It is certainly plain in the scripture below that prophecy is very important…(IE Luke 24 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.)

I feel sadness when I hear some intimate that 2520 is a waste of time… Can we speak of any of God’s Word as a waste of time? EGW said this church was founded on prophecy… It is our hope as surely as it was to those in Luke 24.

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

Dear Randy,
I’m a lifelong SDA worshiping with the saints here at the Vallejo Central SDA Church in Vallejo, CA.
I’ve been with the historic SDA movement since 1988, but that movement has fizzled out because they cannot unify. There are few remnants here and there but that’s it. There’s Steps, Eternal Gospel, and others. They’re doing well still, thank God. A good thing I learned from them is the doctrine of Who and What is the Church.

At the time (early 90s) I’ve read Jeff’s writings, and heard his cassette tapes. He was with Hope International at the time, writing articles for Our Firm Foundation.

It seems his prophetic message has blossomed. I tend to embrace it but I still have a lot of questions.
1) Is it a test of faith for ordinary run of the mill SDAs like myself? I’ve been watching his videos (and I even have 40 or 50 sermons I downloaded to my iPod) for hours on end. I don’t want to dismiss it offhand. For we are admonished to Test the spirits, to despise not prophesyings, to prove all things, to hold fast to that which is good. And on the other hand, we are told to watch out. For there are every wind of doctrine blowing through the ranks of SDAs, sifting whom it can. Simple question is, Would I still be saved without knowing any of this? Or put another way, would I be lost if I don’t embrace this message. If so, why?
2) Let’s say for the sake of argument two groups form–the Pippengerites and those who don’t believe the message. Both groups are anticipating a National Sunday Law. How could the Pippengerites explain that those who don’t believe their messages will succomb to the Mark of the Beast? I mean that’s the real test to both groups, isn’t it? How are the Pippengerites advantaged by the prophetic message? Should I tell members of my family and my church family that if they don’t embrace Jeff’s message that they’re lost?
3) I did a search on my EGW CDRom for Islam, Muslims, Mohammedans, Saracens, and you know what? A big fat nada. Oh, maybe just one hit. In all of Great Controversy, Islam and all derivatives isn’t even mentioned. I grant you, the term “angry horse” to mean Mohammedans turned up once. But if Islam is big in endtime prophecy, why is it glaringly absent in the pages of GC 1911, GC 1881, SOP4, LDE, etc?
4) The manifestations of so-called Latter Rain happening since 9/11 is . . . well, show me (I’m not from Missouri). My idea of Latter Rain is that the Holy Spirit has been poured out without measure so that accessions will be by leaps and bounds, the 144K will be evangelizing the whole world, people would be wisked to people and places like Phillip, people would be going door-to-door giving the 3rd Angel’s message. Question: Any tokens of that happening? Do you see signs of swelling. I want to believe, believe me, I do. But pray tell, where’s the evidence? If it has, I imagine by now Jeff and associates would be renting coliseums and megachurches. Or, exempting that, because we live in the Internet age, are there signs of megahits on anybody’s website spousing the message? I’ve youtubed Jeff, his biggest hits are in the low hundreds. The seventhunders website has about 90K.

Thanks for taking up my questions.

Dante Quiba
Vallejo, CA

Dear Bro, Dante,

1) Would I be saved without knowing any of this? Many will, those who are Adventist are required to know the last day message. They will be held responsible for that message. The message prepares you for the judgment or the Sunday law when it comes. If you do not understand how can you stand. So the answer is yes.
2)The message prepares them. For most will reject the message. The life of Moses is an excellent example. He was rejected by his own people and by the Egyptians. So will the remnant be in the last days. He then went to the desert for 40 years (I am sure our will be much less..) There are parallels in Biblical history and in the history of the Millerites. (I believe Jeff will frustrated by the fact you are calling those who accept this message Pippengerites – for we are each responsible for these decisions. For myself it was almost 400 hours of study before I was fully convinced that this was the last day message. Running around and telling people they are lost is not the best way to make friends. Allow our Lord to transform you and lead you on how you should approach your friends and family. Doing things like that is fanaticism and that is not what any of us encourage anyone to do. But, to be more specific this is not “Jeff’s” message this is our Father’s message and people will either accept or reject it.
3) When you go through the CD rom look for Josiah Litch’s prediction of August 11 1840, it was that prediction which was predicated on understanding Islam and the Ottoman empire. Then look at the Pioneer CD ROM to get the understanding of Mohamettans the spelled it with a t.
4) All events are progressive. Even that which led up to 9/11. When you look at what was happening you were having Islam raising its head and attacking the armies of Rome (US) years before the event. Then the event. The same applies to events and the message throughout history. Prophetic time prophecies are filled by events prior the final event. EGW talks about tests for God’s people in the last days. These tests are messages that come to God’s people. We call them the 3 Angels Messages. They are the latter rain and the systematically prepare God’s last day people to fully receive a complete outpouring of that rain just before Christ comes to finish the work. The most simple way to explain this, would you be willing to give your kids the key to your car before they even learned how to drive it? In the same way the latter rain through a gradual sprinkling of it prepares God’s last day people to receive the full outpouring of it when it is time. They will be tested severely before it is given. EGW points out to us that it will come in a way that is not expected, I believe it will also finish in a way not expected. The message is not taken by many people. The amount are disappointingly few. GB Randy