THE SILVER TRUMPET

Let Elohim arise, let Their

enemies be scattered; and let
those who hate Them flee from
Their Presence - Ps. 68:1

Vol. 1, No. 2

Day of Atonement
(October 6, 2014)

Ethanim

Yahweh spoke to Moses, Make two trumpets of silver; you are to make
them from a single hammered piece. And they shall be for assembling the
community and for directing the traveling of the camps. When they blow
them both, all the community must come to you to the entrance of the tent
of meeting. But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads
of the thousands of Israel must assemble themselves. When you blow an
alarm, 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 are
located on the south side must begin to move. An alarm must be sounded
for 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 blow
the trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout
your generations. If you go to war in your land against an adversary who
opposes you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will
be remembered before Yahweh your Elohim, and you will be saved from
your enemies. Also in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointed
festivals and at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your
trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifces of your peace
offerings, so that they may be a memorial for you before your Elohim: I am
Yahweh your Elohim. - Numbers 10:1-10

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

At-One-Ment in the Sanctuary and the

Root of Pollution
by Trent Wilde

Unto 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. - Dan. 8:14

The cleansing of the sanctuary is in many ways the centerpiece of

the third angel's message and is the only truly unique doctrine of the
Seventh-day Adventist church. The importance of this pillar truth is
well expressed in the following lines penned by V.T. Houteff:
Though it is the crowning work of our salvation and of the
setting up of the kingdom of Christ upon earth, yet the "investigative judgment" is one of the least understood and most mystifed
and confused Bible subjects of the age. Were it not essential to our
salvation, the enemy would not have expended every possible effort
to envelop it in darkness. Imperative, then, is the unremitting need
to search the Scriptures "as for hidden treasure," and to beseech
God for the guidance of His Spirit in order rightly to understand
this all-important subject. In vain though, is any search for truth
unless the motive be to learn and to do the will of God. Hence, "if
any man," says Jesus, "will do His will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God." John 7:17.1

As we enter into investigation of this little understood reality, let us

purpose in our hearts (Dan. 1:8) to obey any instruction from the
Spirit that comes to light herein. Let us also keep in mind that much
light is yet to be shed upon this subject and that this realization should
only serve to stimulate us to study it all the more urgently as we are
greatly behind in our understanding.
Prior to threshing out the main substance of this short article, we
want to remind our readers of some foundational points which will
help to keep the whole thing in perspective. First, as we have well
learned in the third angel's message, the earthly sanctuary was made
according to the pattern of the heavenly sanctuary (Ex. 25:9, 40;
Heb. 8:5), and thus stands as a type of it. Also, the purpose and
services of the earthly sanctuary typify the purpose and services of the
heavenly sanctuary (GC 420).
1

The Judgment and the Harvest, Tract No. 3, p. 3

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

This brings us to our second foundational point; that being, the

purpose of the sanctuary. The importance of grasping its purpose is at
least somewhat discovered while reflecting upon the experience of the
Israelites in the wilderness when the sanctuary service was frst
instituted. In addition to this, think of the experience of their
descendents who, over the next two thousand years, had their lives
revolving around the cycles of the sanctuary system. Imagine what it
must have been like to be surrounded day after day by a culture which
had its epicenter at the Jerusalem temple. No person in all Israel could
escape the knowledge of the sanctuary, for it was an integral part of
their lives. What would have been their understanding of this system
which they knew had been given to them by God Himself ?
Since the system of sacrifces and temple offerings had become
such an enormous part of the lives of the Jews, the devil could not
altogether remove the awareness of it from their minds. Even the
seventy year captivity in Babylon and the subsequent satanically
induced delays in building the second temple could not utterly remove
the sanctuary from the people. The enemy did succeed though, to a
large extent, in covering the meaning of the various rites and
ceremonies with a thick cloud of mystery, which still remains even to
this day. By the time the Son of God arrived on the scene, the Jews
had become so blind to the truth of the meaning of these symbols,
and the whole system had become such a dead form to them, that they
did not perceive the grand fulfllment of many of the rites taking place
before their very eyes.
For the Netzarim2 though, it was another story. Bright rays of light
flashed forward from the ceremonial system such as they had never
before beheld. They were amazed at the wonderful simplicity of the
truths taught in the message of righteousness (the gospel), and how
this message, in connection with the prophecies, unlocked for them the
meaning of the once-dead forms with which they were so familiar.
They realized that the very purpose of the Son of God becoming flesh
becoming one of us was in order that he might become a merciful
and faithful high priest (Heb. 2:17). They understood that the
levitical order was only temporary (Heb. 10:9) and that a different
order had been established (Heb. 7:12). Christ had become a minister
of the sanctuary, the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not
man (Heb. 8:2).
2

This was the name for the original followers of Christ (Acts 24:5, 14).

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As you can see, the sanctuary and its services was not only the
center of the Jewish economy as given to them by our Heavenly
Family, but was also the center of the message of the followers of
Christ. For the former, it was a message of types and symbols, and for
the latter, it was the message of the transferal of the system from type
to anti-type, from the earthly shadow to the heavenly reality. With this
in mind, one can see that to miss the truth of the sanctuary is nothing
less than to miss the truth. Let us now consider, with eyes keen to see,
and ears keen to hear, what the purpose of the sanctuary is:
And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
- Ex. 25:8

Though this statement on its own is thoroughly clear in answering

the question at hand, a brief look at the context will only serve to
make it all the more plain. In Exodus 19 and 20 we have the record of
events leading up to, including, and succeeding the giving of the ten
commandments on mount Sinai. After the ten words were spoken,
the people said to Moses,
You speak with us, and we will hear, but do not let Elohim speak
with us, lest we die. - Ex. 20:19

Following this, Yahweh explained a number of judgments to Moses

which he was to relate to the people (Ex. 20:22-23:33). After this,
Yahweh commanded Moses to take Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, along
with the seventy elders up to see Yahweh (Ex. 24:1, 9).
And they saw the Goddess (Elohi) of Israel: and there was under
her feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like
the body of heaven for clearness and they also saw the Gods (ha
Elohim) and did eat and drink.3 - Ex. 24:10-11

Moses then went up into the cloud to talk with Yahweh. Yahweh
commanded him to tell the children of Israel to bring an offering of
gold, silver, brass, etc. in order to build a sanctuary for Her to dwell in.
From this broader context we learn that the children of Israel
actually did not want to hear or see Yahweh, but that Yahweh wanted
3

For the translation Goddess and the Gods in this passage please see Divine Plurality,
Vol. 1, Nos. 1-2

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

to dwell among them anyway. This brings to mind what took place in
the garden of Eden when Adam and his wife hid themselves from the
Presence of Yahweh Elohim amid the trees of the garden. (Gen. 3:8)
The fact is that sin cannot dwell in the Presence of Yahweh (Isa. 59:2).
For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his
power is tested, it exposes the foolish: because Wisdom will not live
with a deceitful soul, or dwell with a body enslaved to sin. For the
Holy Spirit of instruction will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish
thoughts behind, and not abide at the approach of unrighteousness.
- Wisdom of Solomon 1:3-5

Though Wisdom was rejected (1 En. 42:2), even from Eden, Her
delight was still among the children of men (Prov. 8:31) and She
eventually found a resting place:
Among all these [the nations] I [Wisdom] sought a resting place;
in whose territory should I abide? Then the Creator of all things
gave me a command, and my maker chose the place for my tent.
He said, 'Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your
inheritance.' Before the ages, in the beginning, he made me, and for
all the ages I shall not cease to be. In the holy tent I ministered
before him, and so I was established in Zion. Thus in the beloved
city he gave me a resting place, and in Jerusalem was my dominion.
I took root in an honored people, in the portion of the Lord, his
heritage. - Sirach 24:7-12

Unmistakably then, Wisdom our Sister (Prov. 7:4) was the

Goddess who dwelt among the children of Israel in the wilderness
tabernacle. Exodus 25:8 informs us that the sanctuary was made in
order for Her to dwell among them. Since She cannot dwell with sin
(Wis. 1:3-5), the sanctuary system was necessarily given for the
purpose of cleansing the people from sin in order that She might
dwell among them as well as to shield them and Her from each other's
presence while sin remained. Let us keep in mind though that it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins
(Heb. 10:4) but that it is the better sacrifces (Heb. 9:23) which are
able to purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God (Heb. 9:14). This is to say that the typical system itself was only
symbolic and that only as people perceived the meaning of the
symbols could they grasp the reality and be saved from their sins.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

The idea that the purpose of the sanctuary was to cleanse from sin
is also emphasized by the fact that the frst instructions given
concerning its building pertained to the ark of the covenant and the
mercy seat, better translated atonement plate. The ark of the
covenant was to contain the law of the ten commandments, the
breaking of which is sin (1 John. 3:4). On top of this ark was to be
placed the atonement plate, with its cherubim, upon which sat the
Shekinah (Wisdom). The reason why this lid was called the
atonement plate or atonement lid is because that was where the
true source of atonement resided. The word atonement literally means
at-one-ment; or, the condition of being at one. The idea of being
at one in a scriptural context is to be at one with the Godhead, as
They are one with each other.4 Since, as we have seen, it is sin which
separates us from our Heavenly Family, it can only be the removal of
sin which can make us at one with Them. This same thought is
conveyed in the following verses:
He touched my mouth with it and said, Look, this coal has
touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is atoned for. Isa. 6:7
So, in this way Jacob's sins will be atoned for, and this is all the
fruit of removing his sin. - Isa. 27:9

These scriptures do indeed teach that to be atoned for is to have

your sins removed,5 and that this is done by the Shekinah, the lifegiver, the Spirit of truth.6 One of the important truths which the
sanctuary service was to reveal is that when sin is removed, it is
removed to somewhere, or rather, to something. A clear example of
this is the removal of the sin to an animal when it is about to be
sacrifced:
He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it
will be accepted for him to make atonement (removal of sin) on his
behalf. - Lev. 1:3
4
5
6

See John 17.

This is further supported by the fact that the primary meaning of the Hebrew
word for atonement ( kipper) means wiping away.
There are many other passages of scripture which teach this same truth that the
Wisdom is the life-giver, the giver of righteousness, but we will only mention a few
of them here Prov. 3:18; Eze. 37:9; John 4:14; 7:38-39.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and
confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their
transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he has put them
on the head of the goat... - Lev. 16:21

The sin itself (the act of breaking the law) being a thing of the
past, cannot actually be transmitted from one thing to another. The
only way in which the past sin can now be transmitted is as guilt as a
record of sin. For a yet clearer understanding of the transferal of the
record of sin we will quote a couple verses pertaining to sin offerings:
Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary? For it is
most holy and he gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the
congregation, to make atonement on their behalf before Yahweh. Lev. 10:17
But any sin offering from which some of its blood is brought into
the Meeting Tent to make atonement in the sanctuary must not be
eaten. It must be burned up in the fre. - Lev. 6:30

We see that in the frst instance, the record of sin was transferred
from the people to the animal and then from the animal to the priests
when they ate it. Later it was to be transferred to another animal and
from there to the sanctuary, and fnally to be carried away by the
scape-goat on the Day of Atonement. In the second instance we see
that the atonement was made by the transferal of the record of sin by
the blood to the furniture of the sanctuary, particularly the horns of
the altar of incense, the base of the altar of burnt offering, and toward
the most holy place (Lev. 4:6-7, 16-18). Again, from there it would
eventually be removed on the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement is truly the day of removing, or wiping
away sin and the record of it. Since sin is recorded in the heavenly
sanctuary by means of the books of record, 7 it is only natural that the
cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary consists of cleansing the books of
record, which includes removing the record of sins for the repentant
as well as removing the names of the unrepentant.
7

Ex. 32:32-33; Ps. 69:28; Isa. 4:3; Dan. 7:10; 12:1; Mal. 3:16; Luke 10:20; Ph. 4:3;
Heb. 12:23; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 2 Esdras 6:18-20; 1 En. 47:3;
81:2; 90:20; 97:6; 98:7-8; 104:1; 106:19; 107:1; 108:3, 7; Jub. 30:22; 36:10; 2 Bar.
24:1

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Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:1 point to the great anti-typical Day
of Atonement as being one of book work. The seven seals of
Revelation unfold the history of the world from beginning to end, 8
and thus, they are the overview of the cases of all mankind, which is
the investigative judgment. As we have learned in the Branch message,
the investigative judgment for the dead ended and the investigative
judgment for the living began in 1955. 9 So long as Gods' professed
people continue to sin, their sins will continue to be recorded in the
heavenly sanctuary. Since the cases of those who lived prior to 1955
have now already been investigated, the only sins remaining which
delay the fnishing up of this anti-typical Day of Atonement are the
sins of those who are now alive. Imperative it is then, that we take to
heart the system of salvation which our Heavenly Family has given to
us that we may stop sinning, and fnally allow the sins of all to be
carried away.
Now that we have summarized a few foundational points and have
hopefully brought them out with additional clarity, let us turn to the
consideration of the purpose for instituting the Day of Atonement in
the typical system in order to further understand why there is a need
for cleansing the sanctuary in the anti-typical system.
You must not offer strange incense on it [the altar of incense],
nor burnt offering, nor meal offering, and you must not pour out a
drink offering on it. Aaron is to make atonement on its horns once
in the year [on the day of atonement] with some of the blood of
the sin offering for atonements; once in the year he is to make
atonement on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to
Yahweh. - Ex. 30:9-10
Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons when
they approached the presence of Yahweh and died, and Yahweh
said to Moses: Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at
any time into the holy place within the veil in front of the
atonement plate that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will
appear in the cloud over the atonement plate. - Lev. 16:1-210
8
9

See To the Seven Churches, Tract No. 15 by Victor Houteff.

See The End of Davidian Quiescence by Trent Wilde and When the Siege has Ended by
Doug Mitchell.
10 The remainder of Leviticus 16 describes the activity of the high priest and others
on the Day of Atonement.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

What is interesting about both of these references is that they

connect the Day of Atonement with the sin of Nadab and Abihu,
Aaron's sons. Surely there is a reason why Yahweh gave directions for
conducting the Day of Atonement ceremonies immediately following
the death of Nadab and Abihu. And surely there is a reason for
mentioning the offering of strange incense just prior to the very frst
reference to the Day of Atonement, as recorded in Exodus 30. Let us
take a closer look at the circumstance to better understand the
connection:
Then Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fre pan and
put fre in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fre before
Yahweh, which he had not commanded them to do. So fre went
out from the presence of Yahweh and consumed them so that they
died before Yahweh. Moses then said to Aaron, This is what
Yahweh spoke: 'Among the ones close to me I will show myself
holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.' So
Aaron kept silent. Moses then called to Mishael and Elzaphan, the
sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle, and said to them, Come near, carry
your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary to a place
outside the camp. So they came near and carried them away in
their tunics to a place outside the camp just as Moses had spoken.
Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his other
two sons, Do not dishevel the hair of your heads and do not tear
your garments, so that you do not die and so that wrath does not
come on the whole congregation. Your brothers, all the house of
Israel, are to mourn the burning which Yahweh has caused, but you
must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent lest you die,
for the Lord's anointing oil is on you. So they acted according to
the word of Moses. Then Yahweh spoke to Aaron, Do not drink
wine or strong drink, you and your sons with you, when you enter
into the Meeting Tent, so that you do not die, which is a perpetual
statute throughout your generations, as well as to distinguish
between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and
the clean, and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that Yahweh has
spoken to them through Moses. - Lev. 10:1-11

We can learn from this passage that Nadab and Abihu offered
strange fre, they drank strong drink,11 and they did not distinguish
11 This is apparent from the command to abstain from strong drink immediately
following their death. See also Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 361.

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

between the holy and the common. Each of these sins which they
committed have anti-typical application to sins which we must avoid at
all costs today, otherwise, our fate will be no different than theirs.
STRANGE FIRE
The strange fre was fre which Yahweh had not commanded
(Lev. 10:1). The sacred fre is a symbol of the Spirit of Truth (Ex. 3:2;
Acts 2:3; 1 Thess. 5:19). This strange fre must then represent another
spirit, one not commanded by Yahweh.
What man knows the things of man, save the spirit of man which
is in him? - 1 Cor. 2:11
He will represent the sacredness of the work, he will magnify the
truth, and will ever present before men and angels the holy
perfume of the character of Christ. This is the sacred fre of Gods
own kindling. Anything aside from this is strange fre, abhorrent to
God...12

This strange fre, then, is anything which someone may say or do

which does not come through inspiration. It is guile in the mouth.
Nadab and Abihu chose to not use the fre which Yahweh Himself
had kindled, but rather chose to use fre of their own kindling. Our
own ideas will only get us as far as theirs got them.
Behold, all you that kindle a fre, that encircle yourselves with
sparks: walking in the light of your own fre, and in the sparks that
you have kindled. This shall you have of my hand; you shall lie
down in sorrow. - Isa. 50:11

STRONG DRINK
Strong drink is used in the scriptures as a symbol of false doctrine doctrine which clouds our understanding and numbs our senses.
The great sin charged against Babylon is that she made all
nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. This
cup of intoxication which she presents to the world represents the
12 Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 357

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false doctrines that she has accepted as the result of her unlawful
connection with the great ones of the earth.13
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose
glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat
valleys of them that are overcome with wine! The crown of
pride, the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden underfoot:
these men stagger because of wine, they stumble because of strong
drink priests and prophets stagger because of strong drink, they
are confused because of wine, they stumble around because of
strong drink; they stagger while seeing visions, they totter while
making decisions. - Isa. 28:1, 3, 7

MINGLING THE COMMON WITH THE HOLY

As we learned in the last issue of The Silver Trumpet,
there is truly no fellowship between righteousness and
unrighteousness, nor between light and darkness (2 Cor. 6:14).
There is no concord with Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:15); you
cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too (1
Cor. 10:21); you cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24); if you are
not for Christ you are against him; if you gather not with him you
scatter abroad (Matt. 12:30).14

To mingle the sacred with the common, the clean with the
unclean, is to loosen our grip of the above stated truth. To illustrate: If
we were to sanction the thought that someone could be sinning and
yet serving Christ, we would be mixing the clean with the unclean.
Likewise, if we profess to be a branch yet practice unrighteousness,
we would be mingling the clean with the unclean. Again, if we were to
advocate the message of present truth to someone and then proceed
to promote to them the writings of uninspired men, or their teachings
in any form, we would be mixing the clean with the unclean.
We need to learn that none can become clean by touching the
unclean. We each need to undergo the experience of Isaiah we need
to view Christ in the sanctuary doing His work on our behalf, see our
sinfulness, and then come in contact with the coals from the altar.15
13 The Great Controversy, p. 388
14 The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1, No. 1 p. 10
15 See Isa. 6:5-7 and Ex. 29:37.

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11

The sins of Nadab and Abihu are to be a lesson for us today. They
brought their sin into the sanctuary, the dwelling place of the
Shekinah. Their fate was death which only served to further pollute
the sanctuary, bringing about the defnite need for its cleansing. The
lesson is that our sins reach unto heaven and that the sanctuary will
continue to be in need of cleansing so long as we remain unclean. Let
us then accept the inspired truth of the fery coal and put aside all
private interpretation (strange fre), teachings from uninspired men
(strong drink), and half-hearted convictions and positions (mingling
the sacred and common) in the work of our Heavenly Family. If these
sins and their effect left such a sad story in relation to the typical Day
of Atonement, how much more sad would it be for those of us now in
the fnishing up of the anti-typical Day of Atonement to perpetuate its
duration by committing those same sins.
The fact that these are the sins specifcally pointed out as
instigating the institution of the Day of Atonement should settle in
our minds forever that they lie at the root of polluting the sanctuary. If
we forsake all private interpretation, doctrines of men, and doublemindedness, we will surely forsake all other sin.
Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his
thoughts, and let him return unto Yahweh and he will have mercy
upon him; and to our Gods, for he will abundantly pardon. - Isa.
55:7

Land Watch Update

by Teresa Wilde

Greetings! Trent and I are currently in Ajax, Ontario staying with a

dear friend, Alice, as we continue our search for property for the
ministry. This is a manifold blessing as it provides us with a place from
which to work on our regular duties while we're looking for property,
in addition to the company and opportunity to study together.
Last week, Trent and I investigated two properties; one was 50 acres
near Billings Lake and the other was 100 acres in Trent Hills. We have
been praying for guidance as to whether one of these properties (or
even both) were meant to be obtained for the ministry. We asked that

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if we weren't meant to obtain them, that they would just be taken out
of the picture. We are happy to announce that the 50 acres is no
longer for sale, so we know that we no longer need to be considering
it. Please pray for our continued guidance in this matter as it is very
important. It may even be that the 100 acre piece of land is not what
our heavenly Family wants for the ministry. At the moment, these were
the only two properties that we've found that were worth considering,
but we shall see what ends up happening.
We are so relieved to know that it will be made plain to us when the
time and location is right. Thank you all for your prayers and please
continue to uplift us and the work before our Family in heaven. We
look forward to fnishing the Gospel work so that our dear Brother
need no longer bleed on behalf of fallen mankind. Let us behold the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and be changed into the
image and likeness of our heavenly Family!

Questions and Answers

DO YOU TEACH SALVATION BY WORKS?
Question No. 3:
It is apparent that you teach that a person cannot be saved if they
still have sin. If this is so, aren't you teaching salvation by works?
Answer:
While it may appear on the surface that we teach salvation by
works, this could not be further from the truth. We shall endeavor to
explain in as straightforward and yet thorough a manner as possible.
Since Paul's letter to the Galatians deals most directly with this
issue of faith and works we'll start with a few observations in
relation to it. First, The controversy which creates the backdrop for
Galatians is indeed between the two principles of (1) justifcation by
faith and (2) justifcation by works. 16 Because of modern folk reading
Galatians, not in the light of its own context, but rather in the light of
their own context, the majority today have ended up applying those
same terms to a modern religious controversy, not perceiving that it is
16 See Gal. 2:16, 21; 3:2, 3, 5, 11; 5:4.

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13

different than the controversy in the days of Paul. That debate today
is, of course, the controversy of whether we are saved by faith or by
works.
The fact of the matter, though, is that when Christians debate this
topic, they do so without knowledge, for in order to intelligently
discuss whether we are justifed by faith or by works, one frst has to
gain a comprehensive understanding as to what justifcation itself is.
The word justifcation itself means to be made just or to be
made righteous.17 One may be resistant to the dictionary defnition
and therefore we offer an example of how Paul used the term
justifcation as meaning the same thing:
And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment,
resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the
gracious gift, from many failures, led to justifcation. For if, by the
transgression of one man, death reigned through the one, how
much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the
gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through
one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came
justifcation of life for all. For just as through the disobedience of
the one man many were made sinners, so also through the
obedience of one man will many be made righteous. - Rom. 5:1619

In other publications, we have taken the time to show that to be

righteous is to be entirely obedient to the law of God, to be truly free
from sin.18 With this in mind, we can see that the controversy that
most Christians engage in over faith and works is not actually about
whether one is justified by faith or works, since they do not believe it is
possible to really be justifed (made righteous/sinless). Sadly, the
debate over whether we are saved by faith or by works in Christian
circles today is not much different from debating whether one needs a
knife or a spoon to julienne vegetables without knowing what
julienne means. Upon learning that julienne means to cut food into
short, thin strips it becomes apparent that the task cannot be done
with a spoon, but rather necessitates a knife.
17 The words just and righteous are the same in Hebrew.
18 See The Lost Gospel of Christ by Trent Wilde and The Silver Trumpet, Vol. 1 No. 1 p.
7-15.

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Likewise, when we learn that justifcation and salvation are the

same thing (Rom. 5:9-10) and that they both mean to be made entirely
righteous, free from sin and that the unsaved are free from
righteousness (Rom. 6:20), it becomes apparent that they have no
righteous works they can do in order to be saved. All their works are
unrighteousness, and since one cannot become righteous by doing
unrighteousness,19 his only option left is to grasp hold of the free gift of
the righteousness of Christ by faith.
ARE WE TO FAST ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT?
Question No. 4:
Should we fast on the Day of Atonement?
Answer:
We know of no scripture which commands a fast on the Day of
Atonement. That said, we are told,
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day
of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall
afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fre unto Yahweh. Lev. 23:27

The affliction of our souls is a very important aspect of the Day of

Atonement. Indeed, so important that we are told,
Any person who does not afflict their soul on this same day will
be cut off from his people. - Lev. 23:29

Elsewhere in scripture, we do fnd the idea that fasting is one way

to afflict the soul:
But when they were sick I wore sackcloth; I afflicted my soul with
fasting; I prayed with my head bowed on my chest. - Ps. 35:13
Why have we fasted and you don't see? Why have we afflicted our
souls and you don't take notice? - Isa. 58:3

It may be necessary for some to fast on the Day of Atonement in

order not to disrupt the solemnity of the day, that is, perhaps if they
19 See The Lost Gospel of Christ by Trent Wilde p. 5.

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15

tend to light-heartedness, jesting, or gluttony during meals. It must

ever be kept in mind though that simply abstaining from food is not
fulflling the command to afflict our souls on the Day of Atonement.
In truth, if one is able to keep a proper supper of the Lord, that
experience may be even more humbling than abstaining from food
entirely since the meal contains the reminders of the death and
intercession of our dear Brother as well as the long suffering love of
our Sister. As branches know, eating suppers of the Lord is the antitypical way of observing the daily burnt offering and since the daily
burnt offering also took place on the Day of Atonement, it is naturally
part of the observance of the day. 20 For a fnal thought we offer the
following text:
Shout loudly! Don't be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront
my people with their rebellion; confront the house of Jacob with
their sin! They seek me day after day; they want to know my
requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not
reject the law of their Gods. They ask me for just decrees; they
want to be near to Gods. They lament, Why don't you notice
when we fast? Why don't you pay attention when we humble
ourselves? Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfsh
desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is
accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fstfghts. Do not fast as
you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven. Is this
really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people
merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and
stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a
fast, a day that is pleasing to Yahweh? No, this is the kind of fast I
want I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the
ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to
break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with
the hungry and to provide shelter for the homeless and oppressed.
When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don't turn your back on
your own flesh and blood! Then your light will shine like the
sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your righteousness will
go before you, and Yahweh's splendor will be your rear guard.
Then you will call out, and Yahweh will respond; you will cry out,
and he will reply, Here I am. You must remove the burdensome
yoke from among you and stop pointing fngers and speaking
sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed.
20 See The Lord's Supper Daily Part 3 Supplement, by Lois Roden.

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Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be
like the noonday. Yahweh will continually lead you; he will feed you
even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and
you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually
produces water. Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; you will
reestablish the ancient foundations. You will be called, The one
who repairs the broken walls, the one who makes the streets
inhabitable again. You must observe the Sabbath rather than
doing anything you please on my holy day. You must call the
Sabbath a pleasure and call Yahweh's holy day honored. You must
treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and
by refraining form your selfsh pursuits and speaking idle words.
Then you will fnd joy in Yahweh, and I will cause you to ride on
the high places of the land, and cause crops to grow on the land I
have given to your father Jacob. Know for a certainty that Yahweh
has spoken. - Isaiah 58

An Open Letter From A Burdened Heart

Dear Fellow Believers,
We are at a very solemn time of year, the time of Atonement.
During these past ten days leading up to Atonement, I have felt a
heavy burden for many of you as well as for the work. I have felt
impressed for several days that I may need to include this personal
testimony in the hopes of conveying an important message that
otherwise might be hard to accept.
All who have been investigating this phase of present truth in the
past year and a half have shared some experiences which were
diffcult. We had been without a guide for the entirety of our Davidian
experience, thinking that there were no living prophets after Victor
Houteff or Ben and Lois Roden. Then, we learned of Doug and
(praise the Lords!) many of us accepted that he was the mouthpiece of
our heavenly Family while he was still alive. Some others have, since
his death, also voiced an acknowledgement that he was indeed an
inspired messenger.
The reason I bring this up is that I've noticed how easy it is for us
to accept the dead prophets and their testimony but reject the living
prophets, especially if their testimony is directly to us. There is great

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17

danger in this because, in rejecting the testimony to us given by a

messenger of our heavenly Family, we are in truth directly rejecting
Their testimony to us and thus rejecting Them. Messengers such as
Ellen White, Victor Houteff, Ben and Lois Roden and Doug Mitchell
were called and anointed by Yahweh. The same is true for the presentday messenger. Each one can rightly be referred to as Yahweh's
anointed or the LORD'S anointed.
Now, before I go any further in this line, I want to take a little
detour for the sake of getting the point across. This is not a pleasant
thing for me to do, but I see no better way of illustrating the point. I
am going to share an email exchange between Doug and myself from
September 19, 2012. These emails are sad for me to read, even now,
but I praise our heavenly Family for Their love in prompting Doug to
write what he did. He was the frst to admit that his bones were as dry
as the rest of ours, and at times that came across in the way he spoke
to people. Almost all the prophets during the world's history were men
and women with sins in their lives of one sort or another. This did not
make them any more or less of an anointed one. Their message was
as inspired as if they were sinless. I kept that in mind when this
situation arose.
Here are the emails. I will not need to set the stage for them. The
content will do that.
9-19-2012
Dear Br. Doug,
I've been praying about this for a couple weeks now and hope I am
getting a clear understanding of what I should say. I'd like to suggest
that you consider taking time off from doing the webex meetings. Or
at least reduce the frequency. You have been overwhelmed with a lot
of different issues lately and especially now that you are dealing with
your health issues it will be important for you to keep your stress level
down. I attribute what I have been noticing in your behavior to the
fact that you are trying to do too much and are frazzled. For weeks
now, I have been noticing that you especially seem to be very short
with _________ on the meetings. But, in general you also seem to be
short with a lot of people, including myself. You appear to jump to
conclusions as to what a person is saying before they even have the
opportunity to fnish their sentence (and sometimes you're on the
mark) but you come across as very unapproachable. We all know that
you love us and we all love you....but if things go on the way they have

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been, it seems to me that feelings are going to be hurt and people

turned off by the way people are talking to one another. You have a
heavy burden. I wish there was more that could be done to lighten
that load. All I know to do is continue to pray.
As for myself, at this time I plan to not be on webex for at least a
week even if there are studies set up. I just can't take it anymore. I
gained a huge blessing from the early meeting yesterday, and wish it
had been left at that because by the end of the 2 nd call I was very
turned off and my feelings were hurt more than a little. I am tired of
being misunderstood and called down for it. If I continue to be
subjected to these types of conflicts I am going to put up walls and not
be able to let love flow out of my heart toward others because I'll be
too busy guarding it from pain! That's not a healthy way to be,
especially between brethren. But even more than that, I cannot take
hearing _________ being spoken to the way you often do. I would
imagine he has had his feelings hurt more than once as well. I'm not
the only one who has noticed this. He has admitted that his memory is
not that good and everyone has a different way of learning and speed
of learning. People are delicate pieces of furniture. If they get
hammered too much, dents and damage may be the result. You seem
to be hammering on ________ in particular.
I hope I have come across in loving ways in this email. I am so very
grateful for your perseverance over the years that I never even knew
you existed! I know it has been hard! I want to be one of those people
who can help hold up your arms so-to-speak. That's one reason I felt I
had to say something.
May the Gods bless you and keep you and make Their faces to
shine upon you and give you peace.
Shalom.
9-19-2012
Dear Teresa,
"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge
this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall
in his brothers way." Rom. 14:13.

While I can understand the truth of my imperfect character, you

seemed to have overlooked a major factor in what has been going on
in the Webex meetings. You may not understand the fulness of the

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19

situation with the "Dry Bones" being the "whole house of Israel."
That is, people have been using it as a place to talk about personal
issues that are pretty much out of place there. It's not that personal
issues should not fnd a place of discussion there, but some have been
abusing the privilege. And, unfortunately, you are one who has been
doing that, and are seemingly, unaware of or indifferent to the fact.
I can recall a number of times when we have had to listen to your
situation with _________ for a least 10 minutes, and as much as 20
minutes at a time. I found that to be quite rude to the others who were
there to discuss the messages. To me, the fact that you would do that is
a sign that you were engaging in "the unhealthy mental/emotional
state of being motivated by feeling rather than by reason or thought
known as sentimentalism." (to quote myself).
As for me, you know that I have a heavy load, and am not well, so
why have you been burdening me with all of the insanity you and
________ are involved in, both in emails and on Webex. I mean, you
sent me that email exchange between you two and thought that it
might be something I should read. I understood your situation well
enough long before you sent me that. It's not that I am not willing to
offer some one a shoulder to cry on, but how can I get anything done
when it happens so often. I wonder how Ellen White would have
reacted had you been doing the same with her? What do you think
would have been Br. Houteff's reaction?
What got you into the situation with _______ must not be a whole
lot different than what he has been displaying as of late. The degree
may be different, but the underlying cause seems to be the same self.
I can certainly sympathize with you concerning the "baggage" you
had with you when you came in contact with the Branch, but I can't
say that you have dealt with that matter the way the Lord would have
wanted you to. Do you think that we have been edifed by your
repeatedly bringing up the matter in the way you have? I am speaking
about the way you have presented it, not your actually presenting it. I
saw more of a licking of wounds rather than godly sorrow for you or
him.
Regarding _________, I am quite honest in saying that he
regularly interjects things that if he stopped and thought about what
he was going to say before he said it, he might not have said them.
You know, as many times has I have had to say something to
_______ about things like that, he keeps coming back, and that in a

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generally humble state of mind. So, he may see his condition

differently than you do, and is willing to acknowledge it. Did _______
complain directly to you about the rebukes, or is that something you
concluded on your own or with others? Remember what Ellen White
said about those who sympathize with those reproved for sin are often
in the same condition themselves.
One last thing (hopefully). At the end of the 2nd meeting yesterday
you started talking about getting together some place for the
upcoming feasts. I had addressed the impracticality of that at this time
in the not too distant past. Yet, even when I said something about that
when you frst started talking about the matter, you kept on going. So
what was I to do but cut you off abruptly? If I was harsh in doing so,
was it because there was a stumbling block put before me, or was it
something on my part? The matter was closed for discussion as far as I
was concerned because of our former discussions on the matter. So,
why were you bringing it up again? Because you wanted to have the
fellowship of like-minded believers, which is well and good. But I
certainly would not want to spend but a mere moment or two at such
a gathering talking about the situation with you and ________, which
I'm sure you would have brought into the gathering.
So, with all of that said, I was hoping to have fnished the new
study today, but I have had to read what you wrote and respond to it.
So now I may be up late trying to fnish the study. But, as Mr. Dylan
said, "Don't think twice it's all right." You suggested that I take a
burden off myself by staying away from the Webex meetings, while at
the same time putting a burden on me. The burden comes not so
much from your rebukes, but from me knowing that things are in such
turmoil in your life that you don't consider the things I have
mentioned in here.
About you staying away from the meetings you have to decide
whether that is based on your feelings or on a strong conviction from
the Holy Ghost. I would just as soon forget that you sent me the email
altogether and not discuss the matter again. But that's up to you. I
have seen so much of the dry bones condition everywhere that I really
don't expect much from people these days.
What can I say to close this off ? You know my concern for you,
and I know yours for me? I don't know what else to say.
LITB,
Doug

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21

9-20-19
Br Doug,
If it is your wish to forget my email and not discuss it then who am
I to try? By all means, forget I said anything. As for your email to me, I
won't say anything about that either. You have made yourself very
clear. My apologies for taking up your time today.
May you be blessed.
Okay, so there are the three exchanges. I think it is important to
point out a few things. The frst thing was my email to Doug, and in it
I felt I should bring to his attention some things I had been seeing in
his behavior, but what our heavenly Family did was take the
opportunity to show ME some things in MY behavior! Thank you,
heavenly Family! When I read Doug's email to me, at frst I was
thinking that he wasn't being fair and that the reason I was talking
about my issues with __________ was because people asked me, so
naturally I was justifed in talking for however long about it. But as I
asked our heavenly Family if what Doug said was true, I was convicted
that it was true and that I should not be taking up other peoples' time
on webex to go on about my situation! It was very humbling. The
other thing I should mention is that it taught me the all-important
lesson that before we go trying to take the splinter out of someone
else's eye, we should remove the beam from our own eye so that we
can see clearly in order to actually help someone. I mean, do we really
think that we are qualifed to instruct others in matters of righteousness
when we ourselves are not righteous? I knew I had to leave Doug's
situation up to our heavenly Family. My number one duty was to focus
on my personal issues and submit to the Gods so that They could use
me!
The other thing of vital importance to mention is that I knew that
Doug was the inspired messenger at that time. I also knew that this
meant he was anointed by Yahweh. I couldn't help but be reminded of
the story of David and Saul. I knew that it was a very serious thing to
lift your hand against Yahweh's anointed one. And why is that? It is
because by so doing, you are not simply taking action against the person
whom Yahweh anointed, but rather you are truly taking action against
Yahweh! I knew that Doug was anointed by Yahweh and that was
good enough for me. I also had to accept the fact that Yahweh knows

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me better than I know myself ! If our heavenly Family saw ft to give

me a testimony through Their messenger, Doug, then I knew I needed
to listen because They would only be telling me this because They loved me and
wanted to see me freed from all sin! It came down to the question of whether I
believed our heavenly Family or not. Did I believe Doug was an inspired
messenger? If he was an inspired messenger, I had to accept his
testimony to me regardless of how much self wanted to deny the
truth of it. I cannot fully express my gratitude to our heavenly Family
for showing me the worst of my case. Even now, a sigh of incredulity
escapes me as I contemplate Their immense love!
It isn't enough to be honest about something. I honestly thought (at
frst) that I was doing nothing wrong by talking about my situation on
webex. I was honest about it, but that didn't make it the right thing to
do. Ellen White said:
The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling
denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present
time.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write:
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the
beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then
because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked.
The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His
people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a
peace-and-safety message. It is not merely theoretical, but practical
in every particular. The people of God are represented in the
message to the Laodiceans as in a position of carnal security. They
are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition of
spiritual attainments. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked.
What greater deception can come upon human minds than a
confdence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message
of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in
that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the

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sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that
they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True
Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their
true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness.
The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True
Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct.
It is diffcult for those who feel secure in their attainments, and
who believe themselves to be rich in spiritual knowledge, to receive
the message which declares that they are deceived and in need of
every spiritual grace. The unsanctifed heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked. I was shown that many are
flattering themselves that they are good Christians, who have not a
ray of light from Jesus. They have not a living experience for themselves in
the divine life. They need a deep and thorough work of selfabasement before God before they will feel their true need of
earnest, persevering effort to secure the precious graces of the
Spirit.
God leads His people on step by step. The Christian life is a
constant battle and a march. There is no rest from the warfare. It is
by constant, unceasing effort that we maintain the victory over the
temptations of Satan. As a people we are triumphing in the
clearness and strength of the truth. We are fully sustained in our
positions by an overwhelming amount of plain Scriptural
testimony. But we are very much wanting in Bible humility,
patience, faith, love, self-denial, watchfulness, and the spirit of
sacrifce. We need to cultivate Bible holiness. Sin prevails among
the people of God. The plain message of rebuke to the Laodiceans
is not received. Many cling to their doubts and their darling sins
while they are in so great a deception as to talk and feel that they
are in need of nothing. They think the testimony of the Spirit of God in
reproof is uncalled for or that it does not mean them. Such are in the
greatest need of the grace of God and spiritual discernment that
they may discover their defciency in spiritual knowledge. They lack
almost every qualifcation necessary to perfect Christian character.
They have not a practical knowledge of Bible truth, which leads to
lowliness of life and a conformity of their will to the will of Christ.
They are not living in obedience to all Gods requirements.
It is not enough to merely profess to believe the truth. All the
soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to enter
the crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong and
sustain righteousness. But the message of the True Witness reveals the fact
that a terrible deception is upon our people, which makes it necessary to come to
them with warnings, to break their spiritual slumber, and arouse them to decided

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action.
In my last vision I was shown that even this decided message of
the True Witness had not accomplished the design of God. The
people slumber on in their sins. They continue to declare
themselves rich and having need of nothing. Many inquire: Why
are all these reproofs given? Why do the Testimonies continually
charge us with backsliding and with grievous sins? We love the
truth; we are prospering; we are in no need of these testimonies of
warning and reproof. But let these murmurers see their hearts and
compare their lives with the practical teachings of the Bible, let
them humble their souls before God, let the grace of God
illuminate the darkness, and the scales will fall from their eyes, and
they will realize their true spiritual poverty and wretchedness. They
will feel the necessity of buying gold, which is pure faith and love;
white raiment, which is a spotless character made pure in the blood
of their dear Redeemer; and eyesalve, which is the grace of God
and which will give clear discernment of spiritual things and detect
sin. These attainments are more precious than the gold of Ophir.
I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now
found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction.
Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them. The
True Witness condemns the lukewarm condition of the people of
God, which gives Satan great power over them in this waiting,
watching time. The selfsh, the proud, and the lovers of sin are ever
assailed with doubts. Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to
devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and
many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be
unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to
doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove
all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully
investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all
should decide from the weight of evidence.21 3T p. 252-255

I knew that I had to accept the reproof given to me if I was to

learn how to surrender to our heavenly Family. I did not want to slap
the Gods in the face, so-to-speak, with disdain for Their testimony. I
didn't even fully understand yet the magnitude of my sins, but thanks
to our heavenly Family, They opened my eyes so that I was able to see.
Another statement made by Ellen White on this all-important topic
says:
21 Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 252-255

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There are too many who profess to accept the truth, and even to
teach others, while they cling to the same old habits, manifest the
same self-esteem, the same perverted ideas and motives. Although
they claim to have been converted, it is plain to be seen that they
have tried to join the truth to their untransformed characters,
instead of submitting themselves to be transformed by the truth.
Every one who accepts the present truth should make the fullest
possible surrender of himself to God. He should fall upon the
Rock, and be broken. Old habits, hereditary and cultivated traits of
character, must all be broken up; we must yield ourselves to be
moulded by the divine Spirit if we would become vessels unto
honor. Do not seek to conform the truth to your peculiarities and
imperfections. But as the Comforter shall come, and reprove you of sin and of
righteousness and of judgment, be careful lest you resist the Spirit, and be left in
darkness. Be willing to see your errors and yield up your self-will.
Submit yourself to God, that he may work in you to will and to do
according to his good pleasure. Gospel Workers p. 311

All praises to our heavenly Family for giving me a willingness to

receive correction by Them and thus not resist the Spirit! Our Sister
had reproved me of sin and righteousness and judgment, but I knew it
to be because She loved me and not long afterward is when She gave
me the dream where She actually told me how much She loved me
and gave me that glorious embrace as I laid my head on her lap. I am
grateful to Doug as well for saying to me to be sure that it wasn't just
my feelings that was causing me to say I would not join on webex for a
while because when I asked our heavenly Family if They were telling
me to stay away from the meetings, I immediately knew that They
would never tell someone to stay away from hearing present truth! I
knew that my only safety was in continuing to join in on webex so I
would not miss being in the presence of our Sister through Her
message.
Monday, October 6, 2014, is the Day of Atonement this year. This
is the day to afflict the soul. Will you allow our heavenly Family to
show you the worst of your case and rejoice in the knowledge of it and
turn it over to Them? Tears of compassion well up inside me as I
consider what you will be going through. It is painful to face the
realization of how wicked we have been. But, our heavenly Family
does not show us the worst of our case because They enjoy it. Oh no!
We are told,

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Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way
and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O
house of Israel? - Ez. 33:11

And again They plead with us to,

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have
transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why
will ye die, O house of Israel? - Ez. 18:31

The message Doug was given pointed out the truth of the valley of
dry bones that Ezekiel saw in vision. In that vision, Ezekiel was told,
...these bones are the whole house of Israel (Ez. 37:11). We must
frst be able to acknowledge that as the whole house of Israel we are
wicked and we must turn from our wicked ways. And once we do that,
our next question should be, how do we turn from our wicked ways?
We choose to put our will on the side of our heavenly Family's will.
In closing, I would like to leave you with the 30 th chapter of
Deuteronomy for your prayerful consideration:
When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings
and the curses I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in
all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you. Then if
you and your descendants turn to the Lord your God and obey him
with your whole mind and being just as I am commanding you
today, the Lord your God will reverse your captivity and have pity
on you. He will turn and gather you from all the peoples among
whom he has scattered you. Even if your exiles are in the most
distant land, from there the Lord your God will gather you and
bring you back. Then he will bring you to the land your ancestors
possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and
multiply you more than he did your ancestors. The Lord your God
will also cleanse your heart and the hearts of your descendants so
that you may love him with all your mind and being and so that
you may live. Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on
your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you. You will
return and obey the Lord, keeping all his commandments I am
giving you today. The Lord your God will make the labor of your
hands abundantly successful and multiply your children, the
offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord
your God will once more rejoice over you to make you prosperous

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

27

just as he rejoiced over your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your
God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in
this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him with your whole
mind and being.
This commandment I am giving you today is not too diffcult for
you, nor is it too remote. It is not in heaven, as though one must say,
Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so
we may obey it? And it is not across the sea, as though one must
say, Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for
us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it? For the thing is very
near youit is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do
it.
Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one
hand, and death and disaster on the other. What I am commanding
you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to
obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you
will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless
you in the land which you are about to possess. However, if you
turn aside and do not obey, but are lured away to worship and serve
other gods, I declare to you this very day that you will certainly
perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing
the Jordan to possess. Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness
against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before
you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may
live! I also call on you to love the Lord your God, to obey him and
be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live
continually in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Amen. Thank you, heavenly Family.

Teresa Wilde

Health Principles
by Trent Wilde

While seeking for a place to establish a center for the work, we have
been reminded time and again of the necessity for country living.
Among the many reasons why our Heavenly Family has instructed us

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to separate from the cities and live in the country is the effects our
environment has on our health. A few statements from the writings of
Ellen White will serve to illustrate this principle, which is no less
important now than it was in the day when these words were frst
penned:
The physical surroundings in the cities are often a peril to health.
The constant liability to contact with disease, the prevalence of foul
air, impure water, impure food, the crowded, dark, unhealthful
dwellings, are some of the many evils to be met.
It was not Gods purpose that people should be crowded into
cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements. In the beginning
He placed our frst parents amidst the beautiful sights and sounds
He desires us to rejoice in today. The more nearly we come into
harmony with Gods original plan, the more favorable will be our
position to secure health of body, and mind, and soul.22
The plan of life which God appointed for our frst parents has
lessons for us. Although sin has cast its shadow over the earth, God
desires His children to fnd delight in the works of His hands. The
more closely His plan of life is followed, the more wonderfully will
He work to restore suffering humanity. The sick need to be brought
into close touch with nature. An outdoor life amid natural
surroundings would work wonders for many a helpless and almost
hopeless invalid.
The noise and excitement and confusion of the cities, their
constrained and artifcial life, are most wearisome and exhausting
to the sick. The air, laden with smoke and dust, with poisonous
gases, and with germs of disease, is a peril to life. The sick, for the
most part shut within four walls, come almost to feel as if they were
prisoners in their rooms. They look out on houses and pavements
and hurrying crowds, with perhaps not even a glimpse of blue sky
or sunshine, of grass or flower or tree. Shut up in this way, they
brood over their suffering and sorrow, and become a prey to their
own sad thoughts.
And for those who are weak in moral power, the cities abound in
dangers. In them, patients who have unnatural appetites to
overcome are continually exposed to temptation. They need to be
placed amid new surroundings where the current of their thoughts
will be changed; they need to be placed under influences wholly
different from those that have wrecked their lives. Let them for a
22 The Ministry of Healing, p. 365

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29

season be removed from those influences that lead away from God,
into a purer atmosphere.
Institutions for the care of the sick would be far more successful if
they could be established away from the cities. And so far as
possible, all who are seeking to recover health should place
themselves amid country surroundings where they can have the
beneft of outdoor life. Nature is Gods physician. The pure air, the
glad sunshine, the flowers and trees, the orchards and vineyards,
and outdoor exercise amid these surroundings, are health-giving,
life-giving.
Physicians and nurses should encourage their patients to be much
in the open air. Outdoor life is the only remedy that many invalids
need. It has a wonderful power to heal diseases caused by the
excitements and excesses of fashionable life, a life that weakens and
destroys the powers of body, mind, and soul.
How grateful to the invalids weary of city life, the glare of many
lights, and the noise of the streets, are the quiet and freedom of the
country! How eagerly do they turn to the scenes of nature! How
glad would they be to sit in the open air, rejoice in the sunshine,
and breathe the fragrance of tree and flower! There are life-giving
properties in the balsam of the pine, in the fragrance of the cedar
and the fr, and other trees also have properties that are health
restoring.23

Notices
1
Our weekly and festal meetings will, at least for now, no longer be
held on Webex, but rather will be hosted using a service known as
FreeConferenceCall. Here are the call-in numbers:
Australia: +61 (0) 3 8672 0180
Canada: (605) 562-3107
Kenya: +254 (0) 20 5231002
United States: (605) 562-3130
The access code for all countries is 93775324
23 The Ministry of Healing, p. 261-264
24 See the most recent issue of The Silver Trumpet for up-to-date information.

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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 invitations

listed the starting time according to the Pacifc Time Zone. From now
on we will be listing the meeting times according to the Eastern
Standard Time Zone.
We will not be able to host the meetings online at this time, though
it is a feature of the service. Once we learn how to use this system we
will inform you and provide instructions as to how to join a meeting
online.
2
With 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 has
impacted you, reports of how the work is going in your area, or stories
of trials you have undergone on account of the message. It could be
health tips, recipes, poems, articles, etc. Whatever it may be, please
send it in that it may be published and thus become an
encouragement to others.
3
As in the last issue of this paper, we urge all believers in present
truth to send all your tithes to the storehouse (Mal. 3:10), as the work
is in great need of means. When at all possible, lay aside a penny to be
sent in to support the work.
While this need is very real, an even more urgent need is for fulltime self-supporting laborers.
Ten truly converted, willing-minded, unselfsh workers can do
more in the missionary feld than one hundred who confne their
efforts to set forms and preserve mechanical rules, working without
deep love for souls.25

25 Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 602

The Silver Trumpet Vol. 1 No. 2

31

THEM DRY BONES WILL LIVE

The Lord showed me a valley of dry bones, drier than a desert's sunbaked stones.
And wondered if the lost could be brought back to life again.
Then the Lord asked me if them bones can live, and I thought of His
power to forgive.
But the case looked hopeless from a human point of view.
But I said, O Lord, you're a-knowin', What happens when your wind
is a-blowin'.
The dead will rise, a mighty army for thee.
Then He told me to tell them bones so dry, to hear His word, that He
will not lie,
That they'll live again when He puts his Spirit in them.
So I did everything as I was told, and declared His word, then waited
to behold
The power of the Lord to restore all those who were lost.
Then I heard a noise and saw a shakin', Babylon was a-quakin'
The dead were stirrin', and hell froze over in fright.
Then bone came together with his bone, no longer would they be cut
off alone.
A movement had begun and death was fleein' away.
Well, then came sinew, flesh and skin, but there still wasn't any breath
in them.
So, I said to the Spirit, Come and breathe upon these slain.
O Lord, you are a-knowin', What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead will rise, a mighty army for thee.

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I was wonderin' who them people could be, who from their graves
would soon be free.
They say, Our bones are dried, hope is lost: we're cut off from our
parts.
Well, I know that the dead don't speak, or even know that they are
weak.
So I wondered who they were, and how and why they were slain.
He said they're the whole house of Israel, and as you can see, they're
not doin' so well.
They've been sold for nothin', but'll be redeemed without price.
They weren't slain in battle with the sword, but are dead because they
didn't follow My word,
They tried to work out their salvation in their own ways.
O Lord, you are a-showin' What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead are risin', a mighty army for thee.
Well, if the whole house is needin' to be set free, then that must also
include me.
So I better quit thinkin' I'm rich and increased with goods and in need
of nothin'.
I better buy me some gold tried in the fre, and some white raiment for
my attire,
And apply some eye salve so I can see where I am goin'.
I know whom the Lord loves He rebukes and chastens, so that our
repentance He may hasten,
That we may overcome and sit with Him on His throne.
He said, Behold I stand at the door and knock; the door to your hearts
please unlock.
And I will come in and sup with you, and you with Me.

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But know that I'm bringin' the food and drink, you won't need your
own bread, as you may think,
I've prepared a feast that all souls may delight in.
Thank you Lord, for a-showin', What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead are risin', a mighty army for thee.
I know that this thing here may be quite long, and may not even seem
like much of a song,
But it's written My people perish 'cause of lack of knowledge.
They been feedin' so long on husks so dry, it's no wonder that they all
did die,
But the reformation's been movin' along right on time.
As trials and tribulations do rise, my people will turn from all of men's
lies,
And safely enter the only shelter from the storm.
When I deliver you from every outward foe, then you will say that you
truly know
That I am the Lord who gives you life day by day.
Thank you Lord, for showin', What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead are risin', a mighty army for thee.
When the Spirit breathes, they'll stand on their feet, prepared for any
foe to meet.
They'll go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.
They'll be the Lord's goodly horse in the day of battle, but the war's
not one wherein sabers rattle;
But with tambourines and harps the Lord's arm will win the day.
Then the kingdom all the saints have been praying for, the one that
will last for evermore,
Will sprout in the wilderness and grow to fll the whole earth.

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Then the glory of Eden, the world will see, then they'll decide where
they wanna be,
Then Christ will come and take us to heaven , then later bring us back
again.
Thank you Lord, for a-showin', What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead are risin', a mighty army for thee.
Thank you Lord, for a-showin', What happens when your wind is ablowin'.
The dead are risin', a mighty army for thee.
Doug Mitchell