Psalm 119:126 and the Final Loud Cry

Psalm 119:126

126 It is time for you, LORD, to work: for they have made void your law.

Psalm 119:126 describes a time when the law of God is made void, which serves as the immediate catalyst and prayer for the third angel’s message to swell into the loud cry. ☀️ Psalm 119:126GCDB January 31, 1893, page 73.2.

The Relationship Between the Law and the Loud Cry

When nations and religious organizations pass the point of God's long-suffering and manifestly set aside His law, the time arrives for the last message of mercy to be proclaimed with a loud voice1888 478.2+1. This defiance of the Decalogue, particularly the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, constitutes the "making void" of the law mentioned by David Psalms 119:126ARSH October 21, 1851, page 46.16+1. This condition in the world is the very thing that should make the people of God pray with all their heart and soul for Him to work, signaling that the loud cry is right at hand7BC 981.10+1.

The Prayer of Consecration

• A Call to Action: The words "It is time for thee, Lord, to work" are a prayer that God has put into the mouths of His people for this specific time in history Psalms 119:126GCDB January 31, 1893, page 73.2.

• Deep Consecration: Living in the presence of the fact that the law is being made void brings believers to a point of intense devotion and consecration never before dreamed ofGCDB January 31, 1893, page 73.2+1.

• The Response of the Faithful: Rather than turning traitor when the law is held in universal contempt, the faithful become more fervent in their attachment to God’s commandments7BC 981.10+1.

The Loud Cry as the Culmination

As the world advances in its contempt for the divine law, the third angel's message swells into the loud cry, attended by great power and gloryLDE 201.4. During this period, the earth is lightened with the glory of God, and the message of Christ’s righteousness—which is the loud cry—reaches every city and town Revelation 18:1LDE 208.4+1. This movement is the latter rain that strengthens God’s people to stand through the coming time of trouble and the close of probation Psalms 119:126LDE 201.1+1.

Summary of Events

The sequence of the final crisis involves the following:

1. Violation of the Law: Religious and civil powers unite to make the law of God void, specifically targeting the Sabbath Psalms 119:126GCDB January 31, 1893, page 73.2.

2. The Prayer of the Remnant: Right-doers glorify God's name by repeating the words of Psalms 119:126 appealing for Divine interpositionCCh 342.5+1.

3. The Loud Cry: In response to this crisis, the Spirit of God is poured out, and the message of the third angel is proclaimed with a loud voice to warn every inhabitant of the earth Revelation 14:915MR 292.4+1.

4. Final Decision: Minds are fully prepared by the loud cry to make their final decision for or against the truth before probation closes Revelation 22:113SM 389.5+1.

The sealing of God's people is a process that occurs as they reach a standard of perfect unity and character, specifically before the close of human probation1SM 66.2+1. While the defiance of God's law described in Psalm 119:126 serves as the catalyst for the loud cry, the sealing work itself involves the observance of the true Sabbath and the attainment of a character that vindicates God's lawEVRR495+1.

The Timing and Purpose of the Seal

• Prior to the Close of Probation: The living righteous receive the seal of God before human probation officially ends1SM 66.2+1. This seal acts as a mark of protection for those who have remained loyal to God’s commandsEVRR495.

• The Mark of Character: Receiving the seal is inextricably linked to the observance of the true Sabbath, which stands as the distinctive sign between the obedient and the disobedientEVRR495+1.

• Preparation for the Final Conflict: The seal is received in the end time, during the period of the final conflict between the commandments of God and the mandates of the beast and his image Revelation 7:1-4EVRR495.

The Role of Psalm 119:126 in the Final Crisis

• A Response to Universal Contempt: The prayer "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law" is offered by the faithful when the defiance of God's law becomes almost universal Psalms 119:1266BC 1081.5.

• Signal for the Loud Cry: This state of lawlessness is the specific evidence that the loud cry is about to be heard and the earth will be lightened with God's glory Revelation 18:13SM 410.1.

• The Call to Separate: During the loud cry, which follows the making void of the law, people are called out of the world and fallen religious bodies to join the company of the sealedARSH October 20, 1859, page 173.5+1.

Conditions for the Sealing

• Perfect Unity: God will not trust His people with the full power of the loud cry or the final sealing until the church stands perfectly united in spirit and sentimentARSH October 20, 1859, page 173.5.

• Character Perfection: Those who are sealed must attain to a perfection of character, demonstrating that human beings, through divine grace, can keep God's lawEVRR495.

• Preparation Needed: If believers wait for the refreshing rain to remove their wrongs without making an individual effort to cleanse themselves from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, they will be found wanting and miss the sealCCh 100.5+1.

The Final Distinction

The world and the churches eventually unite in harmony to tear away God's memorial and exalt a false sabbath13MR 69.2. It is in this atmosphere of intense spiritual darkness that the prayer of Psalm 119:126 is uttered, and the final sealing of the 144,000—the spiritual Israel of the last days—is completed as they are vindicated before the throne Revelation 14:1-5EVRR495+1.

Yes, some individuals who join the ranks of the commandment-keeping people during the loud cry will indeed become martyrs for Christ's sakeEVRR211. While the 144,000 as a specific group are described as being delivered and standing victorious on Mount Zion, the period of the loud cry involves intense persecution that results in the death of many who take their stand for the truthEVRR211+2.

Martyrdom During the Loud Cry and Time of Trouble

• A Final Harvest of Martyrs: During the loud cry, many who are convinced of the truth will leave fallen churches and join those keeping God's commandmentsEVRR211+1. In the ensuing conflict, many of these faithful ones will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives, and many will be martyred for standing in defense of the truthEVRR211.

• The Fifth Seal and Future Deaths: The martyrs of the Dark Ages are instructed to rest until their fellow servants and brethren are killed as they were Revelation 6:11. This refers specifically to future martyrdoms that occur during the time of trouble when the worship of the beast and his image is enforcedEVRR211.

• A Test of Loyalty: When the image of the beast is formed and the death decree is issued, those who refuse to comply will be threatened with death Revelation 13:15-17. This climactic persecution is the scene in which the final group of martyrs fulfills their testimonyEVRR211.

The Experience of the 144,000

• Victorious Overcomers: The 144,000 are characterized as those who have "gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image" Revelation 15:2. They represent a group that lives through the final conflict, facing the boycott, the death decree, and the loss of all earthly joys, yet they are delivered from their foesEVRR529.

• Without Guile: This group is found without fault before the throne, having followed the Lamb on earth in trustful, loving obedience18MR 27.3+1. They are the living saints who understand the voice of God announcing the time of Jesus' comingExV 10.1.

• Protection for the Sealed: Those who receive the seal of the living God are provided a shield and buckler for the time of troubleARSH September 30, 1852, page 82.9. While some are martyred prior to the close of probation, the seal is given to protect and preserve a people who will be alive at the second adventEVRR236+1.

The Assurance of Vengeance and Deliverance

• Avenge of the Elect: God has appointed a time to avenge His elect who cry to Him day and night Luke 18:7-8. The blood of the martyrs, from Abel to the final martyrs of the last days, cries out from the ground and is remembered by GodEVRR211.

• A Short Work: The process of gathering the "jewels" or the 144,000 into the unity of the faith is a work that the Lord will cut short in righteousnessBMD 6.1. Even if some fall in death, the promise remains that they will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteousEVRR211+1.

• Deliverance from Earthly Foes: The song of Moses and the Lamb sung by the redeemed is a song of deliverance from earthly foes, including the beast, persecution, and the death decreeEVRR529. Those who stand on the sea of glass recognize that God's judgments in the seven last plagues are just and true Revelation 15:2-3.