Is the gist of this topic along the lines of you become what you behold? And by beholding Christ we are made more and more like Him from glory to glory?

quote:

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2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

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God Bless,
Will

Yes, from glory to glory, from faith to faith, from grace to grace. Please notice that the growth we experience as born again believers is from glory to glory - not from greater sins to lesser sins. "Walking in the Spirit" and in "the mind of the "new man" means maturing in the fruits of the Spirit - not gradually outgrowing our defective traits of character. "By beholding we become changed, morally assimilated to the One who is perfect in character... we become like Him." AG 96.

Q. What is it the angels need to learn regarding what's involved in the Great Controversy?

“… angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness.”

Q. What does the 144,000 have to do with teaching the angels what they need to learn?

“The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed.” It’s one thing for the Son of God to obey the law of God, He's got everything to lose, but it’s an altogether different thing for sinful human beings to do it. Satan wasn’t ready to admit defeat when Jesus died on the cross, but when the 144,000 duplicate Jesus’ obedience, during the “time of trouble”, he will be so awe struck that he will not be able to constrain himself – he will concede defeat. But more importantly, he will admit that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, and worthy of worship and adoration.

7:17 What [is] man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? Job

2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. Heb.

Man was made a little lower than the angels. Yet when he shall be purified and translated to the heavenly courts, he will be even more privileged than the angels. {TDG 255.5}

The final phase of the atonement has to be completed and through this man shall be exalted above angels. This will teach the good and the evil angels that the Holy Sprit working through depraved human nature can produce not one [Jesus] ;but an army that can stand without a mediator and this will be accomplished during the worst of times.

The last shall be first, and the first last.

3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev. No angel has experience this. The angels will gladly submit because of their witness of the 144,000. The good angels there exalted state and the bad will have to submit that God is just.

Only one has stood upon this earth without a mediator [Jesus], speaking of the 144,000 –

Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mingled with fire,--so resplendent is it with the glory of God,--are gathered the company that have "gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." [REV. 15:2.] With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, "having the harps of God," they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, "the voice of harpers harping with their harps." [REV. 14:1-5; 15:3; 7:14-17] And they sing "a new song" before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb,--a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience,--an experience such as no other company have ever had. "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as "the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb." "These are they which came out of great tribulation;" [REV. 14:1-5; 15:3; 7:14-17.] they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob's trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God's judgments. But they have been delivered, for they have "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." "In their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault" before God. "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." [REV. 14:1-5; 15:3; 7:14-17.] They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves have endured suffering, hunger, and thirst. But "they shall hunger no more; neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." [REV. 14:1-5; 15:3; 7:14-17.] {GC88 648.3}

The 144,000 behold the lamb until they are in no need of a mediator.

Satan isn't bowing his knee and confessing that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, therefore, something else has to happen that hasn't happen yet, something that will cause Satan to bow with the rest of the unsaved. God will not destroy Satan, or any other unsaved free moral agent, until they have acknowledged the fairness of their destruction and the rightness of God.

Jesus did not accomplish or demonstrate that "something else" on the cross. But He will do it in the hearts and minds of the 144,000 during the time of trouble, and especially during the time of Jacob's trouble. Their faithfulness and obedience, during untold test, trial and temptation, will convince the onlooking universe that the principles of God's kingdom and character are the only way to attain to perfect peace and happiness.

In contrast to this demonstration of unparalleled peace and happiness, is the host of unsaved professed followers of Jesus, who received the mark of the beast, who are clamoring to kill their leaders out of hate and rage and selfish loss. It is the contrast between the saved and unsaved that will finally convince Satan, and all others, that Jesus is right and Satan is wrong.

Satan has known all along that God is right and he is wrong. I cannot believe the Great Controversy is continuing to convince Satan that he is wrong. Do you have any support for your view?

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I will hold to my view that it is for the benefit of the man that time continues and that 144,000 will manifest the character of God. This makes sense, and is in harmony with a number of inspired texts that quickly come to mind, which I'm sure you are familiar with, so I would cite them because I'm tired (but I can, if asked)

You brought out an interesting item from The Desire of Ages which states that the angels still had more to learn, but have not produced any statements that I'm aware of which bring out how the 144,000 teach the angels principles of the Great Controversy. If you are aware of any statements which shed light on this subject, I would be extremely interested in seeing them. I've very interested in the subject of what the 144,000 accomplish.

Not until the last moment does Satan admit defeat. Not until the last moment is the great controversy clearly understood by the angels. The contrast is clear and obvious.

GC 662-672
Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips… {GC 662.2}

Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy… {GC 663.1}

At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on--an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal… {GC 664.3}

In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people…{GC 666.1}

As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed… {GC 666.2}

The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work… {GC 667.2}

It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death… {GC 668.3}

Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen… {GC 669.1}

… He sees that his hellish plots have been powerless to destroy those who have put their trust in Jesus. As Satan looks upon his kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he sees only failure and ruin… {GC 669.2}

The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself and to prove the divine government responsible for the rebellion. To this end he has bent all the power of his giant intellect. He has worked deliberately and systematically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes to accept his version of the great controversy which has been so long in progress. For thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off falsehood for truth. But the time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan disclosed. In his last great effort to dethrone Christ, destroy His people, and take possession of the City of God, the archdeceiver has been fully unmasked. Those who have united with him see the total failure of his cause. Christ's followers and the loyal angels behold the full extent of his machinations against the government of God. He is the object of universal abhorrence. {GC 670.1}

Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence. {GC 670.2}

… Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him… {GC 670.3}

Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God's justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth… {GC 671.2}