Hebrews 10:32, commentary and pictures

To be illuminated is to be enlightened as a follower of Christ by the gospel and the truth through the Holy Spirit as Comforter, teacher and guide, and after that enlightening the early Christians endured a great struggle of persecution and affliction including loss of possessions, homes and earthly comforts. They remained faithful even to death without renouncing Christ, encouraging one another in faith, patience and hope, which fulfilled His words about the persecution of His followers. The verse commands those who have received the truth to call those former hardships to remembrance, keeping in mind God's dealings, wonder-working power, care and deliverance, which affirms the value of their experience and strengthens faith, spiritual growth, gratitude and praise. That remembrance means often repeating the past history of His cause before young and old, gathering and preserving memorials like the waymarks of ancient Israel, and in fiercest pain and temptation to doubt going back over precious experiences of blessing, the presence of Jesus, and the mercy and love proclaimed. The same teaching applies to the early Adventist experience after spiritual light, where former trials and the wonderful workings of God in the Advent messages and in looking for the Lord in 1844 were sure evidence of His leading and keep believers from forgetting Him and fearing mortal oppressors.

Illumination and Early Suffering

To be illuminated is to be enlightened as a follower of Christ by being made a partaker of the Holy Spirit as Comforter, representative, divine teacher and guide into all truth, so that though personal instruction from the Maker as in holiness and innocence in the beginning is no longer enjoyed, believers are not left without divine instruction. After receiving the light of the gospel and of truth, the early Christians endured severe persecution and a great struggle of suffering. Their afflictions included the loss of possessions and homes and of earthly comforts and blessings. Many remained faithful even to death and did not renounce Christ. They encouraged one another in faith, patience and hope, and their trials brought them nearer to their rest and reward.

Their suffering fulfilled the words of Jesus about the persecution of His followers. The same calling to remember the time after enlightenment when severe suffering was endured applies to the early Adventist experience. There also former trials followed spiritual illumination. Those experiences were sure evidence of the Lord's leading, not cunningly devised fables.

Remembering to Strengthen Faith

Those who have received the truth are commanded to remember the hardships they endured for it, and those hardships included reproach and affliction and sacrifice. Recalling them affirms the worth of their experience and of their faithful labor in God's cause.

Remembering means going back to the earlier period after spiritual light was received, when severe suffering and a great struggle of affliction were endured. Keeping that history and God's dealings and deliverance in mind keeps His wonder-working power and care and deliverance in view. Such remembrance strengthens faith and spiritual growth and inspires gratitude and praise.

Calling to remembrance means presenting God's past leadings and recounting His wondrous works in behalf of His people. This revives faith and encourages hope in the hearts of God's people. It gives the churches everywhere the uplifting testimony they need, borne by those with practical experience in past history and knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, rather than argumentative sermons that seldom soften the soul.

God's dealings and the past history of His cause are to be often repeated before young and old until familiar. Memorials are to be gathered and kept in sight and carefully preserved, like the waymarks set up in ancient Israel lest past history be forgotten, so that when children asked what they meant parents could repeat the whole story of His providential care and goodness and mercy and deliverance. Satan seeks to divert the mind with unprofitable and trifling conversation about matters of no consequence, so that truth and manifest power are treated as a thing of the past and drop from remembrance. Keeping these memorials as present conversation confirms faith and increases growth in knowledge of God and His ways, while letting them sink out of sight is why many have lost their first love.

In the midst of fiercest pain, when Satan tempts to doubt the goodness and love of God, the remedy is to resist him and find comfort in prayer and go back over past history and live over again precious experiences. That means recalling the multitude of blessings then received and the presence of Jesus felt in the very midst and the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness shining. It means recalling the proclamation of the mercy and love of God as rich food from heaven's storehouse. It especially means living over again the wealth of precious experience gained by those who acted a part in the first part of the proclamation of the third angel's message, which is now of great value and gives assurance and peace and hope and courage and standing on solid rock.

Remembering former experience of God's mighty works and warnings keeps believers from forgetting Him and fearing mortal oppressors, whereas Israel's failure to remember God as Maker brought that fear. Such remembering is a precious season of prayer with hearts subdued and broken before God in contemplating His amazing love and rich mercy for poor, fallen man. It recounts the wonderful workings of the Lord in the experience of the Advent messages and in looking for the Lord in 1844.