The Close of
Probation
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Welcome to this lesson! Let's pray together:
Our Heavenly Father,
The more we go on with the study of Your prophetic Word, the more we realize the
importance of knowing what the future holds for us, in order to properly prepare ourselves
for the events that are coming.
Please grant us again the great privilege of probing the future, and help us, by the Holy
Spirit, to always remember all the valuable things you teach us.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 18:1,2,4
After these things I saw another angel coming down from
heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried
mightily with a loud voice, saying,
«Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison
for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!» (...)
And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
«Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her
plagues.»
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In our last lessons, we have seen that God's people, filled with the power of
the Holy Spirit following the latter rain, will mightily proclaim a final call to
salvation to all the inhabitants of the earth, before the pouring out of the last plagues
on Babylon and the whole world.
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Revelation 7:3,4
«Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we
have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.»
And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of
all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.
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So God calls us to take a stand for Him:
- first by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our
sins;
- then, through the work of His Spirit within us, by putting His law into
practice, including the observance of His day of rest, the Sabbath.
This is how we will receive the seal of God.
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Revelation 13:16,17
And [the beast coming up out of the earth] causes all,
both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand
or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name.
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All those who refuse to receive the seal of God will then receive the mark of
the beast.
This allegiance, either voluntary or not, will express itself through the observance of a
false day of rest, Sunday, denoting a clear opposition to God's commandment which requires
the keeping of the Sabbath.
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Proverbs 4:18,19
The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines
ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
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Matthew 12:30
[Jesus said:] «He who is not with Me is against Me.»
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Soon, each inhabitant of the earth will have received either the seal of God or
the mark of the beast.
This will be the close of probation, fixing the eternal destiny of each one, according to
his choice.
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Revelation 8:3-5
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and
stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the
prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the
angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the
earth.
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
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Probation being closed, Jesus will put an end to His intercessory ministry in
the heavenly sanctuary.
The seven last plagues will then strike the earth.
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Revelation 22:11,12
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is
filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who
is holy, let him be holy still.
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according
to his work.
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The close of probation will conclusively seal the eternal destiny of each
individual, and this is why Jesus says these strange words, before coming to gather His
people.
In fact, from that moment on, it will no longer be possible for the sinner to repent and
join the Church of God.
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Revelation 15:5,6,8
After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of
the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues (...).
The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was
able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
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The end of Jesus' intercession in the heavenly sanctuary, at the close of
probation, is marked by the temple filled with smoke, which no one can enter.
This picture comes from the Old Testament...
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Many times, the cloud of God's glory filled the earthly sanctuary:
«Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and
the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the
tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled
the tabernacle.» (EXODUS 40:34,35)
«It came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers (...) praised the Lord, saying:
"For He is good, for His mercy endures forever", that the house, the house of
the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering
because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.» (2 CHRONICLES
5:13,14)
«Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests
could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's
house.» (2 CHRONICLES 7:1,2)
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1 Kings 8:10,11
And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the
holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not
continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of
the Lord.
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Many times, the glory of God filled the earthly sanctuary, thus interrupting
the ministry of the priests.
Likewise, when Jesus Christ, our High Priest, leaves the heavenly sanctuary, it will be
filled with smoke, and Jesus' work of intercession will come to an end.
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Matthew 27:50,51
Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice,
yielded up His spirit.
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth
quaked, and the rocks were split.
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It is interesting to note that, at His death on the cross, Jesus put an end to
the service of the earthly sanctuary, moving this service to the heavenly sanctuary.
The end of the earthly temple's usefulness was marked both by the tearing of its veil,
leaving the temple opened to everybody's eyes, and by a mighty earthquake.
Now, let's look at what follows...
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The opened temple and the earthquake mark the end of the heavenly
service!
«Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the
ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises,
thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.» (REVELATION 11:19)
«After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony
in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven
plagues. (...) Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice
came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" And
there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a
mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.» (REVELATION
15:5,6; 16:17,18)
«Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the
earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.» (REVELATION
8:5)
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Genesis 7:8-10
Of clean beasts, of beasts that are unclean, of birds,
and of everything that creeps on the earth, two by two they went into the ark to Noah,
male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
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The close of probation strikingly calls to mind the account of Noah's ark and
the Flood. Let's see this parallel.
After announcing to men that a cataclysm was imminent, Noah finally entered the ark.
Let's note that the Flood did not begin immediately after the entrance of Noah into the
ark, but rather seven days later.
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Genesis 7:4,16
«For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on
the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all
living things that I have made.» (...)
So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and
the Lord shut him in.
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So, those who obeyed God entered the ark, and God Himself shut the door.
Although there were still seven days before the Flood, probation - the «door» of God's grace - was already closed, and it was no longer
possible to accept God's offer of salvation and enter the ark.
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Luke 13:25-27
When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut
the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, «Lord, Lord, open
for us», and He will answer and say to you, «I do not know you, where you are from»,
then you will begin to say, «We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our
streets.»
But He will say, «I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all
you workers of iniquity.»
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Following the pattern of the account of Noah's ark, Jesus also uses the notion
of «shut door» to illustrate the close of probation.
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A shut door indicates that it is no longer possible to be saved:
«And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the
bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" Then all those virgins arose and trimmed
their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out." But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not
be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves."
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him
to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
"Lord, Lord, open to us!" But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to
you, I do not know you."» (MATTHEW 25:6-12)
«And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, "These things says He who is
holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and
shuts and no one opens."» (REVELATION 3:7)
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Matthew 25:10-13
The bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in
with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, «Lord, Lord, open to us!»
But he answered and said, «Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.»
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is
coming.
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The parable of the ten virgins, the subject of a future lesson, indicates that
we know «neither the day nor the hour» of Jesus' return,
nor that of the close of probation which will take place shortly before Jesus' return.
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Matthew 24:38,39
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and
did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the
Son of Man be.
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In Noah's days, the Flood began only seven days after the close of the door of
the ark.
Likewise, a delay, whose length only God knows, will take place between the close of
probation and the pouring out of the seven plagues which will end with the return of
Jesus, as we will see in future lessons.
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Matthew 24:38,39
As in the days before the flood, (...) Noah entered the
ark, and [they] did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
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So, when God decides to announce the close of probation, the inhabitants of the
earth will be unaware of it.
Like the week before the Flood, no particular event will take place, and people will
continue to attend to their affairs.
But, when the plagues begin shortly afterward, the believers will then understand that the
period of probation is closed.
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Genesis 18:20,21,32; 19:1
And the Lord said, «Because the outcry against Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now (...).»
And [Abraham] said, «Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose
ten [righteous] should be found there?»
And He said, «I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.» (...)
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening.
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The delay between the close of probation and the execution of the punishment is
clearly illustrated here.
God told Abraham that probation was closed for Sodom and Gomorrah, and, that very evening,
He sent two angels to save Lot and his family before the destruction.
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Genesis 19:15,23,24
When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry,
saying,
«Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the
punishment of the city.» (...)
The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the
heavens.
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Before the coming of the angels, even Lot did not know that the probation of
Sodom and Gomorrah was closed.
After a delay of, in that case, less than one day, fire and brimstone destroyed the two
cities.
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Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your
holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for
iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the Most Holy.
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Let's look at a last example of a delay between the close of probation and the
execution of the punishment.
In this case, as we have seen in the lesson «The 70
Weeks», the Jewish people were granted a period of probation of 70 prophetic weeks,
that is, 490 years, to repent and return to God.
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Acts 13:45,46
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled
with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said,
«It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you
reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the
Gentiles.»
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But the Jews did not take advantage of this 490-year period of probation which
came to an end in A.D. 34, with the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr killed
by the hand of the Jewish nation itself.
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Matthew 23:37,38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you were not willing!
See! Your house is left to you desolate.
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Thirty-six years after the close of the 490-year period of probation, that is,
in A.D. 70, the punishment announced by Jesus against the Jewish nation was fulfilled.
The Roman army, led by general Titus, then destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and entirely
demolished its temple.
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Daniel 9:24,26
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your
holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins (...).
The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
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Interestingly, the same prophecy of the 70 weeks, announcing a 490-year period
of probation for the Jewish nation, ends with the punishment which followed the close of
this period of probation: the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
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Revelation 8:1
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in
heaven for about half an hour.
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We cannot know the moment of the close of probation, nor the exact length of
the delay before the beginning of the seven last plagues and the return of Jesus.
But we know that Jesus, after putting an end to His work of intercession in the heavenly
sanctuary, will return with all His angels to gather His people, leaving heaven empty for
a prophetic period of «about half an hour», as we have seen
in the lesson «Silence in Heaven».
So the delay will assuredly be short.
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Revelation 22:11,12
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is
filthy, let him be filthy still. (...)
Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to
his work.
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Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.
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What will happen after the close of probation?
Since Jesus' ministry of intercession is finished, the Holy Spirit will cease exerting His
influence over the hearts of men in order to lead them to repentance.
So men will be completely given over to the power of evil.
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Revelation 16:8,9
Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and
power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power
over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
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Deprived of the presence and influence of God's Holy Spirit, those who have not
received the seal of God will no longer be able to find the path of repentance.
This is why, when the seven last plagues strike them, they will be able only to pronounce
blasphemies against God.
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Revelation 18:2,4
Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen! (...)
Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her
plagues.
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2 Corinthians 6:2
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day
of salvation.
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Let's not imitate unrepentant men.
Let's respond right here and now to God's call, which invites us to come out of Babylon
and join His Church, before the close of probation, before it is too late.
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Ecclesiastes 11:3
If a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place
where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
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Nobody knows when God will close probation.
But there is another reason why it is certainly not wise to put off till tomorrow our
decision to follow God.
Each one of us must take a stand for God right here and now, because death can strike us
anytime, and this event would immediately put an end to the personal period of probation
God grants us.
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2 Peter 3:10-12
The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in
which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with
fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to
be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?
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Let's be wise, and accept today the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of
our sins.
Then, let's make Jesus the only Lord of our lives.
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2 Peter 3:17,18
You therefore, beloved, since you know these things
beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the
error of the wicked.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
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May each day of our life from now on be an occasion to deepen our relationship
with God, and to learn what is His will, so that we may obey it without delay.
For this is how we will receive the seal of God.
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Let's pray to close this lesson:
Lord,
We thank You for Your loving patience toward us, and for the salvation in Jesus Christ
which You still offer us today.
However, this time of grace, this period of probation, will soon come to an end, and this
is why we ask You to grant us the latter rain, so that we may lead the greatest number of
souls possible to the cross of Your Son, our divine Savior, before it is too late.
In His precious name we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 78 is waiting for you!