Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
Preparation for the End
At Oswego, New York, September 7, 1850, the Lord showed me
that a great work must be done for His people before they could stand in the
battle in the day of the Lord. I was pointed to those who claim to be
Adventists, but who reject the present truth, and saw that they were crumbling
and that the hand of the Lord was in their midst to divide and scatter them now
in the gathering time, so that the precious jewels among them, who have formerly
been deceived, may have their eyes opened to see their true state. And now when
the truth is presented to them by the Lord's messengers, they are prepared to
listen, and see its beauty and harmony, and to leave their former associates
and errors, embrace the precious truth and stand where they can define their
position. {EW 69.2}
I saw that those who oppose the Sabbath of the Lord could
not take the Bible and show that our position is incorrect; therefore they
would slander those who [70] believe and teach the truth and
would attack their characters. Many who were once conscientious and loved God
and His Word have become so hardened by rejecting the light of truth that they
do not hesitate to wickedly misrepresent and falsely accuse those who love the holy
Sabbath, if by so doing they can injure the influence of those who fearlessly
declare the truth. But these things will not hinder the work of God. In fact,
this course pursued by those who hate the truth will be the very means of
opening the eyes of some. Every jewel will be brought out and gathered, for the
hand of the Lord is set to recover the remnant of His people, and He will
accomplish the work gloriously. {EW 69.3}
We who believe the truth should be very careful to give no
occasion for our good to be evil spoken of. We should know that every step we
take is in accordance with the Bible; for those who hate the commandments of
God will triumph over our missteps and faults, as the wicked did in 1843. {EW 70.1}
May 14, 1851, I saw the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. As I
beheld His glory, the thought did not occur to me that I should ever be
separated from His presence. I saw a light coming from the glory that encircled
the Father, and as it approached near to me, my body trembled and shook like a
leaf. I thought that if it should come near me I would be struck out of
existence, but the light passed me. Then could I have some sense of the great
and terrible God with whom we have to do. I saw then what faint views some have
of the holiness of God, and how much they take His holy and reverend name in
vain, without realizing that it is God, the great and terrible God, of whom
they are speaking. While praying, many use careless and irreverent expressions,
which grieve the tender Spirit of the Lord and cause their petitions to be shut
out of heaven. [71] {EW 70.2}
I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in
order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary
through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and
are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. {EW 71.1}
I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful
and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter
rain" to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His
sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had
neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the
refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God.
Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in
obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is
far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the
plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the
building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead
their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration
has gone forth, "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." I saw that
none could share the "refreshing" unless they obtain the victory over
every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every
wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to
the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to
stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy
and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence. {EW 71.2}
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