All throughout our experience with the Orion message, we’ve been walking by faith. Although we have seen many evidences along the way that give us the assurance that God is with us and leading this movement, He has not provided a crystal-clear proof that the world at large cannot dispute. It begs the question: why?
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:2-4)
Furthermore,
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Thus faith and belief are necessary for us. Is it possible to exercise belief when you already know for a certainty? Is it possible to possess faith when walking by sight? The Bible’s clear definition of faith is even connected to the passage in Habakkuk:
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 10:35-11:1)
By definition, faith is not sight. Once we see, we no longer walk by faith. Now we can understand why God always leaves room for doubt: He does not want to destroy our faith!
While God has given ample evidence for faith, He will never remove all excuse for unbelief. All who look for hooks to hang their doubts upon will find them. And those who refuse to accept and obey God’s word until every objection has been removed, and there is no longer an opportunity for doubt, will never come to the light.
Distrust of God is the natural outgrowth of the unrenewed heart, which is at enmity with Him. But faith is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it will flourish only as it is cherished. No man can become strong in faith without a determined effort. Unbelief strengthens as it is encouraged; and if men, instead of dwelling upon the evidences which God has given to sustain their faith, permit themselves to question and cavil, they will find their doubts constantly becoming more confirmed. {GC 527.2–3}
This is an important principle at work, which will be elaborated on in the future. Suffice it to say that this is one of the reasons why God will not confirm this movement in a way that removes all doubt in the eyes of the world until probation has closed. By that time, every person will have made up their mind. No more souls will be salvageable. Only then, unmistakable proof will be given in the event of the Betelgeuse supernova and the effects of the GRB (gamma-ray burst). No one will be denied the opportunity to believe through faith, because everyone will have already had the chance to decide. Nevertheless, those last seven days from October 18 to October 24, 2015 will be especially trying for those who have put their trust in God.
We have already covered what the wrath of God means to the faithless in the preceding articles; now I will focus on how God will protect His faithful people during the time of plagues. This article springs from the vivid message that we received here on our farm on the Pentecost High Sabbath of June 15, which we now share with you.
The Latter Rain and the Loud Cry
The latter rain has been falling since the Orion Message was published in 2010. The Holy Spirit has not only been leading in the studies which we present, but has also been moving people’s hearts and minds to understand and accept these messages for themselves. The latter rain and the sealing are symbolized in Ezekiel by the man with the writer’s inkhorn. The Holy Spirit seals us as He leads us into all truth and works a change in our hearts. The prerequisite is to “sigh and cry” for all the atrocities that are done in Adventism.
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:3-4)
Those who haven’t seen the sinfulness of the church, and therefore don’t sigh and cry, will not be sealed and saved from the coming destruction. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit (with the writer’s inkhorn) comes to those who do sigh and cry, and writes on their foreheads. How else can we learn for certain what sin is, and which sins we should sigh and cry about, but by looking at Jesus and the wounds as He reveals them in the Orion constellation?
We learned in a previous article what The Loud Cry entails. It especially includes the (time) announcement of the day of God’s wrath and the second coming of Jesus as well as the three angels’ messages with the added mention of the sins that have entered the church:
John came in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the first advent of Jesus. I was pointed down to the last days and saw that John represented those who should go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to herald the day of wrath and the second advent of Jesus. {EW 155.1}
GRB 130427A signaled for us to write about the time of the plagues in detail. It struck on the first feast day of 2013 that fell on a seventh-day Sabbath, and thus it opened the last triplet of the HSL (High Sabbath List) and the time of the loud cry. The distant GRB of April 27 marks the beginning of the loud cry, while the deathly close GRB of Betelgeuse will mark its end. Our message couldn’t have been complete without treating the subject of the wrath of God, because it is part of the content of the loud cry.
The GRB struck on the day of the wave sheaf (firstfruits), which is grouped with Pentecost in the HSL because they always fall on the same day of the week. This year, they both fell on Sabbath which made them extra special. The sign of GRB 130427A was followed up on Pentecost with a complementary sign, once again supplying the material for this new article to round out the subject of the plagues. The GRB of April 27 applied to the whole world, but the sign we received on Pentecost was local, and applies only to the faithful.
The dates of the GRB and Pentecost are highlighted by the HSL. The Orion clock points to the year, but the HSL points to the day. It is more than interesting to note that the Orion message and associated studies came to Brother John primarily during God’s especially appointed times of the year. High Sabbaths are times when the Holy Spirit especially leads in this movement.
This phenomenon is nothing new to Adventism. It was during the special HSL triplet of 1888, ’89, ’90 that God began to bestow the light of the fourth angel upon His people. Those years dovetailed into the sabbatical cycle and the jubilee cycle, showing that God is with us in a special way not only on His weekly Sabbath, but on all of the seven-cycles that He established. He gives light proportionate to the occasion. The 1841, ’42, ’43 triplet also aligns with the sabbatical and jubilee cycles. Those who lean on God can hear His heartbeat in all of the cycles of seven.
The Sabbath, especially High Sabbaths, are when God draws near to the creatures He loves, just like how Adam and Eve enjoyed communion with Him in the garden. These are times of closeness between God and His people. The Gene of Life represented by the HSL shows the character of the One who set the appointed feast days in the first place.
Revelation 13 attributes the fire from heaven and the subsequent image (Sunday law) to the beast, not to God. Of course God will permit the satanic agencies to do what they will do, but the act does not originate with God and does not illustrate His character. Satan is the one who wants to destroy and control, but God gives life and free will.
And he [the beast coming up out of the earth] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Revelation 13:13-14)
The big world-changing fire from heaven is not marked directly by the HSL because the HSL shows what God does, not what Satan does. It represents the gene of eternal life that was in the blood spilled at Calvary, not the malice of satanic agencies. For that reason, it was incorrect to place the fireball event on Pentecost. It was a High Sabbath of the Lord, and you will see how God acted on our behalf through the Holy Spirit on this day.
It is sometimes the case that we forget what we had previously studied, or we fail to re-study previously-written material in the light of new understanding. I’m sure that our readers have experienced that too. The matters we write about are so profound that every time an article is re-read, the understanding of a person reaches ever farther into the fathomless depths of the things of God. Meanwhile, life experiences amplify the messages in a personal way. At first, the mind can scarcely grasp things so removed from the ordinary, but as a person settles into the truth and the grand picture becomes clearer and clearer, the finer details and more subtle truths can be better discerned.
The HSL indicates the times of God’s working, not the working of the enemy of souls. Therefore, we set our Last Countdown to the beginning of the plagues on October 25, 2015 after the High Sabbath of October 24 when Jesus will leave the Most Holy Place. (The wise, however, will understand that probation will actually close for all of mankind seven days earlier.)
The Warning Tempest
We have had some remarkable experiences with storms here on the farm in the past year. One of the worst ever happened to come on the morning that Brother Gerhard arrived here over six months ago. He is our own lumberjack, being that he has experience felling trees. At first the rain was nothing unusual, but while we were on our knees praying during morning worship, the intensity of the storm increased severely. During the prayer we heard the wind and rain, then crashing and clanging. As Jan was praying, he asked for protection from the storm, and by the end of his prayer most of the violence had given way to a heavy rain. We peered out the windows to see what had happened, and immediately saw that it was very bad.
Once the rain had lightened up, we went out to inspect for damage. Quite a number of trees had fallen, but there was no significant damage to any of the structures! There were just a few minor damages that were easily repairable. The way some of the large trees were snapped off suggested that a tornado had struck (see photo; unfortunately, the actual thickness of that trunk is not so apparent). Neighbors did not have any damage, so it appeared to be focused specifically on us. We thanked God for His protection; no life or structures were hurt. One tree fell right beside one of the cows, but didn't harm it. Trees fell all around the comparatively fragile ramada, but didn't break it.
Needless to say, it opened our eyes to the dangers posed by the many large trees that were close to the houses. As a result of that storm, the Holy Spirit prodded Gerhard to cut down the dangerous trees as a precautionary measure to avoid damages in future storms. Although God protected us, we recognized that we needed to do our part to prepare wisely for the inevitable.
Taking away the trees has given additional benefits. It has widened the view of the sky and opened the way for more sunshine to brighten our homes and smile upon the fruit trees.
As always, the Lord allows us to experience things ahead of time so that you can learn from our experiences. As terrible as the imminent fireball storm will be, it is only a warning like the storm I just described. It will be disastrous for those who have had light and neglected it, but it will incite the faithful to prepare for the real tempest that is coming.
A Shelter in the Time of Storm
Little did we know that we would have another bad storm on the eve of Pentecost. We tried to clear the dangerous trees before that date, and had succeeded in removing the worst of them. Some of the trees were very challenging, and many times the tools that we have to use in this country are inadequate. In many cases the heavy trees were leaning over the buildings, making the job exceptionally dangerous. In one such case, the cable came loose under the strain and the tree leaned back toward the temple, held only by the hinge a couple of centimeters thick! (Photo with Jan and Gerhard above.) Another difficult case was a tree that we nicknamed “The Devil’s Hand” which threatened to crush one of the houses.
In the same way that we used the abilities God gave us to do the challenging and strenuous work of clearing trees, we must apply effort to overcome our weaknesses and rid our lives of things that cast a shadow over us and keep us from reflecting God’s light to others. As we work, we pray for divine aid and the Lord works with us.
The people of God on earth are the human agents that are to cooperate with divine agencies for the salvation of men. To the souls that have joined themselves to Him, Christ says, “You are one with Me, ‘labourers together with God’” (1 Corinthians 3:9). God is the great and unperceived actor; man is the humble and seen agent, and it is only in cooperation with the heavenly agencies that he can do anything good. It is only as the mind is enlightened by the Holy Spirit that men discern the divine agency. And hence Satan is constantly seeking to divert minds from the divine to the human, that man may not cooperate with Heaven. He directs the attention to human inventions, leading men to trust in man, to make flesh their arm, so that their faith does not take hold upon God. {2SM 123.1}
Once we have done all we can do, we must simply trust God. There was one especially large tree between the weakest structures on our farm. When Brother Gerhard looked at it, he saw that no matter which direction he would bring it down, it would damage something. Therefore, he decided to leave it in God’s hands, remarking that God will have to fell that tree in His own time. Lo, and behold, He did!
When the “rushing mighty wind” of Pentecost came to us in the form of a storm, it was intense. It came on Friday, June 14, just before the High Sabbath. It brought with it hail stones, some about the size of golf balls. It was brief but intense. All of our houses were safe because we had done our preparatory work. Several sizeable trees were knocked down again, evidencing that this storm was much stronger than the last. [UPDATE: several of our neighbors eye-witnessed the funnel and said that they had never experienced a storm this bad in their life! It did affect others in our vicinity, but only in the local area.]
The big tree that was beyond our ability to handle without causing damage came down during the storm. Indeed, God felled it just like Brother Gerhard had said! The tree was uprooted and laid down perfectly without harming any structures or fruit trees! It fell away from the ramada, and did not break the fruit trees around it. Large limbs fell just inches from the brick oven roof, and would have crushed it if the tree had fallen just a little differently.
The wrath of God that is coming upon the earth in the seven last plagues will be the biggest “storm” that humanity will ever face. Isaiah described it as follows:
And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. (Isaiah 30:30)
God’s people would do well to prepare in every way by doing their part like we did. Search out the hazards to spiritual life, and work to cut them away so the sunshine of God’s truth can send its cheerful beams unobstructed through the windows of the heart. Once a storm hits, it is too late to prepare!
Nevertheless, God will help us in the things that we aren’t able to do.
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:6)
The righteous will be protected during the time of the plagues like we were. When the tempest of God’s wrath comes upon the world, He will shelter His own. They will have prepared and done everything in their power, and God will protect them from the plagues which are beyond their ability to physically prepare for. Our work is to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading to work how we can while we can, but when the real storm breaks forth we must lay the matter in God’s hands and trust in Him to protect us just like with that particular tree.
Psalm 91 captures the theme:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. (Psalm 91)
Remember the principle that God will not supply irrefutable proof, because we must always exercise faith. Even during the plagues, the protection of God might not appear so sure. While the tempest is roaring, we might be wondering every moment what perils are about to befall us, just like we wondered what damages the farm was suffering while we heard the wind and hail raging outside. The time of the plagues is the time when faith is all we have to hang on to. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble:
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)
I know that many of our readers will be able to relate to our experiences because of their own storms. The Lord speaks to us in terms that we understand. I’ll close this article with a video:
