The message of the close of probation is a forgotten truth; Sister White calls it that, and also says when we preach the forgotten truths we will have good responses from the messages that we are proclaiming. We identified the parable of the ten virgins as the experience of the advent people and that the experience of 1843 and 1844, brought to power under the outpouring of the Holy Spirit under the 2^nd angels message, was brought to power by a message identifying the close of probation. This will be repeated again at the end of the world.

"The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed." The Great Controversy, 594.

That passage identifies that the close of probation in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy is easy to see, if you begin looking for it as a student of prophecy. One of the problems that God’s people are confronted with today is that they have no understanding of that great truth. Yet that great truth is designed by God to awaken His people at the end of the world. In the passages from the Spirit of Prophecy that we looked at, the key word was ‘arouse’. This message of the soon close of probation is designed by God to arouse His people, awaken them from their sleeping position.

It’s our contention that because the close of probation has been clearly presented we can take several different passages from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy that identify this, and bring them together and this truth will become more and more clear as we go through.

We took Ezekiel 8-12 and demonstrated that they also illustrate the close of probation for the Seventh-day Adventist church at the Sunday Law. Chapter 8 identifies the people that will ultimately be classed with the foolish virgins. As they turn farther and farther away from the Lord, they go through a series of 4 abominations which identifies this as a world-wide apostasy in the church. The number 4 symbolizes worldwide in Bible prophecy. These abominations in chapter 8 of Ezekiel escalate until ultimately we see the wicked within God’s church, bowing down to the sun identifying the Sunday Law.

Chapter 9 identifies the group of people within God’s church that will be sealed, those that are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the church. As students of prophecy, we need to understand that this vision of Ezekiel has many parts that overlay. The people that are are to be sealed are co-existent with the people entering into these increasing abominations. You overlay chapter 9 with chapter 8. Both these groups exist in the church and they come to the point of the Sunday Law in Ezekiel 8:16. one group receives the Mark of the Beast and the other receives the Seal of God.

Sister White says that chapters 9-12 would be fulfilled. Chapter 10 is part of that same vision and identifies the cherubims and the wheels and the wings that Ezekiel had seen in vision. Sister White says that these wheels identify God’s providence, His control of human events. God is in control of this situation during this time when the faithful in the church are sighing and crying over such gross apostasy. Chapter 10 identifies when God takes the work into His own hands. God takes the work in His own hands when the church is purified and in verse 2 of chapter 10, an angel is commissioned to take coals from the altar and cast them into the city, which Sister White identifies as the church. Those coals from the altar symbolize purification. So chapter 10, in agreement with 8 & 9, is saying that at the Sunday Law crisis, God’s church will be purified.

Chapter 11 refers back to those who are identified in Chapter 9. It talks about people that have been scattered; the faithful in the church have been scattered through the apostasy. The study of the gathering and the scattering is a very deep study in prophecy, but basically God’s people the wise virgins, at this time in history, before the Sunday Law, have been scattered through the conditions, the environment taking place in the church. God in Ezekiel 11 promises to gather them together and give them a new heart and a new mind.

Chapter 12 addresses those in God’s church, identified in Chapter 8, the wicked who receive the mark of the beast. It is very clearly identifying those wicked because it refers us back to the twenty-five Elders, but it shows them being taken out of the city. They will be judged in the borders of the city. This tells us that when God purifies His church the wicked in the church will be removed. When you understand this passage of Ezekiel as Present Truth for today, it not only gives us information on the close of probation, but raises some interesting concepts in relation to other issues in Adventism.

If you understand this passage correctly, it’s clear the wicked are taken out of God’s church. It’s clear that the church is in apostasy the faithful stay in the church until in chapter 10, God’s providence, through the Sunday Law, purifies the church. What I’m meaning is, that this passage in Ezekiel gives no room to call the church Babylon. For instance, if you were to take the position of the reformed Adventist movement, and say that they were God’s church and use the passages in the Spirit of Prophecy where she says that Ezekiel 8-12 is God’s church, they would have to identify their church as being in gross apostasy because that’s the testimony of Ezekiel. But God has a church, that is in gross apostasy, and the counsel is do not leave it. The Lord will purify it. It is not Babylon.

This is outside the scope of our study of the close of probation but as we continue we find several other truths that get brought in and confirmed along the way. Now the environment of God’s church during this time is brought to maturity. We see the increasing abominations in the church, starting with the Image of Jealousy. Sister White spiritually applied the image of jealousy in a spiritual way, and, in an argument going on between the Review and Herald and the Pacific Press, said they had set up the image of jealousy and it already had started.

Jealousy is what was being spiritually symbolized there in Ezekiel 8. When we allow jealousy to come into our experience, we begin to question and doubt our brethren and there’s division. Then we begin to think wicked thoughts in our minds and the next abomination in Ezekiel 8 is the chambers of imagery, where all the unclean beasts were on the walls. Sister White informs us that within our mind we have chambers where we can either put the images of earth or the images of heaven. What images we are putting in our chambers will determine how we grow up into the Lord or grow away from the Lord.

This sequence of jealousy coming into your heart and then beginning to have wicked thoughts, ultimately leads you to the third abomination which was the women weeping for Tammuz. It leads you into a position where you believe you are worshipping God, but in reality you’re worshipping God and Satan at the same time and not even knowing it. That’s what’s described in Ezekiel. It’s also a message to us of what’s going on. It is the sequence leading the wicked in Ezekiel 8 to where when the test of Sunday comes, they are portrayed as bowing down. this jealousy was brought about by those that are sealed bringing a message of rebuke, a message of light. Here is a passage out of 1888 materials which identifies those in Ezekiel 8 that are coming to maturity and it’s a very solemn message.

The 1888 Materials, 1646-1647: "There is danger now of men’s losing sight of the important truths applicable for this period of time, and seeking for those things that are new and strange and entrancing. Many, if reproved by the Spirit of God through His appointed agencies, refuse to receive correction, and a root of bitterness is planted in their hearts against the Lord’s servants who carry heavy, disagreeable burdens."

The root of bitterness is what is talked about in Ezekiel 8, the root of selfishness, the root of jealousy, the root of bitterness. A root of bitterness begins when someone brings you a message that you don’t want to receive and that’s what’s going on in Ezekiel 8, between those that are sealed and those that receive the Mark of the Beast.

"There are men who teach the truth, but who are not perfecting their ways before God, who are trying to conceal their defections and encourage an estrangement from God. They have not the moral courage to do the things that it is for their special benefit to do. They see no necessity for reform, and so they reject the words of the Lord and hate him who reproveth at the gate."

One little thing that’s interesting, is these men that are going the wrong direction in the truth, encourage an estrangement from God. Encouraging an estrangement to God is when you teach God’s people that you can have a relationship with God and still sin.

"This very refusal to heed the admonitions which the Lord sends, gives Satan every advantage to make of them the bitterest enemies of those who have told them the truth. They become falsifiers of those who have borne to them the message from the Lord.

"The man who rejects the word of the Lord, who endeavors to establish his own way and will, tears to pieces the messenger and message which God sends in order to discover to him his sin. His own inclinations have influenced his conduct, and he has built himself up in a wrong way. The divine rule is, ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ But he would not do this. As a man thinketh, so is he. From within, out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts inspired by Satan."

First Jealousy, then the mind begins to take over.

"He begins to quibble at technicalities and manners. The spirit of Satan links him up with the enemy to bear a word of criticism on less important themes. The truth becomes of less and still less value to him. He becomes an accuser of his brethren, etc., and changes leaders."

He has a new religion.

"The outside world has a greater weight with him than has the flood of light that God has poured in upon the world in messages that he has given, and which he once rejoiced in.

"Oh, how many things have developed since he became so full of hatred against God, because his dangers and wrongs were brought before him! He has allowed wicked thoughts to strengthen and prevail because, day by day, he has not eaten of the flesh and drunk of the blood of the Son of God, because he has not become a partaker of the divine nature. The things which come from within defile the man. How corrupt then must be the source from which these evils have taken their rise!

"Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Let all who read these lines, take heed. Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in His Church. He says, ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.’ Let the sin of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly, for he knows what truth is.

"Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. ‘If thou hadst known,’ said Christ, ‘even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." The 1888Materials, 1646-1647.

One of the things about the close of probation that we can learn from the passage in Ezekiel is there’s an argument going on between those that receive the Mark of the Beast and those that receive the Seal of God. There’s an interaction that is driving the wicked more into a rejection of the Lord where they finally choose Barabbas instead of Christ at the Sunday test. At the same time they are doing an onslaught of negative public relations towards the other side, that scatters the faithful brethren spiritually and we’ll deal with that later. I want you to remember this Barabbas and Christ choice, because that will come up later in our studies. Here’s another passage which identifies the choice between Barabbas and Christ at the Sunday Law.

"There can be only two classes. Each party is distinctly stamped, either with the seal of the living God, or with the mark of the beast or his image. Each son and daughter of Adam chooses either Christ or Barabbas as his general. And all who place themselves on the side of the disloyal are standing under Satan’s black banner, and are charged with rejecting and despitefully using Christ. They are charged with deliberately crucifying the Lord of life and glory." Review and Herald, January 30, 1900.

Sister White identifies that the Sunday Law was paralleled by the choice of Christ and Barabbas. As we focus in on the Sunday Law, as the instrument the Lord uses to bring probation to the close, we want to recognize that experience was paralleled in Bible history, during the time period of the cross. This is one of the texts where Sister White identifies the choice of Barabbas or Christ as a parallel of the choice of the Seal of God or the Mark of the Beast.

Daniel 3 is the next prophetic study identifying the close of probation as the Sunday Law and the medium that purifies God’s church. Ezekiel 8-12 was pointing us towards the experience of the righteous and the wicked in the church during this time period, in relationship to the work that’s going on in the Most Holy Place. Daniel 3, talking about the same subject, is identifying the impact of the message that goes forth at this time. When Sister White describes this in connection with the Sunday Law, she emphasizes the information connected with the message that goes forth at the Sunday Law.

"Trial and persecution will come to all who, in obedience to the Word of God, refuse to worship this false sabbath. Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward show. If these attractions, invented by men inspired by Satan, failed to make men worship the image, the hungry flames of the furnace were ready to consume them. So it will be now." Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897.

This is going to be repeated; first comes the attraction and then the force. Sister White says that all the ancient prophets spoke more for our day than in the days in which they lived, which means that they were all telling the same story, the end of the world story. You have to take the passages of Bible prophecy and bring them down to the end of the world and by that context determine what’s being symbolized. There’s an interesting passage in Isaiah 23:15-18. Tyre is symbolizing the Papacy; this is an easy one to see:

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing."

This is just a little passage that’s speaking about the Papacy and if you look at the years seven or seventy or seven times seventy, these are periods of time assigned people in the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was seven years, Jacob was seven years working for his wife, Israel was in Babylon seventy years. Here we have this Divine time period given to Tyre when she was going to be forgotten. This is describing the time period when the Papacy has a deadly wound. It is referring to the end of the world when it’s about time for the Papacy to be judged. We know this is the Papacy because this is the entity that’s going to commit fornication with all the kings of the earth and we know from Revelation 17 that’s the Papacy.

When she awakens at the end of the seventy years, she’s going to go sing to the world. Singing is the attraction, that’s what the music is all about. Attraction equals music or song. In our day and age right now, the Papacy is singing to the world and the world is being attracted to her. It’s happening before our eyes. That’s the first thing to prepare you to bow down to the Sunday Law the second will be force.

"The season of distress before God’s people will call for a faith that will not falter. His children must make it manifest (remember this ‘make manifest’) that He is the only object of their worship, and that no consideration, not even that of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to false worship. To the loyal heart the commands of sinful, finite men will sink into insignificance beside the word of the eternal God. Truth will be obeyed though the result be imprisonment or exile or death.

"As in the days of, so in the closing period of earth’s history the Lord will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right. He who walked with the Hebrew worthies in the fiery furnace will be with His followers wherever they are. His abiding presence will comfort and sustain." Prophets and Kings, 513.

She compares Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with us at the end of the world and says that during this time period God’s children are going to make manifest their relationship to God and who God is.

In connection with the Sunday Law, there’s an interesting principle that Sister White uses over and over again in her writings and it’s worth noting. It’s called the ‘when-then principle’. She’ll say ‘when this, when this, when this’, and then she’ll say ‘then’ and if you are very careful about what she’s saying ‘when, when, when’, you realize she’s lining up a lot of events for us. When you see these events; then you know this is going to take place. This passage has 8 ‘whens’ in it if you if you include one place where she says ‘as’ and you could very easily put ‘when’ in there. Listen to the ‘whens’ and the ‘thens’, also listen to the comparison with the days of Daniel 3 with the Sunday Law. Listen to what’s going to be made manifest.

"When the law of God is being made void, when His name is dishonored, when it is considered disloyal to the laws of the land to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath, when wolves in sheep’s clothing, through blindness of mind and hardness of heart, are seeking to compel the conscience, shall we give up our loyalty to God? No, no. The wrongdoer is filled with a Satanic hatred against those who are loyal to the commandments of God, but the value of God’s law as a rule of conduct must be made manifest. The zeal of those who obey the Lord will be increased as [when] the world and the church unite in making void the law. They will say with the Psalmist, ‘I love thy commandments above gold; yea above fine gold’ [Psalm 119:127]. This is what will be sure to occur when the law of God is made void by a national act. When Sunday is exalted and sustained by law, then the principle that actuates the people of God will be made manifest, as the principle of the three Hebrews was made manifest when Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to worship the golden image in the plain of Dura. We can see what our duty is when the truth is overborne by falsehood." Manuscript Releases, vol. 13,71.

She’s comparing the Sunday law and the test of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with our test and she says when this takes place, our experience with Christ, will be made manifest. In Review and Herald October 17, 1895 we are told that character is revealed by a crisis. We’re going to read that now that we’ve thought about the idea that it is at the Sunday Law that this is made manifest, we’ll go back to that quote and listen for this and understand that Sister White is clearly identifying that this manifestation takes place at the Sunday Law.

"Character is revealed by a crisis. When the earnest voice proclaimed at midnight, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,’ the sleeping virgins roused from their slumbers, and it was seen who had made preparation for the event. Both parties were taken unawares, but one was prepared for the emergency, and the other was found without preparation. Character is revealed by circumstances. Emergencies bring out the true metal of character. Some sudden and unlooked-for calamity, bereavement, or crisis, some unexpected sickness or anguish, something that brings the soul face to face with death, will bring out the true inwardness of the character. It will be made manifest whether or not there is any real faith in the promises of the word of God. It will be made manifest whether or not the soul is sustained by grace, whether there is oil in the vessel with the lamp." Review and Herald, October 17, 1895.

This manifestation of Christ’s character takes place in the clearest way at the Sunday Law when the church is purified.

"‘The wrath of man shall praise Thee,’ says the psalmist; ‘the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain. ‘ God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated. Every controversy, every reproach, every slander, wiIl be God’s means of provoking inquiry and awakening minds that otherwise would slumber.

"Thus it has been in the past history of God’s people. For refusing to worship the great golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the three Hebrews were cast into the fiery furnace. But God preserved His servants in the midst of the flames, and the attempt to enforce idolatry resulted in bringing the knowledge [making manifest] of the true God before the assembled princes and great men of the vast kingdom of Babylon." Testimonies, vol. 5, 453.

Here Sister White develops the principle that it’s this test that is going to take the Sabbath-Sunday issue to the whole world. That’s what the test of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did; it took that test between Barabbas and Christ, and it presented it to the assembled world on the plain of Dura to all the representatives of the countries and they went back and took that message.

A testing truth for this church today is the message of the close of probation. Sister White says that the pioneers went out and presented the close of probation and that’s what brought the revival then and that will be repeated. "God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it."

If this presentation of the close of probation is truly Present Truth, then it’s going to have to agitate the minds of God’s people. It’s going to have a controversy connected with it and there is going to be reproach and slander connected with it, but that will be the means of provoking inquiry and awakening minds. This is one of the testing truths; this is the wake-up call.

The test of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is primarily telling us how this Sabbath-Sunday message is going to go. It is a parallel of the Sunday Law issue and through our faithfulness during that time period under persecution, this message will be carried to the world.

"The fact that these youth came forth from the fire having received no harm, save only that their fetters had been burned away, was beyond the comprehension of the wise men, and made a decided change in the sentiments of the people. The tidings of this wonderful deliverance were carried to many countries by the representatives of the different nations. Thus God was glorified by the faithfulness of his children.

"History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation." Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897.

There are reasons to be out in the country during this time of earth’s history. This testimony about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego represents our experience in the end times, and shows that the truth about Sabbath and Sunday is taken to the world through our persecution. We’re not going to be far enough out in the country to miss it. If we’re God’s faithful people, we’re going to be brought to the forefront in courts, we’re going to go to jail, and that’s just what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy promises. The question is, are we ready—because it comes as an overwhelming surprise. Are we prepared to stand in the courts of the land as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did?

Remember during that time period, national apostasy is followed by national ruin. The whole world’s going to be falling apart and it’s not going to be a court situation like we have today, there’s going to be some upset people thinking that we are the reason that all these calamities are happening. It’s not going to be a friendly environment. We’re going to be in a court where we’re going to realize it’s a life or death situation. That’s what’s illustrated by Daniel 3. That’s the test that takes this message to the world. Are we ready for that?

"No law has ever been made to exalt the idol sabbath but that Satan has taken a leading part in its enactment and its enforcement."

Listen to this because you can go back through the last 20 or 30 years, and if you’re an expert on religious liberty you can see laws that have been being passed over the last 30 years that are chipping away at the constitution and preparing the way for the Sunday Law. If you are not watching those things, you should be. It is part of your responsibility as Seventh-day Adventists and it is happening. Sister White says all of these laws have been instigated by Satan.

"No law has ever been made to exalt the idol sabbath but that Satan has taken a leading part in its enactment and its enforcement. Every law for the elevation of Sunday has a direct reference to the fourth commandment. Every move that has been made to enforce its observance is for the purpose of exalting the man of sin above God and above all that is worshipped. Satan would have us exalt the idol sabbath, but we cannot do it, for it would be disloyalty to God.

"In the face of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree of death, the three Hebrew children refused to bend the knee,"

In our study so far, where do we see knees being bended? Ezekiel 8:16, shows a group of men that bow down to the sun. What’s being stated here is that the faithful are not going to bow down with Ezekiel 8:16 to the sun, they’re going to refuse to bend the knee.

"In the face of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree of death, the three Hebrew children refused to bend the knee, preferring to be cast into the fiery furnace rather than bow to the golden image. They declared they were not careful to answer the king, and said, ‘If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’

"They were thrown into the burning fiery furnace, but the Lord was with them. The king looked into the furnace, and said, ‘Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. ‘Angels of the Lord were watching by the side of the faithful three. God wished to show (and you could substitute in there- God wished to make manifest) to the nations of the world who was the great I Am, the God of the heavens, the ruler of the universe, who alone was to be worshipped. Did not the Hebrews break the law of the king? —Yes, but the law of God was first to be obeyed." Review and Herald, April 29, 1890.

Why were they willing to be thrown into the fiery furnace rather than sin? They knew God was faithful due to their previous experience. Are we having that experience today where we know without a doubt that God is faithful?—where we have the confidence that we are in His hands when we’re faced with a life or death situation? That’s what this message is calling us to understand, we have to have that confidence today, and the test comes suddenly, unexpectedly.

Satan is behind every law that is working towards bringing in the Sunday Law, and you can go through and show that there are a multitude of laws in the past years, bringing the Sunday Law to fruition right now. It’s under way.

"There are thousands upon thousands who bear aloft the standard of the world’s sabbath, exalting the image of the papacy created by the man of sin. The church worship the image of the beast, and receive his mark, even as the inhabitants of Babylon worshipped the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar set up in the Plain of Dura." General Conference Daily Bulletin, 178-179.

Prophetically, Daniel 3 is also an illustration of the Sunday Law. Just like Ezekiel is an illustration of the Sunday Law and when we bring these two passages together they compliment one another and give us a broader view. When we bring the testimony of the parable of the Ten Virgins in, it gets even more enlightening. There is even more light that comes in Isaiah and Zephaniah. We’ll look at the gathering and the scattering and there is even more light when you pull these things together. Sister White says that the events connected with the close of probation have been clearly presented.

Have you ever stopped to ask why wasn’t Daniel there? Why wasn’t Daniel at that test? I think Daniel wasn’t there, because Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego symbolizes the three angel’s messages. If Daniel was there there’d be four people and that wouldn’t symbolize it. The classic answer is that he was off running business for Nebuchadnezzar while everyone was there, but over and over in end time events, you’ll see the three angel’s messages illustrated. In fact they’re not illustrated simply as three angel’s messages—they’re symbolized as three angel’s messages and then a fourth. We see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in this test and then a fourth—walking in the furnace with them. Once we’re sealed, then the latter rain comes. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were sealed at the test and the Fourth that walked in the test of the fiery furnace with them, was symbolizing the fourth angel’s message of Revelation 18.

Christ tells us that the end of the world is going to be as the days of Noah. If you go back prophetically you see that there is a three/one combination symbolized in the story of Noah, and his three sons. In Numbers 23, right before the children of Israel are ready to go into the Promise Land, (which is clearly an illustration of us today about ready to go into the Promise Land) Balaam was brought to curse Israel. What did Balaam do? In verse 7, Balaam gave a pronouncement not ‘against’ Israel but for Israel. In verse 18 he gives his second prophecy or pronouncement, and in 24:3 he gives his third pronouncement. Balaam never did give the prophecy Balak wanted to hear, but what we see illustrated here just before the children of Israel are about ready to go into the promise land, Balaam’s three prophecies represent the three angel’s messages. They’re distinctly identified in association with Balak wanting those messages to be proclaimed even though they didn’t come out the way he wanted. Then in 24:15 Balaam decides to do a prophecy on his own and we see the three and one symbolized. Not only the three angel’s message but that fourth is represented there as well.

Throughout passages of prophecy that deal with the end of the world, we see this three/one sequence, identifying the three angel’s message and the fourth. For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the fourth was the appearance of Christ in the fire with them. If you look at the call out of Babylon for the children of Israel, there were three decrees for the children of Israel to come out of Babylon and begin the work of rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. Sister White in many places says the work that they did is symbolic of the work that we should do in our day, and sure enough we see illustrated there the three angel’s messages in these three decrees. It’s the third decree that starts the 2300 day prophecy. But did you know that there was one other decree in that story? If you look very closely in the book of Nehemiah, he also got letters from the king, and Nehemiah was the one that worked the final reformation.

The fourth message in the three/one sequence is identifying the final reformation, the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That’s what Nehemiah’s decree was identifying.

I’m taking time here to identify some prophetic implications of Daniel 3. It sets forth the three angels message and the forth but it also identifies two Sunday Law tests. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were confronted with the test and then Nebuchadnezzar found out they didn’t bow down and he says, "I’ll give you one more chance". Then they said, "We don’t need another chance, we’re not going to bow down. this is consistent with what we understand as Adventists—we’re told that first the United States passes a Sunday Law, and then every other country on the globe will follow her example.

There’s going to be a Sunday Law in the United States and then there’s going to be a world Sunday Law and even that is illustrated in Daniel 3, after the first test and the second test that got them thrown into the fire, what took place? That’s when they gave their testimony to Nebuchadnezzar. Our testimony begins at the Sunday Law, and it continues until the close of human probation.

Our presentations here are connected with Daniel 11:40-45. Verse 41 identifies a Sunday Law in the United States, at which time probation closes for Seventh-day Adventists. That brings serious implications to that understanding. This quote in This Day With God, 163, identifies that at the Sunday test, the door is closed for Seventh-day Adventists that should have prepared for that test.

"Many who have known the truth have corrupted their way before God and have departed from the faith. The broken ranks will be filled up by those represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. There are many with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time."

There is the purification that takes place at the Sunday Law—foolish virgins leave the church at that time leaving just the wise who will be sealed and receive the Later Rain and give the loud cry message. The other children of God that are outside the Adventist church will begin to come and stand with God’s people. During this time, Sister White is clear that the door is closed to the foolish virgins just like it was closed to the foolish virgins in 1844. Remember, that it will be fulfilled again, to the very letter.

Sister White rephrases this in a few different places in the Spirit of Prophecy, and there’s one where she really locks it in that she’s talking about probation. Review and Herald, November 22, 1906:

"Probationary time will not continue much longer. Now God is withdrawing his restraining hand from the earth. Long has he been speaking to men and women through the agency of his Holy Spirit; but they have not heeded the call. Now he is speaking to his people, and to the world, by his judgments. The time of these judgments is a time of mercy for those who have not yet had opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; his hand is still stretched out to save. Large numbers will be admitted to the fold of safety who in these last days will hear the truth for the first time."

We’re talking about the close of probation when we’re talking about this door closing. The door closed on those that would not enter in, those who are illustrated in Ezekiel 8. They are illustrated in Daniel 3, because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not the only Hebrews on the plain of Dura. They were simply the only Hebrews that had prepared for the test and when the test came, they were the only ones that had the experience to stand.

The close of the door in Bible prophecy is identifying the close of probation.

We will make sure that this phrase is clearly identified as such. In The Desire of Ages, 62-63, Sister White is describing a time period when a door was closing on God’s people but it was opening to people outside of God’s church. This will be repeated at the Sunday Law when the door closes on God’s people but opens to the other sheep that are not of this fold, that are in Babylon and respond to the fourth angel’s message.

"Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves."

We’re talking about the close of probation and it’s clear that the door is a symbol of that.

This is from Signs of the Times, December 20, 1877, and remember the days of Noah are as our day.

"The Spirit of God continued to strive with rebellious man until the time of God had specified had nearly expired, when Noah and his family entered the ark and the hand of God closed the door of the ark. Mercy had stepped from the golden throne no longer to intercede for man."

Closing of the ark door symbolized the end of mercy for the guilty world.

Review and Herald, March 26, 1889. The Bible prophets speaking to ancient Israel and Jesus also used this same phraseology, speaking of the scribes and Pharisees of His day and Sister White is using it to speak about us. This phraseology will be very familiar to you.

"You may have ears, and not hear. You may have eyes, and not see the light, nor receive the illumination that God has provided for you. You may close the door to light as effectually as the Pharisees closed the door to Christ when he taught among them. ...The way was open; but by their own course of action they closed the door, and severed their connection with Christ. We may do the same by rejecting light and truth."

The parable of the Ten Virgins experience will be repeated again at the end of the world. This is from Early Writings, 251-

"I was shown what did take place in heaven at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844. As Jesus ended His ministration in the holy place and closed the door of that apartment, a great darkness settled upon those who had heard and rejected the message of His coming, and they lost sight of Him."

A door was closed in heaven to the people that did not by faith enter in to the Most Holy Place experience in Oct. 22, 1844. The fifty that remained out of that last movement were the wise virgins. The rest were foolish virgins and the door was closed at that time. That will be repeated again in our day.

Sister White in Early Writings, in several passages addresses this closing of the door. I can think of five right off the top of my head. Two of the visions recorded in Early Writings, you’re all familiar with—when Christ moves from the Holy to the Most Holy Place, and Satan comes into the Holy Place and stands by the empty throne and gives light and power, but Christ, in the Most Holy Place, gives light, truth, power, sweet peace, joy and love. Sister White is identifying that the door was closed to those people that would not move and they began to follow Satan. Their probation had come to an end. I would challenge any of us to find where Sister White speaks about where those people that would not enter in to the Most Holy Place experience before Oct. 22 1844 ever turned around.

"The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual round, and the heavens still declare the glory of God. Men are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying, and giving in marriage. Merchants are still buying and selling. Men are jostling one against another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation’s hour is fast closing, and every case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his time is short. He has set all his agencies at work that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied and entranced, until the day of probation shall be ended, and the door of mercy be forever shut." The Desire of Ages 636.

The closing of the door is the close of probation.

Judgment is a progressive thing, it began with the first that died and proceeds until the judgment of the living. Judgment begins in the house of God and it is going to begin in the Seventh-day Adventist church with the men in responsible positions. You could even theorize that when the judgment of the living begins that it may begin with the General Conference president and work downward, but it’s progressive. So is the close of probation. The close of probation is going to begin with the Seventh-day Adventist church as they’re purified by the Sunday Law test, and they’ve all decided one way or another, the Latter Rain begins. Through that crisis time they clarify the issue of Sabbath and Sunday for the people in Babylon, who begin to take their stand on the Sabbath/Sunday issue and their probation closes accordingly. Finally probation closes for all mankind. Probation as well as judgment needs to be understood on a progressive time-line.

This passage is identifying when it comes to its end for good. The Great Controversy, 428:

"When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed."

Notice how Sister White ties in the parable of the ten virgins with that? She says the parable of the Ten Virgins illustrates the Advent experience right down to the close of human probation.