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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Eugene Prewitt: The Spirit of Prophecy

Eugene Prewitt

The Purpose of a Lesser Light

Turn with me in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 12.

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.

Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

Then I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Many shall be purified and made white and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and notice this next point, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

If we turn this down, then I can put it closer to me and it might work out better.

The first point I want to make from Daniel 12, verse 10, is that a man who knows Hebrew and other ancient biblical languages, who has devoted himself to 15 or 20 years of studying those things, if that man is still a captive to his appetites and passions, he's incapable of understanding the book of Daniel.

And that a man who is a plumber and has devoted his life to learning how to fix plumbing, but has a heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit, if he will humbly ask God to teach him, he can understand the book of Daniel.

The comprehension is a product of spirituality in Daniel 12.10, and spirituality alone.

It says none of the wicked will understand.

This weekend we're speaking about the spirit of prophecy and I'm I'm gonna dare to do something tomorrow, and I think I won't regret it, but if I do, I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm gonna dare to take questions from the floor from anyone who has encountered an objection against Ellen White on 1 of those anti-Ellen White websites or from some other source and just open the floor for anyone to bring up any 1 of them and I'm going to try to deal with whatever comes up right here and just answer those objections.

For my own purposes, this week I went to the most famous 1, Ellenwhite.org, and I just went through every page I could in a matter of an hour to see, is there something new, something I haven't seen, something...

It's rehash of all the old stuff, and there's good answers to everything.

Tonight I want to ask a question, answer a question though that I asked myself.

If you have a good light, say a bright light in the room, why would you need a lesser light?

We talk about the lesser light that leads to the greater light.

If we didn't have the greater light, it would be sensible that we could use a lesser light.

But if we have a greater light, why do we need a lesser light?

And I want to look at the answer to that by reminding you or telling you of 2 items that were called lesser lights by Ellen White before Ellen White referred to herself as the lesser light.

If you look there in your handout, you'll see there A and B and their number 1 the Old Testament and John the Baptist Elm white referred to the Old Testament as a lesser light that led to the or pointed to the greater light of the New Testament And she referred to John the Baptist as a lesser light that pointed to the greater light of the ministry of Jesus.

Look with me in your Bible at John chapter 5.

We're looking to see the Bible identify a lesser and greater light and then to try to approach this question why do we need a lesser 1?

Speaking of John the Baptist it says, He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in His light.

He was a bright light, but notice verse 36.

But I have a greater witness than John's.

And if I could make 1 point from John 5, 36 and 35, it is that a lesser light is not necessarily dim.

Does that make any sense to you, what I just said?

That John the Baptist was a lesser light, but he was a bright and a shining light.

If you remember from the Bible, the purpose of John the Baptist is clearly stated in Isaiah and by him.

And if I could summarize the point I'm getting to, 1 reason that we need a lesser light is that we're not prepared for the greater light.

The fact of the matter is that most of us, maybe all of us, can open up our Bible and to certain parts of it We just don't comprehend what we are reading.

But there's more than that, much more than this.

And if the great light of Daniel comes, for example, to a wicked man, and he has not been led yet to repent of his sins, he will not comprehend the great light.

There may be a lesser light that he needs very badly, and that's the light that will guide him to repentance.

He was a lesser light that pointed to the greater light, and there are many Adventists today.

Laodicea characterizes our church in general as an unconverted church that has, we're naked.

We're not clothed with the righteousness of Jesus.

If we're not converted, we're wicked, and if we're wicked, we don't understand.

And if the great light was right here for us, we wouldn't get it.

Because the lesser light points out our sins.

The lesser light was intended by Jesus to prepare the way of the Lord to make crooked ways straight by pointing to us our idols so we could turn away from them and get out of that category of those who can't comprehend.

John chapter 1 and we're looking at verse 5.

It says, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all through him might believe.

He, that is John, was not that light but he was sent to bear witness of that light.

That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

In this verse, if you didn't have John 5, you might even say that John wasn't a light.

But this verse doesn't say John wasn't a light.

He was a bright and he was a shining light, but he was pointing to a greater light.

It wasn't only repent and turn from your sins, That was 1 part of it, but there was something more.

And many of you have an experience with the desire of ages and understand something about a need for the lesser light.

It has a purpose to point us to the greater light.

I'd like to give a little definition of light just for a minute.

Ephesians chapter 5 and we're looking at verse 13.

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

In a spiritual sense, that's just a simple definition.

When we talk about a lesser light or a greater light, both of these lights are lights.

And what does light do, according to Ephesians 5?

It exposes, it makes manifest the things that haven't been seen.

The point of, the first of the 3 points I want to make tonight, about why we need a lesser light or the purpose of the lesser light Is that we need a heart preparation to receive the greater light?

Some people doubtless Accepted Jesus who never heard John the Baptist It's not that if you don't have the lesser light your case is hopeless, but there are many that received Jesus because of John the Baptist that would not have received him without him.

And it would be a mistake to say the lesser light is not needed.

We need someone to give us a heart preparation so we can receive the truth that God has for us.

The second point there, it says the irony in the use of the famous lesser light statement.

The Faithful Testimony of Jesus and Sources of Unbelief

When you were coming in, you might have seen a little paper that was an outline of this weekend series.

But I've been informed by 2 young men who walked up here that many of you didn't see it.

Or you didn't care to pick it up, 1 of the 2.

If you'd like a copy of that outline, if you'll raise your hand, there are people behind you who will give you 1 of those.

You'll just hold your hand up until you get 1.

For those of you that have 2 free hands, turn with me in your Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 8.

1 Corinthians chapter 8, and we're looking at verse 1.

There was a time in Adventist history when this passage was pivotal to our future.

And if I understand the history correctly, that if this passage had been understood And practiced, we wouldn't have been born, which would not have hurt our feelings.

Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.

That first verse is significant because we've heard that in all you're getting, get knowledge.

We've heard that knowledge is the chief thing.

A knowledge of God is how we receive the precious promises that allow us to partake the divine nature in 1st Peter.

But is there something dangerous about knowledge?

Knowledge can make a man proud, and if it does that, it's a disaster.

Because for the few of you that were here last night, how many of the wicked understand?

None of the wicked, according to Daniel 12, none of the wicked understand.

And if you can imagine this, you're learning more and more knowledge until you become proud and so now you're wicked and so now you don't understand.

That would be knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, no understanding.

It would be a disaster if that was the pattern you followed in your spiritual life.

Verse 2, And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing as yet as he ought to know.

In the time in Adventist history when this happened, there was a young man preaching, And there was an elder gentleman in the audience.

Jones was speaking on a topic that Uriah Smith was familiar with.

The covenants, and the law of God, and the Sabbath, and righteousness, and faith, and how these things work together.

Uriah Smith's opinion was that he understood these things.

And if you understand these things, which are the foundation of Christianity, why would you need to hear a young man speaking about them.

He never wrote that, and I might be putting into his mind words, or speaking like words he never had in his mind, but whatever the case was, A.T.

That if we think we know it, the 1 thing the Bible says is we don't know as well as we ought to.

If we would confess that, we would be teachable.

Because there is a deplorable situation where a man has so much knowledge that he is no longer teachable.

That would mean that he is proud and he has no understanding of those things mentioned in Daniel 12.

If in our learning we begin to feel that we know things pretty well, not only do we contradict 1 Corinthians 8, but we set ourselves up for the curse of 1 Corinthians 8, we can become proud and that's a disaster.

Last night we were speaking about the need for the spiritual gifts in the church.

I think For many of you, you've studied this at some point, maybe in an evangelistic series or during baptismal studies, maybe you haven't.

But the Bible is very clear that spiritual gifts are continuing in the church today.

How long are they going to be in the church?

Till we come to a unity of the faith, to the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The gifts are here, but why would we need, for example, to have prophets in the church or a prophet in the church when we have the Bible which is so true and full of everything that we need.

The reason that John the Baptist was sent, even though Jesus was about to come, wasn't because John the Baptist was more accurate than Jesus.

Have you ever wondered, why didn't we not just start with Jesus?

Since Jesus was wiser and brighter and more holy than John the Baptist, why not just skip John and go straight to Jesus?

He was the voice crying in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord, to make ready a people for His coming.

We need those extra biblical prophets because our hearts are not prepared to receive the truth for this time.

Is this a particularly converted generation?

For those of you over in that little corner, is the second passage there?

I want to go to Revelation 3, but I guess I should follow the order there.

What I'm talking about right now is this idea of the testimony of Jesus.

For those who have gone through studies in the truths taught by Adventists, we would know that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

But first Corinthians, second Corinthians, that's what I meant and that's where I am.

That's because I'm thinking about those Chronicles things.

Chapter 17, and looking at verse 9, in the gifts of the spirits that the New Testament lists, you'll find some gifts like pastors and teachers and evangelists.

Pastors and teachers, 1 of the things they're to do is to point out sin in the body.

I don't know if your speakers here do it.

But If they're doing their duty, they're going to be pointing out sins.

Not particularly the sins that are out there, because it's no good to point those out to you.

But there is a problem with depending on pastors to point out the sins of the church.

Also, the children of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right.

Does that describe the people of God still today?

Is it possible that there are people here who are living in sin, some very wicked abominable sin, and that the elders here know nothing about it?

I mean, guaranteed, Unless you're just a bunch of holy people.

It's guaranteed because God's people do secretly those things.

And the pastors, maybe intuitively, can preach against some sins, but God uses another means to preach against sins that pastors can't see.

Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all His prophets, every seer saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law, which I commanded your fathers, which I sent to you by My servants, the prophets." What is the testimony of the Lord in this verse?

By the way, when we read about the Lord in the Old Testament, check me on this, I believe it's Jesus.

That Jesus, if you'll check the order of inspiration, the Father gives a message to Jesus, who gives it to his angel to give it unto his servants, the prophets, and they give it to us.

And the Lord here that testifies by his servants, the prophets is Jesus.

So when you say the testimony of the Lord, I'm just going to read it simply.

It's the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And what do the prophets and seers say when the Lord is testifying through them?

So Persecuted They the Prophets

Who can tell me where in the New Testament you can find a book of the Bible that is written to a church very similar to Laodicea?

Who can tell me which New Testament books were written to a church that had in it living prophets?

Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11 verse 19 Once upon a time in a land far far away a Gentleman preached on this passage It was recorded on tape and I got the tape years after he had died, which tells me that if you preach the Word of God, it doesn't always stop working when you die.

Verse 19 says, For There must also be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Is there a place for heresies in the church?

They have an essential quality, because not everyone in the church is a safe teacher.

Not everyone is someone you want to study under or receive instruction from.

And you need some way to distinguish between those who are approved by God and those who are not.

And what has he put in the church to serve that essential purpose?

I'm debating how much to preach about that.

I think I'll preach 1 more step about it and then leave it alone.

Turn from your Bibles to Romans, this isn't written up there.

Romans chapter 15, excuse me, verse 16, chapter 16.

Says, now I urge you brethren, mark those which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them.

Isn't that sensible in light of 1 Corinthians 11?

What are the purpose of heresies in the church?

We're to study to show ourselves approved unto God, right?

A workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God?

Heresies show who are studying to show themselves approved.

And what if you find a man who's speaking against the truth and causing divisions and offenses contrary to the truth?

Which is different than the word tuition.

My better judgment almost told me not to say that.

It says, Verse 18, it says, For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple." Simple, and our word for that is uneducated.

Who is it that are deceived by these kind of people?

Those who cause divisions contrary to the doctrine.

What's the purpose of people in the church that teach contrary to the doctrine?

It's so you can know who are approved of God.

In the passage written over there, Galatians 5, I don't think I put a verse there, if I didn't, anyway, it's verse 19.

You're familiar with verse 22, It's the fruits of the Spirit, the love, joy, peace.

Well, if you go back up to verse 18, you have the fruits of the flesh, which somehow never ended up nearly as famous.

But at the end of verse 19, 1 of the fruits of the flesh are...

I didn't tell you to, so you don't need to be.

Right there, you have all these different things that people do who are serving their own bellies and what's 1 of the fruits of serving the belly?

If I can say this point clearly, if you're a glutton, don't begin to evaluate whether Ellen White is a true prophet.

You'll most certainly come to a wrong conclusion, Eventually.

If you are serving your own lusts in some other way, whether it's a desire for honor or for power or whatever the case, if you're serving self and with that self-service you come to the issue of determining what is right and what is wrong, you're going to conclude the wrong eventually, if not immediately.

That's part of what you missed this morning.

I'm skipping past 12.17, assuming that it's just very familiar to us, but 1217 speaking in the last day church describes it Maybe this also will get me in trouble even with people who are helping to pay for my plane ticket here but The church in Revelation 12 is not the organized body.

I really do believe in an organized body, that it's essential, and it is the church that we're speaking of when we talk about testimonies of the church.

But if you look at that church in Revelation 12, she has on a white robe.

And you'll see there that she's the same church from before Christ was born to the very end.

And you'll find there that her seat are called the remnant.

And the remnant are those that are chosen according to the election of grace.

Maybe this is just getting too far too fast, but I'll just say my point.

When he said, I alone am left and they seek my life.

And God said, I have reserved myself 7, 000 that have not bowed down the knee to Baal.

Now let me ask you were those 7, 000 the visible or the invisible church?

Revelation 12 was about the invisible church.

I don't go with those people who teach that that's the only true definition of church.

And there you have the remnant who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, which is where we're looking.

Revelation 19 and verse 10 says, speaking about John, and I fell at his feet to worship him that is the angel But he said to me see thou do it not I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

There are 2 thoughts in this verse significant to me.

The 1 we're more familiar with and the 1 we're less familiar.

The less familiar thought is that John had been with Jesus for 3 and a half years and understood the 10 Commandments, but when he was in the presence of a holy being dazzling like an angel, without thinking about it, he violated the second commandment.

We need to be seeking for some experience because when I come to revelation 22, I find John doing the very same thing And what did the angel here say?

Now I, John, saw and heard these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

At least I see that there is something about human nature in these 2 passages that is scary.

I understand from these passages that the temptation to false worship in our day is going to be so intense that even if we had an experience like John, we might just go the wrong way.

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Eugene Prewitt: The Spirit of Prophecy

The Faithful Testimony of Jesus and Sources of Unbelief

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