Present Truth:  Laodicea then what?

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD); Visiting Professor; Department of Liberal Education; Kyungpook National University; Sangju Campus; South Korea; Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College; Australia

The brilliant scientist sir Isaac Newton was born in the year Galileo died and Galileo was born in the year when John Calvin died. Newton suggested that the seven churches of Revelation refer to seven periods in the history of mankind since the cross of Jesus Christ. Since the long prophecy of Daniel 8:14 with the 2300 days as years, 2300 years based on the interpretation principle of a day for a year, starting in the days of Ezra 7 in 457 BCE and ending in 1844 when William Miller and the whole world experienced the Great Disappointment due to a theological misunderstanding, the seventh church according to Adventists, who is continuing the historicism principle of interpretation, is 1844.

But, hardly did the church started to grow in numbers after the disappointment or it fell asleep prophetically. My personal hunch for this sleeping situation is the locked situation that they tied themselves in when Louise Were, the Australian evangelist suggested that they should interpret current prophecies no longer literally but symbolically and especially Daniel 11:36ff. was interpreted by him this way. Many theologians of Adventists bought into this principle for the past five decades since 1950-53 when the General Conference had meetings on the problem with Uriah Smith’s literalism in this section of Daniel. This, to my thinking, is “sleeping prophetically.” Until today, we do not know what to do with Moab, Edom, Ammon (v. 41); Libya, Ehtiopia, Egypt (v. 43) and the east, north (v. 44) and “seat of his power near the mount” (v. 45). Rightly dr. Hans La Rondelle said in 1984 in his class-notes that this area Daniel 11:36-45 is a “grey area” in prophetic interpretation. However, much have happened since 911 that can open our eyes if taken literally.

The attitude of Laodicea members at the end-time since 1798/1844ff., is that they blind but not deaf. They say they are rich. They are poor in spirituality, naked and not clothed with the righteousness of Christ, blind since they do not want to see properly but they love to listen or hear. Nothing is positive about them except one: they can still hear. The main test for the Laodicea church is that they have to overcome something since they have to be victorious (nikoon) (Revelation 3:21). Overcoming what? A test, the Time of Trouble, the Small Time of Trouble before the Big Time of Trouble/ Time of Jacob’s Trouble? The trouble time is allocated by Daniel 12:1 at or shortly before the Second Coming of Michael, another name for Christ.

Let us consider the ten virgins: since the Reformation the 5 virgins were prepared with the oil of historicism and used it properly waiting all awake until the Great Disappointment of William Miller and embarrassed they shelved historicism, the proper oil for prophetic interpretation and exchanged it with preterism or no oil at all since there is no longer “prophetic enlightenment” since meaning is locked in the time of the prophet only. Future became unknown. So these five fell asleep. Adventist continued with the principle of historicism and could understand prophetic interpretation at least properly until 1950-1953 when they fell asleep with the Louis Were suggestion of symbolic interpretation substituting the literalism of Uriah Smith on Daniel’s last part. That is why they do not know where we are in time or what is next is the future. However, they will wake up and because the oil of historicism is part of their savings, it should not be a problem. By the time the other five wakes up of the other denominations, it will be too late. They will have to go and study historicism first to get understanding. Unprepared.  It will be too late.

In this very year 2015, we are standing and asking quo vadis? As Adventist waiting for God: How long?

It was the question asked when the vision of 1844 was given in Daniel 8:13 and the answer provided in Daniel 8:14 until 1844.

Our question is the same but different. Now that 1844 came and the attitude of Laodicea has kicked in, how long will this period be?

The answer for this question was given by the Lord to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:11:

“Then I said, ‘Lord, how long?’

The message of Laodicea was given to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:9-10:

He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Keep on listening but never perceive; keep looking, but never understanding.’  Make the heart of this people insensitive; make their ears dull and their eyes closed. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and return and be healed.”

This is the same message of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-21. There is no difference.

Isaiah had this vision at his calling seeing the Lord Jesus Christ on a throne after He finished His meditorial work in the Temple of Heaven “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple”. At this time Jesus is no longer High Priest but King of Kings as Isaiah could see in Isaiah 6:5 “For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts”. The Door of Mercy has closed, because that is the only time Christ will receive from His Father the glorious Kingship officially. So Isaiah realized that this event took place but alas! Isaiah feels he is ruined! “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). At this time in history, the ones who will feel like Isaiah but also match that feeling, will be the weed of the remnant. The seed of the remnant will feel similar to Isaiah but they have already been made perfect when the Door of Mercy closed shortly before. It is the time the saints will stand without a Mediator during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble to experience the same event that Jacob suffered in history that night.

But, in Isaiah’s case, luckily an angel flew to his rescue since Christ sent the angel to change Isaiah’s perception. It is all vision and not reality so the comfort is that Isaiah’s sins are forgiven “your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven”. The reality for Isaiah’s time is that Christ was still to do His Meditorial forgiveness in heaven after coming as the Lamb of God slain on the cross. If we in future experience seeing Christ on His throne and we have sins in us cherished we are really ruined.

Then Isaiah was curious: If the people are going to be like this condition before the Second Coming of the King of Kings, just before He stands up from His throne in Heaven to come to earth to take the remnant seed to heaven, then how long is this condition of Laodicea going to last? (Isaiah 6:11)

The answer is given in the same verse by the Lord:

“And He answered: ‘Until cities are devastated without inhabitant, houses are without people, and the land is utterly desolate”.

Was there ever a time in our history that people are misplaced by war and terror than this? Large patches of the Middle East is ransacked by violence and migrations to other countries are daily. This is the signal that the Lord shared with Isaiah. It is our time. Large cities are ghost-towns in Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan, Nigeria.

Then Isaiah is informed: “The Lord has removed men far away”. Why? A sign of the time. The end has come.

Dear Lord

We are waiting for the End of Time finally to complete its last phases including the beauty of the Latter Rain experience. Faithfully we expect your Power to preach in days to come. Also us, o Lord, we pray. Amen