Since the church is indeed God’s dearest object on earth, He often has to admonish, rebuke, and chasten her so as to bring her to maintain the high standard which He has set for her.

Thus God, in His boundless, all-discerning love for His church, “’calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children.) { ABN1: 36.1 }

“’A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.’” —Ibid.) { ABN1: 36.2 }

Ezekiel 9, whether literal or figurative, effects a separation between the good and the bad, the tares and the wheat, in the church (Judah and Israel), just as the plagues finally do in Babylon (Rev. 18:4). And as the plagues are literal, then how can the slaughter be any less literal? { ABN2: 43.2 }

The angel with the writer’s inkhorn is to place a mark upon the foreheads of all who sigh and cry for the abominations, then the destroying angels are to slay both old and young (Ezek. 9:4-6). { ABN2: 43.3 }

“The church—the Lord’s sanctuary,” is “the first to feel the stoke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light, and who had stood as guardians, of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestations of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief and they say, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs, that would not bark, are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children, all perish together.”—Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 211. { ABN2: 43.4 }

As in The Great Controversy, p. 656, only an indirect parallel can be drawn between the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 and the falling of the plagues, because a common end (death) befalls both the wicked in the church of Laodicean and the wicked in the churches of Babylon. And only those who say, “We need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days,” think the slaughter is not literal. { ABN2: 44.1 }

Notwithstanding the fact that “in the closing work” for the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, only 144,000 are to be sealed, according to Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 266, yet at the start of the year 1944, the Denomination already numbered its members well beyond the half million mark, whereas the patches of territory which it has under gospel cultivation, in comparison to the vast fields of humanity which it has not even touched, amounts to but a very small corner. So, relatively speaking, there are millions upon millions who have never heard even so much as the name “Adventists.” { ABN3: 26.2 }

Should the Denomination’s present rate of growth continue until the Advent Message has been preached in all the world, its membership would be of multiplied proportions when Christ comes. Indeed, since there is not the slightest probability of decline in the present growth rate, but every probability of increase (as the laity are told from the pulpit from Sabbath to Sabbath), it is certain that should the Denomination, at its present rate of growth, continue on to the second coming of Christ, it would by the number mil lions. And were there only 144,000 to be translated, then the millions of Seventh-day Adventists alive at the close of probation would, tragedy to tell, have to perish either in “the seven last plagues” or at “the brightness of His coming”! And if “the closing work for the church” means that out of these millions of members only 144,000 saints are indeed to be translated, then what slim chance any particular member stands of ever being saved! And furthermore, in that event, with such overwhelming odds against their being saved, what justification could there possibly be in continuing to bring in more and more converts to swell the church membership? Such were nothing less than a great treachery—wrapping them for perdition in a tinseled hope of salvation! { ABN3: 26.3 }

As it is contrary to God’s desire and effort (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 371) to bring into the church those who are not saved (tares), then the dominant teaching that there are to be only 144,000 living saints when Christ comes to gather all His own, is nothing short of an admission that the Denomination’s rapid increase of membership is the work of the Enemy! { ABN3: 27.1 }

In The Signs of the Times, May 3, 1927, there appeared an article entitled, “The 144,000, Their Triumph and Reward.” In this article, which was written three years before The Shepherd’s Rod, Vol. 1, was published, the Denomination taught that the 144,00, the first fruits of the living saints, are to be sealed first, and are in turn to bring in the second fruits, “the great multitude” (Rev. 7:9) of living saints. { ABN3: 28.1 }

In shifting from this position, in an attempt to refute the message of the hour, The Shepherd’s Rod, they have automatically pitched themselves on the horns of a dilemma: on one hand giving the lie to their 1927 teaching, and on the other hand giving a false hope of salvation to the members of the church! { ABN3: 28.2 }

Hence the question should not be as to how the great multitude can possibly be the complement of the 144,000, but rather as to how they can possibly not be. { ABN3: 28.3 }

The Protestant world has long held the concept that God does not in this age employ an inspired mouthpiece to interpret the Scriptures and to declare His will but invests and leads each Christian individually. This theory, however, is universally exploded when viewed in the light of the fact that those individuals claiming to be personally led of God, disagree among themselves just as much as the various sects disagree one with another. { ABN3: 29.1 }

Before taking His departure, the Saviour declared: “When…the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” John 16:13. Without controversy therefore, the Divine will is that we have all Truth and only Truth. And it must be remembered that “no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Pet. 1:20, 21. { ABN3: 29.2 }

And now to His church in these last days, His Spirit declares: “Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.’ Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: ‘You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.’”—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 475. { ABN3: 36.2 }

To the doubters of the possibility of a message containing nothing but truth, comes the warning: “God and Satan never work in co-partnership. The testimonies either bear the signet of God or that of Satan. A good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit….”—Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 98. “We believe the visions,” say the Inspiration-doubters, “but Sister White, in writing them, put in her own words, and we will believe that portion which we think is of God, and will not heed the other.”—Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 234. { ABN3: 36.3 }