THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES - PLATFORM FOR END-TIME STAND: ELD. STEPHEN WEEKES

I saw a company who stood well
guarded and firm, giving no
countenance to those who would
unsettle the established faith of the
body. God looked upon them with
approbation. I was shown three
steps—the fi rst, second, and third
angels’ messages. Said my accompanying
angel, ‘Woe to him who shall move
a block or stir a pin of these messages. Th e
true understanding of these messages is of
vital importance. Th e destiny of souls hangs
upon the manner in which they are received.’
I was again brought down through these
messages, and saw how dearly the people of
God had purchased their experience. It had
been obtained through much suffering and
severe conflict. God had led them along step
by step, until He had placed them upon a
solid, immovable platform. I saw individuals
approach the platform and examine the
foundation. Some with rejoicing immediately
stepped upon it. Others commenced to find
fault with the foundation. They wished
improvements made, and then the platform
would be more perfect, and the people much
happier. Some stepped off the platform to
examine it and declared it to be laid wrong.
But I saw that nearly all stood firm upon
the platform and exhorted those who had
stepped off to cease their complaints; for
God was the Master Builder, and they were
fighting against Him. They recounted the
wonderful work of God, which had led them
to the firm platform, and in union raised their
eyes to heaven and with a loud voice glorified
God. This affected some of those who had
complained and left the platform, and they
with humble look again stepped upon it.
“I was pointed back to the proclamation of
the fi rst advent of Christ. John was sent in the
spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way
of Jesus. Th ose who rejected the testimony of
John were not benefi ted by the teachings of
Jesus. Th eir opposition to the message that
foretold His coming placed them where they
could not readily receive the strongest evidence
that He was the Messiah. Satan led on those
who rejected the message of John to go still farther,
to reject and crucify Christ. In doing this
they placed themselves where they could not
receive the blessing on the day of Pentecost,
which would have taught them the way into
the heavenly sanctuary. Th e rending of the veil
of the temple showed that the Jewish sacrifi ces
and ordinances would no longer be received.
Th e great Sacrifi ce had been off ered and had
been accepted, and the Holy Spirit which
descended on the day of Pentecost carried the
minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary
to the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by
His own blood, to shed upon His disciples the
benefi ts of His atonement.
“But the Jews were left in total darkness.
Th ey lost all the light which they might have
had upon the plan of salvation, and still
trusted in their useless sacrifi ces and off erings.
Th e heavenly sanctuary had taken the place of
the earthly, yet they had no knowledge of the
change. Th erefore they could not be benefi ted
by the mediation of Christ in the holy place.
“Many look with horror at the course of
the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ;
and as they read the history of His shameful
abuse, they think they love Him, and would
not have denied Him as did Peter, or crucifi ed
Him as did the Jews. But God who reads the
hearts of all has brought to the test that love
for Jesus which they professed to feel. All
heaven watched with the deepest interest
the reception of the fi rst angel’s message. But
many who professed to love Jesus, and who
shed tears as they read the story of the cross,
derided the good news of His coming. Instead
of receiving the message with gladness, they
declared it to be a delusion. Th ey hated those
who loved His appearing and shut them out
of the churches. Th ose who rejected the fi rst
message could not be benefi ted by the second;
neither were they benefi ted by the midnight
cry, which was to prepare them to enter
with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of
the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the
two former messages, they have so darkened
their understanding that they can see no light
in the third angel’s message, which shows the
way into the most holy place.
“I saw that as the Jews crucifi ed Jesus, so
the nominal churches had crucifi ed these
messages, and therefore they have no knowledge
of the way into the most holy, and they
cannot be benefi ted by the intercession of
Jesus there. Like the Jews, who off ered their
useless sacrifi ces, they off er up their useless