The Midnight Cry by David Richardson

The Rider on the White Horse “The Midnight Cry”

“I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer (Rev 6:2).” Clippity-clop, clippity-clop, Clippity-clop…, the Rider on the white horse returns to receive victory over the final conflict. Clippity-clop, clippity-clop, Clippity-clop…, the Rider on the white horse comes to fulfill the promise of Titus 2:13. Clippity-clop, clippity-clop, Clippity-clop…, the Rider on the white horse comes to reveal the truth of the everlasting covenant of Genesis 3:15; the first covenant made with Adam and Eve, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This covenant is the first mention of the promised hope of a Messiah who would save humanity from the second death. Who is the Rider on the white horse? “And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were

many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew, but He himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon the white horse, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of the almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords (Revelation 19: 11-16).” Acts 1:10-17 (…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven…); 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (…the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.); and 1 Thessalonians 5:6-10 (…let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober... But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.) identify the Rider on the white horse. He is a familiar character in the saga of the “Great Controversy.” He is Jesus Christ! The anticipated Second Advent, often called the Midnight Cry, will be a monumental event, and there are many people who believe that the date for this momentous event is soon to occur. They anxiously wait for the coming of their King. All of Christianity, in fact the entire world, hinge on this one event. The historical accounts of the entire human race from the land of Mesopotamia within the fertile Tigris-Euphrates Valley to the land of the free in the Americas point to the purpose of purposes- the Advent Sagas. There are two Advent Sagas. The First Advent Saga was Christ’s birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. Christ’s death vindicated the character of God and brought salvation to the entire human race. The Second Advent Saga will be Christ’s magnanimous, glorious and literal physical return to earth. His Second Advent will change the citizenship status of every human being, and will establish a world where true physical, spiritual, and social equity will exist for all humanity. A controversy has raged between two factions for 6,000 years (the entire written history of humankind). These two factions are good and evil, and there is no middle ground or room to straddle the fence. You are either on God’s side or you are on the

side of the Adversary (Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)). The controversy concluded almost two thousand years ago, and the final victory took place at the cross. At the cross, the character of God was defended, and Christ was victorious over the greatest controversy the universe has ever known. However, evil will continue to exist and will continue to degrade the physical, spiritual, and psychological faculties of human beings until the Second Event. Also, the decretive reverse evolutionary decline of humanity (…the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die(Genesis 2:17))” will continue until the Second Advent. That is the first death, and as long as we are subjected to the first death, we will be plagued by the whims of the Adversary, that old devil himself, the “son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations (Isaiah 14:2)!” History continuously points to the Adversary’s intentions to discredit, degrade, and denigrate the veracity of God and the love that He has for humanity. Satan would prefer for us to think of the Second Advent as a myth. But we have Christ’s promise of a Second Advent as delineated in Daniel 2: 31-45. Verse 34 describes the kingdom of God, and verse 45 describes the final outcome, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.” And verse 44 clearly delineates God’s ultimate purpose for the earth. “ And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Even though Christ’s ascension occurred more than two thousands years ago, believers who have embraced the promise of His second coming have never lost their original enthusiasm and belief in the Second Advent. Every breath of their lives testifies to their belief in the “Blessed Hope” for all humanity, because Christ is the reason for the hope of their salvation, and He is their purpose for being.

If Christ is not the focal point of our salvation, then our lives are nothing, a “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal…” Regardless of our community or church status, we are nothing without Christ. Regardless of our academic accomplishments, we are nothing without Christ. Regardless of our position in business, government, or in an academic institution, we are nothing without Christ. We can excel to the highest position that the world has to offer. We may acquire riches beyond our wildest imaginations. We may be the most popular person in the community, or in the city, or in the state, or in the country, or in the world. But without Christ, we are nothing. In fact, I generally feel uncomfortable when I am introduced as “doctor, “ because it appears to carry an uppity air of arrogance. In addition, it can be distracting since it focuses attention on self and not on Him who should be and is the Center of attention. Paul said, “Without Christ, we are alienated from heaven without the hope of salvation ... but “…in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood... (Ephesians 2:13).” In times of adversity, we need a Savior. In times of sorrow, we need a Savior. In times of depression, we need a Savior. In times of difficulties, we need a Savior. In times of impossible obstacles, we need a Savior. In the best of times, we need a Savior. In the worst of times, we need a Savior. In joyful times, we need a Savior. At all times, “we need an anchor that holds and grips the solid rock.” The only anchor in which to cling in these troubling times is Jesus, the Christ. We want to be able to unequivocally say like ancient Israel (when they were not stumbling into idolatry) that “…God is with us.” It is important for us to hold on to Christ in all our comings and goings, because His Spirit is with us in voice and action. In the face of adversities and hard times, we want to say, “God is with us.” If we are truly ambassadors for Christ, then He is an inextricable part of our being. He is in our heads; He is in our understandings; He is in our eyes; He is in our mouths; He is in our hearts; and He is in our daily comings and goings. Most of us probably have had an encounter with a seasoned Advent believer. Well, about 20 years ago, I visited an aging Adventist couple in the “sunset of their despairs.” They were not comfortable with the winter of their years. They didn’t

like growing old, and they felt a sense of human deterioration and degeneration. Physical and mental degeneration are consequences of aging and represent positive entropy, and positive entropy is inextricably connected to the spontaneity of all earthly life cycles. However, that doesn’t mean that we have to like it, but we have to embrace it. The aging couple didn’t like it, and they equated positive entropy to the degenerative consequences of sin. For numerous reasons, their lives were not comfortable or pleasant; nevertheless, with all their discomfort and despair, they had hope in the Second Advent. Nothing in this world could take the “…hope that burn[ed] within [their] hearts, hope in the coming of the Lord. “ Their conversations focused on the “goodness of God,” and, in spite of their physical and mental conditions, they anticipated His imminent return. They went to their graves with the Blessed Hope in their hearts. Like Job, their mantra was “though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God (Job 19:26).” In 2002, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit a third world country where poverty was the norm and not the exception. We realized that the poor and needy occupy a significant portion of this planet. Too much misery, too many deaths, and too little justice have ravished this planet during the last 6,000 years, and it’s past time to embrace and welcome the Blessed Hope, the Second Advent. The signs of the times indicate that the “Blessed Hope” could occur at any time. Matthew 24:32 and 33 says, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” The leaves of a fig tree will bloom before the fruit appears. When the leaves bloom, you know that fruit will soon follow. Most Bible characters see the fig tree as hope for the future. Adam and Eve saw figs as a symbol of hope. Caleb and the eleven spies saw figs as a metaphor of hope. Christ used figs as a symbol of hope for the nearness of His Second Advent. We can see the leaves of the fig tree blooming; therefore, we are approaching the winter of earth’s existence, and soon our world, as we know it, will come to an end. This end will be completely different from the apocalyptic depictions of Hollywood. There will be no devastating Noah-like catastrophic flood;

there will be no extraordinarily large solar flare to wipe out “Everyone Else;” there will be no zombie apocalypse; there will be no “Armageddon” extinction meteor collision; there will be no movement of the planet out of its orbit resulting in ever declining temperatures resulting in a world-wide ice age; but there will be the Second Advent of Jesus Christ! Like the leaves of the fig tree give signs of the imminent coming of figs, God has given us signs indicating that His return is imminent. Matthew 24 verses 21-30 provide insight into His Second Advent. He says, “ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Let’s pay heed to the elements delineated in these descriptive preAdvent events: (1) There will be a great tribulation that if it not cut short “there should no flesh be saved.” This could be symbolic, i.e., it could be related to the death and insensitivity of our spiritual values. Humanity is becoming increasingly unconcerned about the welfare of others. There is rapid spread of prejudice and injustice based on race, ethnicity, and religion. There is an exponential decline in spirituality. Let’s examine our world! How much of the world’s populations truly embrace and unequivocally

believe that “Jesus is the way,” and that He is their personal Savior and heavenly advocate? If he doesn’t come soon, how many believers will be left alive to openly welcome His return? (2) There will be false prophets and Christ impersonators who can do signs and wonders, and they will be able to deceive knowledgeable Christians. (3) The Sun will go dark. This has occurred many times throughout history with major eclipses. Perhaps a major blackout will occur in the future with a longer lasting darkness than a normal eclipse. (4) The Moon will go dark. This has occurred many times throughout history with major eclipses. Like the Sun, perhaps a major blackout will occur in the future with a longer lasting darkness than a normal eclipse. (5) There will be showers of falling stars. This has occurred many times throughout history with a plethora of meteorite showers that filled the night skies in the nineteenth, twenty, and twenty-first centuries. These showers are localized and the result of the spectacular meteorite showers called the “Leonids.” The Leonids are “prolific meteor showers associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle,” and the name “Leonid” comes from what appears to be their point of radiation from the constellation Leo. Perhaps an even larger meteor shower will fill the night sky in the future. (6) The nations of the earth will mourn. The nations of the earth are morning today because of the devastation and inhuman damages caused internationally by the notorious Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). It appears to be no end to their desire to shed innocent blood on a worldwide scale! When these events transpire, Christ will literally appear in a cloud, and it looks like they have and are occurring. “ We were drawn to the east, for in the eastern sky, we beheld a small black cloud half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the

sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud…we could behold the excellent glory and majesty of Jesus as He rode forth to conquer (Maranatha, page 289).” Christ’s Second Advent will be in marked contrast to His First Advent. Metaphorically, He comes riding a white horse. Also, His coming and His Eternal Kingdom will be in marked contrast to the “Left Behind” series of Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. Christ’s glory was veiled with the garb of humanity on His First Advent. His first appearance was without outward manifestation, but His Second Advent will be a manifestation of His glory and divinity. Metaphorically, He will hold a sickle in His right hand, and a trumpet in His left hand. The sickle is to separate the unbelievers and the unprepared from those who are prepared for the Second Advent and prepared to look upon His face. The metaphorical sickle will separate “those who have clean hands and pure hearts” from those who are “…the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every man, [who] hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.” Since Christ’s crucifixion, an amazing number of false prophets have claimed to be His reincarnation. A few twenty and twenty-first century recognizable names are Jim Jones, David Koresh, Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop, Sun Myung Moon, Yahweh ben Yahweh, José Luis de Jesús, and Brian David Mitchell. All these individuals, alive or dead, have been or are false prophets. Many years ago, an article appeared in the Los Angeles Times announcing that Christ would walk among us, and he would appear in the dessert. Such an appearance of Christ is false, because the scriptures said that Christ will appear in all His glory, and in the glory of His Father, and in the glory of the host of heaven with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, and that “…every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him...(rev 1:7).” This will be considered as a precession of glory, and in the place of

His crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory. In the place of the purple robe of humiliation, He will wear a garment of purity (“shining, exceeding white as snow… (Mark 9:3).” A name will be written on His vesture and on His thigh- King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:6), and He will be accompanied by Seraphims (with six wings), and they will use two of their wings to cover their faces, two of their wings to cover their feet, and two of their wings to fly in His presence. He will be accompanied by Cherubims (with four wings), and He will be accompanied by ministering angels (with two wings). Incidentally, the wings of angels are symbolic representations of their unimaginable swiftness. Cherubims, Seraphims and ministering angels are spirit beings who can take on the form of human beings. Their wings represent their swiftness and their ability to bend space and instantaneously appear anywhere in the multiverse. The extra wings of the Seraphims relate to their ability to swiftly and quietly perform priestly duties in the dwelling of the Most Holy Place of God. Levites, earthly priest, are the closest analogy to the duties of such heavenly beings. Levites performed special duties in earthly Israelite temples, the antitypes of the type in heaven. Seraphims are able to swiftly visualize the Multiverse in a way that other angels cannot; therefore, they cover their eyes in the presence of God. The two wings to cover their eyes represent swiftness of sight and insight. They cover their eyes in the presence of God, because they don’t compete with God who has insights beyond these created beings. The Most Holy Place where God dwells is a special environment of unimaginable sacredness. All creatures bow in His presence, and He is so holy that few can stand in His presence. Moses was told to take off his shoes when he stood on holy ground. The Seraphims who minister in the presence of God, don’t touch the surface of the ground in His holy presence. They move differently in God’s presence, and the wings used to cover their feet represent their movements in God’s holy heavenly temple and to honor the sacred ground in God’s holy dwelling. Cherubims (with four wings) guard sacred items, and their extra wings represent the swift and precise manner in which they guard God’s special treasures. The diverse ministering angels have two wings, and their wings symbolize their incredible speeds throughout the Multiverse. There is only one Archangel, Michael, and He is

Jesus, the Christ, and we rarely see Him depicted with wings, because He identifies with humanity, but at one time, He identified with the angels, and He was swifter than any created being in heaven. In fact, His swiftness, His position, His authority, and His audiences with God were impetuses for Lucifer’s jealousies. At the Second Advent, Jesus will return with the host of heaven (And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour (Revelation 8:1).) Christ will come with all of heaven’s angels…Seraphims, Cherubims, and all the ministering angels in all their Glory and splendor. Their message will be “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host, and the whole earth will be full of His glory. Several years ago, I read a book, written with prescience, by Ken Wade titled the Orion Conspiracy. Wade hyperbolizes the Second Advent experience when he wrote, “… there appeared to be a small phosphorescent cloud in the sky just in the direction of Orion. We watch as it grew rapidly larger and larger, and then suddenly the entire sky was lighted up, brighter than we had ever seen it at high noon. We were looking straight up into the sky, struggling to maintain our balance as the ground around us cavorted and rolled, quaking and moving like a wind-tossed sea. The cloud was clearly visible directly overhead…then we could see someone sitting in the middle of the cloud. It was a scene right out of Jesus’ description of His own second coming….” Ken Wade goes on to graphically describe the event including “flashes of fire,” and bolts of lightning” emanating from the cloud. His hyperbolization of the event is probably very close to what will actually occur in the not too distant future. A large portion of the world is not interested or doesn’t believe in the Second Advent. In fact, a large portion of the ancient world didn’t believe or accept Christ’s First Advent which occurred almost 4,000 years after its announcement in Genesis 3:15. The Second Advent will occur at an unknown future date, because only God knows the specific date. Anyone who suggests that he or she can predict the day and time for the Second Advent is a false prophet, because God clearly states in

Matthew 24:36, “…that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” There was not a lot of fanfare during the First Advent, and there was little disturbance within the then known society. However, the Second Advent will occur with catastrophic shaking and rocking, and few will be prepared to receive Him. At the Second Advent, we will find ourselves in two categories only, and there will be no middle ground or gray area. We will be among the “wheat” or among the “tares.” We do not want to be in the “tares” category where the unbelievers and the unprepared will seek coverage from the Savior. It’s not a difficult process to be in the “wheat” category. All we need to do is believe in Jesus, the Christ, and seek His guidance. No matter what our present spiritual condition may be, we have an advocate in Christ, our propitiation, who stands before the Eternal Father and pleads our case. Only through Jesus will we receive the gift of eternal life. Christ is our helmet, shield, and sword. He intercedes for us to confront the tempter’s snares. We should never doubt that God is near with “grace to supply and comfort to cheer.” For His love forever flows and quenches our thirst so we can bravely face the temptation of the evil forces that dominate our planet. Isaiah 2:19 describes the vast sea of unbelievers and unprepared who “go into the holes of the rocks, and the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Deliverance from this predictive ordeal is described in Psalm 50:3 and 4, “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and the earth, that He may judge His people.” When He comes in glory, as Lord of lords and King of kings. His face will shine like the sun, and his hair will be white as snow, and His eyes like flaming firelight, and His feet like glowing brass. His voice will be like a mighty sound. At His Second Advent, His resurrecting power will greet the wondrous dead who died believing that He is the Son of God and their Savior, and they will be resurrected first to greet their Lord and Savior in the sky. And those who are alive

and believe in His omnipotent power will be caught up by angels and brought close to Him who sits on the throne of heaven to be His raptured bride and to return to His side. So, let’s “lift up the trumpet, and proclaim to our neighbors, friends, and anyone who will listen the story of Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and soon Second Advent to a planet in rebellion. This time, He is coming in glory that “lamb that was slain.” Let’s tell the vast wondering throng that “Jesus is coming again.” “All around us Nations are angry; by this we do know that Jesus is coming again. Knowledge increases, men run to and fro, Jesus is coming again.” Some are enthusiastic about His return and others are not. Those who do not truly believe that He pre-existed with God, that He was resurrected, and that He is coming again are not enthusiastic about His return. Like John (the forerunner of Christ) with a “voice crying in the wilderness” we should gladly proclaim His imminent return. We have a Friend In times of the end A friend to see us through Trials and despairs And who dares to care A friend who sets us free From our burdens and our cares Always listening to our pleading prayers Who does not spare Time or means preventing evil’s snares Endures with us in trying times Who shared this mortal skin And set us free from sin Who covers us with His righteous soul For this our characters He intends to mold To guide us to the very end Oh, such a friend

To serve us in the end Who to sin will never bend He is always there He truly cares

He is always strong He is never wrong I see Him in those things I touch I love Him so much I see Him in those things I hear Because He is always near I see Him in those things I feel Because He’s there for me, to heal This planet has wondered far from God, but “I want Jesus to walk with me.” “In my sorrows, I want Jesus to walk with me.” And my hope is that Jesus will soon rescue planet earth from Satan’s clutches, and rescue his servants as well. “I hear the sound Of a mighty rushing wind And it's closer now Than it's ever been I can almost hear the trumpet And Gabriel sounds the chord At the Midnight Cry We'll be going home I look around me I see prophecies fulfilled And signs of the times They're appearing everywhere I can almost hear the father As he says Son go get your children At the Midnight Cry The bride of Christ will rise And then those that remain Will be quickly changed At the midnight cry When Jesus comes again At the midnight cry When Jesus comes again When Jesus comes again When Jesus steps out On a cloud to call his children The dead in Christ shall rise To meet him in the air

And then those that remain Will be quickly changed At the Midnight Cry When Jesus comes againâ&#x20AC;? Robert Charles Day and Greg Day 1986