A Seal of the Living God

THE TIME AND ORDER OF THE SEALING, WITH “THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD”

Let us then look at the subject as we have already explained it, and connect it with other prophecies; and past and present history. SLG 45.3

1st. John saw that there was four principal nations located on the four quarters of this earth which had, or could have the power on land and sea; and that they were organized governments, as we have before stated on page 4. We believe them to be 1st, Great Britain; 2nd, France; 3rd, Russia; 4th, United States of North America. And that he saw them all disorganized, which caused “such a time of trouble as never was since there was a NATION.” - Daniel 12:1. Now Daniel’s time of trouble cannot be, or begin to come while the nations are standing in their organized state. SLG 45.4

Hence, when these four principal ones over earth and sea, become disorganized, then all the minor governments of the earth will also become disorganized. SLG 45.5

Thus the whole earth will be in a complete state of revolution, devastation, and destruction. A WIND will then indeed blow, viz: the weapons of destruction which God calls a sword, and as a most natural consequence the other winds will follow, viz: famine, noisome beasts and pestilence. This, I understand, is what John refers to by their holding the four winds, see page 10th. SLG 45.6

In this state of things they will also destroy the trees, especially fruit trees, “which are for man’s life in the siege. SLG 46.1

Now immediately preceding this awful state of things, or before it becomes general, see Ezekiel 9:6-8, John saw sealing messengers going forth with “the seal of the living God,” which cried, “injure not”, or in other words, hold! the four winds must not be let go, until we do our work; for if we do not seal the servants of our God first, they will not be prepared to pass this overwhelming time of trouble. Therefore they must keep head of the men who are to injure, and destroy. This is in accordance with both visions. Now these four nations and governments, and God’s servants, are here. SLG 46.2

How will they know when and where to begin with their sealing message? Answer: when they see either or any of these powers becoming disorganized, and A WIND begin to blow, meaning the slaughter weapons or sword.. Has any thing like this been seen? Yes! SLG 46.3

We will begin with FRANCE, one of these four-powers. The public journals have stated that on the 22nd day of last February France became disorganized, deposed their king, and burnt up his throne, (“cast it down, Daniel 7:9,”) and himself and family fled to England for safety. In this emergency they established a Provincial or temporary government, which continued until about the 23rd June last, when that was destroyed by a counter revolution. Here was presented a specimen of the time of trouble; the scene was principally then in Paris, her capital, where her Legislative body was in session, endeavoring to enact a new code of laws to govern the people. The work of devastation and death began again by the reign of mob law. Barricades and places of defense were hastily thrown up by the mob, or opposite party; these as we were informed, were made from paving stones, side walks, furniture, carriages, and especially trees, yes, all that they could command. The reign of terror was such in the course of two days that the heads of the provincial government was compelled to yield their authority unreservedly into the hands of the commander and chief of about one hundred thousand soldiers, then in and around the city. The continued reports of the killed and wounded soldiers, and valuable officers, pouring in to the Chamber of Deputies, the Legislative body which had convened to make laws for these people dissolve in confusion, and seize their war weapons to compel those that opposed them to yield, or fall by the sword. As all power and authority to restrain the insurgents had now failed, military law was proclaimed, and the city was laid under a siege; one man having power and authority to do as he pleased. The papers go on to state, that women were equally engaged with the men. One mounted the barricade waving her flag in defiance of the numerous armed troops that opposed, for refusing to retire she was shot down; another seizes the flag and takes her place; she also shared the same fate. The barricade was now captured, and but one living man behind it. In one meeting house fourteen hundred dead soldiers were piled one upon another. - See Ezekiel 7:22, 24. One woman boasted that she had cut off the heads of five soldiers with her kitchen knife. In another quarter it was said they had prepared an engine with vitriol to blind the soldiers, while others were throwing missiles and scalding water upon the soldiers from their windows and house tops. SLG 46.4

It was also stated that five hundred insurgents were taken prisoners by the soldiers who marched them out into an open space and then surrounded, and butchered them in cold blood; and the next morning four hundred more shared the same fate. Besides many more awful representations of murder, rapine, and blood. Among the prisoners taken during this terrific state of things, papers were found upon, or about their persons, stating what they in their secret club meetings were resolved to do if they became the victors; one article was that all property accumulated since 1815, should be confiscated and appropriated for their use, etc. etc. The work of death and slaughter spread throughout the land. It was also stated that about fifteen hundred of these self-styled enlightened republicans marched out in a body, declaring their right of liberty and equality; and entered one of their neighboring cities. The citizens took the alarm and fled, leaving them for a while unmolested in their work of misrule and plunder. After the first alarm had a little subsided, the citizens armed themselves with whatever implements of destruction they could seize, and recaptured their city, goods, etc. And thus the work of revolution and counter revolution; neighbor against neighbor, has been spreading and taking root throughout the continent of Europe. SLG 47.1

One more important item was stated. viz: that the mob seized the railway stations and tore up the rails, and cut off the electric wires, for the purpose of stopping all intercourse; to prevent their neighbors from interfering until they should become the victors. In this way all intercourse was stopped. SLG 48.1

See what a rushing and struggling has been, and now going on among the people to overthrow and cast down the thrones of the Potentates of Europe, viz: Prussia, Hanover, Sardinia, Sicily, Naples, Venice, Lombardy, Tuscany, Rome, etc. See the account from the Boston Times of Oct. 26, 1848, of the flight of the Emperor of Austria from VIENNA, the capital of his vast dominions, and of the insurrection and siege of that city for eight successive days, from the 6th of October. How they too in their work of slaughter, when they became victors tore up the railways and demolished bridges to stop all further intercourse. See also a similar state of things in Berlin, under the king of Prussia. SLG 48.2

Almost every arrival from Europe shows that these difficulties instead of being settled are breaking out like volcanic eruptions in other parts of their territories, and other places. SLG 48.3

Well, say the thoughtless ones, these things are nothing more than what has been before. I reply, if any thing like this had ever transpired among the most enlightened nations of Europe, we should find it recorded in past history. Isolated revolutions are trivial, when compared as it were with continental Europe. These things without any doubt are in their progress and order the fulfillment of prophecy, viz: “The nations are angry, thy wrath has come.” - Revelation 11:18. The seventh angel HAS sounded, 15th verse. “The time of trouble such as never was,” Daniel 12:1, has began; see Ezekiel’s man clothed in linen, and his slaughtering men all in the field at the same time, with this difference only, that the man in linen was to keep ahead of them. John gives us the same view, by saying injure not; i.e. hold on! stop! we must seal God’s servants first. SLG 48.4

Here then I say, is where God’s people that have “the seal of the living God” find out when this sealing message begins, viz: one of the four messengers, i.e. France beginning to let go or show her disorganized state, and the surrounding nations following her example. Ruler against ruler, neighbor against neighbor, friends becoming each other’s deadly foe; giving the world a specimen of what it will be when Daniel 12:1, is fully realized. SLG 49.1

The time of trouble “such as never was,” must begin somewhere, and at some specific time. This then we say is the time and place. France being one of the four messengers to which the sealing messengers were to look before they can begin to cry, see the work began, and hence they cry. It is true that God restrains the powers that are now about to let go. His word is the medium “by which he makes the man of God perfect, and fits him for every good work,” and then the spirit leads him into all truth. Just so in this sealing message. SLG 49.2

From the facts which I have stated from the political papers we learn two peculiar traits, which are these, when mob law reigns in the cities: SLG 49.3

1. Trees are injured (as John saw,) or destroyed. The statement is something like this, viz: the beautiful and valuable trees were cut down and thrown together with other things, for places of defence. So it will be in other places, independent of what the fires destroy. SLG 49.4

2. Rail roads and magnetic telegraphic wires are destroyed with other means of communication. This of course will be the case in any other part of the earth where mob law reigns; when the time of trouble becomes general throughout the earth. Here we learn how impossible it would be to give the sealing message of any other, after the time of trouble had began where the messengers were. They could not go from place to place. Therefore now is the time for the ascending messengers to go with their message and keep before the time of trouble or slaughtering weapons, and cry as they go with loud voices, the inhabitants of the earth, and sea, are not to be slaughtered and cut down, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, for we see the men with their slaughter weapons are not to come near any one that is marked or sealed. This is the order of this sealing message, and work of slaughter. They are so inseparably connected that no other order of events can separate them, all in the field together, the sealing messengers with their work before them, and the slaughtering men behind them; which requires them to watch, before and behind. SLG 49.5

John in vision saw the powers that be, beginning to injure or lay waste the inhabitants of earth and sea, with the trees. And the sealing messenger having a “seal of the living God,” watching their every motion, because the work of sealing the servants of God could not commence until he sees them moving in his rear. As soon as this is manifest, whether they hear or not, the cry is up; injure not, etc., stop! hold! the sealing work must be done first. SLG 50.1

Ezekiel in vision saw the same order, viz: The men that were to slaughter old and young, women, maids and little children, and the one with the writer’s ink horn or sealing man, all standing together, beside the brazen alter, waiting for orders when, and how to move, 9:3. The order is given, the sealing man moves first, the slaughtering men are ordered to follow him, 5th 5. SLG 50.2

Their individual work of marking and slaughter were so closely connected, that Ezekiel cries out to spare that all Israel may not be destroyed, verse 9. SLG 50.3

But the sealing man reports his work done, right in the midst of this slaughter, 10, 11 verses. How manifest it is then that the sealing and slaughtering messengers (in both visions,) are in the field together. The one in such close connection with the other, that the cry (or the character of the work,) is continual, injure not! hold on! not so fast!! our orders from the brazen alter (which means the slaughtering alter where beasts and birds, etc., were slain,) were that we should go first and that you should follow after. Here the sealing messenger is continually on the watch, setting in his watch tower night and day, to move in the order of events. SLG 50.4

I think we have clearly proved that the time of trouble has began. Hence the sealing message is, and must be now; because it must go before, and not after the time of trouble; as both John and Ezekiel shows. The Psalm 91:5-8 verses also shows that while the arrows or weapons of death are flying, the righteous (or sealed ones,) will be under the shadow of the Almighty. SLG 50.5

Jesus has endorsed all these promises, by saying, “because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour (or time) of temptation, which shall come upon ALL the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. - Revelation 3:10. It certainly will not be doubted but Jesus here referred to Daniel’s time of trouble. If he has not, then there will be, 1st, a time of temptation to try all the world, and 2nd, a time of trouble, to try all the world; and both so closely connected that they could not be seen separately. I think it is perfectly clear that Ezekiel, the Psalms, John, and Jesus have all referred to one and the same time, viz: Daniel’s time of trouble, 12:1. Let us now connect the 25: chapter of Jeremiah’s prophecy with this; and that we may not stagger through unbelief, mark well the 10-12 verses. SLG 51.1

Here the first part of this wonderful prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter, Babylon’s desolation has long been perpetuated, even since the captivity of Israel, therefore we have the positive assurance that the remainder of the prophecy will surely be accomplished. Hear the Lord Jehovah speak, “For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me, take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them,” 15th and 16th verses. SLG 51.2

Mark! this wine cup of God’s fury is the same in character with that which Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem drank during their long captivity, for despising God’s Sabbaths; just read Lamentations 2:8-12, see her weeping prophet mourning over her doleful desolations. But says one, this city was restored again after 70 years; well the 29th verse shows that she did not drink it all then, but will continue until her final desolation. But was it so of Babylon, which began to fall at the end of Juda’s captivity? read the 12th verse again, and connect it with Jeremiah 51:41. A desolate barren wilderness, a place for owls and wild beasts, from generation to generation; “she that was a praise of the whole earth has been surprised;” she is destroyed. So says every traveller that passes by, even this very now. Say, did God’s word fail here? no! then ponder well the remainder of this chapter, a great part of which has become history, and now the final end of it coming upon us like the muttering thunder in the east, gathering blackness, and horrible darkness as it comes; because devastation and utter destruction, and desolation is in its train. The angel Gabriel told Daniel it was the time of trouble such as never was, 12:1. Now the nations that drink this cup of God’s fury are first moved, and then they are mad. - The very state that John in holy vision saw them in after the seventh trumpet had sounded, and before Jesus comes. - Revelation 11:18. The very state that the political papers say they are in now. SLG 51.3

Jeremiah says, he made the nations to drink this cup of fury, 17th verse; how? why, by prophesying just as God shew him. He goes on to number about twenty kingdoms, with all the mingled ones around them, and then says, “and all the kings (or kingdoms,) of the north far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world which are upon the face of the earth ! And the king of Sheshach, (United States of America,) shall drink after them,” 26th verse. Whether I am right about Sheshach or not, Jeremiah has included every nation on the face of the globe. SLG 52.1

“And though they refuse to admit it, God says ye shall certainly drink it, because of the sword which I will send among you - for I will call for a sword upon ALL the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts - Now who cannot see that this sword is A WIND, that will blow as soon as these four powers begin to let go. To make it still more certain, he says “a noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations. He will plead with ALL FLESH. - He will give them that are wicked to the SWORD saith the Lord. - Evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coast of the earth, and the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,” etc., 27-29, 31-33. SLG 52.2

He shows clearly that this whirlwind is the sword slaying the people from one end of the earth to the other. SLG 52.3

ELAM is to fall by this whirlwind, 25th verse. She is one of the twenty named. Please turn to the 49:36, 87 verses; see how it was done, the four winds was to scatter her, the sword should follow them until he had consumed them. God here fixes the time when this time of trouble shall be, viz: when this cup of his fury is operating, and the nations are mad, or angry. SLG 53.1

He says to Jeremiah, “therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, the Lord shall roar from on high and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitations. - A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth,” etc., 30, 31st verses. This is the voice of God, and will shake the powers of the heavens. - Matthew 24:29. Isaiah 34:1. Revelation 6:14. “Heaven, earth and sea, and all nations. Haggai 2:6. Hebrews 12:26. Joel 3:16. “His voice,” Ezekiel 12:25. Psalm 46:6, 7. Joel shows this time to be when God shall deliver his people. This must be after they are sealed, and during the time of Jacob’s trouble, in the midst of Daniel’s trouble; for that will not end until all the wicked nations are consumed. SLG 53.2

Jeremiah continues his prophecy on the shepherds, and principals of the flock: shows that these will be slaughtered though they howl and cry, there will be no way for their escape, etc, 31st verse, now see 29th verse, compare them with Ezekiel 9:4, 6, and you will see how, when and where, Ezekiel saw the slaughtering men and the sealing man destroying Jerusalem, and beginning at the sanctuary to cut down the shepherds, ancients, etc. Here we have Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John all agreeing in the slaying time, “The time of trouble”. Isaiah shows us clearly, too, that this time of trouble will be neighbor against neighbor, and brother against brother; every man’s sword against his fellow, 10:25-27. The Lord will stir up a scourge for the oppressor and desolater of Zion, according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. That slaughter was accomplished in this way: Gideon with his three hundred men, divided into three bands, surrounded the camp of the Midianites after midnight; at the word of command each one gave a blast with their trumpets in their right hand, and brake their pitchers in their left which contained their lights; and at the same time cried “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” “And the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even through the whole host, and they ran, and cried, and fled.” - Judges 7:21. Gideon soon had a numerous host from mount Ephraim. The 31,700 disbanded troops from his army were not recalled. SLG 53.3

The little company that are now presenting and receiving the sealing message in this last work which God has given them before their deliverance, have got their watch word also, viz: “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” “The Sabbath of the Lord our God.” This will develop the residue of the 144,000 and bring them out from mount Ephraim. SLG 54.1