TEXT FOR PRAYER

I shall read from page 56 of Christs Object Lessons : -2TG22 16.1

Throughout the parable of the sower Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the soil. In every case the sower and the seed are the same. Thus He teaches that if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives the reason is to be found in ourselves. But the result is not beyond our control. True we can not change ourselves but the power of choice is ours and it rests with us to determine what we will become. The wayside the stony-ground the thorny-ground hearers need not remain such…. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural hear can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus. The Lord bids us by His prophet Break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns. Sow to yourselves in righteousness reap in mercy. This work He desires to accomplish for us and He asks us to cooperate with Him. -2TG22 16.2

We shall now kneel and pray that we may ever be awake to the Voice of the Spirit of God to know that although we cannot change ourselves yet the power of choice is ours to ever remember that God has created us free moral agents that we ourselves are responsible for our hardness of heart to let Him break up our fallow ground so that we may sow to ourselves righteousness to know that through prayer and study we can keep awake our desire for spiritual things. -2TG22 16.3

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The Great Paradox of the Ages

TEXT OF ADDRESS BY V.T HOUTEF,
MINISTER OF DAVIDIAN 7TH-DAY ADVENTISTS
SABBATH, JANUARY 10, 1948
WACO, TEXAS

Zech. 6:1-8 — And I turned and lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold there came four chariots out from between two mountains and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses and in the second chariot black horses and in the third chariot white horses and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me What are these my Lord? And the angel answered and said unto me These are the four Spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country and the white go forth after them and the grisled go forth toward the south country. And the bay went forth and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and He said Get you hence walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried He upon me and spake unto me saying Behold these that go toward the noth country have quieted My Spirit in the north country. -2TG22 17.1

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The paradox in this prophetic symbolism is with the fourth chariot you see: It is hitched to two teams the grisled and the bay one team trying to take it in one direction (south) and the other in another direction (to and fro through the earth) What is to become of the chariot and which of the teams is likely to take it? That is the paradox for they cannot both have it unless they walk together. As this is a paradoxical symbolism it has been a mystery ever since the prophet wrote it and as it is now disclosed for the first time Inspiration obviously is forewarning someone of something very serious that is taking place at this particular time. What can it be?– -2TG22 18.1

The prophet Zechariah was as anxious to know as we are for he asked What are these my Lord ? And to his question came the answer These are the four Spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth. -2TG22 18.2

The angels answer is positive. The chariots He declared are the Spirits of the heavens Who stand before the Lord and Who are sent to go to and fro through the earth. Plainly then these four teams and chariots symbolize four messages (four Spirits) sent from Gods presence. And since all the messages from God are carried to and fro through the earth by the Ministry and the Church the chariots and their teams therefore are seen to symbolize the church at work in four different periods. -2TG22 18.3

The next question is Where in the stream of time shall we look for this message-laden and trouble-burden church? in our time in the past or what? The brass mountains give the clue for the chariots came from between them. We should therefore first find out what the mountains symbolize and where they stand in time. And as the chariots came from between the mountains one standing to their left (in the future) and the other to their right (in the past) it is necessary to locate them first. The Biblical interpretation of a symbolical mountain is as follows: Jerusalem shall be called a city of Truth and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Zech. 8:3. The mountains in Zechariahs prophecy therefore as elsewhere in the Bible are seen to symbolize two governments churches very similar in nature (both of brass) and at two different times (one to the chariots right and one to their left). Being of brass a metal that has everlasting qualities that does not deteriorate shows that they represent something eternal. Moreover the mountains being of the same symbolical material as that which the feet of Christ (Rev. 1:15) were shown to be (brass) it locates the mountains in the Christian era. -2TG22 18.4

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The only such holy governments of God in the Christian era one in the past and one in the future between which the path of the chariots lies are the church of the Pentecost with the 120 Spirit-filled disciples symbolized by the mountain to the chariots right and the church at the second Pentecost (Joel 2:28, 29, yet future) with the 144,000 Spirit-filled disciples standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1) symbolized by the mountain to the chariots left. -2TG22 19.1

It is well understood that the church of today is made up of all kinds of materials not of solid brass — not of true Christians only but commingled with good and bad — wheat and tares. The truth is therefore obvious: There is to be another such sin-destroying and sinner-sifting Theocracy as the one in the day of Ananias and Sapphira who for sinning gave up the ghost as they fell at the apostles feet (Acts 5:1-11). -2TG22 19.2

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Plainly the chariots symbolize the church militant at work between the two Pentecosts. -2TG22 20.1

The fourth chariot being the last it is to be found operating just before the second Pentecost. -2TG22 20.2

Since the chariots are led by horses the horses themselves must symbolize the chariots (churchs) leadership and the passengers in the chariots must symbolize the laity. -2TG22 20.3

The symbolism though is to disclose the paradoxical situation that exists with the fourth chariot the last and hence the Laodicean church with the Judgment message as her name itself indicates. -2TG22 20.4

The first chariot you remember is led by red horses the second by black horses the third by white and the fourth by two kinds — grisled and bay horses. The color of each horse being a mark of species it must be indicative of their natural and consequential circumstances. And as afore-noted they are symbolical of the ministry in each segment of church history. The red evidently signifies martyrdom the black signifies captivity the white signifies freedom grisled (an indefinite color neither black nor white) symbolizes ministers that are neither true Christians nor true Gentiles — hypocrites. The bay however denote strength as the marginal reference points out. -2TG22 20.5

This symbolical prophecy is seen to corroborate history. It points out that the Christian Church at first suffered martyrdom shown by the color red. Then followed the Dark Ages of religion when the church was in captivity (black). Following these came the Protestant period the period of religious freedom (white team). And at last comes the fourth chariot with its bay and grisled teams. The teams are seen to have a controversial struggle over the chariot. Grisled being an indefinite color — neither black nor white denotes hypocrisy the kind of which is heretofore unknown whereas the color bay denotes spiritual strength (margin) the kind heretofore unknown. -2TG22 20.6

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Since the Church originated in Asia Jerusalem in particular the first chariot is seen to have remained there for it went nowhere. The north country geographically north of Palestine is where the other chariots went that is the countries which the Christian nations are now inhabiting. The fourth chariot though is supposed to go to and fro through the earth — to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. But contrary to this the grisled horses go forth toward the south country which figuratively speaking would be spiritual Egypt — worldliness. -2TG22 21.1

Gods Spirit having been silenced in the north country must denote that the messages of God in the north country were generally rejected especially the one of the forth chariot which caused the Spirit of Truth to turn away and to bring Truth no more through them — to be silent there — and that therefore there is not to be expected any Truth through them. -2TG22 21.2

The double team of horses and their two kinds of colors pulling in two different directions are immediately seen to symbolize a double set of church leaders (the Seventh-day Adventist leaders and the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist leaders) unlike in character and aim. Symbolically speaking the grisled horses those that appeared first on the prophetic scene are leading the chariot into Egypt — the worldliness from which they ought to come out rather than go back into. The bay horses though are endeavoring to pull away from it and go to and fro through the earth as commanded — to finish the gospel work in accordance with Gods plan. But this cannot take place so long as both teams are hitched to the chariot for the chariot cannot possibly move in either direction while one team pulls in one direction and the other in another direction. -2TG22 21.3

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The immediate necessity therefore is to unhitch (discharge) the one so that the other can be free to go to and fro through the earth as soon as they are told to Go. When this happens the paradox will be a paradox no longer. -2TG22 22.1

What put two different kinds of leaders working at cross purposes? — I shall let the Spirit of Prophecy give the answer. Here follows the description of one set of church leaders: -2TG22 22.2

…Those who have rendered supreme homage to science falsely so-called will not be the leaders then. Those who have trusted to intellect genius or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock… — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 80. -2TG22 22.3

Obviously these self-important leaders who love to slumber in a lukewarm country are represented by the grisled horses. -2TG22 22.4

We shall now read of the leaders whom the bay horses depict the ones that come on the scene last: -2TG22 22.5

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…The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there fixed in the firmament but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine lustre. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pp. 80-81. -2TG22 23.1

This is exactly what is happening right now: Those who are rejecting the message that is announcing the Judgment for the Living those who did not keep pace with the light and are satisfied to stay in antitypical Egypt the Seventh-day Adventists ministry are to be discharged (unhitched) and the hidden ones those represented by the bay horses the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists ministry are coming to the front. They are now being disclosed to view and are getting ready to take the chariot Then as soon as they are told to Go they will unhesitatingly and speedily move on to and fro through the earth with the message of the hour the Judgment for the Living. -2TG22 23.2

Now let the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination concretely explain what and where the south country is: -2TG22 23.3

I am filled with sadness when I think of our condition as a people…. The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily retreating toward Egypt. Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power. Doubt and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus. The testimonies are unread and unappreciated. God has spoken to you. Light has been shining from his world and from the testimonies and both have been slighted and disregarded. The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us. — Testimonies Vol. 5, pg. 217. (Underscored words ours.) -2TG22 23.4

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What will unhitch the grisled horses from the chariot? — Isaiah the prophet has the answer: -2TG22 24.1

Isa. 66:16, 19, 20 — For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many…. And I will set a sign among them and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the isles afar off that have not heard My fame neither have seen My glory and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses and in chariots and in litters and upon mules and upon swift beasts to My holy mountain Jerusalem saith the Lord as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. -2TG22 24.2

Here is projected a slaughter taking place among those who have been instructed to abstain from unclean meats but among whom many are violating Gods command. The disobedient those whose bellies are their gods including those who sanctify and purify themselves (the self-righteous) in the gardens behind one tree (behind their Truth-hating minister Isa. 66:17, margin) are by the Lord Himself removed from among His Truth-seeking ones. -2TG22 24.3

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After the transgressors are thus removed then those who are left the remnant the escaped ones become the servants of God and are sent to all the nations especially to those who have not as yet heard either of Gods fame or the good news of His Kingdom. These escaped ones are to bring to the house of the Lord all their brethren all that will be converted to Christ — a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues. They shall stand before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. Rev. 7:9. -2TG22 25.1

Thus will the Gospel be finished by those who escape from the Lords slaying (Isa. 66:15,16) and Gods people be quickly gathered from the four corners of the earth happily brought as an offering to the house of the Lord (Isa. 66:19, 20). -2TG22 25.2

Now is everyones chance to decide to be either on the one side or on the other either to reform and be led by the faithful bay horses or to cling to the self-important grisled horses and stay by them in the south country there to perish. Here is indeed a momentous decision to be made by every member of the Denomination. It calls for action that will decide the future destiny of the laity as well as of the ministry. -2TG22 25.3

Now is your opportunity to act and it is my wish and prayer that you and every member of the Denomination chooses to be on the side which this unveiled paradox of the ages plainly and definitely instructs you to be on. Do not let the grisled horses deceive you any longer. Meet their fair speeches with Thus saith the Lord. You take them to task on this strictly Biblical Truth. -2TG22 25.4

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