The "Threat of Lions" scene of the dream
THE VEIL THAT BLINDS
My dear children, when the silence of your “Sabbath walk” was suddenly broken by the terrified cry of a “child”, pleading for help because they had seen a “lion”, no one missed a step or seemed concerned about their welfare. No one seemed to care why the “child” wandered off the “path” you were on, and ventured into the “dense bushes” that you believe are your “hedge” of protection against the deceptions of the enemy.
I saw how intimidated you were by the arrogance and pride in the scoffing voices that echo the real message of the “elders” when “children” point out such things as “lions”. I saw how your heart wants to please and fall in line with the adults around you, and you shrink from the possibility of being singled out by the scornful rebuke of another “elder”.
I know it's hard for you to understand how people’s hearts become calloused and cold so that they don’t want to even consider the possibility that “children” can “see” things more clearly than their “elders. It's pride that does that. It makes adults confident in their “elderly wisdom” so that they don’t want to consider the possibility that “children” can recognize a “lion” when they see one, because there’s no “veil” blocking their ability to see.
My beloved children, it makes me sad to see that you who are “elders” in Adventism’s “house” are far more concerned with “putting a ‘child’ in their place” than trying to understand why you can’t see the “lion” yourselves. It appears that you would rather be right and let the “lion” go free to possibly harm other “children” than admit that you've been wrong, and that a “veil” covers your hearts and minds, preventing you from seeing the spirit of fear (the “lion”) lurking in the shadows of Adventism’s “hedge”.
I know you believe that you’re on the right path, and that this path is all there is. You believe that you’re walking according to the Sabbath truth that has been handed down to you by your “elders” in the “house” of Adventism, and that there is no additional “truth” that you lack. For these reasons it will be difficult for you to acknowledge that there are “lions” on this “walk” that Ellen White did not see. Since you believe the only real dangers are the ones that she wrote about, and that the “house” of Adventism teaches, you are not prepared to face the fact that you have put your trust in the wrong “hedge” of protection, because a “veil” covers your minds and hearts…
My beloved children, when you turn your eyes away from the direction in which you have been told to look, it’s a small act of rebellion that frees you to see the “lion” hiding in the shadows of Adventism’s “hedge”. Immediately you leave the "Sabbath walk", but there are things that you almost stumble over in your haste to escape the spirit of fear… the rituals and rules of the “Sabbath walk” that seem to take precedence over the needs of "children"...
As soon as you are "free" from the "Sabbath walkers" you immediately discover that there’s no room to run on the wilderness trail because the procession of people take up the whole width of the road. That’s what legalism does. It leaves no room for you to experience My grace because you’re always trying to relate to Me on the basis of your level of obedience… of how well you perform.
Although there’s no room to run on the wilderness trail you discover there’s enough room to run on the “shoulder” that borders your “Sabbath walk”. That “shoulder” of green grass represents My grace that is freely given to all my children. But you can’t recognize My grace until you leave the illusion of safety—your Sabbath walk”! Then later you remember how you were able to run with such lightness… That’s because I carried you on My shoulders! But neither you nor the other Adventists on their walk could possibly understand that kind of freedom…
My dear children, as you march to the drumbeat of Adventism’s “walk” you don't miss a step or fall out of line for fear of finding out that something might be hidden in the shadows of Adventism’s “bushes”. So for many of you, rather than face that spirit of fear, it's easier for you to retreat into denial and pretend the "lion" doesn’t exist—something you’ve learned to do all too well growing up in the “house” of Adventism.
How my heart breaks to know that when you come to the end of your “Sabbath walk” and face the “woods” again, “lions” will suddenly be unleashed against you, because in the natural realm things will suddenly be revealed about Adventism’s “house’ that exposes it as being godless—its “truth” empty, its claims bogus, and its spirituality Spirit-less. It won’t just be one “lion” but many "lions" who will launch an unexpected spiritual attack on you. These “lions” represent the many voices of the enemy who are determined to steal, kill and destroy the last remnant of faith and spiritual life in you.
My beloved children, I know that you will be filled with much fear, hopelessness and confusion, when you discover the awful truth that your “leaders” have led you astray! You’ve been deceived into thinking that your “Sabbath walk” was your protection against the deceptions of the enemy—especially against receiving the mark of the beast… Your hopes and fears will come crashing down when you discover that your “Sabbath walk” has only been an illusion of safety and rest.
Some of you will run into the dense “bushes” from which the enemy launched his attack. This means that you will leave Adventism's path because you will believe the lies of the enemy. You will decide that there is no God, and that everything is useless, and that there is nothing more than this life after all. As you move towards the “lions” the enemy will try to destroy you last flicker of faith.
For others of you, the only way of “escape” from the “lions” will be to run back into the dense “forest” from which you grew up in. You will hope to revisit and re-enter the safety of that childhood innocence, hoping to regain your faith, but you won’t find safety and rest there either.
Although it will seem that you’re utterly defenseless and alone against the attacks of the enemy, and that there is no safe place to run to, I will be there watching your every move. You won’t recognize Me because the spirit of fear will overwhelm you, but I won’t leave any of My children defenseless! When I reveal Myself, the enemy will recognize Me, and he will immediately stop his attack on you as he slinks back into the safety of the dense “bushes” from which he came.
My dear children, My path is hidden from you because you choose to rely on Law to find Me. My path is invisible to you because you attempt to obtain it through your obedience to old covenant ways. The Sabbath that you believe you honor is the very veil that makes you stumble in the darkness. It prevents you from seeing Me and finding rest in My grace!
THE VEIL THAT BLINDS
My dear children, when the silence of your “Sabbath walk” was suddenly broken by the terrified cry of a “child”, pleading for help because they had seen a “lion”, no one missed a step or seemed concerned about their welfare. No one seemed to care why the “child” wandered off the “path” you were on, and ventured into the “dense bushes” that you believe are your “hedge” of protection against the deceptions of the enemy.
I saw how intimidated you were by the arrogance and pride in the scoffing voices that echo the real message of the “elders” when “children” point out such things as “lions”. I saw how your heart wants to please and fall in line with the adults around you, and you shrink from the possibility of being singled out by the scornful rebuke of another “elder”.
I know it's hard for you to understand how people’s hearts become calloused and cold so that they don’t want to even consider the possibility that “children” can “see” things more clearly than their “elders. It's pride that does that. It makes adults confident in their “elderly wisdom” so that they don’t want to consider the possibility that “children” can recognize a “lion” when they see one, because there’s no “veil” blocking their ability to see.
My beloved children, it makes me sad to see that you who are “elders” in Adventism’s “house” are far more concerned with “putting a ‘child’ in their place” than trying to understand why you can’t see the “lion” yourselves. It appears that you would rather be right and let the “lion” go free to possibly harm other “children” than admit that you've been wrong, and that a “veil” covers your hearts and minds, preventing you from seeing the spirit of fear (the “lion”) lurking in the shadows of Adventism’s “hedge”.
I know you believe that you’re on the right path, and that this path is all there is. You believe that you’re walking according to the Sabbath truth that has been handed down to you by your “elders” in the “house” of Adventism, and that there is no additional “truth” that you lack. For these reasons it will be difficult for you to acknowledge that there are “lions” on this “walk” that Ellen White did not see. Since you believe the only real dangers are the ones that she wrote about, and that the “house” of Adventism teaches, you are not prepared to face the fact that you have put your trust in the wrong “hedge” of protection, because a “veil” covers your minds and hearts…
My beloved children, when you turn your eyes away from the direction in which you have been told to look, it’s a small act of rebellion that frees you to see the “lion” hiding in the shadows of Adventism’s “hedge”. Immediately you leave the "Sabbath walk", but there are things that you almost stumble over in your haste to escape the spirit of fear… the rituals and rules of the “Sabbath walk” that seem to take precedence over the needs of "children"...
As soon as you are "free" from the "Sabbath walkers" you immediately discover that there’s no room to run on the wilderness trail because the procession of people take up the whole width of the road. That’s what legalism does. It leaves no room for you to experience My grace because you’re always trying to relate to Me on the basis of your level of obedience… of how well you perform.
Although there’s no room to run on the wilderness trail you discover there’s enough room to run on the “shoulder” that borders your “Sabbath walk”. That “shoulder” of green grass represents My grace that is freely given to all my children. But you can’t recognize My grace until you leave the illusion of safety—your Sabbath walk”! Then later you remember how you were able to run with such lightness… That’s because I carried you on My shoulders! But neither you nor the other Adventists on their walk could possibly understand that kind of freedom…
My dear children, as you march to the drumbeat of Adventism’s “walk” you don't miss a step or fall out of line for fear of finding out that something might be hidden in the shadows of Adventism’s “bushes”. So for many of you, rather than face that spirit of fear, it's easier for you to retreat into denial and pretend the "lion" doesn’t exist—something you’ve learned to do all too well growing up in the “house” of Adventism.
How my heart breaks to know that when you come to the end of your “Sabbath walk” and face the “woods” again, “lions” will suddenly be unleashed against you, because in the natural realm things will suddenly be revealed about Adventism’s “house’ that exposes it as being godless—its “truth” empty, its claims bogus, and its spirituality Spirit-less. It won’t just be one “lion” but many "lions" who will launch an unexpected spiritual attack on you. These “lions” represent the many voices of the enemy who are determined to steal, kill and destroy the last remnant of faith and spiritual life in you.
My beloved children, I know that you will be filled with much fear, hopelessness and confusion, when you discover the awful truth that your “leaders” have led you astray! You’ve been deceived into thinking that your “Sabbath walk” was your protection against the deceptions of the enemy—especially against receiving the mark of the beast… Your hopes and fears will come crashing down when you discover that your “Sabbath walk” has only been an illusion of safety and rest.
Some of you will run into the dense “bushes” from which the enemy launched his attack. This means that you will leave Adventism's path because you will believe the lies of the enemy. You will decide that there is no God, and that everything is useless, and that there is nothing more than this life after all. As you move towards the “lions” the enemy will try to destroy you last flicker of faith.
For others of you, the only way of “escape” from the “lions” will be to run back into the dense “forest” from which you grew up in. You will hope to revisit and re-enter the safety of that childhood innocence, hoping to regain your faith, but you won’t find safety and rest there either.
Although it will seem that you’re utterly defenseless and alone against the attacks of the enemy, and that there is no safe place to run to, I will be there watching your every move. You won’t recognize Me because the spirit of fear will overwhelm you, but I won’t leave any of My children defenseless! When I reveal Myself, the enemy will recognize Me, and he will immediately stop his attack on you as he slinks back into the safety of the dense “bushes” from which he came.
My dear children, My path is hidden from you because you choose to rely on Law to find Me. My path is invisible to you because you attempt to obtain it through your obedience to old covenant ways. The Sabbath that you believe you honor is the very veil that makes you stumble in the darkness. It prevents you from seeing Me and finding rest in My grace!
