
As the picture shows, according to the Rod message, God’s people will flee quickly as if fleeing an earthquake at the arrival of a prophetic event. A close and dear sister reached out to us recently via Facebook and enquired the following “Is Jacob’s time of trouble going to be the Sunday law, for the 144,000?”
A great and timely question! But in order to answer that we find it helpful to discuss what the message says about what happens right after Ezekiel 9. What do those who “escape” the judgment in the house of God do?
The following is a verbatim response we gave her and it sets a firm foundation as to her question. Be Blessed.
To start with, we find the study of the 4 Carpenters and the 144,000 gives us a good foundational basis
to see how the 144,000 cannot possibly go through the SL unless we want to discard harmonization. Both
the Rod and SOP tell us we must do. Note the following —
“Let us remember always to observe the inviolable rule that an interpretation of one inspired statement must harmonize with all other related statements. ( 3 Ans, p.41)
“Those who are willing to risk all on the ground of one inspired statement and disregard another in order to carry out certain cherished ideas of their own… We would never try to establish an idea on the basis of agreeing with one passage of Scripture while disagreeing with another, for such a conclusion is as sure to be erroneous as if one should conclude that when the sun sets in the evening, it will never arise in the morning. The student of truth should harmonize”(2 SC, no. 1, p.5)
“Those who entertain the idea that there is only one sifting, and only first fruits, will never be able to harmonize every statement of the Bible and of the Spirit of Prophecy, for while their idea may perfectly harmonize in one instance, it will not in another. But the position of those who know the truth, and who all speak the same thing, will be in harmony with every inspired statement on the subject.” (2 SC, no. 12, p.7)
“No candid Bible student would build a theory upon an interpretation that would lead him to set aside all other scriptures on the subject. He will seek to make his final analysis in such a way as to be in perfect harmony with all of them, or else confess that he does not have the light on the subject.” (3 Ans, p.53)
“Though there is but one right interpretation of each Bible doctrine, yet a multitude of conflicting interpretation are in the Christian world today, with the result that it is split into many sects and schisms (heads), woth no two believing alike.” (Tract 12, p.24)
So let’s ask this important question — How soon do the 144,000 leave for the kingdom after Ezek. 9?
There are the following Rod quotes that brings light to this question —
Zech. 14:5 — “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”
Having thus opened the way for the re-establishment of the house of Judah, His people, who beforehand have been informed of it through present Truth, will flee to the valley, to where the Lord’s feet stand, as quickly as if they were fleeing from an earthquake; and all the saints thereafter follow after them. ( 1 TG, no. 19, p.4-5)
Note it is talking of when the Lord’s feet stand on Mt. Olives in the time of the Zech. 14 war. And what do the 144,000 do? Stand around and wait? Stay in their own country for a while? No, not according to this reference. They “flee” quickly to the Holy land at that time, which also is at the conclusion of Ezek.9 (see Tract 14, p.22 where it says the while the great war is on, Ezek. 9 comes).
“Just before the kingdom of Judah is established in Jerusalem, the city shall be besieged, the houses shall be rifled and women ravished. Not all, though, shall go into captivity. The residue are not cut off from the city, they obviously become a part of the house of Judah. At that time, when Jerusalem has fallen and the Lord has removed all obstacles and hindrances for the gathering of His people, then it is that the house of Judah is re-established. God’s people shall flee to the “valley” as quickly as though they were fleeing from an earthquake. The Lord smites the armies of the nations, while at the same time He protects and exalts His own people.” (1 TG, no. 19, p.8)
Again the point is repeated. They flee quickly to the Holy land once war happens and sometime during it Ezek. 9 does as well. Remember, once Ezekiel 9 happens the 144,000 saints will have no doubt that they have a job to do from the message and that is to get back to the land to set up the kingdom for the great multitude to come into.
Zech 14:4, 5 — “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”
“In that day.” In what day? — In the day all nations gather against Jerusalem that now is, and bring its fall from Gentile rule. In that day the Lord’s feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, there shall be a very great valley; “and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” Zech. 14:4. The Lord’s post-millennial coming, too, shall be similar to this. See Early Writings, pp. 51, 52.
The servants of God shall then flee to the valley of the mountains, where the Lord’s feet shall stand, and all the saints with them; that is, the Lord’s “feet” will open the way for the restoration of the Kingdom, and for the gathering of the people into it.” ( 2 TG, no. 31, p.6-7)
For the third time it is repeated again! This shows the Lord does not want us to miss this point.
We must keep in mind that the rapid travel to the Kingdom results on the 144,000 meeting up with the “Four Carpenters” who job it is , is to work for the Lord and 144,000 to prepare the Kingdom to received the Great Multitude who come from the preaching of the 144,000 around the world.
Now, we are told to go by “weight of evidence” as shown in the following statements —
“Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives candid evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence.”(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p.675)
“The weight of evidence” is the only fair and final criterion worthy of a Christian who must ever make an investigation for himself concerning purported truth.” ( 1 Ans, p.77)
“In considering the several scriptures bearing on this point and on the kindred points in question, we must base our conclusions solely on the weight of evidence, so that we may not only know all the truth, but also teach nothing but the truth” (Tract 9, p.6)
“Some who are anxious to risk Present Truth on the weight of what one inspired statement seems to say or imply, are thereby presumptuously or very ignorantly overlooking the “weight of evidence.” Others are doing this through shortsightedness, while still others are doing it to prop up certain cherished ideas of their own.” (3 Ans, p. 41-42)
Says the Spirit of Prophecy, “Close reasoners and logical thinkers are few. ” “How many men in this age of the world fail to go deep enough. They only skim the surface. They will not think closely enough to see difficulties and grapple with them, and will not examine every important subject which comes before them with thoughtful, prayerful study, and with sufficient caution and interest to see the real point at issue. They talk of matters which they have not fully and carefully weighed. ”—“Fundamentals of Christian Education,” p. 27; “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. 4, p. 361. (3 SC, no.5-6, p.7)
So can we find any other statements that show a different time when they leave for the kingdom? No we do not.
There is one possible statement, that some use to interpret as to say the saints stay in their homeland after Ezek. 9. It is based on the following — The Rod comments on this statement —
“Thus says the LORD: “The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when I went to give him rest.” (Jer. 31:2)
The Rod comments on this statement ––“Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
The people who survive their captivity, are to find grace in the lands of the Gentiles — in “the wilderness,” away from the vineyard. (Since the Promised Land is the vineyard — Isaiah 5 — then what would the wilderness be but the lands of the Gentiles?) God’s people will find this grace at the time the Lord causes them to rest from their “sojourning” — after the “Judgment in the house of God” (1 Pet. 4:17) takes place.” (1 TG, no.48, p.20)
We are told that rest will be found after Ezek. 9. Thus, we only look at the type Jacob as to where and when he found that grace and rest. He found it not in his adopted homeland, where he lived while in exile, but
while he was on his journey homeward. So yes, they saints will find grace and rest after Ezek. 9, but not as the stay in their adopted homeland but on their travel to the kingdom. And we have learned that journey start quickly after Ezek. 9
Now, once we see this clearly, we get the solid facts —
1) Because the saints flee quickly to the Holy land after Ezek. 9, they then will experience grace and rest sometime during their travel to the Kingdom.
2) As this happens quickly after Ezek. 9, they cannot logically go through the Sunday law on their way home unless we want to say the SL is set up PRIOR or DURING the war (and Ezek.9) which would be preposterous and
illogical
3) As not only the saints find grace and rest, they experience Jacob’s time of trouble on their way home (confirmed by our Fundamental Beliefs). They then meet up with the Four Carpenters (as spoken of in Zech. 1:19-21)
4) So logically the JTT must be something else they experience apart from the SL.
Take a look at our Harvest Chart —
Notice what happens after Ezek. 9. We see the church federation. Then AFTER , not before, is the arrival of the false prophet and the establishment of the SL in the two -horned beast domain (USA)
So to conclude when we add it all up and weighing the evidence the SL cannot be JTT, nor can it be established right away after the Zech. 14 war and Ezek. 9









