Vol. 2 Timely
Greetings No. 42
THE ONLY
PEACE OF MIND
Volume 2
Number 42
Copyright, 1949 Reprint
All rights reserved
V.T. HOUTEFF
THAT WHICH
IS TO BE DURING THE TIME
OF THE END
TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T. HOUTEFF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY
ADVENTISTS SABBATH,
MT.
In order to know what takes place during the
time of the end, we must first know where the time of the end begins and
ends. We must know both ends if we are to know what takes place between. Now, to find when "the time of the
end" begins, let us turn to--
Dan.
In this verse of Scripture there are five
clues to be carefully noted: (1) that the war mentioned in this verse is the
last conflict between the two kings recorded in the prophecy of Daniel 11; (2)
that it is a losing war for the king of the south; (3) that it is fought at the
time of the end, not before, in, or after; (4) that the king of the north
becomes great while the king of the south declines; and (5) that the statement,
"at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him,"
very obviously marks the beginning of "the time of the end."
If, therefore, we find the year this
prophesied war began, we shall have established the beginning of the "time
of the end."
Since the king of the south pushes at the
king of
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the north, it follows that the king of the south is the
aggressor, feels himself strong to attack.
He nevertheless loses out and the king of the north overruns him,
becomes great -- takes many countries, including the following:
Dan.
Here it is seen that the king of the north
grows very great during the time of the end.
He takes "the glorious land" (
Dan.
This definitely shows that "in the time
of the end" one great power which has been ruling these countries, among
which are included Egypt and Palestine, loses them and becomes small, while
another power takes them and waxes even greater.
For centuries the
Obviously, therefore, these historic facts,
besides
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others we have not mentioned,
prove that rising from the jungles south of Palestine, the Ottoman empire, next
after the Ptolemies, holds the title "king of
the south"; and the nations north of Palestine, the Christian nations
rising from the Roman empire (and now Great Britain in particular) hold the
title "king of the north." And
since the decline of the
Finally, since we now see that the wars of
the Mohammedans with the Christian nations are mentioned in prophecy with
special emphasis that
Dan.
These verses reveal that after taking Egypt
and Palestine, the king of the north enters into another war, not on account of
the king of the south, not with Turkey, but rather due to rumors from the east
and from the north that trouble him.
These cause him to go forth with
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great fury to destroy many. But he conquers nothing worth mentioning, and
according to the verse that follows he is afterward threatened with coming to his
end. This particular war, therefore,
brings the first reverses to the king of the north since the reverses of the
king of the south in 1699.
Germany and Russia from the north, also
Japan from the east, the rumors which put Great Britain and her allies into
World War II, are therefore the "tidings" which brought the war and
which, though supposedly the war was won, weakened rather than strengthened the
British Empire.
Dan.
The only portion of Daniel 11 yet to be
fulfilled is this verse, the last of the chapter, and since these prophecies
are made to be understood only when they are being fulfilled or after
fulfillment, verse 45 is not as clear as we should like to have it. Consequently concerning the place of his
tabernacles and his end, also as to whether another Christian power shall
inherit the title "king of the north" before verse 45 is fulfilled,
only time itself will positively portray the whole truth.
The thing that Inspiration makes altogether
clear is the fact that the king's next stand is his end, while all look and
listen, but none come to his help.
Since we have established the time of the
beginning of "the time of the end," let us now establish the end of
"the time of the end." For
light on the subject we turn to--
Rev. 19:19-21 -- "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make
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war against him that sat on the horse, and against his
army. And the beast was taken, and with
him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived
them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a
lake of fire burning with brimstone. And
the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat
upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh."
"The beast," "the false
prophet," and "the remnant" are here mentioned. Who are they?
First the beast and the false prophet and
then the remnant, those that are left, are cast into the lake of fire. Since the "beast" and the
"prophet" are special world entities, the remnant (those that are
left) represent the rest of the unrepented world
sympathetic with the beast and the prophet.
The destruction of the prophet, the beast, and the remnant, therefore,
is the end of the world -- the terminus of the time of the end.
Besides these verses of Scripture, the
twentieth chapter of Revelation reveals that with this last pre-millennial
event in the drama of sin, the millennial reign of Christ and the Church begins
(Rev. 20:1-3), in the end of which time shall arise all who had no "part
in the first resurrection." Rev. 20:5, 6.
Now we have seen that "the time of the
end" spans from the commencement of the decline of the
Let us now see what takes place between
these two sign posts. We shall continue
with Daniel's prophecy through the twelfth chapter.
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Dan. 12:1 --
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be
a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be
found written in the book."
"And at that time" -- that is, at
the time the king of the north comes to his end (Dan.
Dan. 12:2 --
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Here is projected a resurrection of a mixed
multitude, wicked and righteous -- foolish and wise. This resurrection, then, is not the
pre-millennial "first resurrection," nor the post-millennial
resurrection of the wicked (Rev. 20:5, 6), but a special one. If the wise who turn
many to righteousness are of the resurrected in this special resurrection, and
if they shine as the stars forever and ever, then this special resurrection
takes place in probationary time.
Dan. 12:4 --
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the
time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
increased."
The understanding of the book and of the
words of it, were to be sealed to the time of the end. During the time of the end, therefore, the
book was to be opened. Knowledge was
also to increase. Moreover, many were to
run to and fro; that is, communication was to speed up greatly. All this we have already seen takes place
during "the time of the end."
Thus there is no room for doubt as to the time in which we are living --
the time of the end.
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Dan. 12:8-10 -- "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what
shall be the end of these things? And he
said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end.
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall
do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall
understand."
Here Inspiration itself explains that no one,
not even Daniel himself could possibly understand the book before the time of
the end. And too, while the wicked were
to continue doing wickedly, many were to be purified, made white and tried;
that is, the purification of the church, the cleansing of the Sanctuary (Dan.
Mal. 3:1-3 -- "Behold, I will send My messenger, and he
shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand
when he appeareth?
for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope:
and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness."
Rather
than say "Sanctuary," Inspiration in this instance says "
1 Peter
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Gospel of
God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where
shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
In the parable, however, Jesus explains the
cleansing of the Sanctuary thus:
Matt.
Here it is made clear that in this instance
the wicked among the righteous are likened to tares, and the time of the
cleansing itself, the Judgment, is likened to a "harvest," but that
the cleansing itself is likened to a separation of wheat and tares.
Again, in verses 47 and 48 Christ draws a
parallel between the Church a "net"; the people he likens to
"fish," and the purification to a separation, whereas in Matthew 25
He calls the purified Church the Kingdom of God, and the people He likens unto
"virgins," and the cleansing He illustrates by a door which lets in
the wise but keeps out the foolish. But
His second parable of Matthew 25, the separation, we are told, is to be like a
master who comes to reckon with his servants.
Those who have done nothing good for the advancement of His kingdom (who
have not traded with and increased His talents -- Matt. 25:27) are cast out,
there to gnash their teeth in "outer darkness." (Matt. 25:30.) In His third parable the separation He likens
to a shepherd who separates the goats from the sheep (sinners from the saints);
the goats are condemned to die but the sheep are given the right to the
Kingdom.
The prophet Ezekiel, however, explains the
cleansing of the Sanctuary from still another angle:
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Ezek. 9:1, 2, 4, 7 -- "He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice,
saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man
with his destroying weapon in his hand.
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every
man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with
linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside
the brasen altar.... And the Lord said unto him, Go
through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark
upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof.... And to the others He said in mine
hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eyes spare,
neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids and little
children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin
at My sanctuary. Then they began at the
ancient men which were before the house.
And He said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the
slain: go ye forth. And they went forth,
and slew in the city."
Besides this vivid illustration,
Inspiration, through the prophet Daniel reveals that the Sanctuary is to be
cleansed not only from sinners, but from doctrinal error, too, for one angel
inquired,--
Dan.
The daily, the desolation, also the
Sanctuary and the host pertain both to the doctrines and the people. Both are to be cleansed. And the angel explained that
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the cleansing of the Sanctuary (cleansing it from both
error and hypocrisy) takes place after the 2300 days, during the time of the
end.
Moreover, through the prophet Zechariah the
Lord makes another remarkable illustration which points out that the saints
themselves also are to be cleansed:
Zech. 3:1-5 -- "And He shewed me Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to
resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen
While we have already seen that the house of
God is to be cleansed from error and from Hypocrites, here in Zechariah's
prophecy we see that the saints themselves are cleansed from their sins --
their filthy garments are taken away, and clean and beautiful garments are
given in their place. This phase of the
cleansing is again illustrated by the wedding garment. (Matt. 22:11).
And now let me remind you that after the
tares are taken away, "the wheat" is not left on the field where it
grew (that is, the saints are not left where they were), but it is put into
"the barn."
Furthermore, after the "bad fish"
(hypocrites) are cast out, the "good fish" (the saints) are then put
"into vessels," are not left in the "net" (not left in the
place
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where the cleansing occurred). Consequently when the church is thus
cleansed, the saints are removed from their former place and put in a safe
place -- away from all worldly influences and environments. Having been cleansed, they are necessarily
thus kept clean. And where is that
place? The Revelator has the answer:
Rev. 14:1, 4, 5 -- "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand,
having His Father's name written in their foreheads.... These are they which
were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow
the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to
the Lamb. And in their mouth was found
no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."
The cleansed ones you see,
are the 144,000, and they are taken to
Plainly, then, the cleansing is in two
sections. The 144,000 guileless saints
who are sealed from among the tribes of
Where is
Micah 3:12; 4:1, 2 -- "Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed
as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as
the high places of the forest.... But in the last days it shall come to pass,
that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of
the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow
unto
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it. And many
nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways,
and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word
of the Lord from Jerusalem."
This is Inspiration's own explanation of the
place which the purified church is to occupy.
Here we are told that though the ancient kingdom, the Jewish, whose
place stood on Mount Zion, was to be demolished from the foundation up, we are
nevertheless at the same time promised that the Kingdom will be restored in the
last days and that it will be exalted above all other kingdoms, above all
"mountains" and "hills."
Again says the Lord:
Ezek. 36:23-25 -- "And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the
heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall
know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I
shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all
countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you,
and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will
I cleanse you."
We are here told that the final cleansing of
the saints, the cleansing that removes all the marks of sin, is performed after
God takes His people from among the heathen and from all countries, and brings
them into their own land.
Ezek. 36:26 -- "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will
give you an heart of flesh."
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When the saints get to the Promised Land,
then the sin-indulgent heart, the stony heart, is taken away and a heart of
righteous desires, a fleshy heart, is given.
No longer will God's people fight temptations from within in order to do
righteousness. To them, in the period of
the fleshly heart, it will be natural to do righteousness whereas now during
the period of the stony heart it is natural to do unrighteousness.
Ezek. 36:27 -- "And I will put My spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do
them."
The Spirit of God, moreover, will be freely
given to the saints, and thus will they become perfect eternal beings,
perfectly capable of walking in God's statutes and His judgments.
Ezek. 36:28 -- "And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and
ye shall be My people, and I will be your God."
They are to dwell, not in some other land,
says the Lord, but in their own land, in the land He had anciently given to
their fathers. They are to dwell in
Now you plainly see that the unconverted
Jews who are endeavoring to take the
Joel 3:1, 2 -- "For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring
again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and
will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,
and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom
they have scattered among the
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nations, and parted My land."
Here you have it stated as plain as it can
be that when God brings back the captivity of His people, then He will gather
all nations in the
Isa. 2:3 -- "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and
He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
Joel
Thus will the saints be enabled to live eternally.
Isa. 33:24 -- "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick:
the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity."
And what else will be said after the people
are gathered and cleansed? Just this:
Rev. 22:11 -- "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still."
The completion of the cleansing brings probationary
time to a close -- the sinner is forever to stay a sinner, and the righteous
forever righteous. Then those who find
themselves out of the holy land will wail and gnash their teeth. They will in anguish say:
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Jer.
The land, moreover, shall be divided among
the tribes but not as divided anciently.
Time will not permit me to read the whole account of the division, but,
here I have it reproduced in a map which shows that the land has never yet been
thus divided. Each tribe is to get a
full-length strip from the east to the west.
The portion of Dan is the first on the north and the portion of Gad is
the last on the south. In chapters 47
and 48 of Ezekiel you will find the full description of this division of the
land.
PICTURE
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No. 42 38
Furthermore, the land itself shall be
cleansed; for says the Lord:
Ezek. 38:14, 16; 39:4, 7, 9-14 -- "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In
that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?...And thou shalt
come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be
in the latter days, and I will bring thee against My land, that the heathen may
know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog,
before their eyes.... Thou shalt fall upon the
mountains of
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the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of
seven months shall they search."
Still further, you will now note that all
these wonders God does for His people, not because they have been good, or
because they are now good, but for God's own great name. Listen to what the Lord Himself says:
Ezek. 36:22-24 -- "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith
the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine
holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye
went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which
ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the
Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes. For I will
take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will
bring you into your own land."
According to this, God restores the land to
His chosen people, not because they as a people are good, but because he wants
to vindicate His own name among the heathen.
As the
time approaches for the cleansing to take place a call for spiritual awakening
will be made:
Isa. 52:1 -- "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put
on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there
shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."
Inspiration here declares that after this
call for revival and reformation, from then on the sinners will not be
permitted to have any part among the people that have been cleansed.
The prophet Nahum, too, is a witness of this
call
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for Reformation.
He writes:
Nah.
Here you see that the announcement of this
long-expected event is to be made by someone's publications. Moreover, he publishes peace and thus
announces the restoration of the Kingdom.
This is the only peace that the world can have. There is to be no other. Those who keep God's solemn "feasts"
and perform their vows shall have this peace.
None others shall.
In our study today we have summarized some
of the things which will take place during the time of the end, but the most
important thing, so far as you are concerned, is the decision you are now left
to make.
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