The Millerite message and experience is described in Revelation 10. John the revelator, a symbol of the Millerites is told to eat the "little book" offered to him. He does eat it and although it tastes sweet initially, it makes his belly bitter. This bitter-sweet experience was the experience of the Millerites. They waited for the return of Christ prior to 1844, and it was a sweet experience to them, but when Christ did not return, it became a bitter pill.

But at this time the Lord sent a word of encouragement to the church. They were told to rise above their disappointment and prophecy again before the world. What were they to prophecy? Well, the command to prophecy again comes at the end of Revelation 10. The most likely place to look for a summary of their mandate to preach would be the scripture that immediately follows chapter 10, that is, the text of chapter 11.

So it is consistent with Adventist history that Ellen White applies the measuring message of Revelation 11 to her day and to ours. This is why she advocates that the church not only give the third angel's message which began in 1844, but that the first and second and third are to be repeated in their order. Why? Because, since 1844, the measuring message, which is the message of the first angel repeated, 'the hour of His judgment is come' has a current application and is now meeting it's complete fulfilment. Now is when God judges and measures the living,

Good to see you back.


This refers to the recording of our actions in heaven, not to their being brought into judgment.

Sorry Tom and MM. I didn't see your posts before posting mine. I'll respond eventually to yours and Rosangela's, but maybe not today or tomorrow.

Hi, Mark. I've found an enlightening passage:

"God declares: '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.' The Lord comes to His temple to find those who are sincere. He measures the worshippers. He knows those who are true-hearted and self-sacrificing. 'Who may abide the day of His coming; and who shall stand when He appeareth?' Who will stand in the day of investigation. This does not mean the time when the books are opened. It is a preparatory work. 'For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap.' To those who have felt unconcerned, the Spirit comes as a reprover, and shows them that they need to do something to cleanse the temple. He investigates the temple and the worshippers thereof. '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 God an offering in righteousness.'" {AUCR, July 28, 1899 par. 10}

Since Sister White makes a current application to the measuring message and since we've been living in the judgment hour since 1844, and baring in mind she teaches that the books were opened at that time, what do you think her meaning is Rosangela when she says: "This does not mean the time when the books are opened. It is a preparatory work. . ." ? Is she saying that the books are not open now?

When were the wise and unwise virgins judged - while the bridgegroom delayed, or when the cry went out, "Behold the bridegroom cometh"? I'll suggest that it was the former, not the latter.

Regarding purging us of sin, what do you think MM of Tom's quote of EJ Waggoner and his thoughts on purging the memory of sin. He says we may recall our former conduct, but the mind no longer thinks of committing the sin we've been purged from. Waggoner makes that the pivotal issue rather than the physical memory. Whether you agree with the mechanism, you'd agree with his priority I'm sure.

But Tom and Roseangela is there no place in the judgment of the living for sanctification to occur? Is the judgment of the living only to examine the records, or is it a process? Didn't Christ teach that judgment occurs when men and women are enlightened by the Holy Spirit? If they accept the light and walk in it they put on the righteousness of Christ. He becomes their Lord. But regarding those who are enlightened and don't accept it, Christ says, "This is the judgment, that light is come into the world and men loved darkness."

According to the Apostle, sins are blotted out at the times of refreshing. In order for sin to be blotted out, there must have been, as Ellen White points out above, an examination of the case. Through faith in the blood of Christ, the sin is blotted from the books of record. So, the case is reviewed, and at the time of refreshing, it's blotted out.

But when is the time of refreshing? It's now, according to our prophet. The times of refreshing began in 1888 but more than that, the message of the true witness was given thirty years earlier. Both messages contain the latter rain within themselves. Some may say they stopped with the rejection of the 1888 message, but that's not the case. The truth of the messages live on, and continue to be a living witness for or against us depending on what we do in our response to them.

This sounds interesting. It sounds like you're suggesting the judgment as something positive, a process involving the believer in a positive where, where God is interacting with him, taking steps to further his sanctification. Am I understanding you correctly? Could you amplify your thought a bit more?



I believe this is exactly correct.

The truth of the messages doesn't do any good if it is not heard. They don't really "live on" in this case. They're more "slumbering, as if dead." When resurrected, then we get back to the process you were relating to earlier, the judgment that comes with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

As to what is happening now, that's a difficult question for us to answer, in the midst of things. Personally, I don't see great things happening, but I'm localized, have faulty eyesight, so to speak, and can't possibly be aware of all that God is doing throughout the world. So I certainly wouldn't want to rule out anything.

Not for the living, who are the ones addressed to in this passage. God is measuring living worshipers.