The life of Jesus has filled the world with sermons, books, churches and art. However, the testimony these sources give is seldom according to the Bible's own testimony on who Jesus was and what he taught. In this article we want to take another look at the `testimony' Jesus gave the world and what it means to us today.

The phrase `the testimony of Jesus' is found only once in the Bible aside from one similar phrase worded as `the faith of Jesus.' In the Greek the word for `testimony' is the word, `marturian' which means `proof, testimony or the testimony of a witness.' Jesus Christ, he said, fulfilled all the scriptures. His life put true meaning in all the utterances of the writers of the books of the Old Testament. They gave evidence and witness to all its readers what really is important for the inhabitants of this world, especially that Jesus Christ is the preexistent God of Scripture and the Creator of everything we see. His life is a `testimony' unlike that of any other. It is the unique witness which is given to all intelligent beings to know their maker, sustainer, judge and redeemer. The Bible or Scripture is God's record on what He wants us to know to give us purpose, hope and confidence to see our way through the life we live on earth. We shall try to explore the theme some more by going back in time and working our way into our own time according to our topic. The more helpful scriptures may be those which help us to understand how the Bible confirms prophecy to occur and how Jesus is connected with it.

Since prophecy has to do with Jesus and how his name is preached in all the world in real time, and since we know that the Bible teaches `prophetic time', let us look at statements dealing with prophetic time.

One of the earlier statements found in the Bible says,

"And he (the little horn, v. 8) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Dn. 7:25.

We read here of `the little horn' power as being engaged in some amazing affairs relating to how religion, faith in God, is handled by it. So it is important to clearly know who the `little horn' power is. To do that we learn that this `little' horn power does not stay little but it outgrows all other horns,

"And he (the little horn, v. 8) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Dn. 7:25.

Briefly, the dreadful fourth beast of Daniel 7 sprouts that little horn among ten original horns and in the process of the growth of that little horn loses three of the ten. Daniel 7:17 tells us that the four beasts, the lion, the bear, the leopard and the dreadful, non-descript beast represent kings, succession of kings; that is influential, great nations on earth which affect God's way of ruling the nations in truth and righteousness to promulgate peace and hope on earth, a planet in rebellion which is steeped in sin.

The Bible and history tells us that these empires were the (1) Babylonian, Chaldean Empire, (2) the Medo-Persian Empire, (3) the Macedonian-Greek Empire and (4) the Roman Empire.

In Daniel 7:20 we read about the developing history of this once little horn, now having grown and influencing all the other horns around it because it has eyes and a mouth to speak great things. Only man can speak.

What do the `eyes' and the `mouth' indicate?

They indicate that during its entire history it will scrutinize all it comes in contact with and tell them things. Things that are consequential and not asked for by individuals who are forced to acknowledge those great words spoken to them.

God's Prophetic Calendar

Why is the little horn the RCC system? Because of the exact historical sequence it arrived on the scene. Daniel says in chapter 7, verses 4-7, that the lion was Babylon (2:37; 7:17; 8:20,21), the bear was Medo-Persia, the leopard was Greece (under Alexander) and the terrible beast would then be the next super power which followed closely that of Greece, which is the Roman Empire.[700] That the terrible beast had 10 horns, means that at some point in time (476 AD) it was influenced or divided by 10 invading powers. Among these ten horns arises, according to Daniel, a `little horn', whose parallel in Revelation is called a beast (Rev. 13:3ff), which uproots three of the ten horns and grows large and powerful by 538 A.D. Since it is spoken of as thinking to change times and God's laws (Dn. 7:25), and since it has a blasphemous name (Rev. 13:1, 6, 17), it is a religious power, ruled by a succession of crowned, king like, leaders because they rule for many centuries, Rev. 13:1,5 and we can take these two events as identifiers for no other power ever attempted such things.

But according to the scripture we just quoted, this `little horn' thinks to do the following, it will . .

1. speak great words against the most high and wear out the saints, and
2. think to change times and laws.

"... and they (who? the saints, the times, the law) shall be given into his hand until a time (=1) and times (=2) and a dividing of time (=½)." [1+2+½ = 3½]

We showed already elsewhere that these 3½ times, the 42 months and the 1260 days signify the same time period of 1260 years.

Question: `During these 1260 years, will this system seek to change God's time?' Yes! Would it seek to change God's law during that same time period? Yes! These are important events which happened in real history when this system `thinks' it could change God's Law.[715] Not only that, the church also claims that it had the right to change God's "times". We know that changing the law means changing the day of rest, but what does the changing of "times" mean?

To determine the answer we read what the Bible says about "times". We read, "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7.

The disciples asked Jesus just before His ascension, `When are you going to establish the kingdom for Israel? Is the time now for that prophetic event, to restore Israel, to take place?' `Is this the prophetic moment?'

Jesus' answer to their question was, `The answer to your question is not for you to know, but only for God.'

In other words God had not yet at that moment revealed the time when the restoration of Israel would become reality on God's prophetic calendar, but kept it to Himself. This whole subject was not present truth during the time of the disciples of Christ. Revealing the time of restoration involved explaining the change from physical Israel to spiritual Israel and would have been difficult to understand for the disciples so soon after they had been called by Jesus.

Another scripture says, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." 1.Thess. 5:1.

Paul, too, is talking about a prophetic event, and says to the church, `You do not need to know the times and the seasons', indicating that these expressions have something to do with a prophetic event, God's prophetic calendar.

This word "times" is also used when God gave a prophecy to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:22), that he was going to act like an animal for seven years, God said, "... seven times pass over ..." you. So it is too for the little horn, it was to be in control for time, times and the dividing of time - 3 1/2 times, 3 1/2 prophetic years of 360 days in each year = 1260 years - one day for a year.

In other words, when this `little horn' thinks it can change God's `times', it must mean that it could change God's order of prophetic events; that it thought somehow to change God's prophetic calendar in order to misplace events so people cannot understand these prophecies and warnings.

King Nebuchadnezzar tried this too. God had shown him that there would be a succession of four kingdoms, and what did the king do? He had an image erected that was made of gold from head to toe. Doing that, he tried to change God's scenario. So we see, that the devil wants always to hide prophetic truths, the clarity the Bible presents, if people allow it only to speak to them. This, then, is what the `little horn' is trying to do during the time frame of the 1260 years.

So what did the ruling personalities of the Roman church do during this time span of the 1260 years? There was in the Middle Ages a Spanish RC Jesuit trained theologian by the name of Ludovicus Alcasar (1554-1613) who established a system of prophetic interpretation which became known as `Preterism' - the idea that the end time prophecies we discuss here and elsewhere, all belong into the time of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. (175-164) in order to free the papacy from the idea that it was the antichrist.

Another RC theologian from Spain by the name of Francesco Rivera, developed a system of prophetic interpretation we know today as `Futurism'. Both of these systems of interpretation tried to rid the papacy of the view that it was the antichrist as the reformers taught it during those years. They achieved their objective by teaching Preterism and/or Futurism in their schools of learning for centuries, thus switching the historical interpretations (i.e. Luther), to another place and time. From then on people could not `see' that these Bible prophecies were fulfilled with Rome. They changed during these 1260 years the "times", God's prophetic calendar.

Question: `Do you think God would raise up a people who would set things straight at the end of this period?'

Most certainly, Yes!

In this connection the Bible says something very interesting. To better understand it, we recall the parallels between Revelation 12 and 13.

The When, Where and What

With that in mind let us read about the period right at the end of the 1260 years, after the earth helped the woman. The end of these 1260 years of course refers to the occasion when the dragon beast or sea beast (Rv. 13:1-3) would receive a deadly wound which happened in 1798. That is also the year when the United States of America established first diplomatic relations with another country, France, in 1798. That is the reason why we expect the next stage of this lamb/beast power, its persecuting phase (Rv. 13:15-17), to take place after 1798 which answers then the question of `when'. And that this would take place `where'? In the USA, because the earth, the early colonies, helped the woman, and that is what the dragon beast power did not like.

The following Bible verses tell us when and where this group of persecuted people is going to arise. We read,

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (the remnant seed of Jesus, vs. 1-5), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.

So, we see that the devil hates the woman and her seed, the followers of Jesus, who keep the commandments.

The question we ask, `Which works of the little horn does that take care of?'

Answer: `It takes care of or fulfills the little horn's deed as it changed the `times' and the law.'

Question: When God raises up a people after 1798, that undoes which aspects the little horn was responsible for?'

Answer: `Thinking that he could change the law! For after 1798 God raised a people who would keep His 10 laws again.'

Question: `What then must the `testimony of Jesus' mean?

Answer: `Is it just possible that the `testimony of Jesus' has something to do with teaching the correct concept of prophetic time after it has been maligned and misaligned especially by RC trained theologians?' Yes!

We realize that God did raise up a people who would keep the commandments as opposite to the little horn which thought it could change God's commandments without interference.

The same way God would raise up a people who would preach God's prophetic calendar in the proper way, so His truths will be made known in all the world and the activities of the little horn power be made known before they all occur - before it is way too late.[800]

So we want to find out what this `testimony of Jesus' is. The best way is to let the Apostle John explain his own words. We read,

"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus (let us not forget that): worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19:10.

These considerations mean that God's end time church (the brethren or fellow servants), after when? 1798, will have a people where?, in the United States who correct the changes caused by the little horn which led to misinterpreting God's prophetic utterances in that God sent a prophet since they now kept again His commandments, Prov. 28:9.

To confirm this we read in the Bible what these `brethren of John have.' We read,

"And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." Rev. 22:8,9.

Recapitulating, we gather from these scriptures, that the "brethren" of John, way down the stream of time since this message comes from an angel,

1. according to Rev. 19:10, have the testimony of Jesus, and
2. what are they called according to Rev. 22:8,9? They are called `prophet.'

That then must mean to have `the testimony of Jesus' is to be a `prophet.'

From this we learn that God's remnant people, after 1798, will have among them a prophet.

So the last day church will have two characteristics,

1. they keep the commandments of God, and
   
2. they are going to possess the gift of prophecy

Well, I read and re-read this line-up of scriptures and must say that they certainly are related and God's Word is certainly an inspired Word and so I concluded this is plain Bible truth. There is no problem with this interpretation. That is the reason I included Ellen White's life as a prophet on the website. God gave His dedicated followers when they followed God's Word in everything prophetic guidance as He did in times of old. If that would not have taken place, it would be much harder to discern God working among men. But since it did take place our faith in God is full of joy and gladness to all of us, Amen.

The work of God's prophet became rather quickly a very present help in a time of need to straighten out the convolutions of false prophetic interpretations found in Babylon by providing true prophetic guidance.

The impact of God's true prophets is always powerful, so the devil had to come up with something to counteract it. What could that be?

We find that the devil's response, to God raising a people, who keep the commandments of God and who have the gift of prophecy to explain the "times" or the calendar of prophetic events, came in two ways. The answer we find in Revelation 13:11-18. We find in this portion of scripture that the devil has two emissaries:

1. The first of these is the beast power changing the Word of God against what it says in Rev. 22:18,19,

   As we know, the beast ruled the world for 1260 years, during which he "thought" to change God's law. The change he instituted was the day of worship from the seventh day of the week to the first. But the devil also caused the beast to think it could change God's prophetic calendar by inventing `Preterism' and `Futurism'.

2. The second beast is the former `lamb beast' after it changed so drastically and enforces for the European beast its changes of civil law on pain of death when it will impose the `Mark of the Beast.'

What is the `Mark of the Beast'? It is the opposite of the `Seal of God' which we learned is God's holy Sabbath; the `Mark of the Beast' must then be Sunday.

Question: This Sunday keeping, is that the same as thinking you could change God's law during the Middle Ages?

Answer: Yes!

Question: Is imposing the `Mark of the Beast' by law - that people cannot buy and sell and on pain of death - the same as `thinking' to change God's law?

Answer: Yes! Because the beast power thought it could change these things during the Middle Ages and in the end time it is going to enforce it by law, Rev. 13:11-17.

This then is the devilish response against God raising a people after 1798. The beast is going to be filled with wrath deciding to go against those few who keep the Sabbath of the `commandments of God' and enforce it by passing a `Sunday Law' which will be enforced on pain of death.

But on the subject for our next query we want to find out the other name of the land beast of Revelation 13. We read,

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs (in Egypt symbols of gods of immortality) come out of the mouth of (these three) the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." Rev. 16:13.

Let us recall this briefly:

1. In Rev 12 we have a dragon trying to kill the child when He was born, and then going after the woman, as she flees into the wilderness.
   
2. In Rev 13:1-10 we have a beast which governs for 1260 years.
   
3. In Rev 13:11-13 we have the `land beast', which makes an image.

What is that land beast called in Rev 16:13? We gave the answer already.

It is called `the false prophet.'

Question: But how does the devil counteract in the end time the true `Gift of Prophecy?'

Answer: He does it by raising the `false prophet.' Is God taken by surprise because of this? Does He have a response?

Yes! God's response to the devil wanting to enforce the `Mark of the Beast', the change in the law, and wanting to present a false prophetic scenario through primarily apostate Protestantism, is, by giving to the world through its people the `Three Angels Messages of Revelation chapter 14.

Why? Because these three messages call people everywhere to keep the commandments of God, as predicted in Rev. 12:17, but this scripture does not say anything about what the remnants will be preaching. Their message, the Bible indicates, is found in Revelation 14.

But when the preaching of the 3rd angel's message ends, the Bible presents the significant words, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God.", Rev. 14:12.

The first angel's message calls all people to worship the Creator by keeping His holy Sabbath because it quotes lines from the fourth commandment when it says, worship him who "... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11; Rev. 14:7). But the beast does the exact opposite at the end of time when it enforces the false day of worship which cannot point to the true Creator.

Question: Is the true prophet going to help God's people present the true scenario of Bible prophecy in the time of the end - by identifying,

1. who the dragon really is?
   
2. who the beast really is?
   
3. who the land beast really is?
   
4. what the image really is and
   
5. what the `mark' is?

Is God going to raise up a prophet to explain how these agents of change really should be understood so the true message can be proclaimed in all the world?

Answer: Yes! God's people on earth should expect a prophet who will explain the `three angels messages' in the proper sense of the Bible Word.

The Prophet Elijah

Before we close we must take into account some interesting remarks which have to do with the `false prophet' in Revelation. We want to explain that phrase more closely from the Bible. The power which is called the `false prophet' in Revelation, we discover, is trying to counterfeit the work of a true prophet we read about in the Bible.

How is that possible?

The Bible also says that the `land beast', which is called the `false prophet', is going to cause "fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" Rev. 13:13.

Which prophet in the Bible does that remind us of?

It reminds us of Elijah.

Therefore, this `false prophet' in Revelation 16:13 must be a counterfeit prophet Elijah, - which means that if you know what the real Elijah preached you will know what the false Elijah is going to preach in advance.

Who were Elijah's enemies and how many were there?

Elijah had three enemies:

(1) King Ahab, the civil ruler; (2) a harlot by the name of Jezebel, who, the Bible says, was involved in witchcraft and she committed fornication with King Ahab, (2.Kings 9:22), besides being a harlot. She does all the maneuvering for the impassive King Ahab to fulfill her desire to kill Elijah.; (3) the false prophets of the sungod Baal who were the preachers for Jezebel.

Question: Do we have a counterpart to this threefold system in the Book of Revelation?

Answer: In Revelation we have (1) a dragon which are the kings of the earth, (2) we have a beast and a harlot which is symbolized by Jezebel.; (3) we have the `false prophets' of the sungod Baal which represent the `false prophet' in Rev. 16 who imposes the `mark of the beast' which is the first day of the week - - the day of the sun.

Question: Since we know what the message of the enemies of Elijah was [860], what was the prophet's message?

Answer: God's people in the end will have the same type of enemy.

1. a civil power,
   
2. a harlot system,
   
3. and a false prophet of that harlot system, also called the `daughter'.

To analyze this whole theme, we have to merge another Bible account with this one. We have to merge the Elijah story with the story of John the Baptist, because he is called the New Testament Elijah, Matth. 11:14. It is not hard to know how John derived the faith building gospel message he bore. It must have been based on his study of the time prophecies of Daniel so that he recognized, when he (John himself) was of age and started preaching and just before Christ came to him to be baptized, the Messiah must already be walking among the Jewish people. That was John's message which led many to believe and repent. So we can tell that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet in the sense that it was his privilege to announce the coming of Christ, to whom all the prophets had borne witness (Daniel 9; Lk. 24:27; Jh. 5:39,46).

Putting these two stories together we can see what the outcome will be, for in the NT story, John the Baptist also has three enemies.

We have a passive King Herod;
(1) Passive King Herod; (2) we have a harlot woman (Herodias), because she was Herod's brother wife - he was committing adultery. She does all the maneuvering; (3) her daughter Salome, who is an exact image of her mother, was born of her mother and she was just like her mother.

That illustrates the symbolism of the image of the beast.

With that we have the explanation for the symbolism of the beast.

But Herodias, like Jezebel, is the more dangerous figure in the story. They represent a harlot illegal system, because Herodias maneuvers to fulfill her purpose to kill the man who seems to know her innermost thoughts and worries.

Similarly, the Protestant denominations were `born' from the RCC, and in many ways they are just like their `Mother Church', the `ECCLESIARIUM MATER ET CAPUT'.

In what ways?

1. They keep the same day of worship,
   
2. they talk about uniting church and state,
   
3. they believe that the dead are not dead [900],
   
4. they believe that this whole prophetic scenario we presented is going to be fulfilled in the Middle East,
   
5. instead of in Rome and in the United States as we studied carefully from Scripture.

We notice what they are really doing is, they are really taking what the Roman system taught in the Middle Ages - the 1st day of the week, and liberal Protestants say that the antichrist was Antiochus Epiphanes, a view which originated in the RCC. Conservative Protestants do use this Middle East scenario in our time as well as in the end time just ahead - - in other words, they absorbed all these teachings which originated in their Mother Church and proclaim it in the world as truth, but it is not truth.

To whom and what did Elijah preach?

His message was for Israel. So, why do we talk so much about Christians?

We do so, because in Revelation we read, that in the end time, this message about the harlot and the beast applies to Christians (See here).

Therefore, we can say that the Elijah message of the OT was, so to speak, given to quote, unquote, `Christians.' It was given to God's professed people, on either side of the cross, who had apostatized.

Question: To whom will the end time Elijah message be given? - - To the Muslims? - to the Hindus? - or the Buddhists?

No! It will be given by the people on Elijah's side to the people who profess to serve the true God.

The Gospel Message of Elijah

Do you know what kind of a message Elijah preached?

The Bible says, Elijah preached the true gospel because

1. ... he restored the altar of the Lord.

We read, "And Elijah said unto the people, `Come near unto me.' And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, `Israel shall be thy name.'" 1. Kings 18:30-31.

And Elijah sacrificed a bullock (v. 33), which could be as young as a lamb, Exodus 29:1. Repairing the altar means Elijah restored the type of worship God gave Israel, which pointed forward to the Messiah who would lay down His life as the Lamb for the sins of the whole world. From this we know he preached the true way to salvation from sin.

Ahab said to Elijah, "Is it you who is troubling Israel?"

Elijah replies, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of God and you are worshipping Baal the sun god." 1. Kings 18:17-18, paraphrased from scripture [950].

That means, that Elijah also

2. ... restored the commandments of the Lord. He brought them back into the mind of the king for a witness.

Is that the same message that will be presented in the end of time?

Yes, it is. It is the message of restoring God's holy Law as emphasized in Rev. 14:7! The connection is, restoring the altar implies the message God taught in the sanctuary in which was the Ark of the Covenant, inside which were the tables of the Law of God, the breaking of which was the reason the Lamb of God (Jh. 1:36), Christ, died on the cross. . . This is the very gospel which Elijah restored documented in scripture by just these few words.

We notice that Elijah, who was a prophet, also presented the true prophetic scenario in contrast to the false prophets of Baal who presented a false scenario - for they said, worship the sun god. Elijah said, worship the Creator God.

We notice therefore the same issues in the days of Elijah which we encounter in our days, some 2860 years later.

Elijah made fire come down from heaven in the sight of man to prove that his message was from God. When he did so, what did the people say?

We read, the people said, "The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God." 1.Kings 18:39, when they saw the fire totally alluvate Mount Carmel.

Did you know that the Bible says that in the end time God will send a prophet Elijah again?

It says,

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5,6

So people ask, `Will it be Elijah in person?'

What is the answer? The answer is `no', because he is dead for a long time.

Well, at this point only people who know their Bible will scratch their head and say, `Elijah is not dead. He was taken into heaven.'

So will the Elijah of the end time be the literal Elijah?

No. It will be someone who will preach the message which Elijah preached to the whole world.

Since the three angels messages go to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, we know that no individual, single person could do that.

Therefore, the same way that God's enemies are a world wide systems, so too must Elijah represent a world wide system. - He must represent a people.

What does Malachi say? God will send Elijah `before the dreadful day of the Lord.'

What day is that? It is the day of the Second Coming, when Jesus comes again.

4:1 "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven (Hebr. 12:29); and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings (1Thess. 4:16f; Rev.22:2); and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments." Malachi 4:1-4.

Malachi reminds us, the Old Testament ends in expectancy. It is an incomplete book - because it ends by saying that the next thing you are supposed to see is the appearance of Elijah - and then John the Baptist appears in the New Testament preaching in the desert. But even he is not the final fulfillment because John the Baptist did not preach immediately before `the dreadful and terrible day of the Lord.' - That means there must be another Elijah to come, - and that Elijah will present the same message as the original Elijah.

So, we shall study now how to find the true Elijah. It is really not hard to determine.

1. you look for a people who preach the message of Elijah, the true gospel,
   
2. you look for a people who want to keep all of God's commandments, and who preach that
   
3. we are not to worship on the day of the sun.
4. And it must be some system that does not belong to the three-fold powers that are enemies of Elijah,
   
5. they would also be a group of people, who are not necessarily well liked like Elijah, but eventually will be persecuted.

Along this line of thought we may add that it is quite simple in the end time to find out who is on God's side - if you are persecuted you are on God's side. If you are part of the persecutors, you are on the devil's side. Remember that.

God's people will be persecuted because they preach the Elijah message. And you can identify the true movement of God, because they preach the same message that Elijah preached, on a world wide scale, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

They have the same message, the same enemies, the same persecution.

So too, Elijah was blamed for all the calamities in the world at that time (1.Kings 18:17); God's people in the end will be blamed for all the calamities that take place. After some of the recent horrendous events it is very easy to find a scape goat.

Pentecost

Can we find another occasion in the Bible on which fire fell down from heaven? Yes!

When was that? It was on the day of Pentecost.

We read,

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." Acts 2:2,3

At that time it was a sign that those present received the Holy Spirit.

As we know already, the false prophet also brings fire down from heaven in the sight of man.

What must that mean?

It must mean that there will be a marvelous revival of religion in the United States, which will appear to be the work of the Holy Spirit, but which will be the work of another spirit.

Because fire like on Pentecost will fall. The fire on Pentecost was the Holy Spirit, but this is fire of a counterfeit religion, because it is fire brought down by the `false prophet.'

It seems to be like a great revival like on Pentecost when the true fire fell down and thousands were converted in a day; and in the course of months.

In the same way, in the end time, through the work of this false prophet, who brings fire down from heaven, there will be many conversions, people will weep, they will pray and raise their hands . . . the churches will be full and people will say, `This is God's doing.'

How can we be sure if its of God or not?

Will it be one of the great television preachers of our day and age? - Someone, who attracts thousands and thousands to his meetings?

A famous television evangelist has claimed to have seen visions where he said, he `saw literal fire falling from heaven,' claiming, `the glory of God is about to be revealed visibly.'

So we ask, where in the Bible can we read about the true manifestation of the Holy Spirit?

We find it where it speaks about that mighty angel who `came down from heaven, having great power; and all the earth is filled with his glory.' Rev. 18:1.

Such will be the true manifestation at the end time when that mighty angel cries out with a mighty voice and all the earth is filled with his glory.

But the false prophet, in contrast, is also the false manifestation of the Holy Spirit - and then the television preacher says, `On the day of Pentecost fell fire from heaven . . . Elijah brought fire down from heaven.' And, `there was fire in the pillar of clouds that led Israel in the desert.'

Is a preacher with such a message the real messenger of God?

He certainly does what appear to be miracles on stage. And of course we remember that John says, that the false prophet will perform "great wonders" and signs and miracles, (Rev. 13:13).

So, how do we know these television preachers are not the real messengers of God?

That the fire falling down, as he said he saw it will - - how can we tell if its from God?

How does the Bible say to proof such things?

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.

That means if they never speak of the Sabbath, that the dead are dead, of the sanctuary, that we are now in the judgment hour, that the beast is the papacy, that the US is the land beast, that the mark of the beast is the first day of the week, that hell is going to be put out.

If they never teach these clear Bible teachings, they cannot be the true Elijah. Because in order to be the true Elijah, you must preach the same message that was preached by Elijah.

A Few Things About Ellen White

In conclusion we say a few things about Ellen White.

She wrote a book which gives you the true prophetic scenario for the end time.

It is a correction of the false views on prophecy taught by the RCC and much of Protestantism.

She is the gift that God has given to help the remnant church proclaim the three angels messages to the world in the right way, so that the world can make the right decision to be on God's side in the crisis ahead.

To illustrate let us read a few passages. [Please read about a great, false revival on pages 463-464 in her book, `The Great Controversy.' Be aware that some churches may hand out free but shortened versions of this book containing selected, important aspects. Those we cannot recommend.]

In the light of what we studied (by beginning here), see if you agree that the following message is correct:

"Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of authority. They will be accused of disaffection toward the government."

We can say there is no church in the world which believes that we are subject to the government more than the SdA church - as long as the government stays within the boundaries of its responsibilities. We should be exemplary citizens of the United States. We should pay our taxes, we should pray for our political leaders and I know we often do pray at church and in our homes. Especially now, in this time of confusion.

She goes on and says,

"Ministers who deny the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as ordained of God. In legislative halls and courts of justice, commandment-keepers will be misrepresented and condemned. A false coloring will be given to their words; the worst construction will be put upon their motives."

But when you come before them, don't fret about what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will let you know what to say, as long as you put it in your brain - read, read, read.

That is why reading these articles is so important. It can help you to fortify your faith. The material is not primarily to win converts to our faith, our primary purpose is that our very own members will understand the issues and be able to give reason for their faith from the Bible. That is why we try to be thorough and proof text everything.

This way the whole world can know these truths through the various mass media now available.

She continues,

"As the Protestant churches reject the clear, scriptural arguments in defense of God's law, they will long to silence those whose faith they cannot overthrow by the Bible. Though they blind their own eyes to the fact, they are now (writing this in 1911) adopting a course which will lead to the persecution of those who conscientiously refuse to do what the rest of the Christian world are doing, and acknowledge the claims of the papal Sabbath.

The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor (that is votes), will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet's words: "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." [Rev. 12:17.]

Is that the true scenario?

We notice there is nothing in here about the Muslims and the Buddhists, about Hamas, al-Queda, Pakistan, etc.

It seems the devil is mixing up these problem areas to such an extent that the whole Christian world is googling it every day.

While Catholicism and Protestantism are saying, `Look east,' Ellen White says, `Look west.'

Because she is a prophet that God has raised up for these last days, to straighten out the "times" we talked about and which were changed by this system and straighten out the law which was also "changed" by this system during the 1260 years.

How can you obtain a copy of the book? You may find it posted online somewhere, or you can go to a SdA Church Sabbath or midweek service and ask if they have a copy for you. Try to find someone who will get things going to obtain one for you.

Ellen White also wrote, "The GC ... contains the story of the past and present and the future. In its outline of the closing scenes of this earth's history, it bears a powerful testimony in behalf of the truth. I am more anxious to see a wide circulation of this book than for any other I have written; for the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books." {Letter 281, 1905}

Ellen White received four hours of visions for this book in 1858. That gave her the broad outlines for what is in the GC today. That afternoon, she and her husband James White traveled to Battle Creek and decided to stop in Jackson, MI, at the home of the Palmers, who were friends of theirs. While they were going on the train to Jackson, they were talkng about the plans of publishing the GC. When Ellen White was sitting at the table in the home of the Palmers, suddenly she had a stroke and she thought she was going to die. She was only 31 years of age then. Six months later, God revealed to her that at Jackson, MI, it was the devil's intention to kill her because he heard what she and her husband were talking about on the train, about publishing the book `The Great Controversy.' [The devil cannot read minds.] The devil hates this book. Read this book with an open mind and please make your decision to stand with the remnant of God. [After Stephen Bohr. Hier also available in German.]

Yes, this is the dynamite, unerring interpretation of the scriptures we just studied, the Bible answer to what the `testimony of Jesus' is.

In all humbleness and yet in forceful Bible truth we admit that God has a people in the United States of America, after 1798, (and since then in the whole world), who would have the gift of prophecy in their midst and who keep all ten of the commandments of God.