Analysis of short film “Johnny Lingo (1969)”

We can see Jesus even in the heroes of humanity.

Mr. Harris (referring to Mahana)— “You mean that little shadow that comes in once in a while for a spool of thread?”

Tulo—“She has a face like a stone and she looks like she missed too many meals. She’s not young either…. Moki long ago gave up hope of finding a husband for her….  The whisper is that he (Johnny Lingo) can get her for nothing…. I only know what they are saying.”

Moki (Mahana’s father, at his home)—“Mahana. Mahana! Where is that girl. Mahana! She knows today is the bargaining day! I’ll beat her! She is a foolish as she is ugly…. He (Johnny Lingo) doesn’t want to pay a three-legged cow for her.” (Mahana, up in a tree, hears her father’s insults. To his counselor friend, Mahi, Moki says,) “You don’t know what it’s like to have a homely daughter, Mahi. I’m ready to give him a cow, just to have him take her off my hands. And I will count myself fortunate, just to be rid of her. She is no comfort hugging the corners of the hut, speaking in whispers. And never looking at me! This is what comes, Mahi, of buying a 2-cow wife. Look at you, Mahi. You paid 4 cows for your wife and she gave you beautiful daughters. Your investment has been doubled.”

Mahi—“I see her (pointing up in the tree where Mahana has been hiding and listening to her father’s depredation of her self-worth).”

Moki (looking up at his daughter)—“Mahana, you ugly, today is the day of bargaining. Come down and meet your husband to be! Mahana, I will not have this. Shall I follow you up there with a stick? Do you want me to put bruises all over you so that Johnny Lingo will see what a disobedient daughter you are?

Moki (interrupted by distant voices of the islanders following Johnny Lingo)—“I hear them. They come! (He and Mahi get the mats laid out for the bargaining. Tulo sees Mahana up in the tree and gestures to the others that she is there.)

Walking up to Moki, Johnny Lingo strongly inquires of him, “Where is Mahana?” Mahi and Moki invent a story about Mahana being out picking up materials to mend the roof because she is always busy fixing everything.

(Bargaining formalities begin as the two sit on the mats.)

Johnny Lingo—“I seek the father of Manaha.”

Moki—“I am Manaha’s father. What is it you want?”

Johnny Lingo—“I wish to take Mahana for my wife.”

Moki (hypocritically, using words that infer that he is demanding a high price)—“It is hard for a man to give his daughter to another.”

Johnny Lingo (clearly reading Moki’s avarice)—“I am prepared to pay. How many cows do you wish for Mahana?”

(Tulo whispers to the people—“One cow is all he can ask. One cow.” And all the people believe Tulo).”

Moki (wanting a real deal, he looks up at Mahi)—“I will consult with my counselor (as he gets up to talk with Mahi).”

Discussion between two self-confident island women—“If he asks for two cows, Johnny Lingo will settle for one. If he asks for one cow, Johnny Lingo will settle for the horns and the tail. He is the sharpest trader in all the islands.”

Moki—“They will think I’m crazy.”

Mahi—“You are crazy if you don’t listen to me! I am your counselor.”

(End of discussion between the two island wives)—“I am a four-cow wife, myself.”

(First island wife, swelling in greater pride)—“Really? My husband paid five cows for me!”

Second island wife, in humiliated pride—“Humph!” (They both look up and turn away from each other in mutual disgust.)

Another wife to an elderly wife who nods in agreement—“One cow.”

Moki (having finished counseling with Mahi, he sits back down for the final bargain and firmly, announces)—“Three cows!”

Surprised, everyone has a long hilarious laugh, while Mahana in the tree turns away, badly belittled and totally destroyed. But, Johnny silences them with his hand. You can hear a pin drop.

Johnny Lingo—“Three cows is many. But, not enough for Mahana. I will pay eight cows!”

Mahana turns around to look down upon Johnny as everyone appears aghast with mouths dropped open, and Moki just stares in dumb amazement.

Johnny Lingo—“I will bring them [the eight cows] in the morning. Tomorrow night will be the wedding festival. Then Mahana and I will leave the honeymoon place. Is it agreeable?”

Moki (in a daze)—“Agreeable.”

They shake hands, and Johnny walks through the arrogant, ignorant, earthly-minded crowd and leaves.

Later, Tulo, laughing, says to Mr. Harris about Johnny paying eight cows for Mahana, “It can be only two things. Either he is crazy, or he is blind.”

To watch this 23 minute film, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTpqyelYcnk

Johnny remembers the love he and Mahana had many years ago, and he knows that that old, childhood trust and love can be reborn. Jesus, our Creator, remembers the beauty that He saw in Adam and Eve. The glory He had with them remained fresh in His mind ever since their departure from Eden. Despite the ravages upon our original glory, the harrassment of our spiteful and destructive lord, Jesus can see in us what no one else can see.

But, the people’s rudeness and careless treatment toward Mahana comes from the natural self-confidence of the sinful heart of man. An easy life in a family that loved one another does not automatically safeguard anyone from the work of sin. Their whole life they can go arrogantly onward destroying the downtrodden. Even if they destroy others while laughing, they are still guilty. They are probably even more guilty since they cajole anyone who might have rebuked them for their lack of mercy, and so they go on through life preventing any possibility of being stopped.

“There is none righteous, no not one.
There is none that understandeth...
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their feet are swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery are in their ways:

And the way of peace have they not known:

There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:10,11,13-18).

They are like the Reese monkeys in the experiment that analyzed the different emotional characteristics between monkeys that were raised with a mothers’ love and one that was raised without any love. Just like Mahana hugging the corners of her hut and whispering to herself, the monkey who was fed and given the bare necessities of life, but never got loved, huddled to itself in the presence of the other monkeys that had mothers and had a large social network, war-mongering monkeys that heckled and screamed and threw sticks at the distraught, unloved monkey.

Similarly, humanity has been disconnected from the continuous flow of abundant love and life from the great Father of all. His Spirit has been cut off from this one world of intelligent beings, and another master has had charge of their upbringing. His loveless method of rearing the defenseless children of Adam has been to threaten, to harass, and to insult, and finally, when the first three methods didn’t make them produce beauty and joy, their master has beaten and badly bruised them.

But, the Son of God found His Father’s heavenly home a place not to be desired while they were bound and mistreated under the captivity of Satan. So He went on a far journey to their wilderness planet to buy them back from their tyrannical ruler. He forewarned their totalitarian tyrant of His rescue for humanity, “It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). Jesus, the Comforter, has always been “a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” (Isa. 25:4). He kept them encouraged until He could come and deliver them.

As Johnny Lingo said, “Then, always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Mahana”, likewise the cost would be extremely high for Christ’s purchase of His bride, His redeemed church. Jesus says, “Then, always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that [Jesus] paid [an infinite damnation] for [His church]”. But their deliverance would always and forever be remembered. Not only by His redeemed bride, but also by all the intelligent universe, the price He paid for Earth will be the great topic throughout eternity. The bride’s song will be Mahana’s. “The LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve…. The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.” “Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in…distress”, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”.

“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.” (Isa. 14:1-8).

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the LORD GOD omnipotent reigneth.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to HIM: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Rev. 19:5-8).

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev. 19:11-16).

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest.” (Isa 25:9,10).

“O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

For Thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

Therefore shall the strong people glorify Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee.

For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” (Isa. 25:1-4).

“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

And after these things I saw another Angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His glory.

 And He cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

And I heard another VOICE from heaven, saying, Come out of her, MY people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

For her sins have reached unto heaven, and GOD hath remembered her iniquities.

Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the LORD GOD who judgeth her….

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the LORD our GOD:

For true and righteous are HIS judgments: for HE hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of HIS servants at her hand.

And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped GOD that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.” (Rev. 17:16-18:8, 19:1-4).

“Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low….

And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as He that swimmeth spreadeth forth His hands to swim: and He shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall He bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.” (Isa. 25:5,11,12).

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great VOICE out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of GOD is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their GOD.

And GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And HE that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And HE said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

And HE said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his GOD, and he shall be MY son….

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from GOD,

Having the glory of GOD: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” (Rev. 21:1-7,9-12).

“And I saw no temple therein: for the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and the Lamb are the temple of it.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of GOD did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie….

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of GOD and of the Lamb.

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of GOD and of the Lamb shall be in it; and HIS servants shall serve HIM:

And they shall see HIS face; and HIS name shall be in their foreheads.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD GOD giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 21:22-22:5).

“And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And HE will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

HE will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of HIS people shall HE take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isa. 25:6-8).

The God of love in godlike grief

Elder D______,

  This is the quotation that I was trying to paraphrase last night:

“Jesus gazes upon the scene, and the vast multitude hush their shouts, spellbound by the sudden vision of beauty. All eyes turn upon the Saviour, expecting to see in His countenance the admiration they themselves feel. But instead of this they behold a cloud of sorrow. They are surprised and disappointed to see His eyes fill with tears, and His body rock to and fro like a tree before the tempest, while a wail of anguish bursts from His quivering lips, as if from the depths of a broken heart. What a sight was this for angels to behold! their loved Commander in an agony of tears! What a sight was this for the glad throng that with shouts of triumph and the waving of palm branches were escorting Him to the glorious city, where they fondly hoped He was about to reign! Jesus had wept at the grave of Lazarus, but it was in a godlike grief in sympathy with human woe. But this sudden sorrow was like a note of wailing in a grand triumphal chorus. In the midst of a scene of rejoicing, where all were paying Him homage, Israel’s King was in tears; not silent tears of gladness, but tears and groans of insuppressible agony. The multitude were struck with a sudden gloom. Their acclamations were silenced. Many wept in sympathy with a grief they could not comprehend.” Desire of Ages, p. 575.

    

Jesus was trying to suppress a grief that would spoil the joy of the crowds around Him. But, His natural sorrow for His people could not be held in. The angels’ Commander in tears of insuppressible agony. His quivering lips burst forth with a wail of anguish from the depths of His broken heart, His body rocked like a tree before the tempest. Oh, the depth of sadness that filled Him! Can’t we see Him there? Can’t we enter into His sorrow and unselfish love? He loved Israel as His own soul; they were the apple of His eye, His second self.

David

Overview of my new book

I wrote a post on Monday, December 08, 2014. The title was, The Seven Trumpets and The Investigative Judgment. It was a brief overview of my recent book. I had hoped the book would come out soon after that blog post. I submitted the manuscript a couple days before Christmas 2014, but it took another two years before the book was truly ready for publishing. Each time I looked at it after submission I could not publish it like it was. So, after much editing and moving whole paragraphs and sections of chapters around (and continued extra costs), the book came out a couple of weeks ago.

So I want to give another brief overview in case anyone out there might want to read the book. It is in print now, and soon will come out in e-book form.

So, without further adieu…

Introduction

Revelation chapter 4 through 11 form the core storyline of the book of Revelation. The chapters that follow chapter 11 are brought in to expand and to add more details. The seals and trumpets are not optional to understand Revelation, they form the vital center of the last book of the Bible.

Chapter 1: Revelation chapter 4

The throne of God before sin began. The praises to God concern creation only, and no mention is made of a Redeemer.

Chapter 2: Revelation chapter 5

Sudden change in the angelic atmosphere of heaven. It’s the same picture of the throne of God, except God has a book (scroll) sealed up so tightly that only the crucifixion of Christ could open it. This book is the great controversy, the accusations against God and the issues over God’s Law. God is on trial. Has He been the proper leader? Has His government offered the best for the greatest happiness of the kingdom.

Chapter 3: Revelation chapter 6

The Lamb takes the seals off of the book, one at a time. Before the 7th seal is removed we see a scene of Christ’s second coming. This was not the actual return of Christ—it was the global Advent movement of the 1830s and early ‘40s. But, the people were not ready for His coming. Before He can return, His people must be sealed. The sealing will be the necessary preparation for the day of His visitation of judgments.

Chapter 4: Revelation chapter 7

This chapter introduces the sealing. That is such a major issue that it puts unsealing the sealed book pageant on pause to explain who will stand when the Lamb comes and who will run in abject fear. The answer is: Whoever gets the seal in the conscience will go with Jesus and leave this doomed world. And this chapter gives the first picture of how happily the great controversy will end.

Chapter 5: Revelation chapter 8

After the chapter 7 intermission, we need to come back to where we were when the 6th seal closed. So, the Lamb removes the 7th seal. The sanctuary scene that follows is connected with the 7th seal. Since the 6th seal ended and the seal of God is shown ascending from the east in 1844, then, chapter 8 picks up after the foretaste of all the happy celebration throughout eternity. Silence divides the chapter 7 intermission from the sanctuary scene; it separates the previous rejoicing at the end of the controversy from the solemn events to follow in order to set up a new mindset in the reader. It is a reminder that our celebration is promised, but not yet ours to have. We are the church militant that must first endure the rigors of the trumpet dangers yet to come. Through a special dispensation of faith by an abundant gift of His Spirit, Jesus gives us a way of escape in the Latter Rain, so that we are able to endure the great time of trouble.

The Angel High Priest is in the Holy Place, ready to enter the Most Holy. But, first He casts His censer to the earth and the 1st trumpet blows. We can say that the 1st trumpet is connected with the previous sanctuary scene because the contents of the censer and His blood are what fall from the sky onto the earth during the 1st trumpet. The contents damage “the third part” of the trees and all the fields of grain. This signified God’s overthrow of the denominations and the worst of the Protestants, which rejected the plain truth of the blessed hope of Jesus’ return. The Bible often compares people to trees and grain.

The 2nd trumpet blew and Mt. Sinai is quenched showing the churches’ abrogating the Law of God. Now most of the Protestants had no protection from Satan’s spells.

So, the 3rd trumpet blew and Satan is seen poisoning their hearts and minds, their whole way of viewing this world and the providences of God. Faith, true, genuine faith is gone from every American who remained in the new lawless Protestantism. Now that God is fictionalized by their rejection of His Law, this world is all that most of them can live for.

The 4th trumpet blew and the Sunday churches went totally dark spiritually, as institutions. But, the door of heaven was still open to them individually. Scriptures show that the darkened spheres of light symbolize that the Bible is no longer understood by Protestantism, and its central importance is lost. Now that Protestant America has lost its only resource for a spiritual compass in God’s word, an angel flies alarming the world of the three woes that come with the last three trumpets.

Chapter 6: Revelation chapter 9

The 5th trumpet blew. God looses Satan to ransack Protestantism and bring it and the world it that has blessed into subjection to the powers of hell. Every Protestant not being sealed, especially in Protestant America, is tormented with the same vexation of spirit that Solomon and King Saul experienced when they apostatized from the Lord. Moses forewarned of this for the whole nation in his curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, 29. Specifically, Deuteronomy 29:18-22 speaks to this 5th trumpet, as does Revelation 14:9-11. In fact, the 3rd angel’s message is all about the 5th and 6th trumpet plagues; the components of those two trumpets make up the message of the 3rd angel of Revelation 14—the torment and desolation of soul that comes from not getting to know Jesus and not taking God seriously, preparing for His judgment and final return.

The ancient false religion that caused such havoc to Israel was Baal worship. But, Baal worship was simply one face of thousands of false religions around the ancient and modern world, all spawned from Babylon. It is a religion that dares to approach God with the worshipers’ own contrived repentance and holiness. The modern counterpart of this is Spiritual Formation. In Spiritual Formation the reproofs of the Law, which bring us to need a Savior from sin, are set aside. Before Christ can be a Savior, He must be a Prince who wields His glittering sword. God will have it no other way. But, Satan, stepping in between God and His people, offers a more comfortable redemption, without the messy humbling which God requires. By peace and flattery he has destroyed many from the days of Cain, and now he is doing the same in the Advent movement. We are repeating the history of Israel at Baal-peor, and many Adventists are falling for it, including many of our leaders. This is the message of the 3rd angel and it speaks of the 5th and 6th trumpet plagues.

The language of the 3rd angel’s message comes from the 5th and 6th trumpets—another reason to believe that the trumpets happen during the heaven-ordained Advent movement and investigative judgment that precede the antitypical Day of atonement.

It only makes sense that all the trumpets should blow during the Advent movement, since the typical feast of trumpets was connected with the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary. There is a time period with the 5th trumpet—5 prophetic months, 150 years. I realize Ellen White made it seem to say that there would be no more time prophecies after 1844. I believe she only communicated what Jesus wanted her to give us at the time. If we had known we would be here for 150 years we would have apostatized into pagan celebration a long time ago.

One thing is very clear, Revelation 9:4 (the 5th trumpet) and 7:3 (1844) are unarguably speaking of the same thing—the seal of God in the forehead. So, my conclusion is that Revelation 7:3 introduces the sealing, and 9:4 explains how it is received. Sr. White wrote volumes on every other subject, while she wrote almost nothing about the trumpets, because Jesus gave her no light on the trumpets. The time must wait until the prophecy was over before its meaning would come to light. That time has arrived. I believe that the 5th trumpet began as we were hammering out our fundamental beliefs in the Sabbath conferences. In 1849, the California Gold Rush altered the face of Protestant America. In 1999, 150 years later, another gold rush occurred—the stock market gold rush of the late 90’s. These two events are the bookends for the 5th trumpet.

In between those years technology exponentially developed and drew the world-loving Protestant multitudes permanently away from God and His Law. And that separation has tormented them like Jesus was on the cross because His Father had left Him. During those 5 prophetic months, the Spirit of God had been leaving Protestant America and Satan had been moving in to fill the void. Largely through the earthly agencies of Rome and her Jesuit masters of deception temptations have stolen all the freedom and happiness that the original Reformers gave Protestant Americans. The Jesuits and the Vatican are the locusts of the 5th trumpet (they are called “the beast” in Revelation 11). Satan, propelling them across the land, is the black smoke.

The 6th trumpet blew. Now that Americans have departed from God and lived on His promised land of refuge without a single thought of Him, He allows for their complete possession by the god they love so much. As the 10 tribes of Israel lived for Baal for 200 years until the Lord vomited them out of His land, so is He doing to Protestantism today. Soon, and very soon, Protestantism’s old enemy of the Dark Ages will have conquered this nation by filling the leading offices of their CIA, FBI, NSA, FDA, FEMA, AMA, Jesuit controlled media, Federal Reserve banking system, and three branches of the U.S. Government. I won’t be surprised if the Vatican initiates the official desolation of free America as Protestantism is ended. By a united, official declaration and documentation, the union of church and state will happens at Protestantism’s 500 anniversary— Halloween 2017.

In the 6th trumpet, the locusts can do what they were forbidden to do during the 5th trumpet, that is, “kill” the soul. All of their torment until 1999 came from the work of separating the people from the one true God of their Reformation fathers. Now that the denominations are fully separated from the God of the Bible, they commit the unpardonable sin and become a persecuting nation. This explains the unjust destruction of Muslims based on the phony premise that Islamists caused the black flag operation of 9/11. All the evidence of 9/11 points to specially placed and protected individuals within American government agencies, who choreographed 9/11 under the purview of Rome. (Dan. 8:12).

9/11 has set the stage for the coming tribulation of all nations. We are in the very end of time. God has just about finished His scattering of the power of the holy people (Dan. 12:7).

When the 7th trumpet will blow, the 3rd woe will mean total world domination by Satan and his filling every heart with his mean anger. Then, the few who took God and His Law and His redemption seriously will stand out from the demon-controlled crowds. Everyone who played off the Spirit of Prophecy as unneeded during the 5th and 6th trumpets God will require it of them in the 7th trumpet.

Chapter 7: Revelation chapter 10

This chapter begins to show glory at the end of the long, dark, distressing tunnel. It opens during the unconscionable desolations by the conscienceless world of the 6th trumpet. Christ is seen clothed with a cloud of incense and glory. The little sealed book (scroll) which He took from His Father in Revelation chapter 5 is now opened after the trumpets have done their work of scattering the power of faith in His Protestant people (which includes the SDAs, as seen in Revelation 11). Christ roars like a lion because His forbearing work as Lamb is finished and it’s time to judge the world, and to end the controversy. With infinite thunder, God agrees with His Son.

So, He swears by His Father that the delay of the 6th seal is completed—the sealing is almost finished—and He can finally come in power and glory. But, first He will give humanity one last opportunity to be saved, as He gave the antediluvian world. He commands John to eat the book of the great controversy and to “prophesy again.” But, if we use scripture to interpret scripture, then this is not speaking of the Millerite Great Disappointment of 1844; it is speaking of an event within the final chapter of the seal/trumpet chronology.

When do we see any prophesying taking place since Revelation chapter 4? We don’t see any up to Revelation chapter 10. But, we do see it in the next chapter, almost immediately following the command in chapter 10 to prophesy again. We see it in Revelation chapter 11.

Chapter 8: Revelation chapter 11

This chapter ends the seal/trumpet story that is the core of Revelation. The chapter introduces its intent to judge the church by John being given a measuring rod. The church is found guilty of apostasy, except for a very small remnant that defends the truth “in the days of their prophecy” (Rev. 11:6). That very small remnant sweeps through 2,000 years to include the apostles, the church in the wilderness, and the Reformation. The fire of truth shoots out of the mouths of God’s champions and devours the enemies of His gospel. This campaign against Satan continues successfully until 1849 when the hosts of darkness fly out of an opened bottomless pit. Then, the Lord’s witnesses are warred against, later overcome, and eventually cease their prophesying. This point in the lengthy prophecy is where the Revelation 10 scene occurs. Thus, it is time to prophesy again.

Satan cannot immediately kill the Advent movement while Ellen White lives. But, he first makes war (also seen in Rev. 12:17), then he overcomes, and finally he kills the Advent movement. We lay dead in the aisles of the church for a period of time that figuratively expresses judgment on God’s people (Luke 4:25; Jas. 5:17). Then, when God has accomplished our total humbling and all of our self-sufficiency is gone, then He resurrects His two witnesses (a leaner Advent movement), gives them the Latter Rain, and the earth is reaped. This ends the 2nd woe, and the 7th trumpet blows. Total chaos rules the world and the last we see is an empty Most Holy Place in heaven because Christ has left there to come and get His people. The mystery of God’s character of love and fairness, as written in the little book, is finished. His judgment is finished, and He is exonerated by His character perfectly reflected in His children.

This ends the core of Revelation. I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow. The rest of the book of Revelation expands upon the main storyline of chapters 4 through 11.

I’ve heard much about chiasms. That subject all began with the book of Revelation. I’ve looked at charts that show the chiasms of Revelation, and it all seems good. I have yet to analyze the way they stand up next to my view of Revelation. But, as I began with in this blog post, I see Revelation 4 to the end of the book simply as basically two halves of one book. First, we have the 8 chapter core that give a bird’s eye view of the book, such as my overview does for my book. Then, the next 11 chapters give details that must be brought in at the correct places of the core storyline.

This method of writing the Revelation visions seems very simple and wise. Chiasms are a little too complicated for me. But, a simple storyline is what I can handle. Even children can understand the simple core storyline. Of course, the symbology is a deeper subject, and that makes the Bible a challenge for adults. But, I’m thankful that Revelation is much more understandable than most people think because of the way it was laid out by the Spirit of God as a simple story.

I hope you get and read the book.

Thank you for your interest.

My first book completed

I finally finished my first book. It is on Bible prophecy, Revelation in particular. I use Revelation chapters 4 through 11 to explain the whole of Revelation and how current events have been working perfectly to fulfill the trumpet prophecy. Chapters 4 through 11 make up the core of The Revelation that John saw. Then the second half of The Revelation add details to the first half’s satellite overview.

I have brought into Bible prophecy much of what I have learned of the good news of the gospel. If you appreciate my way of expressing the Bible’s good news (and bad news) then you will find them woven into the Revelation message of blessing and curses, its necessary plagues, as well as its healing and sealing. Even though God is Judge, Revelation shows Him accused as unworthy and being judged for His worthiness to lead His eternal kingdom.

I see a different way of viewing the trumpets, with different placements compared to most interpretations, and having different purposes. You will see that I place the seven trumpets beginning on October 22, 1844. They do not begin with the fall of Jerusalem or of the Roman Empire. They are not military campaigns that say nothing about Jesus. Thus, I see that the seven trumpets of Revelation are the anti-type of the Feast of Trumpets that signaled the approaching typical Mosaic Day of Atonement. Therefore, I see the trumpets as Advent Movement-related events that warn us of the coming of Judgment Day, when the Lamb returns sitting on the right hand of Power. The fifth trumpet’s 5 prophetic month time period concludes close to our day, at the end of 1999. Then the sixth trumpet begins in the first quarter of 2000, largely kicked off by 9/11, and soon to come into full swing. I believe that the signing of peace treaties this Halloween between the Church of Rome and the Lutheran Church, thus marking the legal end of the Reformation’s gift of peace to the world, will shift the sixth trumpet fulfillment into third gear of a five-speed eschatological transmission. Then, the last two gears “cometh quickly” (Rev. 11:14), the seventh trumpet and the Day of Judgment/Second Advent of Jesus in unearthly, divine power.

Let me add that my book seeks to reassure everyone that they still have time to make their calling and election sure. But, we must be in earnest now. It’s not all scary; in fact The Revelation holds great promises for the people not swept up in all the deceptions on the right hand and on the left. I have done my best in the book to lay out the path to have that assurance. I have sought to weave Jesus into everything I have written. To give you a taste, the website for Aspect Books (published by Teach Services, Inc.) lets you read the first 27 pages of the book. The Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. See you the second Sabbath at the Tree of Life on the far side of the River of Life!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Burdick+Seven+Trumpets

http://aspectbooks.com/main/details/id/79

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seven-trumpets-and-the-investigative-judgement-david-d-burdick/1125844018;jsessionid=1AB5806D66EE7242B6BD8DBDD17EED53.prodny_store01-atgap06?ean=9781479605026

Jesus throughout the whole Bible

“Search the scriptures; for…they are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39).

It seems strange to start a new blog to show Jesus in scripture. Shouldn’t it be the overarching assumption that Jesus is central in the whole Bible? Yet, Jesus is often left out of sermons and books that present Bible topics and lessons. This has a precedent. “The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth…had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified.” Desire of Ages, p. 36. As the Jews ceased to see the larger, more glorious Antitype in the types, so Christianity has ceased to see Jesus in all the scriptures that He wrote to testify of Himself. And Satan has had everything to do with this.

“The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed…. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.” Ibid.

“For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” (Rom. 2:24).

Thus, the devil could easily substitute himself in the place of Christ and impart his corrupting spirit in the place of the purifying Spirit of Christ. Are we not seeing the same today? Have not the churches of Christ misrepresented Him to the unbelieving world, causing them to more determinedly shake their fist at God? As it was two thousand years ago, when the “stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men” Ibid., hasn’t Satan put his stamp on the characters of church-goers, his mark on their foreheads? Are they not readying themselves to return to the Beast of the Dark Ages and to speak like the dragon?

Why? How can this be? What could have caused this? The blinding and deafening of the Protestant churches came centuries ago when the Reformation descendants “ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified.” They lost the ability to see Jesus in the people who He had redeemed. They ceased to see in the human the workmanship of the divine Potter’s hands. They could no longer see His spiritual genetics passed down to His second-born children of God. They could not hear the good Shepherd’s voice in the Old Testament, and follow Him. “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” (Matt. 14:27). Thus, the denominations lost their first love for “the Desire of all nations” (Hag. 2:7). Then they lost His blessing and sanctifying Spirit, and their light went out.

Every revival of primitive godliness is only safe so long as it keeps Jesus in sight. He is the precious only-begotten Offspring of God, “His dear Son.” (Col. 1:13). The great controversy with sin demanded of God the Father, “Take now Thy Son, Thine only Son…, whom Thou lovest, and get Thee into [a planetary system]; and offer Him there for a burnt offering upon one of the [planets] which I will tell thee of.” (Gen. 22:2).

God’s dear, only-begotten Son was the only person in the universe who could bow down the Almighty One, infinite in power, inexorably inflexible in the Law of righteousness, the great Judge of His kingdom. Nothing could cause Him to change His disposition toward any traitor to the Law of righteousness and love. Mercy could be accorded only those who ignorantly came short of His infinite perfection. But, He had never given into, nor could He ever have mercy for, any creature who had poisoned himself with rebellion to the King’s high standard of love.

But a new thing entered His kingdom. A creature who God had made in perfection made himself a sinner, and therefore, automatically, a tempter of others. We see that fallen creature and his delusive power in the warning from the Son relating to others who he had poisoned, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matt. 16:6). The leavening power of the fallen spirit went undetected by every lesser creature in the kingdom. Lucifer had an excellent spirit, a friendliness apparently beyond reproach, an intelligence that attracted all to him. Even the holy angels were awed by him and their hearts bound to his. But, God and His divine Son saw the ruse and his tremendous danger to Their children in heaven and earth. No matter how insidious, the devious work of the familiar spirit could not be hidden from the Father and Son.

Now that the deceiver had poisoned the dearest children of the kingdom, there was only one thing the King could do. More than destroy the inveterate perpetrator, God must win human hearts back, hearts that had been damaged by a chemistry from the manipulations of Lucifer. Upon opening to the first association of Lucifer’s words humanity was instantly ruined from the inside out. The Spirit of the holy God could not remain mated to the spirit of anyone who would obey the dictates of the destroyer of His kingdom. Cut off from the Life-giver, the spiritual fibers in the minds and consciences of Adam’s race immediately began to die. The spirits God had put into His finest, most precious children, made for the uninhibited, free communion with Himself and His Son, were now spiritually dehydrated, malnourished, atrophied and hardened. His cloud’s ability to sit on humanity’s mercy seat was like sitting on a bed of nails, “because all [their hearts had] become briers and thorns.” (Isa. 7:24). Father and Son were now hampered from inhabiting and blessing Adam’s soul with eternal peace to be like Them and power to do like Them.

How could the Father get us back to our original condition of perfect Eden? How could our damaged spiritual fibers be healed? Could we ever return to the condition we were created to have before Lucifer tempted us to give it all up to pride in service to him? The damage was done. We had been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14), marvelous creations from the infinite Ones. Who can design a human body with all of its systems, both microscopic and macroscopic, working in perfect intra-community? More than that, who can create the mind of man, its intelligence, curiosity, and personality? Who can create the will, individuality, the freedom to choose? And even more, who can instill in that mind a soul that loves, that needs, that yearns for the soul of its Creator and others of His creatures?

But, all this was damaged; its most pristine perfection was lost. Communion between earth and heaven was cut off, the spiritual receptors in man were made incapable of vibrating to the yearnings of God for them. By hurting His beloved human race Lucifer had hurt God in the worst way. Yet, how could God communicate that pain to the children who Lucifer had turned against Him? He must somehow get through to them. “A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.” Desire of Ages, p. 37. The Creator must recreate new fibers of faith and loyalty and sympathy for the “first dominion” (Micah 4:8), holy Eden. He must re-grow new intents of the heart, spiritual protein by spiritual protein, one photon of glory after another. God must take advantage of every capability that still remained in humanity—their physical functions of physical eyesight and hearing and physical contact, intellectual satisfaction, and emotional excitement. He must tabernacle with men, walk among them, eat together and converse with them, sleep among them, pray with them, touch them with healing power, exemplify the Law of love before them. Then His Spirit of truth must interest them in keeping the ways of His holy tabernacle, and awaken in them a desire to return to His home again.

There was only one person who could so affectionately restore love for God in hearts which Lucifer had educated to be “most violent against heaven.” Desire of Ages, p. 36. God could entrust this precious world to Him alone who through the power God had made all things. Only He from whose very hands and heart had most directly and most gently come divine creative and quickening power in our formation could be trusted to reconfigure the jumbled minds’ misconceptions of Jehovah and His Law. Only the Son who had ever lived in His bosom could the Father entrust to make intercession for us and also to possess us.

“For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb….

My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Ps. 139:13,15-17).

Around Him whom holy angels had flocked from the beginning of their creation, must the sin-filled children of Adam flock.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian….

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the Government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isa. 9:2-4,6,7).

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law….

Who is blind, but My Servant? or deaf, as My Messenger that I sent? who is blind as He that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s Servant?

Seeing many things, but Thou observest not; opening the ears, but He heareth not.

The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the Law, and make it honourable.” (Isa. 42:1-4,19-21).

 “I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” (Eze. 34:29-31).

“Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” (Ps. 100:3,4).

 “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life.” (John 6:40).

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (John 12:32).

“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).

“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:35,36).

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1Jn. 5:12,13).

More than His visible presence His words had the power of correction and promise.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter…. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.” Desire of Ages, p. 671.

“There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character.” Ibid. And it must be remembered that much of the character is the love faculty; there can be no character development without the heart restored to God by Jesus.

Error and ignorance of truth instilled in the mind and soul are the workmanship of Satan. Through them he gains control of the human heart to poison it from God. Therefore, Christ must come teaching the truth of His Father. He must rework the lines of information that Satan had tangled up, thus leading to a misrepresentation of God’s character. Through the correct teachings from the Hebrew scripture the Son would begin a work of restoration in human hearts and minds that would replant there the ensign of heaven against the enemy. The Son would take back the territory claimed by Satan through unscrambling the principles of truth that the spirit of evil had so deceptively confused. Then He would put on the capstone of salvation by offering up His own soul in our damnation.

In Gethsemane and on Golgotha, God’s dear Son would make the only provision in order for His eternal Abba to experience the pangs of death. The Son who dwelled in the bosom of the Father, who “changeth not” (Ps. 15:4, cf Mal. 3:6) with regard to His Law of death for the slightest insurrection, the Only-begotten who dwelled in the bosom of “Him that liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:14), “who only hath immortality” (1Tim. 6:16), would descend into oblivion with His only-Begotten. Hand joined in hand, soul committed to soul, the Son and Father would show the ultimate self-sacrifice for the full and complete repossession of Adam’s world.

Together They would sink down into death to pay the cost of buying back our hearts and lives. The Law of the kingdom would be more than satisfied. Satan and any potential rival for the hearts of heaven’s hosts would be forever vanquished. Not only the Son would die for ungrateful, ignominious, and filthy hearts and minds and bodies, but the King Himself would know desperation by the potentially eternal loss of His incarnated Son battling against an outnumbering host under the direct generalship of the wicked genius, Lucifer.

Jesus is the center of the whole Bible story, from beginning to end of the great controversy.

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.

And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5).