2. “Never should the Bible be studied
without prayer. Before opening its
pages we should ask for the
enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it
will be given” (Steps to Christ, 91).
4. “Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one
another; and so much the more,
as ye see the day approaching”
(Heb 10:25)
6. Chances are, you’ve
been going to
church for years.
Every week you and
your family dress
up, pick up your
Bibles, and head to
church.
7. It’s good to go to church.
A group of believers is safer
from Satan’s attacks than
those who worship alone.
Fellowship is especially
important for us at the end of
time.
This is why Paul said we
should not forsake the
assembling of ourselves
together.
We should be exhorting one
another; and so much the
more” as the day of Christ’s
coming is approaching (Heb
10:25).
8. You probably
believe that you
belong to the
right church or
the true church.
But the believer
of many other
faiths believe
their church is
the right one!
10. These questions should be answered—and we can
expect God to show us, because He has promised to
instruct and teach us the way we should go He even
offers to guide us with His eye (Ps 32:8).
11. This includes how to find
God’s church.
Jesus describes His church
in such detail that we can
possibly identify it.
13. Jesus uses a special symbol to
represent His true church.
We see it in Rev 19:7-8, which
tells of the marriage of Jesus,
the Lamb.
This could happen because His
wife made herself ready, and
her wedding clothes were of
fine linen, clean and bright
white.
The white line is a symbol of
the righteousness of the saints.
15. In Rev 12, this woman is
clothed with the sun (v. 1).
She was about to give
birth to a child, and cried
out with labor pains (v. 2).
She delivered a man
(male) child, “who was to
rule all nations with a rod
of iron.”
This child was later
caught up to God and His
throne (v. 5).
16. In Rev 19:3-16, we see
Him again.
Now He is a triumphant
King ruling with a rod of
iron.
He is called the Word of
God (verse 13).
He is Jesus, who took on
fresh and blood, like us,
and dwelt among us
(John 1:1, 14).
17. Jesus was caught
up to God after His
resurrection, when
He was taken up
into heaven (Acts
1:9-11).
19. Rev 12:3-4 tells us of a
great red dragon who
tries to destroy the
woman’s child when it is
born.
20. This dragon is
Satan (v. 9).
He worked through
King Herod to try to
kill baby Jesus
(Matt 2:16).
21. When the devil could
not destroy Jesus,
he persecuted the
woman who had
given birth to the
man (male) child
(Rev 12:13).
He turned on
Christ’s church.
22. “The woman fled
into the
wilderness,” to a
place God had
prepared for her.
She was there for
1,260 days (v. 6).
In v. 14, this time
period is called
“a time, and
times, a half a
time.”
23. One day represents a
year (Ezek 4:6).
God’s faithful church
was in hiding for 1,260
years.
This was from AD 538
when the papacy
gained control of the
Roman Empire, until
1798, when Napoleon’s
army took the pope
captive.
25. They wandered in deserts,
and in mountains, and it
dens and caves of the
earth (Heb 11:37-38).
This describes the
Waldenses, Albigenses,
Huguenots, Lollards,
Hussites, and other
faithful Christians during
the years of persecution.
At least, 50 million
Christians died for their
faith during this time.
27. Although millions stayed
true to Jesus even when
facing death, Satan
could not totally destroy
Christ’s followers.
Still, he did not give up.
At the end of the 1,260
years, he cast water out
of his mouth like a flood
after the woman (the
church), hoping she
would be carried away
by the flood (Rev 12:15).
28. In prophecy,
water represents
people and
nations (Rev
17:15.)
Great armies
under the banner
of the papacy
went out, trying
to destroy God’s
church.
29. In this time of crisis,
“the earth helped the
woman,” and
swallowed the flood
that the dragon had
cast out of his mouth
(Rev 12:16).
Earth, the opposite of
water, stands for a
place with few
people.
30. Around the end of the
1700s, many people fled
to America, a place
where few live, to
escape the persecution
and to worship God as
the pleased.
31. Satan did not
give up.
He was angry
with the
woman, and
went to make
war with the
rest of her
seed, or
children (v. 17).
32. In spite of all of
Satan’s attacks, God
still had faithful
people in his true
church.
Just like the first
apostles, these
people keep the
commandments of
God and have the
testimony of Jesus
Christ (v. 17).
33. What is the
testimony of
Jesus?
The Bible says it is
the spirit of
prophecy (Rev
19:10).
What an exciting
thought.
God blesses His
remnant church
with the gift of
prophecy!
36. “And I took the little
book out of the
angel’s hand, and ate
it up; and it was in my
mouth sweet as
honey: and as soon as
I had eaten it, my
belly was bitter” (Rev
10:10, KJV).
37. After this great
disappointment, God
gave Hiram Edson a
vision of the heavenly
sanctuary.
It showed that 1844
marked the cleansing
of the heavenly
sanctuary.
This was the beginning
of the time of
judgment described in
Rev 14:7.
38. Now the believers
saw that they should
teach and preach the
messages of the three
angels in Rev 14,
because after these
messages had been
given to the world,
Jesus would return to
Earth on a white
cloud (v. 14).
39. Acts 2:17: God will pour out
His Spirit upon all flesh, and
sons and daughters will
prophesy.
In 1844, God raised up a
prophet for the little flock of
believers.
He chose a young girl name
Ellen Harmon (later White).
She was weak and timid,
but Jesus filled her with His
Holy Spirit.
God gave her many vision
and messages, which are
written in over 100 books!
42. God’s true church is
not based on man’s
ideas and traditions.
Instead, its foundation
is Jesus Christ (1 Cor
3:11).
He is the head of His
church (Col 1:18).
43. Jesus promises that if we seek, we
will find (Matt 7:7). We can count
on Him to help find such a church.
His church keep’s God’s
commandments (Rev 14:12).
It has the gift of prophecy (Rev
12:17; 19:10).
It gives the everlasting gospel to
to the world (Rev 14:6).
It comes out of the errors of
Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 18:4).
It does not worship the beast
power of Rev 14:9).
It looks forward to Christ’s soon
coming (Rev 14:14).
45. Before God
destroyed the
earth with a
flood, He
invited all to
come into the
ark (Gen 7:1).
Only a few—a
remnant—was
willing.
46. Today, before
Jesus returns to
Earth, He offers a
similar invitation
to each of us.
He invites us to
come out of the
errors of Babylon
and to be safe for
eternity if His
truth.
47. As a symbol of our
commitment, He
invites us to join His
remnant church.
Will you heed His
call? ______.
Editor's Notes
Chances are, you’ve been going to church for years. Nearly every week you and your family dress up, pick up your Bibles, and head to church.
It’s good to go to church. A group of believers is safer from Satan’s attacks than those who worship alone. Fellowship is especially important for us at the end of time. This is why Paul said we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Instead, we should be exhorting one another; and so much the more” as the day of Christ’s coming is approaching (Hebrews 10:25).
You probably believe that you belong to the right church or the true church. But the believer of many other faiths believe their church is the right one!
Who is right?
Does it even matter?
These questions should be answered—and we can expect God to show us, because He has promised to instruct and teach us the way we should go He even offers to guide us with His eye (Psalm 32:8).
This includes how to find God’s church. In fact, Jesus describes His church in such detail that we can possibly identify it.
Jesus uses a special symbol to represent His true church. We see it in Revelation 19:7-8, which tells of the marriage of Jesus, the Lamb. This could happen because His wife made herself ready, and her wedding clothes were of fine linen, clean and bright white. The white line is a symbol of the righteousness of the saints.
What a beautiful picture! Jesus compares His church to a lovely bride in pure, bright garments!
We see this woman earlier in Revelation, in chapter 12, where she is clothed with the sun (verse 1). This woman was about to give birth to a child, and cried out with labor pains (verse 2). The Bible tells us that she delivered a man (male) child, “who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” This child was later caught up to God and His throne (verse 5).
In Revelation 19:3-16, we see Him again. Now He is a triumphant King ruling with a rod of iron. He is called the Word of God (verse 13). He is Jesus, who took on fresh and blood, like us, and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14).
Jesus was caught up to God after His resurrection, when He was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
Revelation 12:3-4 tells us of a great red dragon who tries to destroy the woman’s child when it is born.
This dragon is Satan (verse 9). He worked through King Herod to try to kill baby Jesus (Matthew 2:16).
When the devil could not destroy Jesus, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the man (male) child (Revelation 12:13). In other words, he turned on Christ’s church.
“The woman fled into the wilderness,” to a place God had prepared for her. She was there for 1,260 days (verse 6). In verse 14, this time period is called “a time, and times, a half a time.”
In prophecy, one day represents a year (Ezekiel 4:6). God’s faithful church was in hiding for 1,260 years. History shows that this was from A. D. 538 when the papacy gained control of the Roman Empire, until 1798, when Napoleon’s army took the pope captive.
During this time, God’s people were stoned, sawed in two, tempted, and were slain.
They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and it dens and caves of the earth (Hebrews 11:37-38). This describes the Waldenses, Albigenses, Huguenots, Lollards, Hussites, and other faithful Christians during the years of persecution. At least, 50 million Christians died for their faith during this time.
Although millions stayed true to Jesus even when facing death, Satan could not totally destroy Christ’s followers. Still, he did not give up. At the end of the 1,260 years, he cast water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman (the church), hoping she would be carried away by the flood (Revelation 12:15).
In prophecy, water represents people and nations. (See Revelation 17:15.) Great armies under the banner of the papacy went out, trying to destroy God’s church.
In this time of crisis, “the earth helped the woman,” and swallowed the flood that the dragon had cast out of his mouth (Revelation 12:16). Earth, the opposite of water, stands for a place with few people.
Around the end of the 1700s, many people fled to America, a place where few live, to escape the persecution and to worship God as the pleased.
Yet Satan did not give up. The dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, or children (verse 17).
In spite of all of Satan’s attacks, God still had faithful people in his true church. Just like the first apostles, these people keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (verse 17).
What is the testimony of Jesus? The Bible says it is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). What an exciting thought. God blesses His remnant church with the gift of prophecy!
At about the time the 1,260-year prophecy ended, believers decoded the 2,300-year prophecy of Daniel 8:14. Because the prophecy, began in 457 B.C. and ended in A.D. 1844, they believed Jesus would come in 1844.
When this did not happen, they had the experience described in Revelation 10:10. Here, John took a little book from the angel, and ate it. He found it to be as sweet as honey, but after he ate it, his stomach felt bitter.
After this great disappointment, God gave a young man, Hiram Edson, a vision of the heavenly sanctuary. The vision showed that 1844 marked the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. This was the beginning of the time of judgment described in Revelation 14:7.
Now the believers saw that they should teach and preach the messages of the three angels in Revelation 14, because after these messages had been given to the world, Jesus would return to Earth on a white cloud (verse 14).
Acts 2:17 says that in the last days, God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, and sons and daughters will prophesy. In 1844, God raised up a prophet for the little flock of believers. He chose a young girl name Ellen Harmon (later White). She was weak and timid, but Jesus filled her with His Holy Spirit. God gave her many vision and messages, which are written in over 100 books!
We must trust her messages, because they agree with the Law and the Testimony (Isaiah 8:20). Truly she had the spirit of prophecy!
God’s true church is not based on man’s ideas and traditions. Instead, its foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). He is the head of His church (Colossians 1:18).
Jesus promises that if we seek, we will find (Matthew 7:7). We can count on Him to help find such a church.
His church keep’s God’s commandments (Revelation 14:12).
It has the gift of prophecy (Revelation 12:17; 19:10).
It gives the everlasting gospel to the world (Revelation 14:6).
It comes out of the errors of Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 18:4).
It does not worship the beast power of Revelation 14:9).
It looks forward to Christ’s soon coming (Revelation 14:14).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church meets all these requirement!
Before God destroyed the earth with a flood, He invited all to come into the ark (Genesis 7:1). Only a few—a remnant—was willing.
Today, before Jesus returns to Earth, He offers a similar invitation to each of us. He invites us to come out of the errors of Babylon and to be safe for eternity if His truth.
As a symbol of our commitment, He invites us to join His remnant church. Will you heed His call? ______________________________.