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the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding bright glory, that
appeared like a throne where God dwelt. Jesus stood by the ark, and
as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would
smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the
incense to His Father.
In the ark was the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded,
and the tables of stone, which folded together like a book. Jesus opened
them, and I saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger
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of God. On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the
first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath
commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart
to be kept in honor of God’s holy name. The holy Sabbath looked
glorious—a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath
commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine
commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well
as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath,
for He never changes. But the pope had changed it from the seventh to
the first day of the week; for he was to change times and laws.
And I saw that if God had changed the Sabbath from the seventh
to the first day, He would have changed the writing of the Sabbath
commandment, written on the tables of stone, which are now in the
ark in the most holy place of the temple in heaven; and it would read
thus: The first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. But I saw that
it read the same as when written on the tables of stone by the finger
of God, and delivered to Moses on Sinai, “But the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will
be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers;
and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God’s
dear, waiting saints.
I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath.
They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement
of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we
went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. This enraged the
churches and nominal Adventists, as they could not refute the Sabbath
truth. And at this time God’s chosen all saw clearly that we had the
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truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us. I saw
the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. The
wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and