Before we open God’s word this morning, I want to share an email I received just a few days ago from Robin about how things are going in the Philippines. He writes, “Hello Pastor Jack, it’s been a beautiful week so far and thanks to God for the blessed Sabbath rest!

“Yesterday, I went to travel about 1.5 hours away from my hometown to visit a sister who organized a group for a Bible study. 5 people joined our session and because it’s our first meeting, I discussed the inspiration and importance of the Bible and how it can relate to our everyday lives. It was interesting because most of them are young people, and hopefully through that first lesson we went through, their interest would be awakened and there would be follow up studies on various topics of importance. Please pray for them that the Holy Spirit would continually guide them through the truth as it is in Jesus.

“And another interesting thing that happened, I was able to talk on the phone to this sister’s nephew whom I met 7 years ago. He still remembers me through the Bible I gave him. Well, he was an elder of an independent SDA group but basically just like the mainstream denomination in teaching and in practice. I was informed that he separated from that church after so much study. Now, he is asking for materials about separation, I asked for his contact information so I can get his address and once I have printed all the available materials (your sermons on PDF), I’ll send him along with other materials he can distribute to others. Please also pray for him that he will be able to stand for the truth no matter what the cost.

“I’m praising God for these opportunities to witness despite the situation we’re still facing. (speaking here of covid restrictions, which I believe are more strict than they are here in America) May the Lord’s name be glorified and may His truth continue to shine through in these dark and dreadful days.

“I was just informed that our box of literature will be delivered within this month. Once it’s delivered, I’ll let you know so we can set the next order. God bless you and keep you my dear Pastor Jack and Sister Cindy!”

I’d like to thank those of you who are praying for Robin and supporting the literature program he has going there. Thousands of pieces of truth filled material are circulating throughout the Philippines as a result of Robin’s efforts and we continue to pray that God’s word will not return unto Him void, but that it will accomplish that which He pleases, and we know it will, because God has said so. And just one more thing. Robin is in the process of translating Gospel Workers Bible studies into Tagalog, which, besides English, is the main language spoken in the Philippines, and I’ll give you more of an update on that as he makes progress.

Several years ago, I did a series of sermons dealing with the book of Revelation, which took nearly a whole year to get through, because we went through every chapter and every verse, and today I’d like to revisit four verses in one particular chapter, because I think it gives us an important warning and also some hope during these very uncertain and turbulent times.

The chapter and verses I’d like to study today are in Revelation 8:2-5, but first I’d like to give you a little background leading up to this particular portion of Scripture. All of Chapter 6 and 8:1 deal with the seven seals and chapter 7 is an interlude between chapters 6 and 8 that deals with the sealing of the 144,000. Chapter 8:2 then, begins a new series of events being announced by seven angels blowing seven trumpets. We don’t have time to go into detail about this today, but the seven seals represent the condition of the church during the gospel dispensation, and the seven trumpets represent warlike events that take place among the ruling nations of the earth during that same time period. And so, the seven seals deal with the church and the seven trumpets deal with events that take place in the world at large.

Now, I know there are different ideas about the seven trumpets that are being promoted today by different individuals, but what I choose to believe is what the pioneers of our faith taught and believed and what the Spirit of Prophecy endorses. I am convinced that that is the safe path to follow rather than reinterpreting these things and applying them to the future or giving them a dual and even a triple application as some are doing, because when you do that there are problems you run into that messes with time prophecy during the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets and the historical view of what has been established as truth from the beginning of the Advent movement. And by the way, in The Great Controversy, page 334 Ellen White referred to these things as a “remarkable fulfillment of prophecy”, and when something is fulfilled, we’re not to look for another fulfillment, because that doesn’t make sense.

In Last Day Events, page 36 we’re told plainly that time prophecy ended in 1844 and that there will be no definite tracing of the prophetic time after that point. So, what do you do with the time prophecies during the fifth and sixth trumpets that had a “remarkable fulfillment” if they are supposed to have a dual application of a future fulfillment? Again, that doesn’t make sense.

“But Pastor Jack, haven’t you read Letter 112 written in 1890 where Sister White said, ‘“Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth’?” And so you see Brother Jones, the seven trumpets can’t just be all history as our pioneers believed, because they are yet to transpire.” Yes, I’ve read that statement, and those who are trying to say that this is a reference to the seven trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9 and the seven last plagues of Revelation 15 and 16, I think they are assuming a lot.

In the first place there’s no indication that the above inspired statement is a reference to the seven trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9, because she doesn’t number them that way. In fact, the word trumpet, in context of what she wrote, is being used here in a general sense to call the church to battle during these last days. And so, the word trumpet is being employed as a call to battle, that God’s people would have the courage to stand up and be counted in the great conflict ahead of us and to warn the world that the end of all things is at hand. And yes, the word “vial” does imply the pouring out of a plague, but the expression as Sister White uses it could just as well be referring to various plagues that would come upon the earth before the close of probation, while the seven last plagues are poured out after probation closes. No reason to warn anyone at that point, because by then it’s too late!

For example, and this is only a partial list: there’s much evidence since this statement was written in 1890, that we have had many plague epidemics. We’ve had the Spanish flu that killed upwards of 100 million people, there have been several waves of the Bubonic Plague that have killed over 100 million, we’ve had smallpox that killed millions more, we’ve had cholera, we’ve had tuberculosis, we’ve had AIDS that has killed over 36 million and still counting, we’ve had the swine flu, we’ve had Ebola, and now we have Covid 19 where out of nearly 250 million cases, about 5 million have died worldwide, and it’s possible that in the future we may see even more plagues emerge. And think about this, the seven plagues mentioned in Revelation 8, 9 just prior to the Second Advent are the seven last plagues, implying that there would be others before that.

And so, when Sister White says, trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, and vial after vial is yet to be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth, she could very well have been referring to the fact that warning after warning, or alarm after alarm is to be given by the church when these world wide pandemics come one after another to warn the inhabitants of the earth that human probation is soon to close and that Jesus is soon to come, and doesn’t have to have anything to do with the seven trumpets and the seven last plagues at all. And that’s all I’ll say about that for now, because we don’t have time to develop what each trumpet represents and what time frame they occupy, but I would like to talk about trumpets in general for a few minutes.

You should have your Bibles open to Revelation 8 by now, so let’s read verses 2-5 and see what we can learn. “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having (what?) a golden censer (remember that, because it’s an important point); and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”

Out of all the different musical instruments there are, the trumpet seems to be the one instrument that has been used in military efforts from the time the walls of Jericho fell down, and even to the most recent times. Have you ever heard of anyone who played the violin, or the guitar, or the saxophone to rally the troops? No! Why is a trumpet, or we could say the bugle, used to pronounce military movements or to announce special events? It’s because the tone is penetrating or piercing. The clear ringing sound can’t be mistaken. And so, the trumpet call is used to make preparation, to make an announcement, to call attention to something, or to sound an alarm.

In 1 Corinthians 14 the Corinthian church was confused about the gift of tongues and Paul explained to them how this gift was supposed to be used, and as he did that he used the analogy of a trumpet. In verses 8 and 9 he says, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.” And there are a lot of people in the Pentecostal churches speaking into the air today.

Some time ago I saw a short clip of a video where a black Adventist minister was misusing the gift of tongues, and where you have one, there’s probably more, but that’s beside the point, or maybe it isn’t. Maybe this is just one more deviation from the truth to help open blind eyes to what’s really going on within some of the leadership of the church and what eventually trickles down to the laity.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the soldier who blows the trumpet, is the most important soldier in the army? If the enemy could substitute one of their own men to replace the bugle boy on the opposing side, they could very quickly cause confusion among the troops, couldn’t they? If they could infiltrate the other side, they could easily lead people into a snare, or they might even go to sleep instead of preparing for battle.

I’d like to suggest to you this morning that this is exactly what has happened within God’s professed remnant church. Many of the bugle boys, the ministers, have been giving the trumpet an uncertain sound, and as a result, there is confusion in the ranks, and many are dead asleep, i.e. the Laodicean condition. That’s why there are a growing number of celebration worship services with Christian rock music taking place and Easter Sunrise services being held. This is also why the denomination is a member of the World Council of Churches, which seeks to bring unity through ecumenism. This is also why, sometime back, the Review printed an article calling homosexuals Christians, and why a certain Adventist church in California has a transgender elder. This is also why the divorce rate in the Adventist church is nearly equal to that of the world. This is why the tithe was used to pay a Catholic lawyer to sue other Adventists over the name. This is why there have been Adventist hospitals that have merged with Catholic hospitals. This is why Sabbath keeping ministers and Sunday keeping ministers are trading pulpits from time to time. This is why B.B. Beach gave a gold medal to the pope. This is why Andrews University had, until he died, a professor who graduated from a Jesuit University. And this is also why many Seventh-day Adventists believe they can continue to sin and still go to heaven. All of these things are the result of ministers giving the trumpet an uncertain sound.

Do you remember, during the Parade of Nations when the Vatican Flag, or the abomination of desolation, was placed in the holy ground during the General Conference session in 1995? That was 27 years ago, so perhaps you’ve forgotten, but this was also the result of the trumpet giving an uncertain sound for decades previous to that, and this, among some of the other things I already mention, is proof positive that “God has been removed” as the prophet said would happen in Selected Messages, book 1, page 205, and sad to say, that’s why those who know these things must remove also. When the candlestick is removed, God’s true followers must follow the light or be left in Babylonian darkness.

“Oh,” but someone says, “my church and the pastor I listen to isn’t involved in the kind of things you mentioned.” I beg your pardon. Do you not realize that when you return your tithe and give offerings that a percentage of that leaves your local church and goes to support other ministers that you don’t know who are teaching error, and to support the higher ups that set the tone for the whole church? Through your financial support and your presence each Sabbath you are condoning it, and you will be held corporately responsible for what the church doing, and when there is no protest from you when you know things are not right, you will not escape the fate of those who are teaching error that is a deadly poison to the soul. Sorry I have to be so blunt, but this is what it means to give the trumpet a certain sound, and unfortunately some people can’t stand it.

Now, if you haven’t turned me off yet, please turn to Jeremiah 6:1, “O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.”

After long years of rebellion and apostasy God’s faithful prophet told the Israelites, God’s Old Testament Seventh-day Adventist Church, that it was time to flee their beloved city. And not only that, but they were to blow the trumpet of alarm in Tekoa, a place that was outside of their church headquarters. Tekoa was a small city of high elevation in the country where the sound of the trumpet could be heard at great distance. And so, God wanted the faithful ministers who already left Jerusalem, to give the trumpet a certain sound to call those who were still there to head for the hills, as the saying goes. And not only were they to blow the trumpet in Tekoa, but they were to give the warning to flee by sending smoke signals from Bethhaccerem. Bethhaccerem was a little closer to Jerusalem than Tekoa, and so for those who were hard of hearing, like many people today, there was a visible sign they could see with their eyes as well as the trumpet call to hear with their ears. God did everything He could to warn the faithful in Jerusalem to leave while there was still opportunity. And why were the people being warned to leave? because evil was coming out of the north.

Even though Babylon was to the east of Jerusalem, they invaded the land from a northern route, otherwise they would have had to go through the desert. And so, because of disobedience, Jerusalem was about to be taken captive by Babylon, and God’s faithful preachers were to give the trumpet a certain sound, and I think we can make the connection here with the apostasy within the current Seventh-day Adventist church as they have turned a deaf ear to the warnings of Babylonian captivity.

In Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, page 160 we’re told plainly that what we see happening in the church today was all foreseen long ago. Notice what Sister White writes, “Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. (And are we not on the very borders of our entrance into the heavenly Canaan? Then she writes this) We are repeating the history of that people.” That was written in 1882, and can we say that since that time the church has stopped repeating that history? I think not. It has only gotten gradually worse through the years.

Here are three more short statements she wrote a few years later between 1896-1901, and you can find these statements in Last Day Events, page 50. “The voice from Battle Creek, which has been regarded as authority in counseling how the work should be done, is no longer the voice of God.”

Then she writes, “It has been some years since I have considered the General Conference as the voice of God.”

And lastly, “That these men should stand in a sacred place, to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be—that is past.” And I don’t know of any statements anywhere else in the Spirit of Prophecy where she rescinded those heartbreaking words. And so they are still in effect today.

Now let’s get back to Jeremiah 6:17 and notice what else Jeremiah says. “Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said (what?), We will not hearken.” We like it right where we are! Don’t rock the boat, because the ship is going through no matter what. And it’s true, all ships go through somewhere, but what will be their final destination is the question? There are two ships spoken of in the Spirit of Prophecy, one sails safely into the heavenly port and one goes to pieces on the rocks, and it’s up to us to choose which one we’re going to sail on.

In Ezekiel 33:1-6 we given another warning from God about taking heed to the trumpet call or not, “Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”

Unfaithful watchman have a terrible thing coming to them and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. We’re told in Zechariah 14:12 that, “Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” In The Great Controversy, page 656 it says this “work of destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people.” This is why I speak to you so plainly this morning, because I don’t want to experience this terrible judgment from the Lord, and I don’t want you to, either.

You know dear friends, God has faithful ministers that have been blowing the trumpet of warning for many years now, and by far the majority have not taken the warning seriously, or some did take heed to the warning some years ago but decided later on that they had made a mistake and went back. But let me tell you something, the Holy Spirit never makes a mistake! To go back to a place that has clearly demonstrated that they will not harken to the trumpet of warning is a fatal mistake.

There’s one more trumpet verse I’d like to read in Joel 2:1 before we go back to Revelation. Joel writes, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion (blow it where? In Zion. According to Isaiah 51:16 Zion is God’s people, or the church, and you know, many of us, at first, did try blowing the trumpet in Zion, but when people refused to take heed, when they said, “we will not harken”, we’ve had to go to places like Tekoa to sound the warning, and to Bethhaccerem to send the signal to flee, and that’s where we are today) “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”

If the day of the Lord was “nigh at hand” when this was written, what about today with all the craziness and the idiocy going on in American politics and around the world. I would encourage you to go to my website at gospel-workers.com and listen to the sermon of October 2018 titled “America’s Second Civil War”, because we are about to experience something in this country, and something that will spread around the world, that will surely end in national ruin.

Let’s go back to Revelation 8:2 now. In this verse the apostle John, as we have already seen, introduces seven angels who are given seven trumpets, but they don’t begin to sound until you get to verses 6, 7 and onward. Before they begin to sound those trumpets, John directs our attention to a totally different scene in verse 3 where he says, “And another angel came and stood at the altar. . .” And so, an angel who is not one of the seven trumpet angels approaches the altar. And what altar would that be? It’s the golden altar of incense, as the verse indicates as you read on. And where was the golden altar of incense? It was in the Holy Place in front of the veil that separates the Holy and Most Holy places. Then at the end of verse 3 it says the golden altar “was before the throne.” And where in the sanctuary was the throne? Wouldn’t it be where God’s immediate presence is? Prior to October 22, 1844, it was in the Holy place, wasn’t it? That’s what was represented at the table of showbread, but afterward God’s throne moved to the mercy seat in the Most Holy. You can read that in Early Writings, page 33. Also, at the end of verses 5 Jesus does something to indicate that that is exactly where He is, and we’ll see that when we get there.

Now what did this angel have in his hand? A golden censer. Verse 3 also says, “there was given unto him much incense.” Before we go any further it’s clear that this angel represents Jesus, our great High Priest who is ministering in our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary, because in the Old Testament sanctuary service, a literal angel never did the work of the high priest. So, who could this angel be other than our Lord? In Zechariah 3 we have the “angel of the Lord” contending with Satan, and in Prophets and Kings, page 584 we’re told that this angel is “Christ Himself.” And so, this other angel who stands before the altar represents the ministry of Jesus, which is described in greater detail in the book of Hebrews.

So, in verse 3 Jesus is described as having a golden censer and much incense. Have you ever wondered why almost everything in the earthly sanctuary was pure gold, or overlaid with gold? It represents the perfect character of Christ. Pure gold is also represented as faith and love, which are the character traits of God. That’s why Jesus, the True Witness, counsels us to buy of Him “gold tried in the fire.” We need a character like His, and He offers it freely to all who are willing to obey what He says.

Jesus developed a perfect character by being tried in the furnace of affliction, and He is our example. Friends, character development is everything! Perhaps this is the reason for the golden calf and Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and other various idols of gold that were made. It was Satan’s attempt to be like the Most High. But everything he does is counterfeit, it’s fool’s gold, and he wants you to develop a character like his. And what’s represented by the incense? Christ righteousness! You can read that in The Desire of Ages, page 211 and many other places. And so, Jesus pleads His own righteousness, or His own perfect obedience, or His own merits in behalf of His people; why? because they have none of their own with which to plead.

The word merit in this context means, “Spiritual credit earned by performance of righteous acts and to ensure future benefits.” Because the perfect life of Christ succeeded where Adam failed, there is an inexhaustible supply of righteousness, or perfect obedience which is the “much incense” which Jesus offers before the throne. The perfect righteousness of Christ meets every need and covers every case. His grace is indeed sufficient! Does that mean that we have nothing to do? NO! According to verse 3 Jesus offers His own righteousness “with the prayers of (who?) all saints.” In order to be a saint, we have to be “in Christ,” and if we are in Christ, we are holy because self is dead and the One who is holy lives within. We talked about this last time. To be a saint means that we cannot, yes, will not have ongoing sin in our lives, that’s why Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” This means that if we have ongoing sin in our lives, our prayers will never make it to the incense burner, and if our prayers are not in there, we are lost.

Revelation 8:4, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” And so, here we have fallen humanity and divinity combined, and those two ingredients do not sin. In Christ’s Object Lessons, page 314 we’re told that very thing. It says, “Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God’s commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But Christ came in the form of humanity (fallen humanity that is, and that’s very important, because if Jesus wasn’t like us in His humanity, then what good does that do us? If He had to have an unfallen human nature to be able to resist sin, then there’s no hope for us, who are fallen, to ever stop sinning. Does that make sense? But unfortunately many have come to that conclusion, and if they don’t see the light before it’s too late, they won’t be ready to meet Jesus in peace when He comes. How sad.) But Christ came in the form of humanity and by His perfect obedience He proved (now listen) He proved that humanity (that’s us) and divinity combined can obey every one of God’s precepts.” Hallelujah! That is the present truth message that we are to proclaim to the world at such a time as this.

Does the Bible agree with that? Let’s go to 1 John chapter 3 and find out. Notice what John writes in verses 4-10. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (There are a lot of people today that don’t know that simple fact. Just ask a person on the street sometime what sin is, and you’ll get all kinds of strange answers, but this verse tells us plainly that sin is the violation of the Ten Commandment Law) Verse 5, And ye know that he (Jesus) was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is (in a saved condition, is that what it says? No!) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (in your heart and in mine) . Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (In other words, humanity and divinity combined does not sin. If we sin we must be born again, again) In this the children of God are manifest (or made known), and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Do we love our brother enough to tell him this? I hope so.

Back to Revelation 8:5. John continues by saying, “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”

What does it mean when Jesus casts the censer into the earth? It means that human probation is closed. Here we are carried forward to the end when Christ’s work is done; no more prayers are to be offered up mingled with incense; nothing in the censor now but fire, probably symbolic of what the wicked will suffer when fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary in behalf of mankind has forever ceased.

Let me read it to you from Early Writings, pages 279, 280. This is too important not to read, because there are those who are teaching that it means something else, and not the close of probation at all. Notice what she says, “I was pointed down to the time when the third angel’s message was closing. The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message (same attitude as what we read earlier from Jeremiah, they would not harken. They would rather enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season than obey God’s Law). I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer. (Where was Jesus when He was holding the censor? Before the Ark in the Most Holy Place where He moved after 1844) He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, ‘It is done.’ And all the angelic host laid off their crowns as Jesus made the solemn declaration, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ Every case had been decided for life or death.”

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “You have refused my sacrifice, my love, my grace, my forgiveness, and my longsuffering; your blood be upon your own heads. I have done what I could.”

The sealing recorded in Revelation 7 is complete, all decisions are final, and what else does it say in verse 5? “And there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” These words are identical to the language in Revelation 16:18 under the seventh plague, another indication that the seven last plagues will begin right after Jesus throws down the censer, or as soon as human probation closes.

And so, in Revelation 8:2-5 we’re given a short glimpse of the ministry of Jesus, our great High Priest, as He ministers the benefits of His sacrifice on the cross after ascending into the Holy and Most Holy Places just prior to His appearing in the clouds of heaven.

No doubt these four verses are inserted right here in this chapter for the purpose of turning our minds to Christ’s work as our High Priest in heaven just before He throws down the censor. The apostle John wanted us to know that Jesus is our only source of help and strength during the time in which we are now living, which is during the time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Study it out for yourself. There’s no time to reinterpret these prophecies and try to give them a dual application or put them in the future. We’ve got to get ready, get ready, get ready now, because Jesus is about ready to throw down the censor.

I must stop for now, but the thought I want to leave with you today is this: “The Censer Still Burns!” And aren’t you thankful for that? Jesus has not yet cast it into the earth; human probation has not yet closed; we still have a short time to allow humanity and divinity combined to do its work of forming our characters in righteousness, and while Jesus still ministers in the courts above, we need to make our calling and election sure. While our daily prayers arise with the righteousness of Christ and the censer smokes, I pray that we are represented there along with all the saints from all time.

Sermon Notes in pdf  The Censor Still Burns