the silver trumpet, vol. 1, no. 4

THE SILVER TRUMPET

Let Elohim arise, let his enemies be scattered; and let them who hate him flee from his Presence. - Psalm 68:1

Vol. 1, No. 4 New Moon Eighth Month Bul(October 26, 2014)

Yahweh spoke to Moses, Make two trumpets of silver; you are to makethem from a single hammered piece. And they shall be for assembling thecommunity and for directing the traveling of the camps. When they blowthem both, all the community must come to you to the entrance of the tentof meeting. But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the headsof the thousands of Israel must assemble themselves. When you blow analarm, then the camps that are located on the east side must begin to move.And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that arelocated on the south side must begin to move. An alarm must be soundedfor their journeys. But when you assemble the community, you must blow,but you must not sound an alarm. The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blowthe trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughoutyour generations. If you go to war in your land against an adversary whoopposes you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you willbe remembered before Yahweh your Elohim, and you will be saved fromyour enemies. Also in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointedfestivals and at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with yourtrumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifces of your peaceofferings, so that they may be a memorial for you before your Elohim: I amYahweh your Elohim. - Numbers 10:1-10

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 4 1

The Garments of Holinessby Trent Wilde

In this latter-day call to priestly consecration, all willing souls areinvited to be clothed with a set of new garments. A new character isbeing offered to you, and all you must do to receive it is to allow theAngel of Yahweh to remove your old one, wash you of all its flthyresidue, and place this new one upon you.

If you decide to be willing to give up your old garments andconsent to be washed and clothed, there will be nothing, and can benothing, which could possibly prevent your reception of this newcharacter. The enemy, knowing this, has set his course at fnding anyand every possible way to impede each individual from making thisdecision. Since there is no legitimate reason for resisting the garmentchange, Satan has resorted to propping up various lies which, ifaccepted, give the deceived one a false construction of reality, one inwhich there is no need for new garments or no way of receiving them.

Some are deceived into thinking that wearing flthy garments is agreat thing; that there is something appealing or even cool about it.Such is the mind of the outright opposer of truth those whoarrogantly and knowingly faunt themselves before our HeavenlyFamily in rebellion. Others are convinced that it does not matterwhether their garments are dirty or not. They fgure everyone hasgarments as these anyway, so what is the use of changing them? Suchis the mind of the worldly person.

There are others who are told that they can make their currentgarments look better by hanging costly ornaments on them andspraying perfume to cover the stench of their excrement.1 They workvery hard to earn the money to buy these trinkets and charms andthen deck their bodies with them, satisfed that they are nowbeautifully clothed and worthy of love and adoration despite the factthat they have neither washed nor changed. Such is the case for theprofessors of various world religions which all fnd their roots inancient paganism.

Still others are led to believe that even though they have on flthygarments, God does not see it because God himself, in the person ofJesus, has clean garments; and since He wears them, that is just as

1 Zechariah 3:3 refers to unrighteousness as garments of tso'im (), meaning excrement. See also Isaiah 64:6 and Philippians 3:8.

2 The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 4

good as if the rest of us were wearing them too. It's all the same toGod. Such is the deception which overshadows the world ofChristendom with their doctrine of spurious holiness.

And yes, there are yet others. These, though clothed in flthygarments, do not themselves see nor believe it. The stench of theirexcrement appears to them to be a pleasant aroma and the sight oftheir clothes seems to be beautiful, white, and spotless. This is the classof religionists who have been blinded with spiritual pride.

Lastly, there are those who have been shown how flthy theirgarments really are, and who sincerely want the new garments. Theseare those who the devil knows have the greatest potential to choose tobe willing and to receive the garment change, so he has workedespecially hard to deceive this class. He tells them that the newgarments are not so different from those they currently wear, and thateven if they were to possess them, they would not be able to keepthem unsoiled for very long. He tells them that they are too flthy andundesirable and that until they undergo some change our HeavenlyFamily will withhold the garments.

My friends, all these are lies, and a lie is no truth. A lie is nothingand there is therefore no reason to be deceived. Let the light of truthdispel the darkness. Behold the glory of our Heavenly Family and seeTheir love in the offer which they are now making to you, saying,

I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fre, that you may berich; and white garments, that you may be clothed and that theshame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes witheye salve that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, andknock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To the one thatovercomes I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even also as Iovercame, and have sat down with my Father in his throne. He thathas an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. -Revelation 3:18-22

The Priestly Garments

In the typical service, Aaron and his sons were clothed with specialgarments, each with their own signifcance. The record states:


For Aarons sons you are to make tunics, sashes, and headbandsfor glory and for beauty.

You are to clothe them your brother Aaron and his sons withhim and anoint them and ordain them and set them apart asholy, so that they may minister as my priests. Make for them linenundergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must cover fromthe waist to the thighs. These must be on Aaron and his sons whenthey enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altarto minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die.It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendantsafter him. - Exodus 28:40-43

The overall point is that these garments were to be worn by thepriests in order that they might do the work of the tabernacle. Sincethe purpose of the tabernacle is to remove sin from the camp, we cansee that the antitypical signifcance of these garments is expressing thequalifcations for winning souls to Christ, which is the work ofremoving sin from Israel. Since the garments of the high priestincluded the regular priestly garb, our focus will be on his garments, asin so doing, we will cover them all.

The Linen Tunic, Leggings, and Headbands

As we discovered in the last issue of The Silver Trumpet, the garmentsrepresent the righteousness of Christ imparted to the individual. Thelinen tunic, being a part of the set of garments, naturally carries thesame meaning. That said, it will be well for us to be more specifc,seeing as there are also other garments involved here which likewiserepresent different aspects or manifestations of Christ's righteousness.

The linen tunic, along with the leggings, was to be worn next to theskin and was thus closer to the individual than any other garment.Both the tunic and the leggings were made of the same material andrepresent the same basic thing. Together, these formed a linen outftwhich, being white, represented the pure truth as their clothing.

the righteousness of Christ, which is pure, unadulteratedtruth.2

your law is truth. - Psalm. 119:142

2 Testimonies to Ministers, p. 64


He faithfully pours out righteousness, but a lying witness speaksdeceit. - Proverbs 12:173

Paul states the matter perhaps even more clearly by speaking of the old man and the new man as if they were different garments.

You were taught concerning your former way of life to lay asidethe old man which is corrupt in accordance with deceitful desires,to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the newman who has been created according to God in righteousness andholiness that comes from truth. - Ephesians 4:22-24

The intended lesson which being clothed with these garments ismeant to convey is that all who would become priests need to beclothed with the pure truth the truth which only comes byInspiration. You must take the truth into your mind and allow it torenew you. Surround yourself with truth and let it be tightly ftted toyou even as the ancient tunic of linen was ftted to each priest (Ex.28:4). You must make the truth your own by personal experience.

The leggings especially represent the truth carried out in theindividual's walk where they go; where they are led. The tunicrepresents the truth carried out in all their works what they do. Theheadband represents the truth brought into the mind, vitally affectingthe thoughts.

The Sash

The sash was of fne twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarletyarn, the work of an embroiderer, just as the LORD hadcommanded Moses. - Exodus 39:29

This sash was worn over the linen tunic and kept it tightly held tothe body of the priest. Whatever it may represent then, it stands forthe thing which keeps the righteousness of Christ upon the anti-typicalpriest. It is a symbol of what keeps us from falling a symbol ofsanctifcation. The scriptures do not tell us much about the sash butwhat they do tell us is highly signifcant. The primary instructionconcerning the sash was the material which made it up. Since we have

3 This text clearly portrays righteousness as the opposite of deceit, thus implying that righteousness is truth.


already found what the fne linen represents, we have only to discoverthe meaning of the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.

Other notable instances of the use of blue fabric are found inNumbers 4:5-6 and Numbers 15:38-39. In the former, a blue clothwas used to cover the ark of the covenant, the seat of the Shekinah,and the container of Her law. In the latter, a blue thread was requiredas part of tassels which the children of Israel were to wear on the fourcorners of their garments and look upon and remember all thecommandments of Yahweh (Num. 15:39). The color blue was toremind Israel of the divine authority of the law seeing as the throne ofthe Goddess Herself, the One who speaks the words of Inspiration, ismade of sapphire a blue stone (Ex. 24:10; Ez. 1:26; 10:1).

Scarlet is blood red and would thus represent life since the life ofthe fesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11). The particular type of red usedin this sash was taken from a worm which had to be crushed to makethe dye.4 It thus not only represents life itself, but life crushed out of aworm a common symbol for a man (Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6; Isa. 41:14).The sacrifce of Christ is herein brought to view, especially in light ofPsalm 22:6, but it is by no means limited to his personal sacrifce as weare also called to take up our cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24) andmake His death our own (Rom. 6).

Purple is a mixture of blue and scarlet and thus symbolizes lifemingled with the law. The meaning of this mingling is revealed in thefact that the altar of burnt offering was to be covered with a purplecloth (Num. 4:13). When a person would bring their sacrifce, theywould have their sins symbolically transferred from themselves to theanimal, and from the animal it was symbolically transferred via theblood onto the altar. The sin would thus be removed from the personand their representative (the animal) to the altar. The altar then, wasthe place of atonement removal of sin. From this we understandthat purple is the color for atonement.

To summarize, the sash represents the pillar truths of the gospel.Like the linen tunic, the sash was worn within other garments in thecase of the high priest, and could not be seen by others. By this itsymbolizes something very close and personal to the wearer. That is, itdemonstrates the reality that the law, the life of Christ, His sacrifce,and His blood applied to redeem and atone for the sinner, is

4 This is shown from the fact that the word tole'ah () for scarlet used here also means worm.


personally relating to and affecting the individual. It is this truth whichwill keep redeemed mankind from ever falling into sin again, and isthe only safeguard the unfallen worlds have against apostasy.

Not only man but angels will ascribe honor and glory to theRedeemer, for even they are secure only through the sufferings ofthe Son of God. It is through the effcacy of the cross that theinhabitants of unfallen worlds have been guarded from apostasy. Itis this that has effectually unveiled the deceptions of Satan andrefuted his claims. Not only those that are washed by the blood ofChrist, but also the holy angels, are drawn to him by his crowningact of giving his life for the sins of the world.5

That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world ofdarkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The signifcance of the deathof Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could nothave a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain fromthe foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross ofChrist? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even theyare not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God.It is through the effcacy of the cross that the angels of heaven areguarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no moresecure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan.Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed inEden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth orheaven must look to the Lamb of God. The plan of salvation,making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternalsafeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as amongthose who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our onlyhope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to theuttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ onthe cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will beour theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend thevalue of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it.6

The Robe of the Ephod

You are to make the robe of the ephod completely blue. There isto be an opening in its top in the center of it, with an edge allaround the opening, the work of a weaver, like the opening of a

5 Bible Training School, Dec. 1, 1907, par. 46 Signs of the Times, Dec. 30, 1889, par. 4


collar, so that it cannot be torn. You are to make pomegranates ofblue, purple, and scarlet all around its hem and bells of goldbetween them all around. The pattern is to be a gold bell and apomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem ofthe robe. - Exodus 28:31-34

This robe, worn only by the high priest, represents not only thetrue manifestation of the outward observance of the law, but also thedivine authority to proclaim the law from the Spirit. The fact that thegarment could not be torn demonstrates the immutability of the lawand its authority. This garment cannot be torn, and therefore, if it isto be removed, it must be removed entirely, not in part. The lesson isthat if one wants to break one commandment, they must utterlyremove from themselves the law of our Heavenly Family.

To be more specifc, the robe reveals that this antitypical high priestis endowed with the authority and duty to proclaim a solemn messagesent from heaven. The robe itself pictures the divine authority of thelaw manifest in the righteousness of Christ displayed in the life. Thepomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn represent the samething as the sash only in the form of inviting and nutritious food (thetruth of the message). The golden bells represent the proclamation ofthe message in purity (Zech. 14:20; Sir. 45:6). As one hears the bells,their eyes are drawn to them and they see the inviting truth of thesacrifce and intercession of Christ to atone for fallen humanity.

The high priest is either wearing this garment, or he is not. Thereis no half way position, and no partial wearing. This truth is the samein principle as that advocated by Victor Houteff in the following lines:

As all prophetic truths are timely revealed, it is evident that therecan be nothing disclosed by the wisdom of man, no matter howsimple it may be. When God reveals a portion of His holy Wordthrough one of His chosen instruments, analysis of history provethat they are never erring as far as the message they deliver isconcerned. It is also true that those who erred in their supposedmessage of truth, have had no truth. So the great apostle says: "ButGod hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spiritsearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what manknoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is inhim? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit ofGod. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but theSpirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are


freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in thewords which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghostteacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the naturalman receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they arefoolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they arespiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:10-14.) Therefore, when a messageis proclaimed, it is either all truth or there is no truth in it, save thequotations of the prophets.7

Analysis proves that truth has never come at any time by thepower and wisdom of men, but by the Spirit of God throughinstruments of His own choice. Said Jesus, "When the Spirit oftruth is come, He will guide you into ALL truth." If we shouldbelieve the words of the Master, then we must conclude that the"Rod" contains either ALL truth or there is NO truth in it, save thequotations of truth. Therefore, if we admit one truth revealed bythe "Rod," then we must accept it ALL. If God has been able toguide His servants in the past into ALL truth, He is able now.Therefore, we take the position that the message in the "Rod" isfree from error in so far as the ideas put forth are concerned.8

The Ephod

They are to make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, andfne twisted linen, the work of an artistic designer. It is to have twoshoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be joinedtogether. The artistically woven waistband of the ephod that is on itis to be like it, of one piece with the ephod, of gold, blue, purple,scarlet, and fne twisted linen.

You are to take two onyx stones and engrave on them the namesof the sons of Israel, six of their names on one stone, and the sixremaining names on the second stone, according to the order oftheir birth. You are to engrave the two stones with the names of thesons of Israel with the work of an engraver in stone, like theengravings of a seal; you are to have them set in gold fligreesettings. You are to put the two stones on the shoulders of theephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron willbear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for amemorial. You are to make fligree settings of gold and two braidedchains of pure gold, like a cord, and attach the chains to thesettings. - Exodus 28:6-14

7 The Shepherd's Rod, Vol. 2, p. 148 The Symbolic Code, Vol. 1, No. 8, p. 1 (Capitalization original to quotation)


Since the blue robe which we just considered is called the robe ofthe ephod (Ex. 28:31), there must be some connection between themeaning of the robe and of the ephod itself. While the robe was allblue, the ephod contained all fve of the materials which appear in thepriestly garments (blue, purple, red, linen, and gold). Also, upon theephod was placed the breastplate of judgment which contained theUrim and Thummim. All of these aspects of the high priest'sgarments help to inform us of the meaning of the others.

We've seen that the robe of the ephod represents the authorityendowed upon the high priest to speak law (instruction) from theSpirit. The ephod should represent something similar but also have itsown particular meaning. The story of David's experience with theephod should shed some light on how he understood it, or at least itsuse:

Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fed to David atKeilah, he had brought with him an ephod. When Saul was told thatDavid had come to Keilah, Saul said, God has delivered him intomy hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a citywith two barred gates. So Saul mustered all his army to go downto Keilah and besiege David and his men.

When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, hetold Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod! Then David said, OLORD God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul isplanning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. Willthe leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul comedown as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, pleaseinform your servant!

Then the LORD said, He will come down. David asked, Willthe leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Sauls hand?The LORD said, They will deliver you over. - 1 Samuel 23:6-12

Apparently, David understood that the presence of the ephodwould enable him to receive answers from Yahweh in relation to whatwas about to take place. For this reason, the ephod has been elsewherereferred to as the ephod of prophecy.9 It is in the gift of prophecythen, that truth and righteousness (linen), the authority of the law(blue), the sacrifce and life of Christ (red), His atonement on ourbehalf (purple), and the purity of the gospel (gold) are all bound

9 See The Testament of Levi 8:3.


together. It is the gift of prophecy endowed upon the high priest whichenables him to govern Israel as revealed by his bearing of the namesof the tribes upon his shoulders (Isa. 9:6; 22:22).

The ephod reveals the prophetic and kingly roles of this anti-typical high priest. This is further born out by the fact that theZadokite priesthood in Ezekiel's vision is the antitypical priesthood ofrighteousness.10 The high priest of that temple is referred to as theprince (Eze. 43:3; 45:7, 16, 17, 22; 46:2-18; 48:21-22) which is alsothe name given to the antitypical Davidic fgure earlier in Ezekiel (Eze.34:24; 37:25) when speaking of the same time. In other words, theantitypical David is prophet (2 Sam. 23:1-2), priest (1 Sam. 21:7; 2Sam. 6:12-14; 1 Chron. 15:27; 16:2), and king (Eze. 37:24); thusserving as Christ's visible representative.11

It is important to remember that in the priestly consecration types,Moses, as the mediator of the covenant, acted as the high priest whileordaining the priesthood (including Aaron as high priest); likewise, inthe antitypical fulfllment, Christ, as the mediator of the newcovenant, acts as high priest while ordaining the priesthood (includingthe Davidic high priest). This is also brought out in Zechariah whereJoshua the High Priest is ordained to priesthood (Zech. 3), but is alsogiven a crown to signify his kingly role (Zech. 6:11). In both the thirdand sixth chapters of Zechariah, Joshua is a distinct fgure from the manwhose name is Branch - Christ, the Son of God. This, together withthe fact that Joshua was a sinner in need of a garment change asrepresented in the third chapter makes it clear that this latter-day anti-typical high priest is not Christ, but is rather only a mere human savedby grace and through faith.12

The Breastpiece with Urim and Thummim

You are to make a breastpiece for use in making decisions, thework of an artistic designer; you are to make it in the same fashionas the ephod; you are to make it of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, andfne twisted linen. It is to be square when doubled, half a cubit longand half a cubit wide. You are to set in it a setting for stones, four

10 See The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 22-26.11 See Tract No. 8 Mount Sion at the Eleventh Hour, p. 71.12 It can be similarly shown that the antitypical Davidic king is not a member of the

Godhead, but rather only a redeemed human. For an introduction to this topic, see our studies on Psalm 2.


rows of stones, a row with a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl the frstrow; and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and thefourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They are to beenclosed in gold in their fligree settings. The stones are to be forthe names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number ofof their names. Each name according to the twelve tribes is to belike the engravings of a seal Aaron will bear the names of thesons of Israel in the breastpiece of decision over his heart when hegoes into the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD contin-ually. You are to put the Urim and the Thummim into the breast-piece of decision; and they are to be over Aarons heart when hegoes in before the LORD. Aaron is to bear the judgments of theIsraelites over his heart before the LORD continually. - Exodus28:15-21, 29-30

This breastpiece, like the ephod, contained all fve materials used inthe high priestly garments. Also like the ephod, it had precious gemsset upon it with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The namesbeing on his shoulders showed that he was to govern them, but thenames over his heart showed that he was to intercede on their behalf.

The primary purpose of this breastpiece though, was that it was tobe for the purpose of making decisions, or judgments. It was known asthe breastplate of judgment by virtue of its containing the Urimand Thummim. Though the scriptures never give us a detaileddescription of the Urim and Thummim, their purpose is declaredplainly.

And he [Joshua] will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will askfor him before the LORD by the decision of the Urim - Numbers27:21

Then Saul said, O LORD God of Israel! If this sin has beencommitted by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O LORD God ofIsrael, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed byyour people Israel, respond with Thummim. Then Jonathan andSaul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated. - 1Samuel 14:41

Clearly, the Urim and Thummim were used as lots by which ourHeavenly Family gave revelation concerning certain circumstances. A


comparison of 1 Samuel 28:6 in the Masoretic Text (MT) and theGreek Septuagint (LXX) demonstrates that this was also understoodby the ancients:

MT LXXSo Saul inquired of the

LORD, but the LORD did notanswer him not by dreamsnor by Urim nor by theprophets.

So Saul inquired of theLord, but the Lord did notanswer him in dreams or inthe symbols of revelation or inthe prophets.

The breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, symbolized thetheocratic governance of the nation. Since all of these garments werepart of the typical levitical system, they fnd the perfect fulfllment oftheir meaning with the latter-day antitypical priesthood. The symbolhere is that the nation, led by the 144,000 (as symbolized by the twelvegems on the breastplate), is to be ruled by Inspiration manifestedthrough the antitypical high priestly king (David), coming directlyfrom Yahweh. Thus,

The children of Israel will live many days without a king orprince, and without sacrifce or altar, and without ephod orteraphim.13 Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek theLORD their God and David their king, and shall come with fearunto the LORD and to his goodness in the end of days. - Hosea 3:4-5

The Turban and The Plate of Gold

You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the way aseal is engraved: Holiness to Yahweh. You are to attach to it ablue cord so that it will be on the turban; it is to be on the front ofthe turban. - Exodus 28:36-37

The turban represents the same basic thing as the headbandswhich the regular priests wore; namely, the pure truth (righteousness)

13 Teraphim was a word used for an item or items used anciently for the purpose of divination. The use of teraphim is connected with an ephod on several occasions (Judges 17:5; 18:14, 17-20) and has some sort of connection with the Urim and Thummim, if only that the former is a counterfeit of the latter. Here teraphim seems to be referred to in a positive sense the LXX renders the term manifestation.


brought into the mind of the priest. One of the aspects of the mind ofChrist which is especially emphasized in the turban of the high priestis revealed in Job.

I put on righteousness and it clothed me; my judgment(discernment) was like a robe and a turban. - Job 29:14

Upon the front of the high priestly turban was placed a plate ofpure gold which had an engraving, literally, the engraving of a sealwhich read Holiness to Yahweh. This plate thus represents the sealof God, the name of our Heavenly Family in the forehead (Rev. 14:1).It is the truth accepted by the individual, not only intellectually, butalso spiritually (LDE 219.4).

Holiness to Yahweh encompasses the seal in all its aspects and istruly the present truth on the subject. Ellen White taught that theSabbath truth is the seal of God. Victor Houteff showed that it alsoincluded sighing and crying and accepting the truth of the kingdom.Ben Roden was shown that the seal of the 144,000 is composed ofthree parts according to Rev. 3:12 and EW 15. These three parts are(1) God the Sabbath truth brought by E.G. White, (2) the NewJerusalem the Kingdom truth brought by V.T. Houteff, and (3) Jesus'New Name Branch, brought by Ben Roden. Later, the hiddenmanna of the begotten Daughter of God was revealed to Lois Roden,making up the glorious star of the seal.14

The next Branch messenger, Doug Mitchell, had revealed to himthe truth that the four above messages are represented by the fourangels holding the four winds in the seventh chapter of Revelation andthat they all take part in the work of sealing as revealed by theproclamation of the angel from the east to hurt not till we have sealedthe servants of our God That angel started off in the east, theplace of idolatry the place of death in trespasses and sins. If oneaccepts the message of this angel, they will see their true conditionand will have learned how to truly sigh and cry, not in theory, but inreality and thus be prepared to receive the seal.

In this present message, we have seen the angel ascend from theeast like the rising of the sun. This angel has the seal in his hand(message) and is ready to set it upon the willing hearts of the penitent.We have learned that up till now, the settling into the truth has only

14 See The Four Horns of the Altars of the Sanctuary.


been intellectual and that if one is to receive the seal, then that settlingmust be a real thing, free from idolatry free from sin. It must be live spiritual. This seal is bound up in the message of justifcation byfaith in Christ from the Spirit through their dual work of intercession.She Herself says,

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love isas strong as death; passion is as ferce as the grave. Its fashes arefashes of fre; it is a blazing fame. - Song of Solomon 8:6

The seal encompasses the whole truth brought into the minds andlives of those who receive it. It stands for everything our HeavenlyFamily stands for and thus it bears Their name Yahweh He is WhoHe is. The truth is the truth. Let it be what it will be. This seal showsthat everything the seal-bearer does and says and is, is pure truth. Toreceive it is to receive the moral image of our Heavenly Familyrestored in your mind. Holiness to Yahweh is the ever constanttheme of the mind. Praise Their holy name!

A Goodly Landby Teresa Wilde

Greetings to All Present Truth Believers,We have wonderful news of our Heavenly Family's love and

willingness to provide for the work of the Gospel! Here is an overview of the events that have transpired over the past

several weeks:Prior to leaving British Columbia to move to Ontario, we were

faced with needing to be able to move all of the Branch Association'sbelongings, as well as our own. We knew the most cost effective thingto do was to sell our car and get a vehicle that could haul a heavytrailer rather than rent a truck. Neither of us knew much aboutvehicles, but we began asking around and looking online for what usedvehicles were available. One of the ads we came across was from anindividual who was selling a 2004 GMC Yukon SLT 4X4. A week ormore went by while Trent and I were just too busy with dailyresponsibilities to consider much on the vehicle question. Then, just


over a week before we were supposed to leave, our Heavenly Familyshowed us what we were supposed to do. It was morning, and as Iawoke I turned to Trent and said, I had a dream that we bought theYukon without even test driving it. He leaned up and looked at mewith a smile and said, I had a dream last night that we bought theYukon as well. We felt reassured that so long as we kept up with ourdaily duties, our Heavenly Family would provide everything weneeded, when we needed it.

Later that same day we purchased the Yukon, and were then ableto consider looking for a cargo trailer. Yet again our Heavenly Familyprovided what was needed and we obtained a used 7X16' tandem axlecargo trailer which also had new brakes and new tires. It was roadready and safe for travel.

On Monday, September 15, 2014 Trent and I left Abbotsford, BCon our way to head for Ontario. We knew we were being led to thearea to fnd a piece of property from which the work of the Gospelcould be headed up and organized.

Once we were in Ontario, we began looking at properties. We frstconsidered a property that was ten acres but it just didn't seem like theright one. Next we walked through a property that was around 20acres. It was too swampy. Next, we examined a 50 acre property andthought this was much more promising, and as we prayed we askedour Heavenly Family to show us what to do. We asked that if anyproperty that we were considering was not the right one, that it wouldbe taken out of the equation. A few days later we received notice thatthe 50 acre lot was no longer for sale. Our Gods are so good! The nextproperty we looked at was 100 acres. This was much larger than wehad originally considered as a possibility to obtain, but each time adoor was closed to a piece of land, the next door opened to a largeracreage.

As we continued to investigate this property and look at others, itbecame evident that it would be much better to be able to do all thisdriving without having to haul the trailer. We had rented a campsitefor two days where we were able to leave the trailer and it provided alot of freedom and reduction in the cost of fuel. Pulling the trailer, thetraveling was tedious and fuel was costly as we were hauling a veryheavy load, so we began to consider putting it in storage in order tohave more freedom in our search for land. We also knew that weneeded to be working while we were looking for land and we had


nowhere to do that, so we started to consider renting a dwelling for amonth or so. As we looked online for short term rentals, we found veryfew that would work for us and at one point we came across somethingthat was nearer to Toronto. I looked at Trent and said, If we'reconsidering renting someplace that near to Toronto, we should justrent from Alice! Alice is a friend who has been attending the feastswe've held in Ontario the past year and had told us that if we everneeded a place to stay, her home was our home. When we called herto ask about this, she immediately said that it was an answer to prayer.We also felt that this was where our Heavenly Family was directing usas we would be able to have more time to study with her, one on one.She is progressing in her understanding of present truth and hungryto learn more.

On Wednesday, October 1, 2014 we arrived at Alice's house. Westored our cargo trailer in a storage unit in Ajax where she lives but itcould only be stored until November 1 since that would be when snowcould most likely start to fall and the snow plows would need to beable to drive through where the storage business allowed things likethe trailer to be parked. The normal price for a month of storage wasover $300, but their introductory special was a savings of 99%, so withtaxes and fees the total for storing the trailer for a month was onlyabout $30! We had no idea where we would store the trailer after thatdate, but we knew our Heavenly Family would provide either aproperty by that time, or another place to store it. Even the way weobtained such a low cost of storage was quite miraculous. [Here is abit more detail on how the storage thing worked. There are two typesof storage at this place; (1) in a storage unit and (2) parking outside.They said the trailer would ft in their storage unit, however, once wepulled around to park the trailer, we found that there was absolutelyno way it would ft. So, there we were. We couldn't ft the trailer intothe storage unit and they said they didn't have more places to park. Wewere going to have to get a refund and fnd some other place. Theythen realized that they did have a parking spot but that we would haveto be out by November 1 due to snow, etc. The discount only appliesto the storage units, but since we were already in the computer withthe discount, the computer would not allow the discount to beremoved. They ended up just giving us the parking spot at thediscounted rate! The 30 dollars was the price of the initial sign up, apadlock, and the frst month's fee.]


While at Alice's place, we started to seriously consider the 100 acreproperty and began inquiring into building codes and zoning, etc.What we learned showed us that this was not the right property either.On the entire 100 acres, we would only be allowed to build onedwelling house. This just wouldn't work for the purposes of ourHeavenly Family's ministry. This seemed like a large obstacle though,because anywhere that there was a municipality, we were told wewould run into the same building codes and zoning laws. We trustedthat our Heavenly Family would make Their will known to us as weneeded to know it. At this time we came across the idea ofunorganized townships. An unorganized township is a place wherethere are no zoning laws and the closest form of government to thetownship is the Provincial government. We knew that if we were toobtain a property in one of these townships it would provide thefreedom necessary to do the work of our Heavenly Family!

On Tuesday, October 14, 2014 (during the Feast of Tabernacles),we left Ajax to travel north to look at a couple properties that were forsale. They were both 151 acre lots, and they were also both inunorganized townships! We had thought we might only be gone threedays, as those were the only properties that we were aware of thatwere of any consideration for our Heavenly Family's headquarters, butit soon became apparent that these properties were only a means ofbringing us to the general area where we would need to be looking forthe right property. The 151 acre lots were just too swampy.

For almost two weeks, we remained in the area of North Bay wherewe drove through unorganized townships, road by road, and searchedfor land. We knew we could not sit idly by and expect our HeavenlyFamily to simply drop something into our laps with no effort on ourpart. We stopped and spoke to people who lived in the area andinquired about land for sale, but we didn't fnd anything in that areathat was for sale other than small parcels of land with houses whichwere not conducive to the needs of the ministry and way beyond thecurrent budget. Day by day, we would pray and ask our HeavenlyFamily for Their guidance and to be sustained by Their love. We wereopen to the possibility that we would not fnd property until afterwinter, but we couldn't quite envision how that would work since wehad all the Branch belongings in the cargo trailer that really should bekept out of the humidity to preserve the documents, etc. We just knewthat whatever happened, our Heavenly Family would work out the


details in the best way for Their purposes.During our stay in North Bay we also had a few witnessing

opportunities. While we were there, we spent a lot of time in a loungeat an Esso truck stop to charge the computer and write for The SilverTrumpet. One of the employees there was working a lot while we werearound and we got to know him a little. Before we left the area to headback to Ajax, we left a copy of The Lost Gospel of Christ for him. Hisname is Mike and we would appreciate it if you would all rememberhim in prayer. There was also a local lady who spent her work breaksin the lounge. She worked nearby and was in the habit of hanging outin the Esso lounge. We started talking one evening and had a lovelyconversation in which I was able to share the gospel of Justifcation byFaith. During our conversation, she suddenly asked, So, are youJehovah's Witness or Baptist? I hadn't expected that but I smiled andsaid, Actually, neither. But I do read my Bible. And so we continuedtalking and I could see the Spirit moving upon her heart. We didn'texchange names, but please pray for her as well. There were two otherindividuals to whom we had occasion to witness. One evening, I wentto the laundromat while Trent was writing in the food court at themall. While he was there, a lady stopped to ask what he was doing andthey ended up discussing the gospel. Meanwhile, I had gone to washclothes at the laundromat and a guy there doing his laundry wastalking to the lady who worked there. She brought me into theconversation and as I talked to him, I learned that he kept theSabbath! I was able to share a good deal about the gospel and gavehim a copy of The Lost Gospel of Christ. We can defnitely see that theharvest is ripe and people are ready to hear the good news. Pray forthe work; please pray! There are so many people eager to know thepeace and love of the Gospel. (Psalm 4:6)

As we continued driving and looking for land, we also called a fewrealtors in the area and had them looking for us. We told them exactlywhat our budget was and what our needs would be in the way of typeand size of land. We had originally thought we wouldn't be able toafford anything much larger than ten or twenty acres, but the more wethought about it and prayed about it, we could see how necessary itwould be to have a large space in which to have a grade school as wellas a ministerial school and a wellness center and home for the aged;we would need enough land to grow our own food and have enoughto sustain multiple families if need be. The larger acreages were


defnitely seeming like the thing that was needed. After we determinedthat the 151 acre properties would not work due to being much toowet, we called the realtor who had those listings and told him exactlywhat we needed. We told him that we needed nothing less than 50acres and larger would be better; we mentioned that the price wouldneed to be below $40,000 unless owner fnancing was an option, andwe told him the land needed to be dry. He promised to fnd ussomething, even if it took him a couple weeks. So, in the mean timewe continued our search.

We drove through miles and miles of countryside, but did not fndanything promising. However, at one point something came to ourattention that looked pretty good. In talking to people in the area, wewere directed to a man who owned a logging company. We foundwhere he lived and drove there to inquire if he knew of any land forsale. He said he did and gave us the number for the owner. Eachproperty was 160 acres and at least one of them was in anunorganized township. This sounded promising! We werecontemplating how wonderful it was that each time our HeavenlyFamily brought a piece of land to our attention for consideration, itwas always a larger and better acreage than the one before. Wephoned the land owner, but he had decided not to sell the propertiesand so that door was closed. What could this mean? Did it mean thatour Heavenly Family was actually going to put us on a property evenlarger than that?

Later that same day, Friday, October 24, 2014, we were onlinelooking for anything new that may have been posted since last we hadlooked. As we were perusing the listings, we saw an ad for an acreagethat was 288.96 acres. At frst, we didn't realize it was a new listing butwe went ahead and opened it anyway, just to be certain. When weclicked the ad, it took us to another web site which happened tobelong to the realtor who had the two 151 acre properties and hadtold us he would fnd us something to suit our needs. At the top of thelisting it said, New! So, we knew we had not seen this before. Wecontinued reading through the ad and could barely believe our eyes. Itwas listed for only $60,000 and the seller would fnance so long as thebuyer could put down 30%-40%! The land had surface rights, mineralrights, and tree rights as well as being in an unorganized township! Itliterally had every feature we needed, so long as the land was dryenough. We called the realtor right away and learned that he had just


listed it the night before and was going to call us but didn't have ournumber with him due to traveling. Praise our Heavenly Family forguiding us to look and to call the realtor rather than simply waiting tohear from him! Once we got his permission to go to the property, weleft as soon as we could.

Once we were on the property, we knew quickly that this was theright one, but rather than feeling elated and excited, we each had asense of peacefulness. We had an assurance that our Heavenly Familyhad directed us the entire way and that They would continue to blessthis work and see it through to the end! The property has a variety ofterrain. There are cleared areas as well as woods. There are creeks aswell as a few small ponds. One section has an area where the under-growth is full of beautiful moss. We later learned from Carol andNorman that Canadian moss is desirable! And when we mentionedthis to Michael, he confrmed that it will be of much use inagriculture. There are also a variety of different soils which will beable to be used for farming as well as building cob houses. Here is anaerial shot of the property:


We called the realtor that evening and let him know it was the rightproperty. Then, we emailed an offer to him so he could offcially writeit up. The next morning, he emailed us the purchase agreement andwe found a print shop where we printed it out, then read it throughcarefully before signing, and once we were fnished we emailed it backto him. A few hours later, we had the purchase agreement returned tous with the signature of the seller. It was a done deal. The next thingwas to send a cashier's check for the deposit of $2000, which we didthe following day. We will close on the deal no later than November 14at which time we will pay the remaining down payment of $18,000.After this, we will own the title and take possession of the property.The monthly payments will be less than $380 and we can pay off thebalance at any time with no penalties. Praise our Heavenly Family! Wewere able to obtain a 289 acre property with no 9 to 5 jobs with paystubs! Most people would simply not believe it. Is there anything toohard for Yahweh? So long as we are walking in Their will for our lives,They will provide for our needs. I am reminded of the scripture whichreads,

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth andrust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Butlay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth norrust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through norsteal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Thelight of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thywhole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy wholebody shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee bedarkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve twomasters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or elsehe will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve Godand mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for yourlife, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body,what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the bodythan raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neitherdo they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedsthem. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by takingthought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take yethought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the feld, how they grow;they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, Thateven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the feld, which to day is,


and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clotheyou, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, Whatshall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we beclothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for yourheavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. Butseek ye frst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and allthese things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought forthe morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things ofitself. Suffcient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:19-34

A Goodly Dwelling

Once we knew we had found the right property, we began lookingonline for yurts. Yet again, our Heavenly Family has shown that Theyhave taken care of all the details. We found a yurt that a woman haslived in for the past two years with her baby in Barry Bay, Ontario,and able to stay plenty warm, even in -45C. It cost her nearly$20,000 and she told us, without our asking, that she is motivated tosell and will take $11,000 even though her ad was asking $14,000. Itcomes complete with a Vermont Castings wood stove as well as a windand snow kit for the yurt. All we have to do is move it to the propertyand set it up. The diameter of the yurt is 20' and will be large enoughfor all our belongings as well as the Branch Association's belongings.The documents will be kept safe and dry through the winter and wewill have a place to live and work.


Our next need was to fnd a place to store the trailer afterNovember 1 until we could take possession of the land and set up theyurt. Alice had mentioned a couple weeks prior that she knows someAdventists who live in the country with plenty of space to store thetrailer should we need a place for it. So, we asked her to call and see ifwe could park it there and they said that we could. The other nicething is that their home is located right on the way to go pick up theyurt. Again, our Heavenly Family has taken care of the details.

We hope that each of you will be encouraged by what our DivineFamily is preparing for the fnishing up of the Gospel. And if you'reable, go back and listen to the study given on Isaiah 6, held June 30,2014. It is our prayer that when Yahweh asks in Isaiah 6:8, Whomshall I send, and who will go for us? that everyone now reading thiswill be able to cheerfully say, Here am I; send me.

Questions and Answers

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MESSENGER AND A PROPHET?

Question No. 8:Is there a difference between a messenger and a prophet? If

so, how does one prove which is which?Answer:

Since the words messenger and prophet mean different thingsto different people and are used differently in different contexts, it isnot as simple as we would perhaps like to answer this excellentquestion. In order to do so however, we will examine the question inthree different contexts. First, that of the Old Testament scriptures;second, that of the New Testament scriptures; and third, that of thewritings of Ellen White.

In The Old Testament

The Hebrew Bible uses one main word for prophet; that is, navi(). The word itself carries the meaning of spokesperson. All theuses of this word in the scriptures are in clear harmony with thismeaning. For example:


So the LORD said to Moses, See, I have made you like God toPharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are tospeak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tellPharaoh that he must release the Israelites from his land. - Exodus7:1-2

So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. Andas for me, I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I willteach you both what you must do. He will speak for you to thepeople, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you werehis God. - Exodus 4:15-16

The word malak ( ) is the common Hebrew word employed formessenger. It literally means messenger and is used throughoutthe Hebrew Bible with that meaning. Both carry the same basicmeaning in that one who is a prophet or a messenger is standing inplace of another, or speaking or acting on behalf of another.

The primary difference is that navi () is used exclusively in areligious sense (as in a spokesperson for a god), whereas malak ( ) isused more broadly, encompassing anyone acting as a messenger foranyone else.15 In the Hebrew Bible, every prophet is a messenger16 butnot every messenger is a prophet.

In The New Testament

In the New Testament the word for prophet is prophetes ()and means the same thing as the word navi () in the Hebrew Bible.The word angelos () is the common word for messenger andmeans the same as malak ( ). There is another word that is used inthe New Testament which literally means messenger(s) or sentone(s). This word is apostolos () which is where we get theword apostle.

The use of this word in the New Testament is somewhat innovativeas there isn't much evidence of similar use prior to it. The only knownoccurrence of the word in the LXX17 is in 1 Kings 14:6 where Ahijiahthe prophet (1 Ki. 14:2) says, I am an apostle to bear to you a hard

15 For example see Gen. 32:3, 6; Josh. 7:22; 1 Ki. 19:2; 1 Chron. 14:1.16 See 2 Chron. 36:15-16; Isa. 44:26; Hag. 1:1 with 1:13; and Mal. 3:1 with Mal. 4:5.17 The abbreviation for the Greek Septuagint an important translation of the

Hebrew Scriptures prior to the common era. The particular text in consideration here is Codex Alexandrinus.


message. What is interesting about this passage is the Hebrew wordthere translated apostle is actually a verb which meanscommissioned leaving the phrase to be literally translated I havebeen commissioned to bear to you a hard message. The meaning ofapostolos () in both this passage and the New Testamentcarries a sense of mission beyond that which is conveyed by the morecommon words for messenger.

While the New Testament applies many of the same characteristicsto apostles as it does to prophets,18 it also clearly distinguishes them.19

Certain prophets in the New Testament only played very minor roles,such as Agabus of Judaea (Acts 21:10) and Philip's daughters (Acts21:9). The apostles though, were called to work intimately close withChrist Himself (Mt. 10:2) in preparation to bear a message of presenttruth to Israel frst, and then the Gentiles also. It is clear that theapostles were the leaders of the early church20 and that they led it byInspiration.21

A study of the footnotes along with the rest of the occurrences ofapostolos () in the New Testament will reveal that an apostle-messenger is one who is very specifcally called to accomplish a certainmission which includes bearing a message of present truth given to theapostle directly from our Heavenly Family22 as well as taking up thework in any line which the Spirit indicates.

To summarize: in the New Testament the relationship between thecommon words for prophet and messenger are the same as in theHebrew Bible. That said, the other word for messenger (apostolos[]) comprehends more than either of the common words, oreven both combined. To be an apostle-messenger does not simplymean to speak on behalf of our Heavenly Family on an isolated

18 For example: Prophets are inspired by the Spirit (Num. 11:29; 2 Pet. 1:21) as are apostles (Acts 1:2; Eph. 3:5); also, prophets may enact sings and/or wonders (Deut. 13:1) as may apostles (Acts 5:12).

19 See Luke 11:49; Eph. 2:20; 3:5 and esp. 4:11.20 See Acts 4:35, 37; 5:2; 6:6; 8:18; 1 Cor. 12:28; Rev. 21:14.21 This is evident from not only the fact that apostles are said to receive their

message and doctrine from the spirit in the same way as prophets (see fn. 18), but also from the history left us in the book of Acts wherein we fnd that the Spirit was the one leading the apostles in the forwarding of the gospel (Acts 8:29; 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 15:28).

22 Paul, in defending his apostleship, took pains to demonstrate that he received his message directly from the Christ (He and She) as opposed to learning it from uninspired men, or even from the other apostles (See Gal. 1-2.)


occasion or even to receive dreams or visions from time to time23 itmeans to be commissioned as a leader to bear a directly Inspiredheaven-sent message with a defnite mission to be accomplished.

In The Writings Of Ellen White

As with the other sections, we will not be writing an exhaustivesurvey of the use of the terms prophet and messenger in EllenWhite's writings. We will, though, consider some example occurrencesin order to understand the different ways in which these terms can beused. Let us consider a few statements:

I am now instructed that I am not to be hindered in my work bythose who engage in suppositions regarding its nature, whose mindsare struggling with so many intricate problems connected with thesupposed work of a prophet. My commission embraces the work ofa prophet, but it does not end there. It embraces much more thanthe minds of those who have been sowing the seeds of unbelief cancomprehend.Letter 244, 1906.24

My work includes much more than this name [prophet] signifes.I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord withmessages for His people.Letter 55, 1905.25

To claim to be a prophetess is something that I have never done.If others call me by that name, I have no controversy with them.But my work has covered so many lines that I cannot call myselfother than a messenger, sent to bear a message from the Lord toHis people, and to take up work in any line that He points out.26

23 This is not to say that apostles could not receive dreams and visions, as some have. It should also be mentioned that receiving dreams and visions does not necessarily qualify one as a prophet either (see Deut. 13:1, 3, 5). Dreamers of dreams, prophets, and apostles, may all receive dreams and visions with each maintaining their separate roles. It could be viewed as a tier system in which a dreamer may dream without being given a prophetic oracle, and thus is not a prophet or apostle. A prophet must receive the word of Yahweh and a responsibility to share it with others through direct inspiration and may also dream and have visions within that calling. To be an apostle one must be commissioned to lead and bear an inspired message, though they may also be a prophet and a dreamer.

24 Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 36.225 Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 36.126 Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 34.5


From the above lines it is evident that Ellen White was here usingthe term messenger in the sense of apostle-messenger as discussedabove. There are many examples throughout her writings though,where she uses the term in the more generic sense.27

So, is there a difference between a messenger and a prophet?In some contexts yes, and in some contexts no. Distinguishing andproving when there is a difference and what the difference is isdetermined by the text. We hope that this brief review of some of theoccurrences of these terms in their different contexts will help thequestioner and our other readers to grasp the matter with more clarityand that it will aid in further study of the subject.

WHERE TO PAY TITHE?

Question No. 9:We have recently received inquiry from more than one as to

whether believers in present truth should pay tithe to the BranchAssociation or to the General Conference of SDAs.Answer:

Reading The Symbolic Code, Vol. 1 No. 14, p. 9-10 will provide aclear answer to this question. If there are any remaining questions,please do not hesitate to ask.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING?

Question No. 10:Since you teach that our prayers are to be spoken out loud, what

do you make of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says, pray withoutceasing?Answer:

As with all seeming contradictions, what we must do is examine the

27 For example see The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1455.2 where she refers to Jones, Prescott, Waggoner, and Olsen as messengers. That she did not mean this in the same sense in which she referred to herself as a messenger can be seen by reading the various rebukes which she wrote to and concerning these individuals. Likewise, she refers to Luther as a messenger (RH Feb. 12, 1880.10), while at the same time holding that the Spirit of Prophecy was quiescent during the dark ages (see our study What is the Spirit of Prophecy?).


meaning of each passage under the light of Inspiration to discover theintended meaning of the statement by the author. First though, we willtake a little time to more clearly understand the issue at hand.

The discrepancy is found in the fact that scriptures abound withreferences to audible prayer,28 while containing no clear reference tomerely mental prayer, but at the same time, the whole Christian world,as well as the larger religious demographic, performs mental prayer astheir regular and dominant practice. Due to the latter aspect of thesituation, the scriptures have been read in light of mental prayer andcertain texts, such as the one under consideration, have long beeninterpreted as referring to and promoting the practice.

Viewed in the light of mental prayer, the words without ceasinghave been understood to mean, all the time; without break in a veryliteral sense. Because of this, and since it is unreasonable to think thatPaul could be instructing the Thessalonians to be audibly talking toGod 24/7, people have assumed that he must be there speaking ofsilent/mental prayer.

We want to ask all our readers to examine 1 Thessalonians 5 andsee if there is anywhere in that text which mentions silent or mentalprayer. The seeker for truth will have to admit that there is nothing inthat passage which says anything about mental prayer and that it isonly an insertion of the thought into the text which has caused peopleto interpret it as such. In other words, there is nothing in the passagewhich at all tells us that Paul is speaking of mental prayer. With this inview we can see that the discrepancy is not between the teachings ofPaul and that of the Branch, but it is rather between the teachings ofour Heavenly Family and the traditional views of religion whichChristianity has adopted.

Now, let us examine the phrase, pray without ceasing in its owncontext according to the Spirit of Truth. The frst context to consideris that of the phrase itself and the meaning of the words therein. Theword pray, even though it has come to carry the meaning of areligious act someone engages in, is simply an old english word forask.29 Likewise, the greek word here translated pray isproseuchomai () and simply means, ask. So, rather thanthe text giving the instruction to be constantly engaged in a religiousor spiritual activity now referred to as prayer it is simply saying to

28 See Ps. 4:1; 5:1-3; 54:2; 55:17 among many others.29 Online Etymological Dictionary, art. pray


constantly ask. Are we to be continuously, without interruption, askingthings of God 24/7? It doesn't quite make sense does it, even in asilent prayer context?

There are two other times within this same letter that Paul uses theword for without ceasing.

We give thanks to God always for all of you and without ceasingmaking mention of you in our prayers. - 1 Thessalonians 1:2

For this reason we too thank God without ceasing that when youreceived God's message that you heard from us, you accepted not asthe word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which is atwork among you who believe. - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Two other passages from Paul's letters will help us to understandhis meaning:

For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, havenot ceased praying for you, asking God to fll you with the knowledgeof his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. - Colossians1:9

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospelof his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in myprayers. - Romans 1:9

The clear meaning of both passages is that Paul, when requestingthings from God, would always mention those to whom he waswriting. It is saying that he wouldn't forget them in his prayers. Topray without ceasing then, means to not forget to pray or neglectpraying (or asking). It is to continue to intercede in the behalf others.Since there is no reason why fulflling this would have to be done bymeans of mental prayer and because it can indeed by done byaudible prayer, we conclude that there is no confict between thispassage and the scriptural admonition to pray audibly foundthroughout the rest of sacred writ.

Another aspect of the context of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is thehistorical context. It is unfortunate that more research is not readilyavailable to the public concerning the history of silent prayer, but whatis available is quite telling:


The ancients said their prayers out loud. There can be littledoubt that throughout the ancient world the common practice wasto say prayers in a way audible to other persons. The reason simplywas that the anthropomorphic conception of the deities one prayedto implied that the gods had ears that worked in much the sameway that human ears did. No sound implied no hearing.30

In antiquity prayers were said out loud and silent prayer wasregarded as an anomalous practice that was looked upon with greatsuspicion. It was brought into connection with a variety of basemotives which it was feared would be strongly objected to by others,foremost among which are wishes to practice magic, to have illicitsex, or to conceal crimes or criminal plans. It was also feared thatone's prayer might be counteracted or undone by more powerfulprayers of the opponents. It is only in circles of later (esp.Neo-)Platonism, in the framework of the increasing transcendental-isation in its concept of deity and the corresponding downgradingof anything material or corporeal, that complete silence as thepurest form of worship was gradually accepted.31

Since mental prayer was still not viewed in a positive light amongthe more faithful Jews in the frst century, it is unlikely that Paul wouldwrite in its favor. Moreover, since the idea of merely mental prayercame from the immaterialistic worldview promoted by Plato and otherpagan philosophers, and since Paul was decidedly opposed to thesetranscendental views, especially coming from proto-gnostics and othermystical groups which claimed Jesus as their Messiah, we can knowwith certainty that he would not risk giving any intimation ofcompromise on the truths of materialism and corporeality to which heso frmly held.32

30 Silent Prayer in Antiquity, p. 1 by Pieter W. Van Der Horst published in Nvmen, Vol. 41 (1994). Nvmen is the international review for the history of religions.

31 Silent Prayer in Antiquity, p. 1 by Pieter W. Van Der Horst32 A study of 1 Corinthians 15 should be enough to convince the candid mind of

Paul's materialistic and corporealist views.


A Personal Testimony

A MARRIAGE RESTORED

For years, Michael and I have had a very unstable marriage life.We were one of those couples who never got to know each other frstand in a very short time already had our frst child. However, I cannotaccount the unhappy marriage all to that reason. I know some coupleswith the same background still managed to have a decent happymarriage. By the grace of our Heavenly Family, we were able to raisesix children amidst all the turmoil in our lives.

When the Branch message came to our lives, the Justifcation byFaith truth hit hard at the root of the matter. A searching of theheart began and it must have been deep although at the time I didn'trealize the extent of it. Giving up self and being born again was themessage of the hour. What did all this mean?

Our relationship was on a downward spiral. Michael knew it and Iknew it. Communication was at a low level and if there was any at all,it was tumultuous. That seems to be the only way we knew how tocommunicate. It had become habitual that we just lived like thatalmost thinking it was normal. And I pity our children now for such awrong example we exemplifed. It came to a point that neither of uswere willing to give up our own opinions of each other.

I remember one early dawn, Michael woke me up to tell me adream he just had:

He was at home struggling while up on a ladder and was callingme for help. I was not making myself available to help him and all ofsudden, two women came through the door and rushed passed meand went straight to Michael's aid.

Michael admitted that our Heavenly Family interpreted that dreamto him instantly and it was told to him that he had to start relying onour Heavenly Mother and Sister in times of need. To Michael, hisfocus on the dream was how I was not making myself available to himand this he related to our relationship. That topic soon became a boneof contention and I argued how his focus should be on theinterpretation given him and not to make me center of attention inthe dream. This irritated me immensely and I could not calm mymind to think I was the focus of his dream.

After that incident, during my closet prayers and heart searching


moments, I started to ask our Heavenly Family to change my heart inmy attitude if there was anything there to change. I told Them that Ifelt quite confdent that it was no fault of mine that Michael isconstantly so needy and sensitive, but if there was something therethat I couldn't see for myself, I am allowing Them to do somethingabout it according to Their will. Eventually, I was able to admit that Icould be unsympathetic at times to my husband. I decided from thenon that our Heavenly Family had to be the Potters while I was the clay.I really started to want them to mold me and make me according toTheir will.

Even after all that, our marriage was still decaying day by day.Something had to be done soon. It was getting unbearable.

The summer was full of family weddings and get-togethers. Ouroldest daughter Santiana was getting married. In my private thoughts,I had to just stay patient and wait for all these family festivities to endand then I would sit down with Michael to come to a mutualagreement about separation for now. I refused to live like this anylonger and as scary the thought was in my head, I felt very stronglyabout separating. I needed a drastic change. Everybody needed it.We had grown apart more and more each day. Michael engrossedhimself with the greenhouse business and I was just as busy.

Five days after the wedding of our daughter, September 12, 2014was the day our marriage hit rock bottom. The climax had reached itsheight and I was ready to throw it all out the door. Michael was veryaware and frustrated just the same and accepted what was to come.We knew it was the end.

But lo and behold a new attitude had entered me that late evening.Our Heavenly Family decided that it was now time according to mychoice, that Their work they had already begun was going to bemanifest to me. Our Sister transplanted a new heart for me, allowingme to suddenly have this unconditional love for my husband.Strangely to me, I started to look at him differently. All the negativeattributes that were deeply embedded in my mind about himdisappeared. I started to appreciate him more. I started to long forhim. At some instances Sister Wisdom allowed my thoughts toreminisce to specifc situations in our marriage where Michael wascrying out to me for comfort and help. A feeling of sorrow, remorseand sympathy just penetrated through me unlike in the past, a feelingof disdain was all I felt.


Scene after scene were brought before me of all those times I didnot stand by him as a loving wife. And each time this happened, I hadto confess and asked Michael for forgiveness for each instance. Heseemed to be quite aware of those same specifc incidences.Nonetheless, I was dumb-founded to the change in me. I could notexplain the mystery of the transformation. At times I would wonder ifthis was just a temporary thing and I was dreaming and soon thingswill get back to normal of our unhappy marriage. Surprisingly, all haschanged. Not a drop of negative feeling or thought was able to return.

My love for my husband has been miraculously restored in itsproper place. This has been such an amazing and awesometransformation in my life. There was nothing of my own ways thatcould have resulted in this. I know this for the fact that I have tried inthe past over and over to make things right and to no avail.

I can honestly testify that a change has been wrought in me by ourloving Heavenly Family.

I can only testify that I surrendered and sincerely, contritely anddesperately allowed Them to be the Potters and I be the clay. To moldme and to make me is what I prayed continuously because I knew thatThey had my life and marriage in Their ultimate best interest. Howcan I express my gratitude and appreciation in this boundless act oflove They so freely gave?

With humbleness and meekness of heart, I thank our HeavenlyFamily for this miracle.

Analiza AllenBC, Canada

Health Tipsby Teresa Wilde

For those interested in fnding ways to incorporate more rawvegetables into their diet but fnd it diffcult to get excited about eatingthem, we provide these simple dip recipes. Both are also a good sourceof benefcial probiotics for the digestive system. Measurements areapproximate and may be modifed to individual taste.


Tahini Dip1 Cup tahini (blended sesame seeds)1 Tbsp organic miso (naturally fermented soybeans and rice for

easy digestion organic to ensure non-GMO)1 tsp salt (celtic, pink himalayan, or Redmond's real salt or any

other truly unprocessed salt)2 Tbsp nutritional yeast fakes or powder

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and enjoy with raw carrots, jicima,zucchini, caulifower, kale, parsnip, or any other raw veggie of yourchoice.

Just some of the nutrients contained in tahini are: protein, calcium,iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and B-vitamins. The miso containsprobiotics.

Organic Dilly Yogurt Dip1 Cup organic plain yogurt (Greek style works best but not

essential)1 tsp salt (celtic, pink himalayan, or Redmond's real salt or any

other truly unprocessed salt)2 tsp dill weed (fresh or dried if using fresh, be sure to mince well)1/2 tsp celery salt1/2 tsp onion powder (OR) 1 Tbsp dried onion fakes1/2 tsp garlic powder1 Tbsp nutritional yeast fakes

Mix well and (for best favor) allow to sit for an hour or more. Thisis especially tasty on raw broccoli and raw bell peppers. It also makes adelicious substitute for ranch dressing on salads, diced cucumber, orbaked potatoes.

Some of the nutrients found in yogurt include: B-12, calcium, B-6,magnesium, and of course, probiotics.


Notices1

Our weekly and festal meetings will, at least for now, no longer beheld on Webex, but rather will be hosted using a service known asFreeConferenceCall. Here are the call-in numbers:

Australia: +61 (0) 3 8672 0180Canada: (605) 562-3107Kenya: +254 (0) 20 5231002United States: (605) 562-3130

The access code for all countries is 93775333

The times for the meetings this weekend will be:Friday Night 8:00 (EST)Saturday Night 8:00 (EST)

Note: When using Webex, the weekly meeting invitationslisted the starting time according to the Pacifc Time Zone. From nowon we will be listing the meeting times according to the EasternStandard Time Zone.

In order to avoid unnecessary background noises, which can bediffcult to edit out of the recordings, we request that all participantskeep themselves on mute except when speaking. You can mute orunmute yourself by hitting *6. Also, if at any point during a meetingyou receive another call on the same phone, please end the meetingcall and then call back when you have fnished the other conversation.When a participant has the meeting on hold, there is a beep whichoccurs every few seconds which would disturb the meeting anddramatically reduce the quality of the recording.

2With each issue of The Silver Trumpet we hope to include

contributions from those investigating and examining present truth.These contributions may be testimonies of how the message hasimpacted you, reports of how the work is going in your area, or storiesof trials you have undergone on account of the message. It could be

33 See the most recent issue of The Silver Trumpet for up-to-date information.


health tips, recipes, poems, articles, etc. Whatever it may be, pleasesend it in that it may be published and thus serve as an encourage-ment to others.

3For the convenience of our readers, here are a number of

references to some of the days of this eighth scriptural month whichare found in the ancient Hebrew writings:

Month, no day specifed 1 Ki. 6:381 Chron. 27:11; Zech. 1:111th Day (Nov. 5) Jub. 32.3312th Day (Nov. 6) Jub. 28.2015th Day (Nov. 9) 1 Kings 12:32-3321st Day (Nov. 15) 2 Bar. 77:18

THE GARMENT OF PRAISE

The garment of praise in exchange for ragsYou see, flthiness stains all pride-flled fags

A turban for ashes and joy for mourningYou can be clothed with sashes by heeding the warning

The lies of the accuser are all the sameCast off deception and let the truth reign

The priesthood of righteousnessOr the beasthood of sinLet the Angel of Yahweh form Their image within

Love is here by restorationLiberation for the captives, seeVictory for all in every temptationIt is here for you in Ezekiel's tree Present Truth your call to receiveSurely you will if you wholly believe


Your leggings and tunics are needled and doneYour sashes and headbands are skillfully spun

The song in your ear the words of the seerThey are nigh thee, right by thee, before and behind thee

Claim the promise and don't let goLet the call and election work its deathly blow

With the old garment gone there will be a new dawnYou will fy as the dove and leap as the fawn

You will be trees of righteousness, the planting of the LordMinisters and priests to all the abhorred

Let Azazel fail and sin end its daysAccept now from Wisdom your garments of praise

Trent Wilde

the silver trumpet, vol. 1, no. 4

Documents

set of new garments

flthy garments

old garments andconsent

new moon

trumpets of silver

silver trumpet

new character isbeing

theangel of yahweh