Last Day Events
Chapter 12—The Shaking
Church Membership No Guarantee of Salvation
It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.—Christian Service, 41 (1893). LDE 172.1
Those who have had opportunities to hear and receive of the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God.—Manuscript Releases 19:176 (1898). LDE 172.2
The Chaff Separated From the Wheat
Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed. The wheat and tares grow up together for the harvest.—Selected Messages 2:114 (1896). LDE 172.3
There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.—Letter 46, 1887. LDE 173.1
The history of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram is being repeated, and will be repeated till the close of time. Who will be on the Lord's side? Who will be deceived, and in their turn become deceivers?—Letter 15, 1892. LDE 173.2
The Lord is soon to come. There must be a refining, winnowing process in every church, for there are among us wicked men who do not love the truth or honor God.—The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895. LDE 173.3
We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.—Testimonies for the Church 6:332 (1900). LDE 173.4
Persecution Cleanses the Church
Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church.—Testimonies for the Church 4:89 (1876). LDE 173.5
The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church.—Testimonies for the Church 5:81 (1882). LDE 173.6
In the absence of the persecution there have drifted into our ranks men who appear sound and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us.—Evangelism, 360 (1890). LDE 174.1
When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.—Selected Messages 2:368 (1891). LDE 174.2
Superficial Believers Will Renounce the Faith
The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative [Ellen White is not here distinguishing theological conservatives from their liberal counterparts; she is describing those who put “worldly conformity” first and God's cause second.] class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith.—Testimonies for the Church 5:463 (1885). LDE 174.3
If Satan sees that the Lord is blessing His people and preparing them to discern his delusions, he will work with his master power to bring in fanaticism on the one hand and cold formalism on the other, that he may gather in a harvest of souls.—Selected Messages 2:19 (1890). LDE 174.4
Those who have had privileges and opportunities to become intelligent in regard to the truth and yet who continue to counterwork the work God would have accomplished will be purged out, for God accepts the service of no man whose interest is divided.—Manuscript 64, 1898. LDE 175.1
As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges but have not improved them will, under one pretext or another, go out from us.—Testimonies for the Church 6:400 (1900). LDE 175.2
The Straight Testimony Produces a Shaking
I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God's people.—Testimonies For The Church 1:181 (1857). LDE 175.3
There are those among us who will make confessions, as did Achan, too late to save themselves. ... They are not in harmony with right. They despise the straight testimony that reaches the heart, and would rejoice to see everyone silenced who gives reproof.—Testimonies for the Church 3:272 (1873). LDE 175.4
The Lord calls for a renewal of the straight testimony borne in years past. He calls for a renewal of spiritual life. The spiritual energies of His people have long been torpid, but there is to be a resurrection from apparent death. By prayer and confession of sin we must clear the King's highway.—Testimonies for the Church 8:297 (1904). LDE 176.1
Unjust Criticism Causes Loss of Souls
Even in our day there have been and will continue to be entire families who have once rejoiced in the truth, but who will lose faith because of calumnies and falsehoods brought to them in regard to those whom they have loved and with whom they have had sweet counsel. They opened their hearts to the sowing of tares, the tares sprang up among the wheat, they strengthened, the crop of wheat became less and less, and the precious truth lost its power to them.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 411 (1898). LDE 176.2
False Doctrines Draw Some Away
Science, so-called, and religion will be placed in opposition to each other because finite men do not comprehend the power and greatness of God. These words of Holy Writ were presented to me, “Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” [Acts 20:30]. This will surely be seen among the people of God.—Evangelism, 593 (1890). LDE 176.3
When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 112 (1897). LDE 177.1
Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and will depart from the faith.—Testimonies for the Church 6:401 (1900). LDE 177.2
The enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.—Evangelism, 224 (1905). LDE 177.3
Rejection of the Testimonies Results in Apostasy
One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan's banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God's Spirit.—Selected Messages 3:84 (1903). LDE 177.4
The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony.—Selected Messages 1:48 (1890). LDE 177.5
The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies.... This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who have been preparing the way for the people to pay no heed to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring into life.—Selected Messages 3:83 (1890). LDE 178.1
It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.—Testimonies for the Church 4:211. LDE 178.2
Defections Among Church Leaders
Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness.—Prophets and Kings, 188 (c. 1914). LDE 178.3
Men whom He has greatly honored will, in the closing scenes of this earth's history, pattern after ancient Israel.... A departure from the great principles Christ has laid down in His teachings, a working out of human projects, using the Scriptures to justify a wrong course of action under the perverse working of Lucifer, will confirm men in misunderstanding, and the truth that they need to keep them from wrong practices will leak out of the soul like water from a leaky vessel.—Manuscript Releases 13:379, 381 (1904). LDE 178.4
Many will show that they are not one with Christ, that they are not dead to the world, that they may live with Him; and frequent will be the apostasies of men who have occupied responsible positions.—The Review and Herald, September 11, 1888. LDE 179.1
Unsanctified Ministers Will Be Weeded Out
The great issue so near at hand [enforcement of Sunday laws] will weed out those whom God has not appointed and He will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain.—Selected Messages 3:385 (1886). LDE 179.2
Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan.... LDE 179.3
Some will go out from among us who will bear the ark no longer. But these can not make walls to obstruct the truth; for it will go onward and upward to the end.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 409, 411 (1898). LDE 179.4
Ministers and doctors may depart from the faith, as the Word declares they will, and as the messages that God has given His servant declare they will.—Manuscript Releases 7:192 (1906). LDE 179.5
The Church May Appear as About to Fall
The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves.—Testimonies for the Church 4:89 (1876). LDE 180.1
Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat.—Testimonies for the Church 5:81 (1882). LDE 180.2
Soon God's people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.... LDE 180.3
When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.—Testimonies for the Church 5:136 (1882). LDE 180.4
The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.—Selected Messages 2:380 (1886). LDE 180.5
As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.—The Great Controversy, 608 (1911). LDE 180.6
God's Faithful Will Be Revealed
The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.—Testimonies for the Church 5:80, 81 (1882). LDE 181.1
On every occasion that persecution takes place, the witnesses make decisions, either for Christ or against Him. Those who show sympathy for the men wrongly condemned, who are not bitter against them, show their attachment for Christ.—The Signs of the Times, February 20, 1901. LDE 181.2
Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the half-hearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter than in days of prosperity.—The Great Controversy, 602 (1911). LDE 181.3
New Converts Will Take the Places of Those Who Leave
Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.—Early Writings, 271 (1858). LDE 182.1
The broken ranks will be filled up by those represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. There are many with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of God's destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who [now] have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched, His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.—Letter 103, 1903. LDE 182.2
Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord's army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God.—Testimonies for the Church 8:41 (1904). LDE 182.3