General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

SERMON

W. W. Prescott

April 15, 7 P. M.

Let us spend a moment in silent prayer, specially asking God to give us quietness of mind and readiness to receive the truth which he may give to us. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.9

History repeats itself. The same tendency to depart from God’s word; the same slowness to heed his message; the same stubbornness of heart rising up against God, bring about over and over again, the same experiences in this history of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. When we can take God’s word, and in the light of that word can see these repeated cycles of history, see what led to these experiences, and see what delivered God’s people from these experiences, we may learn lessons for the present. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.10

I ask you to study with me in the light of the Word, three times when the same set of circumstances have led to the same experiences, and I want you to note with me what has been the nature of the message that has been delivered in every case, and in order that we may see with all possible clearness, just what the lesson is, I am going to do what I do not usually do, and that is, point out a little in advance. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.11

Now will you think with me? The three points in this experience to which I want you to give your minds at this hour, are these:— GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.12

1. The time just before God’s people went into captivity, and were carried down into Babylon. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.13

2. The time just before the destruction of Jerusalem. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.14

3. The present time; this very hour. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.15

I repeat:— GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.16

1. That period in the history of God’s people and work just previous to the time when his people were carried down into Babylonish captivity. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.17

2. That period of time just before the destruction of Jerusalem. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.18

3. The present hour. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.19

Will you read with me first in the thirteenth chapter of the book of the Acts of the apostles? In this chapter we have at least a brief outline of a talk which Paul the apostle gave at Antioch and if you call up the outline, you will remember that he began with the experience of the children of Israel in being called out of Egypt, called attention briefly to some points in history, then brought them down to the events that were in their minds then; namely, those experiences attending the first coming and the teaching, the death and resurrection of Christ; and then he closed with these words (vs. 38-41): “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.20

And this was spoken in the prophets. In what prophets?—First by the prophet Isaiah 29:13, 14: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.21

Now when was this prophecy given? and what events were facing God’s people when Isaiah the prophet came to them with this message? For we must know this in reading the scripture, that these prophecies given in ancient time were not given to be locked up and laid aside until away down sometime when people would arise, and say, These prophecies apply in our time. That prophecy applied in that very time, and had in it a present message and warning for the people of that very time. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.22

And what were their circumstances? And what led to the need of this warning? You will see that it was about 712 B. C. when this prophecy was given by the prophet Isaiah, and you will remember that this was a little over a century before the people were carried into Babylonish captivity were working then. We called attention to this once before,—how that the people had departed from the true worship of God, although keeping up with great tenacity all the forms and ceremonies. But God rebuked them through this same prophet, and said that their sacrifices, and oblations, and prayers, and services were a burden to him, and he was weary with bearing them, and would have no more of them. And why?—Because while clinging to the forms the outward ceremonies, they had left out of those forms and ceremonies the only thing that made them of any value in God’s sight. GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.23

What did the sacrifices mean if they were not the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart? What did the oblations mean if they were not giving themselves? Religion has not changed. God has not changed. It has always been the same. The heart is what he seeks for. He will be king, and will rule even the thoughts of the heart. When the heart is far from him, outward forms, motions of the body merely, are a mockery in his sight. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.1

This is why he began these messages. And in this first message through Isaiah more than a century before the captivity of Babylon, he simply said, “I will work a work; and it will be a marvelous work; and the reason of it will be because this people’s heart has departed from me.” And yet the people went on in the same way, and heeded not these messages of warning and reproof. And so we come down nearly a century later, and read the prophecy of Habakkuk, first chapter. This is about twenty years before the overthrow of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the carrying away of the people into captivity. Now Habakkuk the prophet takes up the same strain. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.2

Notice together what Isaiah says and what Habakkuk says, which makes up what Paul quotes in the thirteenth chapter of the book of Acts, from that which is written in the prophets. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.3

And there it is; Habakkuk first chapter, fifth verse, after the prophet has inquired of the Lord why it is that he brings before him scenes of violence and strife, and keeps these pictures before his mind, the Lord replies: “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.4

Now the message is to the very people to whom he is speaking, that it will come in their days. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.5

“Behold, I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” What does he say that work is?—“For, do, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.6

In Isaiah he said, “The wisdom of the wise men shall perish.” In Habakkuk he says, “I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation,” that shall come against them, and overthrow them; they shall march out to take possession of their dwelling-places or the lands which are not theirs. And that did happen. Only twenty years from the time of this prophecy Jerusalem was taken captive, and part of the vessels of the house of God were carried down to Babylon; some of the princess also, Daniel and his companions among them. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.7

Then Nebuchadnezzar took control of the affairs in Jerusalem; and that was speedily followed by a further steady downfall, until in the time of Zedekiah, when the city was destroyed, the temple was burned, and the vessels were taken away from the house of God, and the people were carried off to a strange land. And why?—Just for one simple reason: They had lost their religion; they had lost the message God had given them; that message of heart working, that message of life working within; and they had come to look upon Jerusalem, the city and the temple and its outward services, as religion. Then they multiplied forms and ceremonies; then they prided themselves on the tenacity with which they held to those forms, while the life, the power, the religion, had all gone out of them. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.8

And in order that their eyes and their experience might be turned from the outward and the visible, in which there is no power to save, to the inward life, the power within, God let a train of circumstances follow that took away the city, that took away the temple—that took away all that—and put a stop to all the outward service, that allowed the enemies of God’s people to carry off the very vessels consecrated to divine service in God’s temple; and the people themselves went off as captives, because they had lost the freedom of the gospel of salvation and because they had been long time now captives of sin. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.9

And what is the message that was to deliver them?—The same message that Paul preached in his day, and the same message that is to be preached in this day. Let us look at the next step. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.10

Now go to the book of Acts, thirteenth chapter, and note the circumstances. After Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple burned, the vessels carried away, the people made captives by that visitation of the prophet because of their sins, they were allowed to turn unto God with repentance and confession. And Daniel’s prayer in the ninth chapter of Daniel is the breathing out of the confession of the people in captivity. And God sent them a message of deliverance, and they were delivered. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.11

The city was rebuilt, the temple was restored, the service went on again, and the cycle of history began to turn around again; and now we have come to the time of the first advent; and what are the circumstances?—The very same things over again. Forms and ceremonies, the outward temple beautifully decorated, the service very elaborate, the hearts of the people like whited sepulchers. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.12

And when Christ came to teach the people the truth—because he swept aside their traditions, their human inventions, what they had taught to God’s people—because he swept that all away, they looked upon him with holy horror, and they thought he was removing all the religion from the people: and he was not removing any religion at all. They had lost religion out of their hearts, out of their experiences. They were trusting in forms and ceremonies, saying, That is God’s temple. Had he not wrought for its rebuilding? Had he not prophesied concerning it? And so right in the very courts of the temple they practiced robbery, and deceit, and fraud, and built themselves up in it, because it was done within the precincts of the temple. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.13

Christ came to do his work of teaching the truth, sweeping aside these things that were of no account whatever, to bring men back to the one simple thing,—faith in a personal Saviour from sin; that no form, no ceremony, no outward prophecy, no kind of ritual, no building—nothing—could take the place of the personal, individual faith in the forgiving grace of Jesus Christ. And he taught that lesson; and how did they receive it? Those leaders in that time, who stood outwardly for religion, said, If we let this man thus alone, the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.14

What were they holding to? They were looking to their place, their outward position, they were looking for political preferment, political power; and they said, If this man goes on with his teaching, all men will believe on him, and then who will volunteer to fight the Romans? who will constitute our armies? When this man teaches the gospel of peace, and the men who believe in him refuse to fight, but rather pray for their enemies,—ah, they must be stopped; for if this man goes on, all men will believe on him and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation. And so they put him to death. GCB April 17, 1901, page 303.15

Now see how Paul in referring to this matter, states it in this thirteenth chapter of the book of Acts, twenty-eighth verse and onward: “And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.1

“And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.2

“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.3

And what does it all turn upon?—Upon the power of the endless life to deliver from corruption; so that he saw no corruption, in that he was raised from the dead. Then he said, “Because of this,—because of this power of the endless life revealed in this man Christ Jesus, there is justification to every one who believes in his power to justify from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.4

Then what was the warning?—“Beware, therefore lest that come upon you which was spoken by the prophet,—lest that same experience be repeated.” When was this spoken?—You will see that this was about A. D. 40. What was looming up then before the history of that people?—It was the overthrow of Jerusalem again. When Christ was here, he said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.5

Speaking later, after His crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, Paul the apostle says to the people to whom he was talking, as a present message again, the message which, after all, has been since the beginning. Isaiah stated it, Habakkuk stated it, and the people have gone through that same experience, and there was in the pages of divine history, for the people to learn, the lesson of confidence in the power of God. GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.6

And now we are passing the same circumstances over again. Here is Jerusalem threatened with destruction. And why?—For the very same reason as in the olden time,—because they had refused the truth, because they had refused the message of God, because they had turned away from heart service, and had accepted form and ceremony in place of that working of God’s life in the heart and soul. Now we stand facing those same circumstances again, and he sounds that warning again, “Beware lest that same thing come upon you.” And the nation, as a nation, as a people, heeded not the warning, did not take to heart the lesson of this history, and A. D. 70 Titus came with the Roman army, and Jerusalem was again destroyed, the temple was again burned; everything outward and visible was taken away from that people, and that nation was scattered abroad, and they have never been gathered. GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.7

That same cycle of history has been repeated. Now we are dealing with Jerusalem just the same, and we are dealing with Babylon just the same. But to make the distinction, we are dealing with the Jerusalem of which ancient Jerusalem was the type, and we are dealing with modern Babylon, of which ancient Babylon was the type; and to-day we stand in the same place; this third time now, and the last time, God’s people are brought face to face again with these same set of circumstances, and he has preserved this warning for us, and he sends it to us now: “Beware, lest that come upon you which was spoken of in the prophets: Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.8

The building up of Jerusalem is simply the gathering of the people. The building of the temple is simply the gathering of the people. The 147th Psalm 2nd verse: “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.” Read the fifteenth chapter of Acts, where James quoted, when they were deciding that question as to the cause of God among the Gentiles, in that first conference at Jerusalem, and he says: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, who doeth all these things.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.9

The building up of ancient Jerusalem was simply the object-lesson of history. The building up of the temple again was simply the object-lesson of history, to teach us the truth, the reality, of these things. GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.10

What built up Jerusalem away back at the first? What delivered them from Babylon, and brought them there to carry out God’s instruction and to rebuild the city?—It was that message which Habakkuk the prophet gave. After fixing the time when these things should happen, you will remember that scripture which we have read before, beginning at the second chapter. He says here that, standing upon his watch tower, he would wait to see what the Lord would say to him in answer to his inquiry as to what all this meant. And what did he say? “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is filled up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” GCB April 17, 1901, page 304.11