Peter reminds us not to forget what our present truth is:
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”
2 Peter 1:12
Present truth is found by those few who were devoting earnest efforts to the work...
“Difficult points of present truth have been reached by the earnest efforts of a few who were devoted to the work. Fasting and fervent prayer to God have moved the Lord to unlock His treasuries of truth to their understanding.”
Testimonies for the Church 2:650, 651, 1870
So, what is present truth? If I were to ask you, what would your response be? It feels like the term is thrown around a lot, with different groups offering different interpretations. I challenge you to take a moment to consider what you understand present truth to mean.
Present Truth?
/ˈprɛznt truːθ/
Many understand it as an ongoing revelation of the Holy Spirit, continuously unveiling new insights and understandings of biblical truths tailored to guide the church through modern challenges.
At first glance, this definition seems reasonable, as the Holy Spirit does impress upon us and teach us. But this is actually very misleading. Is it continuous? Are we getting new truths today that were less true 10 years ago, or less true 100 years ago? This always puzzled me because I could never really pinpoint what present truth is.
We read in the Review & Herald that:
“The present truth, which is a test to the people of this generation, was not a test to the people of generations far back.”
Review & Herald, E.G. White, July 13, 1897
Present truth is the light that God has given to the people for a specific time in history. As Seventh-day Adventists, we've already been given the truth for our time. The inspired writings of Ellen White, the spirit of prophecy, have already shined a light on present truth. It's not a new doctrine but a clear understanding of the truths already revealed in the scripture.
However, there are different roles for different time periods, while I do not believe it evolves within generations, I do believe I can prove that present truth does change based on the church we are in.
If this concept is new to you:
We can prove this by going back and looking at Bible prophecy. This should just be a refresher, so I’m not going to go deep into this. I want to keep this high level. But if we remember in Daniel, there’s an interesting prophecy of the 70 weeks. These 70 weeks are determined to ultimately finish the transgression of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness. That's the first part. Then, two, at the end of the 70 weeks, it would anoint the Most Holy. These are the two aspects of what the 70-week period in Daniel is all about. We read that Gabriel spoke about how the 70 weeks would start with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and then continue until the Messiah would come. These two things would be fulfilled by the Messiah, and it would happen after 70 weeks, or three score and two weeks.
So, when did this start? It started with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the wall. There were multiple decrees to rebuild Jerusalem, but only one, as we see in Ezra 7:7, also rebuilds the streets and the walls—that was in 457 BC. So, we take 457 BC as our starting point. Now, if we go through the math—one score is 20, three score is 60, so three score and two weeks equals 62 weeks. We add it all together: seven weeks plus three score and two weeks equals 69 weeks, which brings us to 483 years.
From this, we see Christ focused on the earthly sanctuary. In AD 27, He began His ministry. During the 70th week, Christ transitioned from the courtyard (Earth) to Heaven. In AD 31, 40 days after His resurrection, He ascended to Heaven and was anointed as our High Priest, fulfilling the 70th week. Now, as our High Priest, Christ has been anointed, and we read through Hebrews and Revelation that He is now doing a work for us in Heaven. This sets the stage for the next significant time period.
It says, "Unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." After 2,300 years, the antitypical Day of Atonement would take place. Using the same starting point (457 BC), moving forward 2,300 days, or 2,300 years, brings us to 1844, when Christ moved from the holy place to the most holy place. This period, after 1844, begins the time of the end because Christ can return anytime after this period. We read in Daniel that the words were sealed until the time of the end. So, the little book in Daniel was unsealed at that time, and knowledge of it increased.
This knowledge, which points forward to the judgment of the dead, was consumed by both Daniel and John, who said it was sweet in their mouths but bitter in their bellies. This refers to the 2,300-day prophecy. The message was sweet because Christ was finishing His work, but it was bitter because people misunderstood the timing, thinking Christ would return in 1844. Instead, it marked His movement into the most holy place.
Now, we are living in the antitypical Day of Atonement. If we look back at what happened in the earthly sanctuary when the high priest moved from the holy to the most holy place, we can understand what is happening in our time. Every time Christ moves, a new church is formed. Around 1500 BC, when Christ moved into the earthly sanctuary, the Israelite church was formed, representing the courtyard. When Christ ascended in AD 31, the early Christian church was formed as He moved into the holy place. And again, in 1844, Christ moved into the most holy place, and two movements were formed: the Seventh-day Adventist Church and another, which is an amalgamation of all religions. Clearly, one understands the sanctuary message, and the other is blasphemous.
So, what does this mean for present truth? Each church had its own present truth. Present truth progresses in steps: Israelites, early Christians, and Seventh-day Adventists.
Present Truth identified...
...for the Israelites
When Christ moved into the outer court around 1500 BCthe Israelites were formed. Their rituals were all pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah.
What was present truth for the Israelites?
Present Truth: Messiah is coming!
- Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7
- Micah 5:2
- Malachi 3:1
- Daniel 9:25
Pay attention to the logic here... could Christ have come if this message was not preached? No. There needed to be this message preached, and it was done so again in 27 AD with John the Baptist.
...for the First Church
Christ was then able to move into the Holy Place and the message changed. Did they still share that the prophesied Messiah had come? Yes! This was their "Precious Truth"!
Precious Truth: Messiah has come!
- John 1:41; 4:25-26
- Luke 2:10-11
- Matthew 16:15-16
- Acts 2:36
- 1 John 5:1
Present Truth: Share the Good News! (Gospel Commission)
- Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20
Was this done?
“… But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit …and you will be my witnesses.. to the end of the earth… word of God increased; number of the disciples multiplied.”
Acts 1:8; 6:7
“…Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world… words unto the ends of the world.”
Romans 1:8; 10:18
“…in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad.”
1 Thessalonians 1:8
“…which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.”
Colossians 1:23
“From this time the work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth.”
The Great Controversy (GC 287.3)
“'This gospel of the kingdom' of heaven at hand been well-nigh preached all over the world, as a witness.”
Midnight Cry, Sept. 21, 1843
...for the Adventist Church
Now, we come to 1844. What is the present truth for our time? Many would say it’s to share the gospel, but I challenge you to pause and consider: Is that truly our primary role today? Our identity seems stuck in the early church, as if our only task is to preach the gospel. But that is not our present truth.
Precious truth is that the Messiah has come, and Jesus saves us from sin. The gospel commission is precious truth, but it is not our present truth.
Precious Truth: Messiah has come!
Precious Truth: Share the Good News! (Gospel Commission)
“There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is “present truth” that the flock needs now..”
Early Writings (EW 63.1)
What is our Present Truth?
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention.”
Testimonies for the Church (9T 19.1)
“God's purpose in giving the third angel's message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories. This is our purpose in carrying forward every line of work in the cause.”
Manuscript Releases (1MR 228.2)
We need to become more intelligent in the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary. Present truth is centered in the sanctuary, specifically the most holy place and the investigative judgment.
Present Truth
/ˈprɛznt truːθ/
The understanding of our role as the 144k to end the Great Controversy and vindicate the Father by proving that God's law can be kept through the Faith of Jesus, even in the absence of an intercessor.
As we look at what happens when Christ moves from the holy to the most holy place, we see that we are called to stand true while He finishes the work. When Christ finishes His work in the most holy place, He will leave, and those living during that time will need to stand without an intercessor. This is the role of the 144,000. They will be able to fully demonstrate that the law of God can be kept, but only through a love relationship with Christ.
We need to wake up and realize the times we are living in. If we don’t understand the present truth of our time, we are in danger of being led away. Satan is determined to keep us in darkness, blind to the perils of our time. But we have the power to resist if we develop a personal relationship with Christ.
Ultimately, the 144,000 will be the fit men, prepared to lead the scapegoat into the wilderness, symbolizing Satan being held accountable for sin. The vindication of God’s law is the work of the 144,000. This is why present truth is so important—without a people prepared to stand, Satan wins. But Christ is stronger than Satan, and through faith in Him, we will overcome.
Friends, now is the time to prepare. We need to develop character, overcome pride, and keep ourselves unspotted from the world. Let’s search the scriptures, pray earnestly, and lift up Christ to the world. Our role is not just to give a message—it is to live the message and reflect the righteousness of Christ.
Let us strive to be among the 144,000, prepared to stand true through the investigative judgment, vindicating God’s law and leading the world to Christ.
Heavenly Father, Lord, I ask that You be with those who heard this message. Let them have ears to hear and see that there is more to this work than simply giving a message. We need to live the message. In order to do that, we need a relationship with You. Please send Your Holy Spirit to guide our minds and help us build that relationship. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
