New Moon Meeting: September 2005, 3:25 EST
The Curse of Meroz

Qinael: This is everyone.

Zahakiel: All right, can you please open the meeting with a prayer?

Qinael: Our dear and holy Father...

We thank you for this day, this Sabbath and New Moon, a day in which we see your judgment and your mercy combined... a unique occurrence you have brought about, that we can both examine ourselves carefully, and rejoice at the same time in your love.

We pray that all hearts will be open during this teaching, all soil made soft by your Spirit, and that what needs to be accomplished, let it be so.

In the name of Yahshua we pray, amen.

Zahakiel: Amen.
Rachel: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Crystle: Amen.

Zahakiel: This month’s study is called “The Curse of Meroz.” I would like this time to go a little more deeply into a subject on which I just barely touched during our examination of the Seven Thunders. In that study, we saw that “Thunders” were messages of judgment Yahweh speaks unto people of earth. Though it is a sound that is heard by all, there are few who understand the significance of the message… and it causes a separation between those who understand, and those who do not.

We saw that although there are seven of these messages recorded as taking place after the Lion’s roar (which we’ve managed to equate with the crucifixion of Christ) there are not that many described by a parable in Matthew 20 as “Workers” in the vineyard of the world. Upon looking this over, we saw that in order to be considered a valid “worker,” it is not enough to merely be loosely united with others in terms of a few key ideas, or because of a shared desire for religious reform. No, in order to be of a set of Workers, including the last set of 11th hour workers whom we believe will be the 144,000, a people must be completely united in doctrine, spirit and love.

Some have looked at the words of Paul, for example, and said, “Oh, this is only the ideal… it will never really happen.” The apostle wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Yahshua the Messiah, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) Though some see this merely as an unattainable ideal, we see it as a promise. But it is more than this, it is an instruction to be followed… and Paul tells us elsewhere the reason why it has not been followed by most “Christian” groups, and why some people think it is only an ideal.

“For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor 3:3) To be sure, the members of the early Church had much to learn… but the apostles certainly understood and taught every principle that has become vital knowledge for us. Divisions among those claiming the name of Christ are the result of carnality – and it shows that if two people are not as one in matters of faith, there is a work of the flesh involved.

Now, I don’t mean there can’t be disagreements on how something should be applied… but even these can be resolved with reasoning-together. I am talking about that too-often-seen inability to communicate. When disagreements arise it is often the case that one, or both, or the several, participants may get so emotionally charged that meaningful discussion becomes an impossibility, and then there is often a split. This is carnality, as is the disbelief that the kind of unity for which Christ prayed and toward which Paul was leading converts is impossible in this age.

Zahakiel: There is a quote from Ellen White that always comes to my mind when we are discussing unity within the Body of Christ, and it has been included in several of our studies. “God is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing this thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust. The third angel is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move with him unitedly.” [Testimonies for the Church Volume One, page 207]

It is interesting, and not something we have yet discussed openly, that it is the Third Angel said to be “leading” the people whom Mrs. White believed to be the last set of Gospel messengers. Why is this so? Why not the First, that bears the “Everlasting Gospel?”

We remember what the Third Angel says, of course: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Yah, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)

It is that most stern warning against taking the mark of the beast. It is that absolute ban on attempting to live one’s life according to the dictates of the worldly system, the kings and kingdoms of which are the Biblical “beasts.” We are told, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18) It is possible, usually, to live at peace with some men. It is possible, occasionally, to live at peace with all men. But while all things are possible for Yahweh, His self-imposed restriction on manipulating the free will of His created beings automatically involves the potential for disobedience. And in this potential, which we have known by the name Araphel, there lies the freedom for men to act like beasts, and to seek to control others by means of threats, and ultimately by means of violence.

Zahakiel: We must see how important that principle is for our understanding of the character of Yahweh, for it answers all those “hard questions” for which the world, and worldly Christians, can hold no satisfactory answers.

The Third Angel is a warning about conforming to the carnality of this world. It is a call to protest this evil where we see it, to sound a cry for religious freedom that will find an answer in Heaven. This is the thing that unites us in purpose… IF we have already seen the power of Yahweh’s grace for ourselves (this is the blessing of the First Angel) and developed the eyes to see the spiritual wasteland around us (this is of the Second).

We are united in love and freedom by the First Angel, who says, “Come forth from your graves of darkness and sin; worship the Creator, who receives worship only from the living.” We are united in faith and doctrine by the Second Angel, who says, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen. There is an end to the confusion of “many Christs,” many voices claiming to be His. There is a narrow way, and it leads out of the graveyard of deception.”

Are these two aspects clear so far?

Qinael: <nods.>
Barb: Ok.
Crystle: Yes.

Zahakiel: But now, what do a people who are free, loving, and united in beliefs do? They need purpose; they need to know what their work in the vineyard must be. This is the reason Ellen White said the Third Angel is “leading” us, because this Angel, as I’ve mentioned, unites us in purpose and effort. Our job, in our freedom and faith, is to protest the beast and his image… in whatsoever form the seven heads of the Dragon may manifest under a cloak of flesh, so that others may be spared his great appetite for sorrow.

Now, the mark of the beast is nothing new. There have always been people of two classes in the world – those who were faithful to the Almighty like Abel, and those who were willful in their rejection of Him, like Cain. There is a mark for each of these classes. The mark of Abel was his faith, a faith that he maintained unto death. The mark of Cain was his faith, a faith that ultimately led to the Global Flood… a forerunner of the judgment by fire that is coming very soon.

The Messiah said, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” (Luke 17:26) Why will there be a judgment? It will be for the same reasons there was a Flood. Mankind will have institutionalized sin, and it will have overrun the entire world – except for the Remnant. When the mark of Cain, a.k.a. the Mark of the Beast is refused by those who have the faith of Abel, a.k.a. the faith of Yahshua (the blood of whom “speaketh better things than that of Abel” [Heb 12:24]), or the Seal of Yah, those who are of the beast will try to force those who protest to take their mark.

Just as Cain imposed his will on Abel, so those who follow the Beast have always tried to impose their will on those who follow the Lamb; and with the same results… those who followed the Lamb have suffered in this world.

We, as Christians, have the solemn duty to protest the works of Satan in this world. We are told more than once by our Father, “When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die,’ and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” (Ezek 3:18, 19)

Zahakiel: Now, you remember one of the “morals” of the Seven Thunders study was exactly what is stated above. We are to sound the warning, but we are not to be surprised if only few will hear the meaning of the message. We will have done what we were commanded to do, even if it does not appear we are “successful” with a large harvest. We will have shown genuine love (for if love does not motivate our warnings, we have not been obedient) even if that love is rejected. We will have “delivered” our souls, not because we have merely done our duty, but because we will have learned to love as Yahshua loved: unconditionally.

How are we to do that in these last days? There is a quote from D’aubigné that I used last time, and this is what I meant at the beginning of this month’s study, when I said there was “a subject on which I just barely touched” that I wanted to probe more deeply now.

Here is that quote, from the section describing the Second Thunder: “The Waldenses, far superior to the Mystics in purity of doctrine, compose a long line of witnesses to the truth. Men more unfettered than the rest of the Church seem from the most distant times to have inhabited the summits of the Piedmontese Alps; their number was augmented and their doctrines purified by the disciples of Valdo. […] Pierre Vaud or Valdo, a rich merchant of Lyons (1170), sold all his goods and gave them to the poor. He and his friends appear to have aimed at re-establishing primitive Christianity in the common affairs of life. He therefore began also with the branches and not the roots. Nevertheless his preaching was powerful because he appealed to Scripture, and it shook the Roman hierarchy to its very foundations.” [D’aubigné, History of The Reformation, Vol. 1, Ch. 6. pp. 29, 30]

Say when you've read this.

Jeanie: Done.
Qinael: Finished.
Rachel: Done.
Pastor “Chick”: Finished.
Barb: Done.

Zahakiel: We further saw that the Mystics were men who, as the author describes on page 29, were disgusted by the increasing Romanization and Paganization of the Christian Church; yet while they sat in their caves and mourned, they separated themselves neither doctrinally nor officially from the evils they disdained… and history records that there were men “superior” to them in faith, who did the work of the hour at the instigation of the Holy Spirit.

But it is not enough. It is not enough to say, “The Mystics did well, but the Waldenses did better.” We would say, with our current understanding, that the Mystics received the mark of the beast of that age, taking it in their hands by going along with the fallen leaders. They were led by the hand to the winepress of wrath. Now, how accountable were they for this understanding? I would hesitate to give a firm statement about that… but I would say that we are afforded no such ambiguity, and I’m glad for that fact. This is the very end of the age of man, and we are right on the brink of eternity.

D’aubigné gives us his opinion that the Mystics were relatively good men, but not as effective as the Waldenses. The Bible, however, is a little more direct in its assessment of those who hide silently in caves when the world is falling apart around them. This is the verse from which the topic of today’s study has been drawn:

“‘Curse ye Meroz,’ said the Angel of Yahweh, ‘curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof,’ because they came not to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh against the mighty.” (Judges 5:23)

Now, there is a bit to set up regarding the understanding of that verse :) First, the historic, then the symbolic.

Meroz was a place in northern Palestine, within the land settled by Israelites. In fact, its inhabitants were Israelites from the tribe of Naphtali. The verse is a part of the Song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5, which commemorates the victory of the Hebrews over Jabin, King of Canaan, and his warlord Sisera. When Yahweh gave the triumph to His people, they pursued the retreating heathen forces in order to make an end to them completely. Those in Meroz, however, although they were right along the path of Sisera’s retreat, refused to help their fellow Israelites by preventing the escape of their national enemies, and like the Mystics, were of the type to say, “Isn’t this oppression terrible?” Yet, they did nothing, sounded no warning, stood for no freedom. They were not being led, you see, by the Third Angel.

Zahakiel: The symbolic meaning for us finds a good starting point in the SDA Bible Commentary’s discussion of Judges 5:23. I’ll quote a part of it here:

“Because of their refusal to help, the angel of the Lord pronounced a curse upon them. Theirs was not a sin of commission but of omission. Their transgression in this instance was that they did nothing in the hour of need, and for this the curse of God fell on them.

“No other verse in the book of Judges constitutes so severe a warning to the members of the church today as the one that here curses those who refuse to help in time of crisis. In the face of a crying need for laborers, many professed Christians are content to follow their leisurely, selfish course, refusing to render any assistance to the church of God as it engages in battle with Satan. They say that the work of the church is to be performed by the ministers, and accept no responsibility for themselves. The curse of Meroz rests upon these unfaithful Christians unless they turn from their listless non-cooperation.” [Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 337]

Say when you've read it.

Qinael: Finished.
Crystle: Finished.
Rachel: Done.
Israfel: Ok.
Jeanie: Done.
Barb: Done.

Zahakiel: There are two applications we may make to the principle expressed here; one for those already associated with the Church, and one for those becoming acquainted therewith.

Within the Church, there is certainly a need for each member to get involved in proclaiming the Gospel truths to those within our sphere of influence. There is a very real danger of having the laity sit back and waiting for the evangelists to evangelize. In pretty much every church in the world, you have those who speak, and those who are silent. It cannot be the case in this final, true set of Gospel workers. Baptism means an acknowledgement of the unity each person has with Christ, and as such becomes an “official” representative of Heaven to earth. Such a person as has undergone a true conversion will not be silent about the messages of any of those three angels of Revelation 14.

Outside of the Church, and by this I mean people who are close enough to see what we are about and what we are facing, there is a call to get involved. There is an imperative to prepare for baptism, and entering into the work truly. But there is an instruction, even before the “official” membership, to do the works the Holy Spirit is leading one to do.

There are some who study with us, and accept the first part of the message, claiming victory over sin. But that is only the beginning, and the “work” does not begin after one becomes a member! All who know the nature of the beast must declare it – indeed, in the doing of the “same works” of the Church is the visible sign to the existing members that one is ready. In the coming into conformity with the Third Angel is the declaration of these last days, “what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36) Our reply must then be, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47)

Zahakiel: The Third Angel’s message is not only a call for US to avoid the Mark of The Beast. It is a call to “Work.” The message of Yahweh’s Angel to the inhabitants of Meroz show us plainly that a sin of omission in this regard is a most serious matter. Ellen White tells us the same, “If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” [3T, p. 281]

But the parallels between our day and the Song of Deborah and Barak hardly end there.

Looking at a verse just above the one on which the curse is pronounced on those who do not help the work of Yah, we find this, “The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” (Judges 5:19, 20)

And of the battle itself, we read that a prophetess, one of the few mentioned in Scripture, incited those who were oppressed to rise up and protest (with weapons, as was appropriate in those days) their enemies’ actions.

Now let’s put this all together and see if it sounds familiar. A prophetess receives insights that there should be a conflict to liberate Yahweh’s faithful people. The battle takes place near a location called “Megiddo” and involves spiritual forces. A loud cry is sent up but, although the victory is already won, not everyone responds; and those who did not respond to this call to arms were rebuked by the Angel of Yahweh for their inactivity.

Does that sound familiar?

Qinael: ....Yes..

It is our current situation in the earth.

Zahakiel: Right, and it applies directly to the Adventist movement.

Even the name “Megiddo” is significant, since the last battle takes place at har-Megiddo, or the Mountain of Megiddo. Of course, whereas the physical location is a valley, this is called a mountain. This may be to point out that it is a “high place” spiritually speaking, open for all the universe to see.

In any event, some may ask the question, “Why does Yahweh give a call for help?” The Scripture tells us the inhabitants of Meroz were cursed specifically “because they came not to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh against the mighty.” (verse 23)

When telling people the translation of my own name, Zahakiel, which means, “Loud cry of El,” I am often prompted to explain a little more the significance of this. Yahweh does not need help, really, but He requests our help. He is certainly able to do all things Himself, but His desire is that His people have a share in the victory He has won for us. And in addition to this we read, “the King shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’” (Matthew 25:40)

We are told, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17) You see, it is a “safe” thing to turn the other cheek if we are surrounded by Christians who are not afraid to rebuke unrighteousness. Our weapons in Christ are not carnal, of course, which is why the battle in this final generation is a spiritual, rather than physical conflict. This does not mean it is not a real battle!

We have a responsibility to point out the evils that are ensnaring others, evils that are destroying them as surely as a sword or a spear would destroy them. I think a part of the reason Laodicea slumbers is because it no longer believes the warfare is real. Physical does not always mean real… and those who see spiritual wickedness like the Trademark law, or any organization using force to try and direct the course of another man’s worship, and do nothing… they are traitors to the principles of Protestantism just as much as a soldier who deserts his post is derelict in his duty to his country and people.

It is just as “real.”

Rachel: Only a carnal mind would believe it has to be physical to be real.

Zahakiel: That's very insightful, yes :) For spiritual things are spiritually discerned (seen). Eyes of the flesh cannot see the significance of spiritual things.

But now these principles above that we have been discussing go for both baptized and non-baptized associates of this Church.

Ellen White has told us that when we see the image of the beast formed, “that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas,” [The Great Controversy, p. 445] this is the test for Yahweh’s people. That can only make sense to Adventists, if they understand that this has ALWAYS been the test… choosing the ways of Yahshua, or the ways of Satan. It is not a “coincidence” that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, who were supposed to be the very guardians of these principles, has repudiated them.

It is not a “minor bump in the progress of the Church” as some latter-day Mystics would have us believe, or something merely to be “sad” about – as I saw one individual claiming. It is an easy thing to disagree with what the churches of today are doing. It takes real humility and faith in Yahshua to stand apart from them and say, “The Church of Christ would never do such a thing.” The Bride of Yahshua is not difficult to see; but for some, it is almost impossible to accept.

The first thing we have to do is to accept that the battle is real. If we can do this, the true significance of the events going on around us will swim into view, and then the Third Angel will direct our course. I don’t know if any of you have been following this “Intelligent Design” issue that’s going on in the U.S. right now?

Has anyone heard about this?

Barb: No.
Jeanie: Yes.
Crystle: Never heard of it.
Rachel: No.

Qinael: Are you talking about Bush’s comment that Intelligent Design should be taught as an alternative in schools?

Zahakiel: That’s right.

Rachel: What is Intelligent Design?

Zahakiel: Intelligent Design is saying, basically, “We couldn't have gotten here by accident.” It doesn't get into the details, like, “Who is the Designer?” But it does reject the idea of chance events resulting in an evolution process.

Rachel: Oh, okay.

Zahakiel: It's almost like Creationism, but it doesn't take as strong a stand on religious ideas.

Jeanie: Which seems to me also dangerous.

Zahakiel: Yes, it is... because it is “anti” something, but not really “for” the Creator of Christendom. It's like the 2nd angel without the 3rd :) “Come out” without the “Come in.”

But I was listening to some of the arguments from both sides, and this is what one person said, who was against it being taught...

“The religious people can believe what they want – faith is good – but they shouldn’t teach their views on the origin of the world and humanity in a science class.” A paraphrase, but I am capturing her meaning.

Now, what that translates to (because the people who make these statements see religion as “faith” and science as “real”) is the statement, “They can claim to believe whatever they want, but how dare they actually believe it? How dare they make the assertion that the things they believe actually have an impact, an effect, on the scientific (by this, they mean “real”) world?” And the outrage of their position is apparent in the way they discuss this matter. Evolutionism and Creationism are both interpretations of the very same sets of facts from science: astronomy, biology, chemistry, etc. – but there are some who won’t even consider admitting this.

But this is just by way of example, and I hope the point is clear. Faith is not merely some “spiritual” thing, it is a commitment to accept something as real; and when a Christian says “real,” it should mean something that affects the world in ways that can be detected by the senses. Not that it is necessarily “visible” itself under ordinary circumstances, but that it has the power to affect the “scientific” world.

Rachel: I always believed Satan could do whatever he wanted (although to a certain point) to our physical world, so science could easily be a big hoax.

Zahakiel: Well, it is true we have laws and principles that seem to work under most circumstances. But we cannot forget that Yahweh is above the universe He has created as well... and this is what we mean when we speak of miracles. For example...

The messages that came to us (and are coming still) from Heaven are “real” in every sense of the word. They are miracles, but real. Or perhaps we should not even say “but;” they are miracles AND real. The Three Angels’ Messages are real, because they will lead us to a real inheritance in a real Kingdom, guarded and led by a very real King. Let us therefore take the warfare seriously, because the battle is “real.”

Let us hold fast, then, to the First Angel’s message, putting away forever all known sin, and committing to this life in Christ as solemnly as to the most sacred marriage. Let us hold fast to the Second Angel’s message, and recognize that Yahweh HAS a narrow path so devoid of confusion that even fools need not err therein; (Isaiah 35:8) a path that is straight, and without the smell of Babylon’s wine.

Finally, having held to these things, let us see the path of our progress open up before us telling us where to go, how to get there, and how fast to travel. Remember, from our previous study, to get ahead of the angel is to go off into the darkness without the light to guide our path. We may think we are going in the right direction, because we can look back and say, “The path is straight. The next step should be obvious!” Yes, the path is straight, but without the light we may stumble… we are not promised a path with no obstacles, remember.

Similarly, we cannot linger behind. Some say, and it is a wicked thing they say, “When I see the Trademark thing become a big issue, then I will protest it.” These spiritual dwarfs will cripple their ability to help others, because they set an example NOW that many will not be able to shake off at the “right” time, even if the example-setters manage to miraculously repent and squeak their own way into the pearly gates.

Rachel: Meaning, when it affects them personally.

Zahakiel: Right; and in Yah’s eyes... this issue cannot become any bigger, no matter how it looks to people on earth.

It’s not limited to the Trademark, this idea of staying within the glow shed on our path by the angel. Some say the same of the victory: “When I see many people accepting this message, and a big Church, then I will be more comfortable accepting this teaching as valid.” They wait for a crowd, or friends… or family, before deciding to take Yahshua at His word. They cannot afford the time… it ticks away. You can apply this idea to any kind of reform work the Church is doing in the world… there is a present truth, a past truth, and a truth to come.

But woe unto those who see others working for the Master, and hang back, for whichever reason. Woe unto those who say, “It’s not MY place to fight this good fight.” The curse of Meroz settles on them like poisonous dew, and it coats them with a layer of filth that even the Latter Rain will never be able to wash away.

Let us pray for discernment, to know when to speak and when to act, and where our focus must lie in this Christian warfare. Yahweh has given us everything we need, and now He gives us the compass of His Third Gospel Angel, come unto us in the light and power of the Fourth of Revelation 18. Let us trust in our Father, and our Redeemer, and answer the call, to move with Him unitedly.

Are there any questions before we close?

Crystle: None here.

Zahakiel: Okay :)

Almighty and loving Father in Heaven, gracious Creator and Redeemer,

We thank you for this wonderful New Moon and Sabbath day. We thank you for this great intersection, which may well remind us that even the “work” of examining ourselves and humbling ourselves before you is a work of rest... of Sabbath. We thank you that you have not left your people blind, or without light in a dark world, and that there is a unity among those who are chosen, and called and faithful. We thank you for the Three Messenger Angels, who tell us how to be free, how to be as one, and then how to march.

Bless us for the remainder of this day by your Spirit, and may the message you have been pleased to have me present find a place in the heart of every hearer, as even it has in mine, and dismiss us from this meeting, but not from your presence, as we enjoy the rest of this day which you have made for us.

In the most holy and blessed name of Yahshua,

Amen.

Qinael: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Rachel: Amen.
Israfel: Amen