Garam Dunia Dan Perjanjian Garam

Umumnya pembahasan mengenai garam dunia difokuskan pada fungsi garam dapur yang menyedapkan dan mengawetkan. Kita akan belajar lebih dalam lagi tentang garam dunia dan perjanjian garam.

MATIUS 5 : 13
¹³ "Kamu adalah garam dunia. Jika garam itu menjadi tawar, dengan apakah ia diasinkan? Tidak ada lagi gunanya selain dibuang dan diinjak orang.

Maksud TUHAN YESUS dengan mengatakan, “Kamu adalah garam dunia…” bukan sekedar bermakna bahwa orang Kristen membawa suasana gurih bagi orang-orang di lingkungannya. Banyak orang yang perkataan gurih plus senyum manis, contohnya seperti yang dilontarkan waitress di depan pintu resto untuk mengajak bersantap di resto tersebut (tentunya bukan makan gratis!). Orang itu belum tentu garam dunia.

Ada yang berpendapat, bahwa sebagai garam dunia, maka orang Kristen menggarami dunia. Makna garam dunia berbeda jauh dengan menggarami dunia, Bung! Di dalam Hakim-Hakim 9:45 Abimelekh menyerang Israel, khususnya warga Sikhem, dengan menerapkan taktik perang “menggarami dunia”, yakni menaburkan garam ke tanah wilayah musuh setelah mengalahkannya. Tujuannya adalah supaya tanaman tidak dapat tumbuh. Jadi menggarami dunia sangat bertolak belakang dengan menjadi garam dunia.

IMAMAT 2 : 11, 13
¹¹ Suatu korban sajian yang kamu persembahkan kepada TUHAN janganlah diolah beragi, karena dari ragi atau dari madu tidak boleh kamu membakar sesuatupun sebagai korban api-apian bagi TUHAN. ¹³ Dan tiap-tiap persembahanmu yang berupa korban sajian haruslah kaububuhi garam, janganlah kaulalaikan garam perjanjian ALLAHmu dari korban sajianmu; beserta segala persembahanmu haruslah kaupersembahkan garam.

Peraturan dalam memberi persembahan sajian adalah tidak boleh membubuhkan ragi; yang harus dibubuhkan adalah garam. Dari sini kita bisa menarik kesimpulan, bahwa garam dan ragi saling berlawanan. Ingat bahwa TUHAN YESUS pernah menasehati murid-murid-NYA agar waspada terhadap ragi Farisi. Saat itu murid-murid berpikir TUHAN YESUS mengatakan hal itu, karena mereka tidak membawa roti. Padahal yang dimaksud TUHAN YESUS bukan ragi untuk membuat roti, tetapi ajaran orang Farisi. Demikian pula saat TUHAN YESUS mengatakan, kita adalah garam dunia. Jangan kita terjebak dan menafsirkan garam dunia dengan penafsiran garam dapur.

Ragi dan garam dunia berlawanan. Ragi adalah ajaran yang bukan dari TUHAN, berlawanan dengan ajaran Firman TUHAN yang murni. Kita akan menjadi garam dunia kalau di dalam tiap persembahan (artinya ibadah) yang diberitakan adalah Firman TUHAN yang murni. Membubuhkan garam pada persembahan itu bukan sekedar persyaratan saja, tetapi merupakan perjanjian. Garam bukan sekedar pelengkap, tapi merupakan meterai perjanjian kita dengan ALLAH. Repotnya, kadang-kadang kita sungkan menolak undangan teman, calon mertua, atau bos untuk datang ke persekutuan, padahal kita tahu dalam persekutuan itu tidak diberitakan Firman TUHAN yang murni. Memang kita harus menghormati orang lain berikut segala kepercayaan yang mereka anut, namun bukan berarti kita harus mengikuti ibadah mereka, bukan?

Bukan saja korban sajian yang harus dibubuhi garam, tapi di dalam Yehezkiel 43:24-25 tertulis, bahwa korban bakaran dan korban penghapus dosa juga harus dibubuhi garam. Korban penghapus dosa adalah awal ibadah kita atau pertobatan kita dari orang berdosa menjadi orang Kristen. Artinya setiap persembahan atau ibadah itu harus mengikuti perjanjian garam.

2 TAWARIKH 13 : 5
⁵ Tidakkah kamu tahu, bahwa TUHAN ALLAH Israel telah memberikan kuasa kerajaan atas Israel kepada Daud dan anak-anaknya untuk selama-lamanya dengan suatu perjanjian garam?

Perjanjian garam adalah perjanjian untuk selama-lamanya atau kekal. TUHAN YESUS menyebut kita sebagai garam dunia karena memiliki ciri, yaitu rasanya yang asin, artinya kita punya kekekalan atau hidup kekal. Kalau garam tidak lagi asin, maka tidak ada gunanya selain diinjak-injak orang. Artinya sia-sia menjadi orang Kristen jika tidak memiliki hidup kekal.

TUHAN mengikat perjanjian garam atau perjanjian kekal dengan Daud, terbukti TUHAN YESUS disebut Anak Daud. Perjanjian garam antara orang beriman dengan TUHAN adalah perjanjian kekal sampai di Sorga.

MATIUS 16 : 16 - 19
¹⁶ Maka jawab Simon Petrus: "ENGKAU adalah MESIAS, ANAK ALLAH yang hidup!" ¹⁷ Kata YESUS kepadanya: "Berbahagialah engkau Simon bin Yunus sebab bukan manusia yang menyatakan itu kepadamu, melainkan BAPAKU yang di sorga. ¹⁸ Dan AKUpun berkata kepadamu: Engkau adalah Petrus dan di atas batu karang ini AKU akan mendirikan jemaat-Ku dan alam maut tidak akan menguasainya. ¹⁹ Kepadamu akan KUberikan kunci Kerajaan Sorga. Apa yang kauikat di dunia ini akan terikat di sorga dan apa yang kaulepaskan di dunia ini akan terlepas di sorga."

Perjanjian garam antara kita dengan ALLAH terjadi saat kita mengakui YESUS sebagai MESIAS seperti yang dilakukan oleh Petrus. Sejak saat itulah kita beralih dari alam maut pada hidup kekal, atau kita menjadi garam dunia.

“Apa yang kau ikat di dunia akan terikat di Sorga dan apa yang kau lepas di dunia akan terlepas di Sorga” artinya TUHAN di Sorga memonitor keadaan anak-anak-NYA di dunia. Jika kita di dunia mengalami kesulitan, TUHAN di Sorga tahu dan merasakannya. Tentu saja ALLAH tidak mungkin mengalami kesulitan, karena itu DIA pasti akan menyesaikan segala masalah kita.

YEHEZKIEL 16 : 4
⁴ Kelahiranmu begini: Waktu engkau dilahirkan, pusatmu tidak dipotong dan engkau tidak dibasuh dengan air supaya bersih; juga dengan garampun engkau tidak digosok atau dibedungi dengan lampin.

Kondisi kita sebelum bertobat adalah tali pusat kita tidak dipotong, artinya hubungan dengan Adam yang membawa dosa asal belum terputus. Tidak dibasuh dengan air sama dengan tidak bersih dari dosa atau masih berbuat dosa. Kita juga tidak dibendung kain lampin, kita masih telanjang karena dosa. Kain lampin adalah tanda spesifik, sebab TUHAN YESUS lahir dibungkus dengan kain lampin. Sebelum naik ke kayu salib, TUHAN ditelanjangi dan kebenaran-NYA itu diberikan supaya kita bisa mengikat perjanjian garam dengan ALLAH yang membawa pada hidup kekal.

MARKUS 9 : 50
⁵⁰ Garam memang baik, tetapi jika garam menjadi hambar, dengan apakah kamu mengasinkannya? Hendaklah kamu selalu mempunyai garam dalam dirimu dan selalu hidup berdamai yang seorang dengan yang lain."

Orang Kristen tidak dituntut hendaklah engkau berbahasa roh, hendaklah engkau memiliki karunia nubuat, tetapi dituntut memiliki garam di dalam hidupnya, yaitu memiliki hidup kekal. Itu adalah tujuan utama kita sebagai orang Kristen. Tanpa memiliki hidup kekal, maka di dalam hidup kita tidak akan ada damai sejahtera.

Garam yang hambar sama saja bukan garam, kekristenan tanpa hidup kekal tidak ada artinya. Namun kita tidak mungkin dapat mengusahakan hidup kekal dengan usaha kita sendiri. Cara satu-satunya untuk memulihkannya adalah dengan berbalik kepada TUHAN YESUS dan mengakui DIA sebagai Juruselamat kita.

Setelah kita memiliki garam di dalam hidup kita atau kita menjadi garam dunia, maka sebagai buktinya adalah kita hidup damai dengan orang lain. Hidup damai dan mengasihi anggota keluarga yang lain di dalam rumah tangga, damai di dalam lingkungan pekerjaan, pergaulan, di mana pun kita berada.

1 YOHANES 4 : 20
²⁰ Jikalau seorang berkata: "Aku mengasihi ALLAH," dan ia membenci saudaranya, maka ia adalah pendusta, karena barangsiapa tidak mengasihi saudaranya yang dilihatnya, tidak mungkin mengasihi ALLAH, yang tidak dilihatnya.

Bohong kalau orang Kristen mengatakan dia mengasihi ALLAH tapi membenci saudaranya. Sebab tidak mungkin seseorang bisa mengashi ALLAH yang tidak kasat mata jika dia tidak bisa mengasihi saudaranya sendiri. Warna asli garam adalah transparan, bukan putih. Hidup kekal itu transparan, tidak terlihat, tetapi ada dan nyata. Garam dunia ini bukan dilihat dari warnanya, karena memang tidak terlihat, tetapi dari rasanya yang dinyatakan dengan saling mengasihi.

Perlu diingat, mengasihi itu bukan bersikap kompomi, namun justru menegur orang yang berbuat salah. Sikap tidak mau menengur malah menunjukkan sikap menjerumuskan dan tidak adanya kasih. TUHAN sendiri berfirman, “Barangsiapa KUkasihi, ia KUtegor.”

Tunjukkanlah kasih kita dengan mau bersaksi kepada orang lain, agar mereka juga terikat dengan perjanjian garam, perjanjian kekal dengan ALLAH. Itulah tugas kita sebagai garam dunia.

Ellen G. White and "The Bible and the Bible Only"

Do Seventh-day Adventists believe that the writings of Ellen G. White are equal to, or an addition to, the Scriptures? If the Bible is all-sufficient, why do we need Ellen White's writings?
Seventh-day Adventists do not place Ellen White's writings on the same level as Scripture. "The Holy Scriptures stand alone, the unique standard by which her and all other writings must be judged and to which they must be subject" (Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , p. 227). Another way of framing this question is to ask why the church should need any of the promised gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ellen White answered this question in the Introduction to her book The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan:
"In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16, 17, R.V.).
"Yet the fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour, to open the Word to His servants, to illuminate and apply its teachings. And since it was the Spirit of God that inspired the Bible, it is impossible that the teaching of the Spirit should ever be contrary to that of the Word.
"The Spirit was not given--nor can it ever be bestowed--to supersede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the Word of God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. . . .
"In harmony with the Word of God, His Spirit was to continue its work throughout the period of the gospel dispensation. During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from the revelations to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. The Bible itself relates how, through the Holy Spirit, men received warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, in matters in no way relating to the giving of the Scriptures. And mention is made of prophets in different ages, of whose utterances nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of the canon of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God" (The Great Controversy, pp. vii, viii).

Ellen G. White's Practice Regarding Vegetarianism

Did Ellen White eat any meat after her health-reform vision in 1863? What about that 1858 "pork" testimony?
Ellen White did not claim that after her 1863 health vision she never again ate meat. Prior to the vision, she believed that she "was dependent upon a meat diet for strength." Because of her weak physical condition, especially for her tendency to faint when weak and dizzy, she thought that meat was "indispensable." In fact, at that time she was "a great meat eater"; flesh meat was her "principal article of diet."

But she complied with advancing light. She cut meat out of her "bill of fare" immediately, and it was no longer a regular part of her diet. She practiced the general principles she taught others, such as that one must use the best food available under the circumstances. When away from home, either while traveling or camping in austere conditions, decades before convenience foods were invented, finding an adequate diet was often difficult. Not always able to obtain the best, for whatever reason, she at times settled for the good--the best under the circumstances.

Ellen White was not dogmatic regarding meat eating. In 1895 she noted, "I have never felt that it was my duty to say that no one should taste of meat under any circumstances. To say this . . . would be carrying matters to extremes. I have never felt that it was my duty to make sweeping assertions. What I have said I have said under a sense of duty, but I have been guarded in my statements, because I did not want to give occasion for anyone to be conscience for another" (Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp.462, 463).

In modern attempts to understand history, too frequently the past is judged by the present, most often unknowingly. Individuals of the past must be judged in the context of their circumstances, not ours. In a day without refrigeration, when obtaining fresh fruit and vegetables depended on where one lived and the time of the year, when meat substitutes were rarely obtainable before the introduction of peanut butter and dry-cereals (mid-1890s), on some occasions one either ate meat or nothing at all. In our day, in most circumstances meat eating is rarely a necessity.

While in Australia, she came to the place where she "absolutely banished meat from my table." For a time, she had allowed some meat to be served to workers and family members. From that time on (January 1894) it was understood "that whether I am at home or abroad, nothing of this kind is to be used in my family, or come upon my table" (ibid., p. 488). Many of Ellen White's strongest statements against meat were written after she had renewed her commitment to total abstinence in 1894.

Ellen White's major health visions of 1863 and 1865 encompassed all features of the health reform message that she emphasized until her death. Changes in certain emphases through the years only refined those principles, they did not add or subtract from them. As time passes, even prophets must take time to assimilate revealed principles--time for theory to become practice in their own lives. She constantly advocated the principle, in practice as well as in teaching, that everyone who is committed to truth will move from the bad to the good, from the good to the better, from the better to the best. Such was her experience.
What about her apparent reversal on the question of eating pork? In 1858 she wrote to the Haskells (Brother and Sister A) on a number of items, rebuking them for insisting that pork-eating should be made a "test question": "I saw that your views concerning swine's flesh would prove no injury if you have them to yourselves; but in your judgment and opinion you have made this question a test. . . . If God requires His people to abstain from swine's flesh, He will convict them on the matter. . . . If it is the duty of the church to abstain from swine's flesh, God will discover it to more than two or three. He will teach His church their duty" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 206, 207).

In the health reform vision of June 6, 1863, a broad array of health principles was revealed. The next year she published a fifty-page chapter entitled "Health" in Spiritual Gifts, volume 4. In reference to swine's flesh she said: "God never designed the swine to be eaten under any circumstances" (p. 124), and in her later books she continued to emphasize the injurious consequences of eating swine's flesh.

How does one account for this change in Ellen White's views between 1858 and 1863?
First, she had received no light from God on swine's flesh before 1863. Her vision in 1858 did not inform her as to the rightness or wrongness of eating pork. Rather, it reproved this brother for creating division among Adventists by making the issue a test question at that time. Second, she left open the possibility that if pork-eating ought to be discarded by God's people, He would, in His own time, "teach his church their duty." When the vision did come, nearly five years later, the whole church saw the issue clearly and never again was there division regarding this issue.

Home at Last!

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matt. 25:21.

As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory. It is written, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.

By and by the gates of heaven will be thrown open to admit God's children, and from the lips of the King of glory the benediction will fall on their ears like richest music, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34.

Then the redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them.

Then I saw Jesus lead the redeemed company to the gate of the city. He laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its glittering hinges and bade the nations that had kept the truth enter in. Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them. He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." . . .

Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Savior’s love.

Heaven is Cheap Enough

He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Isa. 53:10, 11.

The love of God is without measure, without comparison! It is infinite. . . . When we contemplate the dignity and glory of Christ we see how great was that love that prompted the sacrifice made upon the cross of Calvary for the redemption of a lost world. This theme will fill the saints with wonder and amazement through eternal ages, and why should we not meditate upon it here in this world? . . .

O the mystery of godliness--God manifest in the flesh! This mystery increases as we try to comprehend it. It is incomprehensible, and yet human beings will allow worldly, earthly things to intercept the faint view it is possible for mortals to have of Jesus and His matchless love. . . . How can we be enthusiastic over earthly, common things and not be stirred with this picture --the cross of Calvary, the love that is revealed in the death of God's dear Son . . . ?

All this humiliation and anguish were endured to bring back the wanderers, guilty and thankless, to the Father's house. O the home of the blest--I cannot afford to lose it! I shall, if saved in the kingdom of God, be constantly discerning new depths in the plan of salvation. All the redeemed saints will see and appreciate as never before the love of the Father and the Son, and songs of praise will burst forth from immortal tongues. He loved us, He gave His life for us. With glorified bodies, with enlarged capacities, with hearts made pure, with lips undefiled, we shall sing the riches of redeeming love. There will be no suffering ones in heaven, no skeptics whom we must labor to convince of the reality of eternal things, no prejudices to uproot, but all will be susceptible to that love which passeth knowledge. Rest, thank God, there is a rest for the people of God, where Jesus will lead the redeemed into green pastures, by the streams of living waters which make glad the city of our God. Then the prayer of Jesus to His Father will be answered: "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."

The Gratitude of the Redeemed

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. Matt. 25:40.

Every action of ours in befriending God's people will be rewarded as done unto Himself.

What satisfaction will every reaper have, when the clear, musical voice of Jesus shall be heard, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

The Redeemer is glorified because He has not died in vain. With glad, rejoicing hearts, those who have been colaborers with God see of the travail of their soul for perishing, dying sinners, and are satisfied. The anxious hours they have spent, the perplexing circumstances they have had to meet, the sorrow of heart because some refused to see and receive the things which make for their peace, are forgotten. The self-denial they have practiced in order to support the work, is remembered no more. As they look upon the souls they sought to win to Jesus, and see them saved, eternally saved--monuments of God's mercy and of a Redeemer's love--there ring through the arches of heaven shouts of praise and thanksgiving.

There is a heaven before us, and among its inhabitants there will be no strife. . . .

We shall greet the holy family of the redeemed, and hear the words of Christ, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." We shall touch our golden harps, and heaven will ring with rich music. We shall cast our glittering crowns at His feet, and give glory to Him who has overcome in our behalf.

There may be some things here that we do not understand. Some things in the Bible may appear to us mysterious, because they are beyond our finite comprehension. But as our Savior leads us by the living waters, He will make clear to our minds that which was not before clearly understood.

The Biblical Basis for a Modern Prophet

    The prophetic gift rests upon the fundamental need for communication to take place between the Deity and the fallen family of humankind. The occult and the category of false prophets are two systems which have functioned throughout human history to deceive and to mislead the ignorant and the unwary away from genuine communications from God. On the other hand, God's communications systems—basically the prophetic gift—is delineated clearly in the Scriptures (Num 12:6; Amos 3:7; Luke 1:70).

    Four words (three Hebrew, one Greek) are used in the Scriptures to refer to the human instrument in this form of communication. Ro'eh (1 Sam 9:9; Isa 30:10) and the more common chozeh(2 Sam 24:11; Amos 7:12; 2 Kgs 17:13, et cetera) both relate to the concept of "sight" and are commonly translated "seer." The idea seems to be that God opens to the "eyes"—that is, to the understanding of the prophet—whatever information or messages He may wish to have transmitted to His people. The terms therefore emphasize the reception of a divine message by the prophet.

    The meaning of the later and more commonly used word, nâbi' (1 Sam 9:9) and its Greek equivalent, prophetes, is best seen in the following usage:

    And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet [nâbi']. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh. (Exod 7:1, 2)
    And thou shalt speak unto him [Aaron], and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. (Exod 4:15, 16)

    It is evident from these statements in which Moses and Aaron were to role-play as God and prophet respectively that the prophet (nâbi') was viewed as a divinely appointed spokesman for God. The LXX (Septuagint) term for nâbi' in this instance is prophetes, the term which appears in the NT and from which our English word prophet is derived.

    Prophetes is a compound word composed of the preposition pro which carries the nuance of "before"—or "for" in this instance—and the verb phemi, "to speak." Thus, in a general sense, the "prophet" is a spokesman for another. But in the biblical setting, a true prophet is a spokesman or interpreter of God, that is, he is a divinely inspired revealer, interpreter, or spokesman for the Deity. So the terms nâbi'/ prophetes emphasize the transmission aspect of the prophet's role. The four words together depict a unique office or function: A prophet is one who receives communications from God and transmits their intent to His people.

    As may be expected, speaking for God can shade off into preaching for God. Consequently, there are those who hold that in the NT the gift relates at times simply to expository preaching (Lenski, p. 760, on Rom 12:6). Some see it as a "gift of inspired preaching" (International Critical Commentary [ICC] on 1 Cor 13:2, p. 287), or "preaching the word with power" (ICC on 1 Cor 12:10, p. 266). However, from the context of 1 Corinthians 12—14 it is evident that although active "prophesying" may at times take the form of effective preaching (1 Cor 14:3), it was preaching based on divine revelation (1 Cor 14:30) and not upon the simple illumination of the Scriptures by the Spirit which may occur to any minister who speaks for God.

    The NT maintains a difference between the simple ministry of the Word and the prophetic ministry, between the "teacher" and the "prophet" (Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28). The preaching of Barnabas and Paul on the themes of salvation doubtless sounded much alike. But whereas one spoke by the authority of the written Word, the other spoke with the added authority of divine revelation (Gal 1:11, 12).

    While some authorities hold that "prophesying" (propheteuo) in the NT refers at times to preaching, it is conceded that a category of persons who received and communicated direct and special revelations from God did function in the New Testament as prophets (Luke 1:25-38; Acts 11:27, 28; 13:1; 15:32; 21:9). What was their function?

The Role of the Prophetic Gift in the NT
    In the basic New Testament lists of spiritual gifts the "prophetic gift" is listed as second—between that of apostles (first) and that of teachers (third). See 1 Corinthians 12:28-30; Ephesians 4:11. The gift did not usurp the role of the apostles, but its function affected the apostles at times as well as the church membership in general. Some of the apostles were themselves endowed with this gift. The activities of persons so endowed in NT times may be summarized as follows:

    1. They were commissioned at times to forewarn of coming difficulties (Acts 11:27-30; 20:23; 21:10-14). In the first instance (Acts 11) the warning of coming famine resulted in a brotherly bonding of the Gentile Christians in Antioch with the Jewish Christians in Judea. The former, contrary to ethnic customs, willingly sent relief to their Jewish brothers in Christ.

    2. Through the gift the foreign mission outreach of the church was initiated (Acts 13:1, 2). It also had a part in directing where the early missionaries were to labor (Acts 16:6-10). In Paul's second missionary tour it is noted that he was accompanied by Silas, a prophet (Acts 16:40).

    3. In a doctrinal crisis the gift functioned to encourage and to confirm the membership in the true doctrine. The crisis pertained to the relationship of the Jewish ritual to the salvation of Gentile Christians. A large church council made a decision in harmony with the Spirit's directive (Acts 15), although the decision was not inwardly accepted by all. The controversy had broken out in Antioch to which church the decision of the council was related by letter. Judas and Silas ministered for a time to this group: "And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted[parakaleo, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage] the brethren with many words and strengthened [confirmed, KJV; episterizo, strengthen] them" (Acts 15:32, RSV).

    4. The prophets built up, encouraged, and consoled the church. "He who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding, (oikodome, metaphorically, `building up the spiritual life') andencouragement [paraklesis, encouragement, exhortation] and consolation [paramuthia, encouragement, comfort, consolation]" (1 Cor 14:3, RSV).

    5. The prophets tended (along with the other gifts) to unify the church in the true faith and to protect it from false doctrines. "And his gifts were . . . until we all attain to the unity of the faith . . . so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles" (Eph 4:11-15, RSV).

    6. The prophets along with the apostles assisted in founding the church. "You are . . . built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" (Eph 2:20, RSV; cf. 3:5; 4:11).

    "The couplet `apostles and prophets' may bring together the Old Testament (prophets) and New Testament (apostles) as the basis of the Church's teaching. But the inverted order of the words (not `prophets and apostles' but `apostles and prophets') suggests that probably New Testament prophets are meant. If so, their bracketing with the apostles as the Church's foundation is significant. The reference must again be to a small group of inspired teachers, associated with the apostles, who together bore witness to Christ and whose teaching was derived from revelation (Eph 3:5) and was foundational" (John R. W. Stott, God's New Society [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979], 107. For a similar viewpoint, see The Expositor's Greek Testament, W. R. Nicoll, ed. [Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint 1961], 3:299, 300).

The Continuance of the Prophetic Gift
    As we have already noted, the NT does set forth a doctrine of "spiritual gifts," or charismata, "gifts of grace" (1 Cor 12; Eph 4). These endowments by the Holy Spirit upon individual members of the church are to "equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12, RSV). "As each has received a gift," he is to employ it in the service of the church and thus assist in forwarding its work in the earth (1 Pet 4:10, 11, RSV; cf. Rom 12:6, 7).

    Since the gifts are to be continuously bestowed as the Spirit sees fit "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . ." (Eph 4:13, RSV), it is obvious that the gifts are intended to function until the church has completed its ministry and human probation has closed.

    There is no evidence in Scripture that God ever intends to withdraw the prophetic gift or any of the other gifts this side of the Second Coming (cf. 1 Cor 13:8-12). There is, instead, the OT prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 which is repeated by Peter (Acts 2:16-21) foretelling an end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a resultant activity of spiritual gifts. In that connection it is appropriate to note that false prophets will be active in the end-time as well (Mat 24:24).

The Bible Canon and Spiritual Gifts
    The Holy Scriptures, composed of the Old and New Testaments, are themselves the product of the operation of the prophetic gift. Indirectly the Scriptures themselves indicate a closed canon of sacred writings. The limits and sections of the OT were already known and understood in Jesus' time. In Matthew 23:35, Jesus indirectly indicates its outer limits: Genesis to 2 Chronicles (the last book in the Hebrew Bible), and its three-part division in Luke 24:27, 44—the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the writings, the first of which was the Psalms.

    Hebrews describes the unfolding revelation thus: "In many and various ways [literally, `In many portions and in many ways'] God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:1, 2, RSV). Starting with Moses (fifteenth century B.C.) the revelations from God begin to be recorded; over the centuries other prophets record the messages entrusted to them as God saw fit to further the understanding of His people. Finally, God chose to make His ultimate revelation through His Son. Jesus Christ has given the human family the greatest revelation of God possible for man to receive (John 1:18). The New Testament is the inspired apostolic witness and interpretation of Jesus Christ and His teaching. His is an unrepeatable life and disclosure; theirs is an unrepeatable attestation to Him. See sketch:

    Since Christ's life on earth and the apostolic interpretation of it provide the ultimate revelation of God, no function of the prophetic gift (as one of the spiritual gifts) subsequent to the NT can equal, supersede, or be an addition to its unique witness. But rather, all claims to the prophetic gift must be tested by the Scriptures (1 Thess 5:19-21; 1 John 4:1-3; Matt 7:15-20).

    The postcanonical function of the prophetic gift whenever it shall appear will be similar to its function in the time of the apostles and will carry with it the authority of the Spirit who speaks to the church through it. The function may be summarized as follows:

    A postcanonical manifestation of the prophetic gift—

    1. Will point back to Holy Scripture as the basis of faith and practice.
    2. Will illumine and clarify teachings already present in Scripture.
    3. Will apply the principles of Scripture to the daily life.
    4. May be a catalyst to direct the church to carry out its commission as charged in the Scriptures.
    5. May assist in establishing the church.
    6. May reprove, warn, instruct, encourage, build up, and unify the church in the truths of Scripture.
    7. May function to protect the church from false doctrine and to establish believers in the true.

End-Time Manifestation of the Gift
    Joel 2:28-32. Living in the "last times" (from the OT perspective, 1 Pet 1:20; Heb 1:2) the apostle Peter saw a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit with the endowment of tongues (Acts 2). However, Pentecost seems to have been only a partial fulfillment, for Jesus places the signs in the sun and moon mentioned by Joel as coming after the Dark Ages of persecution and nearer the advent of "the great and the terrible day of the Lord" (Joel 2:31). Furthermore, Joel specifically refers to a manifestation of the gift of prophecy. Thus a complete fulfillment of Joel's ancient prediction would require an end-time manifestation of the prophetic gift.

    Matthew 7:15-20; 24:24. Inasmuch as Jesus foretold the appearance of "false prophets" in the end-time, such a prediction is presumptive evidence of a true manifestation of the gift.

    1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; et cetera. The New Testament doctrine of "spiritual gifts" (which includes the prophetic gift) has never been rescinded. If the past may give any indication of the future, we may note that the prophetic gift commonly functioned at periods of crisis or significance: Noah before the Flood; the major and minor prophets cluster around the critical periods of Israel's history when Assyria, Babylon, and Persia threaten or affect Israel's existence; John the Baptist before Christ's advent, et cetera. It would be reasonable to expect therefore, some kind of prophetic manifestation prior to the close of human probation and the Second Advent, the consummation of the Plan of Salvation.

    Revelation 12:17; 19:10. While our pioneers emphasized the prediction of Joel 2 in defense of a legitimate manifestation of the prophetic gift, they were not unmindful of the implications of Revelation 12:17; 19:10. Writing in the Review and Herald of October 16, 1855, James White stated:

    But let us look at Joel 2:32, and see where he locates the prophecy. "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." It is the REMNANT that is to witness these things. It is the remnant (or last portion of the church) that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (which is the spirit of prophecy, Revelation 19:10) most certainly, that is to share this deliverance. "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord" in the time of trouble such as never was, will share that deliverance. "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him . . . ?" Luke xvii, 1-8. This calling on the name of the Lord is also symbolized by the angel [Revelation 14:15] crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, "Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
    God has ever manifested His power to His children according to their necessities and their work. And can we for a moment suppose that God's people will pass through the perils of the last days, and face the time of trouble such as never was, and He not manifest Himself to them through those gifts which He Himself has set in the Church? Nay, verily. God has by the prophet Joel promised to do great things for the REMNANT `before the great and the dreadful day of the Lord come.

    1. The book of Revelation depicts two women: a pure woman clothed in light (Rev 12), and a fallen woman, designated "Babylon the great" (Rev 17). In a sense, both women symbolize the same entity: Christianity. Both have descendants (12:17; 17:5). Revelation 12 appears to be sketching the loyal followers of God and the course of their history; Revelation 17 symbolizes the development and course of Christian apostasy.

    The pure woman hiding in the wilderness to escape persecution both by the dragon (12:17), and by the fallen woman (17:6), in essence, represents multiple loyal groups. These groups (while not necessarily doctrinally pure in every respect: compare the symbolized history of the church, Rev 2:3), maintained faith in God and loyalty to the Scriptures during the period of the Dark Ages. How then is the "remnant of her seed" ("the rest of her offspring," RSV) to be identified: Is it to be understood as an end-time remainder of Christianity in general? Or, is it to be delimited to a specific group of Christians?

    2. The book of Revelation appears to describe the truehearted followers of God in the end-time under two different classifications: (a) "the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God" (12:17), and (b) "my [God's] people" who are in Babylon (18:4). This would imply—in a technical sense—that the group designated in Revelation 12 as "the remnant" do not constitute all genuine Christians in general, but is being delimited here to a specific group by certain characterizations: they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.

    Furthermore, it is reasonable to assume that the remnant or last phase of God's people spoken of in Revelation 12:17 will also preach God's last message. That last message is described in Revelation 14:9-12 as the "third angel." It is a specific message with definite points and involves the contents of the first two angels as well (see Rev 14:6-14). If those who compose the "remnant" of Revelation 12 are the propounders of the message of the third angel (Rev 14), then they would of necessity have to be a specific group of Christians, distinguished by the characteristics of that special message. Historically, Seventh-day Adventists have believed they were fulfilling the role of the third angel; hence, we have naturally seen our movement as also symbolized in 12:17.

    3. "The testimony of Jesus" (12:17). The question here is whether this phrase denotes an end-time manifestation of the prophetic gift in the group delimited as "the remnant of her seed."
    The expression "testimony of Jesus" occurs six times in the book of Revelation (1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4). The first problem which relates to the expression concerns translation. Two translations are grammatically possible:

    a. The testimony (witness) about/concerning Jesus (objective genitive) = what Christians witness about Jesus; "who bear testimony to Jesus" (RSV).

    b. The testimony (witness) from/by Jesus (subjective genitive) = messages from Jesus to the church.

    The evidence from the use of this expression in the book of Revelation suggests that it should be understood as a subjective genitive (a testimony from or by Jesus), and that this testimony is given through prophetic revelation. A few exhibits:
    a. Revelation 1:1, 2. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants . . . and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw."

    In this context it is evident that "the Revelation of Jesus" designates a revelation from or by Jesus to John. John then bears record of this testimony/witness from Jesus. Both genitive expressions make the best sense in context as subjective genitives and agree with Christ's closing words in the book: "He which testifieth [witnesses] these things saith, Surely I come quickly" (Rev 22:20).

    Commenting on the same phrase in Revelation 19:10, James Moffat writes.

    The testimony of Jesus is practically equivalent to Jesus testifying (xxii, 20). It is the self-revelation of Jesus (according to i, l, due ultimately to God) which moves the Christian prophets. He forms at once the impulse and subject of their utterances. (The Expositor's Greek Testament, W. Robertson Nicoll, ed. [Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961 reprint], 5:465)

    b. A comparison of Revelation 19:10 and 22:9 links the testimony from Jesus with the prophetic function:

19:10—"You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you" (RSV) and
22:9—"You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you" (RSV) and
19:10—"your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus" (RSV)
22:9—"your brethren the prophets . . ." (RSV)

    c. Revelation 19:10 defines the testimony from Jesus as "the spirit of prophecy." "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
    Although James Moffat regards the sentence as a gloss, he analyzes its meaning from the implications of a subjective genitive.

    "For the testimony or witness of (i.e., borne by) Jesus is (i.e., constitutes) the spirit of prophecy." This . . . specifically defines the brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus as possessors of prophetic inspiration. (Ibid.)

    4. The phrase "spirit of prophecy" may be understood in either of two senses:

    a. It can refer to the Holy Spirit who indites or conveys the prophetic revelation. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet 1:21). Such expressions as the "Spirit of grace," the "Spirit of truth," et cetera, designate the Spirit who conveys grace or who conveys truth. So the testimony from Jesus may be equated or linked with the Spirit's function to inspire the prophet with a revelation from God (cf. 1:10). Such a revelation is, in effect, a testimony or witness from Jesus. This interpretation of the phrase is in keeping with 1 Peter 1:11 which notes that the OT prophets were inspired by "the Spirit of Christ" and thus bore a testimony from Him.

    b. The phrase, "spirit of prophecy," may also be understood as the genius or distinctive essence of prophecy. Jesus bearing witness is the very genius or soul of prophecy. James White phrased it this way: "The spirit, soul, and substance of prophecy, is the testimony of Jesus Christ. Or, the voice of the prophets relative to the plan and work of human redemption, is the voice of the Redeemer" (Life Sketches [1880 ed.], 335-36, cited in SDA Encyclopedia, art., "Spirit of Prophecy").

    5. In either case, the passage of 12:17 stresses that the remnant have (are having, present participle of echo) the prophetic testimony from Jesus. It is a possession which the remnant is described as having or holding onto as the dragon makes his final offensive against God's end-time people. (See Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon on the use of marturia[witness/testimony in Revelation].)

    6. If the "testimony of Jesus" is indeed the witness of Jesus to His church through the prophetic channel, then the question is whether the characterization of 12:17 is stressing the remnant's possession of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments or the possession of a postcanonical manifestation of spiritual gifts in the form of the prophetic gift. The former assertion seems too obvious a point for the prophetic writer to underscore; but a manifestation of the prophetic gift in an end-time setting would be significant.

    This prophecy regarding the remnant's possession of the prophetic testimony from Jesus may be compared with the many references to the Messiah in the Davidic Psalms. A reader in OT times would have related many—if not all—of the statements in these psalms to David. Later—after Christ's life, atoning death, and resurrection—these statements are seen to have a greater and more perfect application to the Messiah, the Son of David. Just so, in the fulfillment of Revelation 12:17, together with the development of the movement of the third angel, we may now see what was not evident before that development: that the remnant's possession of the "testimony of Jesus" involves the heartwarming truth that Christ has chosen to speak once more through the prophetic gift to His people as they face the myriad challenges of the end-time and the close of human probation.

Standar pengadilan sorga

}PENGKHOTBAH 12:13,14

“Penurutan terhadap Hukum Allah adalah kewajiban setiap orang.  Dan Allah akan membawa segala setiap perbuatan ke pengadilan yang berlaku atas segala sesuatu yang tersembunyi, entah itu baik, entah itu jahat.”

}THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
 454

“HUKUM ALLAH ADALAH STANDAR DIMANA TABIAT DAN KEHIDUPAN MANUSIA DIUJI PADA HARI PENGHAKIMAN.”

}HUKUM ALLAH
(gc 407)

}HUKUM ALLAH ADALAH TABIAT/KARAKTER ALLAH SENDIRI.  SEHINGGA SELURUH ALAM SEMESTA MEMILIKI STANDAR YANG SAMA DALAM MENGUJI KESETIAAN DAN KEBENARAN YANG DIJALANKAN TERMASUK KEPADA PENDUDUK BUMI INI.

}The great controversy

}ADA 3 KITAB/BUKU CATATAN SORGA:

1.KITAB KEHIDUPAN

2.KITAB PERINGATAN

3.KITAB PERBUATAN DOSA

}KITAB  KEHIDUPAN
 (GC  452;  LUK 10:20)

“  Semua orang yang pernah terlibat dan ambil bagian dalam pelayanan Allah, dicatat di dalam buku ini.”

}KITAB PERINGATAN
(GC 453; MAL 3:16; MAZ 56:9)

1)SEGALA PERBUATAN BAIK DICATAT DISINI DARI ORANG-ORANG YANG TAKUT AKAN ALLAH

2)PERBUATAN KEBAJIKAN SETIAP UMAT ALLAH DICATAT DISINI

3)KEJAHATAN YANG TELAH DIKALAHKAN

4)PERKATAAN LEMAH LEMBUT YANG DINYATAKAN

5)TINDAKAN PENGORBANAN UMATNYA

6)PENDERITAAN KARENA YESUS

}KITAB PERBUATAN DOSA
(GC 453; Pengkh 12:14; mat 12:36,37)

}Catatan tentang dosa-dosa manusia yang dicatat oleh Malaikat Pencatat.  Antara lain:        

}        niat dan maksud yang   tersembunyi

}        perkataan yang salah    mementingkan diri

}                      kewajiban yang tidak    dijalankan

}           dosa-dosa rahasia          kepura-puraan yang licik

}       amaran yang diabaikan   waktu yang disia-siakan

}     pengaruh yang digunakan    untuk kejahatan hebat

}

}                     

}

}                   

}THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 454

}“ Sementara Kitab-Kitab catatan dibuka di Sorga, maka kehidupan semua orang yang percaya kepada Yesus diperiksa kembali dihadapan Allah.  Pengantara itu membawa perkara-perkara dari masing-masing generasi secara berurutan, mulai dari mereka yang pertama hidup di dunia hingga mereka yang masih hidup.  Setiap nama disebutkan, setiap perkara diperiksa dengan teliti.  Ada nama-nama yang diterima, ada yang ditolak.”

}THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 455;
Yeh 18:24

}“ Apabila ada seseorang mempunyai dosa-dosa  yang tertinggal pada Kitab-Kitab catatan, yang tidak ditinggalkan dan tidak diampuni (diakui), maka nama-nama mereka akan dihapuskan dari Kitab Kehidupan, dan catatan perbuatan baik mereka akan dihapuskan dari Kitab Peringantan Allah.

}

}Orang benar yang melakukan kejahatan….segala kebenarannya tidak akan diingat-ingat lagi

}Wahyu 3:5

}“Barang siapa menang, ia akan dikenakan pakaian putih yang demikian; Aku tidak akan menghapus namanya dari KITAB KEHIDUPAN, melainkan Aku akan mengaku namanya di hadapan Bapa-Ku dan dihadapan para malaikat-Nya.”

}THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 455

}“Semua yang telah sungguh-sungguh bertobat dari dosa, dan oleh iman mengakui darah Kristus sebagai korban pendamaian mereka, berarti telah memperoleh keampunan atas nama mereka dalam Kitab-Kitab di Sorga;  Oleh sebab mereka telah mengmbil bagian dalam Kebenaran Kristus, dan tabiat mereka didapati sesuai dengan Hukum Allah, maka dosa-dosa mereka dihapuskan, dan mereka sendiri akan dianggap layak menerima hidup kekal.”

}ARTI SALIB KRISTUS (GC 475)

}1.  Hukum Allah tidak berubah

}2.  Menyatakan kepada alam semesta bahwa upah dosa adalah maut.

}3.  Pintu kasihan bagi Setan dan malaikat  jahat lainnya berakhir.

}4.  Kegenapan kematian setan dimulai.

}5.  Penghapusan dari dosa dipastikan.

}PEMBASUHAN KAKI

}SIKAP RENDAH HATI  (MAT 20:28;  25:40)

}PEMURNIAN YANG LEBIH TINGGI

}PERSEKUTUAN PENGAMPUNAN (MAT 6:14,15)

}PERSEKUTUAN DENGAN KRISTUS DAN UMATNYA (YOH 13:1  ;  13:8)

}PERJAMUAN  TUHAN

}UMAT TUHAN DISELAMATKAN KARENA TURUT AMBIL BAGIAN DALAM TUBUH DAN DARAHNYA (YOH 6:54)

}MEMPERINGATI KEMATIAN, KEBANGKITAN DAN KEMENANGAN YESUS KRISTUS  (1 KOR 11:24)

}PENDAHULUAN SEBELUM MENIKMATI PERJAMUAN DI SORGA  (MAT 25:29)

}

}

}PENGADILAN SORGA

}Sudah berlangsung sejak tahun 1844 sampai sekarang ini.  Yesus sebagai Imam Besar sekaligus Pengantara manusia kepada Allah dalam memutuskan keselamatan dan kebinasaan manusia dari Adam sampai yang masih hidup sekarang ini.

}THE GREAT CONTROVERSY  455

}“SETELAH MAHKAMAH SORGA MEMUTUSKAN SIAPA-SIAPA YANG DIANGGAP LAYAK, KRISTUS MENYAMPAIKAN PERMOHONAN AGAR SEMUA YANG TELAH MENANG MELALUI IMAN DI DALAM DARAHNYA DIKEMBALIKAN KE RUMAH MEREKA DI EDEN, DAN DIMAHKOTAI SEBAGAI AHLI WARIS BERSAMA DIA SENDIRI KEPADA PEMERINTAHAN YANG DAHULU….KRISTUS BUKAN CUMA MEMOHON KEAMPUNAN DAN PEMBENARAN BAGI UMATNYA, TETAPI JUGA SUATU BAGIAN DALAM KEMULIAANNYA DAN SEBUAH KURSI DI TAKHTAHNYA.”

}TUHAN YESUS MEMBERKATI.

}

}

}

}MARANATHA………..AMIN

}