"TO THE TWELVE TRIBES WHICH ARE SCATTERED ABROAD, GREETINGS:"

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breast: let the bridegroom of forth of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?" (Joel 2:15-17.)

Joel's prophecy above quoted must meet its fulfillment in the time when probation's hours are fast closing, for the Word says, "Let the bridegroom go forth of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet." The term, "let", means to allow it to be so; and as the bridegroom is Christ at the time when He is to be crowned or married to the New Jerusalem -- His bride -- (Rev. 21:9), this scripture can not meet its fulfillment at any time other than when this event, to which all heaven and earth have been looking forward, is about to take place. Therefore, the Lord is urging us to "blow the trumpet in Zion" (the church), and to hasten the time of crowning Him King of kings and Lord of lords -- the time in which He closes His mediatorial work, -- "goes forth of His chamber" -- the Most Holy place.

The command, "Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts," signifies a complete separation from the world of "old and young, both maids and little children, and women" "that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof" (Ezek. 9:4,6): and being prophetically made to the church (Zion), this command evidences the fact that when the trumpet shall blow in fulfillment of this scripture, it will find Zion, His church, unsanctified and commingled with the world. Therefore, comes the call for sanctification.

The conditions further prove that this scripture meets its fulfillment now, because the church at the present time has, by her institutions, entangled herself with the institutions of the world, but we thank the Lord that years ago the "Spirit of Prophecy" predicted that "somebody was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah" ("Testimonies to Ministers," p. 475), and that "God will have men who are true to duty. At the right time He sends His faithful messengers to do a work similar to that of Elijah." ("Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 5, p. 254.)

The foregoing prophecies are now becoming history, and this prophetic organ "The Symbolic Code," proves to be the mouth piece of the Elijah message, leading hundreds of S.D.A.'s in the work of helping this message to restore the defunct and decadent institutes of the Christian religion; for, as it is written, "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Matt. 17:11), and "in the time of the end, every divine institution is to be restored." -- "Prophets and Kings," p. 678.)

"For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." (Isa.1,2).

"While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth...Then the church which our Lord at His coming is to receive to Himself will be 'a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.' Then she will look forth 'as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.'" -- "The Great Controversy," p. 425. Then it shall be said: d."Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shine" (Ps. 50:2.)

Therefore, in this promised restitution of "all things" under the economy of the Elijah message, it is the privilege of each to help restore, in all the beauty and perfection of primitive simplicity, the pre-eminently important institute of the: schools of the prophets which, since before the days of Christ, has been a stranger to the church, as is evidenced by the fact that the denominational schools, through the accrediting boards of the state universities, are joined hand in hand with the schools of the world, despite the following solemn instruction to contrary: "Let us determine that we will not be tied by so much as a thread to the educational policies of those who do not discern the voice of God, and who will not hearken to His commandments." -- "Counsels to Teachers," p. 255.

By adopting the worldly standard, the church has turned back from following Christ her Leader ("Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 5, p. 217), and has become the tail instead of the head -- dishonoring Christ.

"The Lord would now have every idea that is false put away from teachers and students. We are not at liberty to teach that which shall meet the world's standard or the standard of the church, simply because it is the custom to do so. The lessons which Christ taught are to be the standard. That which the Lord has spoken concerning the instruction to be given in our schools is to be strictly regarded; for if there is not in some respects an education of an altogether different character from that which has been carried on in some of our schools, we need not have gone to the expense of purchasing lands and erecting school-buildings," -- "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 6, p. 142.

Bibliothèque

(Waco TX) "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call