Are innocent people being killed by the storm? Is not the death of innocent people darkness?

Do you understand what is being said in 158092?

Is anyone innocent? "All have sinned." Everyone dies. Death is not darkness - it's sleep. I don't know why Jesus allowed Haiyan to hit. He could have prevented it - but He didn't (for reasons that make sense to Him). Evil angels do not have the authority to use storms without Jesus' permission (not saying they are causing Haiyan).

Yes, I understand your post. "God will use His enemies as instruments to punish those who have followed their own pernicious ways whereby the truth of God has been misrepresented, misjudged, and dishonored. {LDE 242.3} However, unlike you, I am not convinced this is the only ways and means He uses to accomplish His purposes.

At the general conference of believers in the present truth, held at Sutton, Vermont, September, 1850, I was shown that the seven last plagues will be poured out after Jesus leaves the sanctuary. Said the angel, “It is the wrath of God and the Lamb that causes the destruction or death of the wicked. At the voice of God the saints will be mighty and terrible as an army with banners, but they will not then execute the judgment written. The execution of the judgment will be at the close of the one thousand years.”

After the saints are changed to immortality and caught up together with Jesus, after they receive their harps, their robes, and their crowns, and enter the city, Jesus and the saints sit in judgment. The books are opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and according to that men are judged. The saints, in unison with Jesus, pass their judgment upon the wicked dead. “Behold ye,” said the angel, “the saints, in unison with Jesus, sit in judgment, and mete out to the wicked according to the deeds done in the body, and that which they must receive at the execution of the judgment is set off against their names.” This, I saw, was the work of the saints with Jesus through the one thousand years in the Holy City before it descends to the earth. Then at the close of the one thousand years, Jesus, with the angels and all the saints, leaves the Holy City, and while He is descending to the earth with them, the wicked dead are raised, and then the very men that “pierced Him,” being raised, will see Him afar off in all His glory, the angels and saints with Him, and will wail because of Him. They will see the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet, and where they thrust the spear into His side. The prints of the nails and the spear will then be His glory. It is at the close of the one thousand years that Jesus stands upon the Mount of Olives, and the mount parts asunder and becomes a mighty plain. Those who flee at that time are the wicked, who have just been raised. Then the Holy City comes down and settles on the plain. Satan then imbues the wicked with his spirit. He flatters them that the army in the city is small, and that his army is large, and that they can overcome the saints and take the city.

While Satan was rallying his army, the saints were in the city, beholding the beauty and glory of the Paradise of God. Jesus was at their head, leading them. All at once the lovely Saviour was gone from our company; but soon we heard His lovely voice, saying, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” We gathered about Jesus, and just as He closed the gates of the city, the curse was pronounced upon the wicked. The gates were shut. Then the saints used their wings and mounted to the top of the wall of the city. Jesus was also with them; His crown looked brilliant and glorious. It was a crown within a crown, seven in number. The crowns of the saints were of the most pure gold, decked with stars. Their faces shone with glory, for they were in the express image of Jesus; and as they arose and moved all together to the top of the city, I was enraptured with the sight.

Then the wicked saw what they had lost; and fire was breathed from God upon them and consumed them. This was the execution of the judgment. The wicked then received according as the saints, in unison with Jesus, had meted out to them during the one thousand years. The same fire from God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the stubble was consumed. Then our inheritance opened before us, glorious and beautiful, and we inherited the whole earth made new. We all shouted with a loud voice, “Glory; Alleluia!”

"After the judgment of the wicked dead had been finished, at the end of the one thousand years, Jesus left the city, and the saints and a train of the angelic host followed Him. Jesus descended upon a great mountain (Mt Olives where He ascended to heaven), which as soon as His feet touched it, parted asunder and became a mighty plain. Then we looked up and saw the great and beautiful city... it came down in all its splendor and dazzling glory and settled in the mighty plain which Jesus had prepared for it... Then, in terrible, fearful majesty, Jesus called forth the wicked dead; and they came up with the same feeble, sickly bodies that went into the grave... Then Jesus and the holy angels, accompanied by all the saints, again go to the city, and the bitter lamentations and wailing of the doomed wicked fill the air."
{EW 293.1}

So Jesus comes down out of heaven with the saints as He resurrects the wicked and He touches down on Mt Olives (Gethsemane; hint hint) the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven and they enter the city in front of the wicked, then Jesus pronounces the curse and closes the door, then the coronation of Christ over heaven and earth commences.

Then the judgment that Jesus and the righteous agree upon is executed against the non repentant. The earth is made new.

kland,

I stated your question completely verbatim via the "quote" option, in which I edited absolutely nothing from your post. You asked about a "metal sword." Mrs. White simply says "sword." Your word "metal" was added.

But my question is, if it's a sin for the Israelites to bear swords, as APL implies...why does God have one?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Well said.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

APL,

Please answer the following:



Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Green - read post 158092.

I see. In that post, you titled your response with the following words: "The wicked, Satan, as the sword, the rod of God’s anger."

In that case, how does God "whet" the wicked and/or Satan as His sword? What does it mean that God is "whetting" them?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Then consider again the story of Job, thought to be the oldest book in the Bible. It should give us a background of what is happening between God and Satan.

Consider again EGW's statement, "We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings the punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death." {1SM 235.2}

Consider again EGW's statement, "God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown." {GC 36.1}.

Consider again EGW's statement, "David had neglected the duty of punishing the crime of Amnon, and because of the unfaithfulness of the king and father and the impenitence of the son, the Lord permitted events to take their natural course, and did not restrain Absalom. When parents or rulers neglect the duty of punishing iniquity, God Himself will take the case in hand. His restraining power will be in a measure removed from the agencies of evil, so that a train of circumstances will arise which will punish sin with sin". {PP 728.1}

Consider again how God sent the fiery serpents, Numbers 21:5-9, with Deuteronomy 8:15 in mind.

Consider again Deuteronomy 32 and HOW God sent fire, arrows, hunger, burning heat and destruction, vicious beasts, poisonous serpents, and the SWORD (GREEN). How all were affects, the young, old, male, female. The people would be scattered to the ends of the earth. Oh that the were wise, that they would understand (JSOT)! (verse 29) HOW does this all happen? Verse 30 - Their Rock had let them go, given them up. This is the wrath of God! This is the same as Romans 1.

The 7 last plague JSOT is the same. God is not the acting subject in the plagues, just as God is not the acting subject in the book of Job. Satan is the one that caused all the havoc in the book of Job when God eased up His protection, and this on a upright man! Satan is the one that is acting in the last plagues when God removes His protection, when the angels no longer hold back the winds of strife, Revelation 7.

REPEAT - "God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown." {GC 36.1}.

EGW: Satan sought to intercept every ray of light from the throne of God. He sought to cast his shadow across the earth, that men might lose the true views of God's character, and that the knowledge of God might become extinct in the earth. He had caused truth of vital importance to be so mingled with error that it had lost its significance. The law of Jehovah was burdened with needless exactions and traditions, and God was represented as severe, exacting, revengeful, and arbitrary. He was pictured as one who could take pleasure in the sufferings of his creatures. The very attributes that belonged to the character of Satan, the evil one represented as belonging to the character of God. Jesus came to teach men of the Father, to correctly represent him before the fallen children of earth. Angels could not fully portray the character of God, but Christ, who was a living impersonation of God, could not fail to accomplish the work. The only way in which he could set and keep men right was to make himself visible and familiar to their eyes. That men might have salvation he came directly to man, and became a partaker of his nature. {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 6}

The Father was revealed in Christ as altogether a different being from that which Satan had represented him to be. Said Christ, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." The love of Jesus, expressed for the fallen race in his life of self-denial and sufferings, is the manifestation of the Father's love for a sinful, fallen world. {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 7}

That God could consent to become flesh, and dwell among fallen beings, to lift them up from their helplessness and despair, is an unfathomed mystery. He whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, whose dominion endureth throughout all generations, made himself to be sin for us that he might lift up all that are bowed down, and give life to those who are ready to perish. {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 8}

Oh, that men might open their minds to know God as he is revealed in his Son! ... Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,--to set men right through the revelation of God. In Christ was arrayed before men the paternal grace and the matchless perfections of the Father. In his prayer just before his crucifixion, he declared, "I have manifested thy name." "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." When the object of his mission was attained,--the revelation of God to the world,--the Son of God announced that his work was accomplished, and that the character of the Father was made manifest to men. {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 9}

Green and asygo say that we do not learn much about the character of God from the life of Christ on this earth. EGW says otherwise. If we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father, John 14:9. EGW said, "All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son." If you picture of God does not fit what we have learned from the Greatest Light, JESUS, then there is something wrong with your picture.

Again EGW:
It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth. {COL 415.3}

This is the work outlined by the prophet Isaiah in the words, "O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him." Isaiah 40:9,10. {COL 415.4}

Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them. {COL 415.5}