Even Unto the End - King’s Heralds The Old Rugged Cross - King’s Heralds It Is No Secret - Bob Seamount and Del Delker You Must Open the Door - King’s Heralds

Even Unto the End - King’s Heralds The Old Rugged Cross - King’s Heralds It Is No Secret - Bob Seamount and Del Delker You Must Open the Door - King’s Heralds

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Voice Of Prophecy

H.M.S. Richards

The Blind Angel


Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus is coming again. Cheer up you pilgrims, be joyful and sing, Jesus is coming again. This is the voice of prophecy, a voice crying in the wilderness of these modern days, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Coming again, coming again, Jesus is coming again. From our Voice of Prophecy Studios in Los Angeles, California, we welcome you to this half hour of inspiration and music with the King's Herald's, Del Delker, Brad Braley, and the voice of prophecy speaker HMS Richards, a Seventh-day Adventist minister.

Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Let my banner be unfurled with pen and song and the living teacher. Even unto the end. Even unto the end. Even unto the end.

I will come with you, I will fade. Even unto the end. All things on the outer lay, Let Calvary's cross be thy only glory. Cast all selfish fear away. Begin just now telling love's sweet story.

I will go and with you I will fade. I will join with you, I do faith, I will keep thee then unto the end. Let us pray. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we pray that Thou would bless this gospel broadcast to every listener, to those who hear in the Americas, in Australia, in the islands of the sea, in Europe, everywhere.

Bless, we pray, those in need, those troubled, those who are ill, and especially those who are seeking the light of truth in thy holy word. In Jesus' name. There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. Oh, Jesus, blessed Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who bow before thee near to the heart of God.

Amen. Amen. ♪ On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And shame. And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear. Bear. Then he'll call me someday to my home far away where his glory forever I'll share. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down.

I will cling to the o'er rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown. 1 of the top 10 favorites in a recent Voice of Prophecy favorite song survey was, It is no secret what God can do. Del Delker and Bob Seamount sing it for us now. Another day is through. Someone slipped and fell.

Was that someone you? You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew. Do not be disheartened, here's good news for you. Here's good news for you. It is no secret what God can do.

What he's done for others, he'll do for you. With arms wide open, he'll pardon you. He'll pardon you. It is no secret what God can do. Here now is HMS Richards, the Voice of Prophecy speaker.

His subject, the blind angel. Christ's letter to the angel of this church is important for us today because it is the church of Laodicea, the last of the 7 churches of the book of Revelation. And it must apply especially to the Christian Church in the latter days just before the return of Christ. The 7 churches of the Revelation prophecy are 7 messages to the entire Christian era from the time Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives until he returns in power and glory. To those who are interested in studying this great prophecy of the 7 churches, I wish to say that I have found much help in 3 reference books, namely, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith, 7 Epistles of Christ by Taylor Bunch, and The Unfolding of the Revelation by Roy Anderson.

The word Laodicea means the judging of the people or a justified people. Now friends we are justified only as Jesus our Advocate represents us before the throne of grace. The Apostle Paul says that we are justified by his grace, Romans 3.24. We are justified by his blood, Romans 5.9, and justified by faith, Romans 5.1. Grace is the source, blood is the means, faith is the method.

The ancient city of Laodicea was a wealthy place, leading health resort too. It had hot, cold, and lukewarm springs. People from all over the ancient world went there for help. It also had a very important school of medicine, and a special eye medicine called colirium was manufactured there and sold all over the civilized world of those days. A special glossy black wool was produced by the flocks around that part of the country and made into black garments which the people wore almost exclusively as an evidence of their wealth.

Let us notice the first words of this letter. Revelation 3, verse 14. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. This is the only place in the scripture where Amen is used as a personal name. It's appropriate here because this is the last message to the last church period in the world.

Jesus calls himself the faithful and true witness, and he's also the beginning and Lord of God's creation. He created all things as we read in John the first chapter. The Laodicean period of the universal church reaches from about the middle of the 19th century to the end of time and we're living in it now. The Church of Philadelphia received no reproof. The Church of Laodicea, no commendation.

We read on now, 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. Jesus might have called this the poor church, the miserable church, the wretched church, the wealthy church, the lukewarm church, but he chose to call it the blind church.

To the angel ministry of this blind church of the latter days, this church that is blind to its own needs, comes Christ's indictment and his appeal. Like the tepid springs in the vicinity of ancient Laodicea, This church period of the last days is lukewarm, not cold in pagan unbelief, not hot in apostolic service but satisfied with its own accomplishments. 1 modern writer says, there is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. The interests of this Church are divided between Christ and the world. It's too religious to cast off entirely the name of the Savior, too worldly to take a strong stand for him.

Smyrna was poverty-stricken, but rich in faith. Laodicea, rich in material things, but poor in faith, even bankrupt. Like the ancient Laodiceans, the modern church is proud of its black robes and does not realize it needs a change of raiment. Proud of its wealth and does not know that it's poor. Proud of what it thinks it sees and does not know that it's blind and that its spiritual eyesight is almost gone.

I know thy works, says the Lord Christ in this letter. I see the busy planning, the organization, the raising of funds, the erection of buildings, the establishment of institutions. He does not accuse this church of being lazy. No, never. She's always busy, busy, busy with programs, campaigns, conventions, social functions, home and foreign missions, extension work, proud of her magnificent churches, intelligent congregations, scholarly preaching, her fine music, conservative and splendid services, her great army of missionaries and the liberality of her members.

She feels the work is onward, there's real progress. She gazes upon her achievements and mounting budgets. She sees the towers of her temple. She thinks of her missionaries at the ends of the earth with their hospitals and dispensaries of her schools, academies, colleges, printing presses rolling day and night. She analyzes her offerings, her membership, and her bank account.

All good things, of course, but not the 1 thing needful. The great physician diagnoses her case. He doesn't say that she's hypocritical. She just doesn't know and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor, blind and naked. Someone has said of the religious leaders in Christ's time, in the estimation of the rabbis, it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of activity.

They depended upon some altered performance to show their superior piety. The same danger still exists. As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less and to have less faith. Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God and seeking to make a savior of our activity.

Those words are from a wonderful book called The Desire of Ages, page 362. Then comes a divine counsel, Revelation 318. I counsel thee to buy of me gold, trite in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. How can they buy it, this poor, rich church? How can they?

They have nothing with which to buy the divine blessing. But Jesus says, buy it. Well friends, it may be bought without money and without price. Isaiah 55, 1. That is, without the price of money, without the price of material things.

But everything worthwhile costs something. So, what does our medicine cost? Jesus says, you have nothing to give, but you must give everything. The price is what the poorest can pay, and we are the poorest. The price is repentance, confession, self-surrender.

What is the gold tried in the fire? It is the riches of God's church, the Word of God, faith and love. In James 2, 5 we read of those who are rich in faith, who are declared to be heirs of the kingdom. We are told in Galatians 5, 6 that faith works by love and in Romans 13, 10 that love is the fulfilling of the law. These Laodiceans have lost their first love, their spirits are bankrupt, but they don't know it.

They are overdrawn in the bank of heaven and must depend upon God for the gift of His grace. There must be a return to the study of the Bible. There must be a return of faith in God and His truth, obedience to it. There must be love for lost souls and for 1 another. Of the 3 eternal and priceless graces of faith, hope, and love, the Apostle Paul declared, the greatest of these is love.

This is the chief of God's treasures, which we need in these latter times. The love of Christ constraineth us, was the motto of the Apostolic Church, it must be ours also. You will notice that the Savior does not accuse the Church of Laodicea of being unorthodox or heretical. No doctrines or deeds of the Nicolaitans or Balaamite apostasy, no teaching of Jezebel are mentioned here. The church seems to be perfectly orthodox.

Yes, as orthodox as the devil himself. There's 1 thing of which we cannot accuse Satan, and that is of being a heretic. He believes that there is a God. He believes in the inspiration of the Scriptures. He knows it's all true, but he's still Satan.

It does take more than orthodoxy to bring salvation. It takes consecration, faith, and love, which leads to obedience. Laodicea needs the riches and the white raiment of Christ's righteousness. For as the prophet Isaiah said long ago, We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. The white robe that Christ offers us is the beautiful garment of his own perfection, and it is ours by faith.

The gift of the Holy Spirit opens the blind eyes and guides into the truth. The blind angel needs the heavenly eye salve. John 16, verse 13. The ancient Laodiceans found the eye salve and sold it to the world. So God's Laodicean Church of these days must receive the true Aesav from the heavenly physician.

They must pray the prayer of the psalmist of old, open now mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119, 18. We must remember that Christ's message to Laodicea, the last church in the world is the rebuke of love. He says, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent.

Yes, the Savior loves Laodicea. That's why he rebukes her. That's why he chastens her and calls for repentance. He does not send this letter by some messenger, but comes with it himself. Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Those are the concluding words of Christ's message to the blind angel. Jesus can enter the church of Laodicea, our church today, only through the door of the individual human heart. See the great physician standing there, friend. He not only knocks, but he asks, he speaks.

He seeks entrance. If any man hear my voice and open the door. If we refuse to answer his knocking now, he will refuse to hear our knocking at his door hereafter. This message is an appeal to backsliders, an appeal to the cold and indifferent, an appeal to the blind, to the wretched and to the needy spiritually. Christ's message to all of us in Laodicea.

It is an awakening message, a message of warning and rebuke, but a message of love. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord. We read in Malachi 3, verse 7, that's the message. He will deliver us from our self-righteousness and will make us warm in his service. He will send us forth with the Word of God, with faith, and with love to win men to him before the vast curtain of eternity is rolled down.

Will you not now, friend, as you hear, open the door of your heart to him today? Laodicea, that's the time in which we live. The church of Laodicea, the Christians of the last days. So the message is to us and very, very important. O Jesus, thou art standing outside the fast-closed door, in lowly patience waiting to pass the threshold door.

We bear the name of Christians, thy name and sign we bear. O shame, thrice shame upon us to keep thee waiting there. Let us open the door and let Jesus in today. There's a Savior who stands at the door of your heart, He is longing to enter, why let Him depart? He has patiently called you so often before, called you so often before, but you must open the door.

You must open the door. You must open the door. When Jesus comes in, he will save you from sin. But You must open the door. He will lead you at last to that blessed abode, to the city of God at the end of the road, where the night never falls when life's journey is o'er.

But you must open the door. You must open the door. You must open the door. When Jesus comes in, he will save you from sin, but you must open the door. This is Orville Iverson of the Voice of Prophecy reminding you to look up and to continue to press on, ever going forward, in faith.

Have faith in God, clear sight and vision seek. Have faith in God, though wretched, poor, and weak. Have faith in God through Jesus, holy, meek. Have faith, dear friend, in God. Friends, we have a special request to make of you today.

We're asking all of our Voice of Prophecy radio listeners to join us in a special prayer during this week for the Voice of Prophecy's broadcasts over Africa and India. There are great areas of these countries which we need to cover. Please pray that the way will open up and that God will lead us So that we will be able to broadcast in these great lands to the millions of people who live there We hope this program of ours has served to give you spiritual strength for this week, and we invite you to join us again next week at the same time for another broadcast brought to you by the Voice of Prophecy. And so, 1 and all, everywhere, we say to you, The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Peace. Amen.

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The Blind Angel

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