must be seen in the missionary workers. He has a plan and a time to get this done. Here we read:
“Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan’s supreme effort is made to cause “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones, “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,” will “shine as lights in the world.” Revelation 13:16; Philippians 2:15. The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine. {Prophets & Kings, pg. 188.2}.
The greatest Pentecostal call for God’s people out of Babylon take place during the “Time of Trouble” when the Sunday law is passed. According to Revelation 18:1-4 the great call comes after Babylon is fallen. The complete fall of Babylon is yet future. The Great Controversy clears this up.
“Not yet, however, can it be said that “Babylon is fallen,… because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination.” {The Great Controversy, pg. 389.2}.
Dear Brethren, this is the Biblical agenda and sequence of events. Let us no longer worship God with false conception. Let us be informed of God’s plan of which we can be participants.
The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9‑11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future. {The Great Controversy, pg. 389.3}
Clear it is that when “darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people,” it will be the time when Satan would have succeeded in enforcing the Sunday Law upon the world. That will be the fulfillment of Revelation 12:17, when he will make war with the woman. Now we can better understand the following statement:
“The truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impossible for us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by erroneous opinions. Many claim that it matters not what one believes, if his life is only right. But the life is molded by the faith. If light and truth is within our reach, and we neglect to improve the privilege of hearing and seeing it, we virtually reject it; we are choosing darkness rather than light.” {The Great Controversy, pg. 597.2}.
What can the devil accomplish when confronted with the 144,000 glorified spirit-filled missionaries who are immune to death after they are sealed? It will be said of the Great Multitude that will join the church at that time: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14).
Do you think it is Satan trying to deceive you by calling your attention to these vital truths, or is it the Lord trying to prepare you for the Great and Dreadful Day?
“It is with an earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the Day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion. John says, “I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” [Rev. 18:1]. Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue.‑‑6BC 1055 (1886).” {LDE 202.3}.
“There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out his Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of time. But we are not ignorant of his devices. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come.” {Review & Herald, March 22, 1887 par. 7}.