When shall the church become "the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord"?

     Therefore, John's vision of the 144,000 as they stood on Mount Zion with the Lamb, is an incident after this special company of saints had been sealed, and some time before the close of probation.  The sealing of the 144,000 is at the closing of the judgment of the dead, and at the beginning of the judgment of the living.  Therefore, they have a great duty to perform upon the earth in connection with the judgment.  Their service was typified by ancient Israel when they were obliged to possess the Promised Land.  The prophet Zechariah has well described the time: "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David, and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem [the church].  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, [because He died for their sins] and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born." (Zech. 12:8-11.)  What a wonderful experience it will be when we fully comprehend the love of God and the price paid for our redemption!—2SR:171.2


Another reference to help us see when this is going to happen.


     It was previously explained that Zechariah's prophecy is applicable to the church in the time of the "Loud Cry."  Thus it becomes present truth.  We quote from Zechariah 12:8.  "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them" -- before the great multitude of Revelation 7:9. {2SR:290.1} 

     The church in her purity is called by these Scriptures, "The house of David."  Therefore, this term becomes one of the names of the church in the time of the "Loud Cry."  Thus the church under this name shall be as God before the people.  The meaning here is the same as in Exodus 7:1, "And the Lord said unto Moses See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet" (servant).  That is, "Thou shalt represent My person, and act like God by requiring obedience to thy commands, and by punishing disobedience with such punishment as none but God can inflict; to which end thou shalt have My omnipotent assistance."  This is the commission to the church in the time of the harvest.  The apostle Peter was vested with such divine power when he said: "Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God.  And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost.... And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  Then Peter said unto her.... behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.  Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband." (The Acts 5:4, 5, 7, 9, 10.)—2SR:290.1, 2


So when is the church in her purity? When the tares are removed.


   O let no one be misled into thinking that after the close of probation, or after the second coming of Christ (after the sinners in the world have been destroyed), God's church shall attain to the exalted standard of character, and to the high office, appointed of heaven, and be purified from sin and sinners!  On the contrary, "in that day" (before the sinners in the world have been destroyed), says the Lord, "will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.  In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel  of the Lord before them.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."  "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.  Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts." Zech. 12:3, 8, 9; 14:20, 21. {8Tr:30.2} 

   These verses expressly declare that the church will be "as God, as the angel of the Lord before them," during the time of trouble, when the nations shall gather against her and the Lord in vengeance shall then smite them.  Probation still lingering while this sequence of events takes place, "all they that sacrifice" (an act which is performed before the close of probation) shall therefore be holy, and "there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord."—8Tr:30.2-31.1


Also, read 1TG9

   That is, after disintegrating the ancient kingdoms, Israel and Judah, He is again to re-establish and unify them as depicted in Ezekiel 36 and in other portions of the Scriptures.  At that time Jerusalem, the city of the saints, is to become a burdensome stone for all the people of the earth.  That is, they will hate the city and its inhabitants and will attempt to take it, but instead they will be cut in pieces; for the Lord will defend His people.  Then it is that even the most feeble among the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be as willing, as daring, and as capable as was ancient David.  And the house of David -- the kingdom that is to be set up, which is but the church purified, no sinners among them (Isa. 52:1), shall be as the angel of the Lord before the people.—1TG10:26.4


This reference puts the occasion at the purification of the church. So why everyone is so desirous of putting it on some other occasion?


     The revival and reformation herein presented -- mourning and heart searching caused by appreciativeness of God's great mercy and goodness -- shall be in the day the governors of Judah say, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength," in the day the Lord makes even the most feeble among them as David, and the house of David as God, as the angel of the Lord. {2TG44:48.1} 

     When this thorough reformation takes place then the cleansing fountain shall be opened to the whole house of David.  In that day the wicked shall be cut off and kept out of the house of David, and the false teachers, "prophets," shall feel ashamed of having ever taught their private interpretations of the Scriptures.  Then shall men fully realize that though they could be taught by men to keep cattle, yet no man could teach them to prophesy; that this office is restricted to the Spirit of Prophecy, that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of private interpretation.—2TG44:48.1, 2


In order for the fountain to be open, the House of David must first come into existence. The language is clear and the timing simple.


   When it [Mt. Carmel Center] has accomplished this "closing work for the church" (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 266), then those "who have overcome every temptation in the strength of the Mighty One," who have sighed and cried and escaped the destruction, will "be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them."  Zech. 12:8.  Davidians, indeed!—"a great people and a strong" (Joel 2:2), "clad in the armor of Christ's righteousness,…'fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,'…to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer."—Prophets and Kings, p. 725.—9SC1-12:21.7


So if it is at the purification of the church and someone decides to place it on another occasion aren't we lying when we do that?


     Of those who are to "escape" and to be "disclosed to view" in the antitypical Exodus movement, Inspiration joyfully declares: {WHR:48.1} 

     "...they are men wondered at:...and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. " Zech. 3:8; 12:8. {WHR:48.2} 

     Obviously these "men wondered at" (the "escaped" and "disclosed to view" at the eleventh hour) are the "servants" who make up the long-looked-for "Layman's Movement" (Testimonies, Vol. 9, pp. 125, 126). The eleventh hour is, therefore, the time to which the Spirit of Prophecy points when it says:—WHR:48.1-3

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