Revelation 7:13-14 -  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The 144,000 are here described as a people who are going through great tribulation. Why is this their experience? So that they would wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are made white and purified through hard experiences.

Now we ask the question, When is this text applicable?  During the period of the three angels’ messages, the third angel being the sealing angel.

It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. {5T 215.4} (Written in the 1880’s).

It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord’s appearing. The world is in darkness. “But ye, brethren,” says Paul, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It is ever God’s purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness for the waiting, longing soul. {Ibid.}

The sons of Jacob went through terrible and trying experiences through which they were purged and purified; and the sealing of the 144,000 was typified in these sons. In this dark and trying hour, while the world lies in darkness, we are to be intelligent as to what we must be going through at this time. We must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness; we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord’s appearing.

PREPARATION

What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mould and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mould and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. {5T 216.1}

This is what is to be our experience.

When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. {5T 216.2}

Now is the time – that was in Mrs White’s time through to now. And how will God do this work? How will He bring light out of darkness, and a joy and a peace out of the unpleasantries of life?

The day is coming, and it is close upon us, when every phase of character will be revealed by special temptation. Those who remain true to principle, who exercise faith to the end, will be those who have proved true under test and trial during the previous hours of their probation, and have formed characters after the likeness of Christ. It will be those who have cultivated close acquaintance with Christ who, through His wisdom and grace, are partakers of the divine nature. But no human being can give to another, heart devotion and noble qualities of mind, and supply his deficiencies with moral power. {TMK 350.3}

No human being can give it to us. It is our personal, individual attention to these matters. I can’t do it for you; you can’t do it for me. As I share God’s word with you, it is up to you what you do with it. As you read and study the 12 tribes, and see what kind of character you have, then it’s up to you to bring these things to God to be refined and purified - and to do so now before probation closes. God allows us to go through battles and bad experiences to purify us.

One of the things we need to do is to overcome passion. Are we sometimes very passionate, acting on emotion rather than on intellect? We must overcome that.  In our study of Simeon and his tribe, we will understand how passion may be overcome.

AN INHERITANCE OF CRUELTY

What was the inheritance, the DNA, that Simeon received from his mother? Who was his mother, and what was her agony of spirit that was passed on through the DNA, the genetic chemistry? Leah had given birth to Reuben:

Genesis 29:33 - And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I [was] hated, he hath therefore given me this [son] also: and she called his name Simeon.

So, what was his inheritance? His mother felt that she was hated. There was this agony of spirit, the awful sensation of feeling unloved when she conceived and gave birth to Simeon. What sort of an inheritance do you think he received? What sort of chemistry?

And as we look at his experience, what character did he reveal in time of temptation?  Temptation and trial reveal character. What then was the temptation that came to Simeon which revealed his character weakness?

Read Genesis 34:1-4 The story was then related to Jacob and his sons.

Read Genesis 34:13-14

Here was the temptation that confronted them. How were they going to react to the fact that their sister had been defiled? And now this heathen prince wanted to marry their sister, so what did they say? Sorry, that can’t happen unless you are circumcised.

Read Genesis 34:15-19                                                                                                                                                   Shechem was apparently a very honourable young man, and he quickly did what was required of him.

Read Genesis 34:20-27                                                                                                                                                         What a gory story. Did Simeon and Levi feel justified in what they had done? To get revenge was a temptation, wasn’t it? These debased pagans had defiled their sister! How were they going to deal with it?

It was a very shrewd operation. They dealt with it by suggesting to Shechem that he could have their sister if all the men in the city were circumcised. It began with a lie and ended in wholesale murder. They killed the men of Shechem when they knew they would be the sorest and the least able to defend themselves. It was a cruel action and they felt justified, but Jacob condemned their action.

Read Genesis 34:30-31                                                                                                                                                          Can you see why they felt justified? We’ve done the right thing! Are we going to permit our sister to be treated like a harlot?  

We can justify our cruelty, can’t we? This is what Simeon did. And many times, this characteristic is revealed in God’s people, in Christians. Something is being done that is not right, and we are tempted to react to it in a cruel manner.

The treacherous cruelty of Simeon and Levi was not unprovoked; yet in their course toward the Shechemites they committed a grievous sin. They had carefully concealed from Jacob their intentions, and the tidings of their revenge filled him with horror. Heartsick at the deceit and violence of his sons, he only said, “Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land: . . . But the grief and abhorrence with which he regarded their bloody deed is shown by the words in which, nearly fifty years later, he referred to it, as he lay upon his deathbed in Egypt: “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations . . . Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel.” Genesis 49:5-7. {PP 204.3}

And how was this same cruelty and treacherous falsehood later revealed in the experience of Joseph?

Genesis 37:18 - And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

Remember, they were jealous. The DNA these boys inherited through the agony suffered by Leah, expressed itself in envy and cruelty. Joseph was often telling stories about them, and they hated him for it.  Now as they saw Joseph coming, their jealousy and hatred boiled over. Reason was dethroned and passion gained the victory.

Genesis 37:19-20 - And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 

In the cruel treatment of their brother, Simeon had been the instigator and chief actor, {PP 225.4}

This kind of character is one of self-justifying cruelty. “We’ve got to treat these sinners in this way!” Can you identify with this attitude? “I feel perfectly justified. These are corrupt people; I’ll give it to them!”  This is the character of the Simeonites and the Levites – cruel brethren.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR SUCH PEOPLE?

Proverbs 25:28 - A person who cannot control his own spirit, like Simeon or Levi, is like a city that is broken down without walls. In the days of ancient warfare, this left you wide open to the enemy.

Read Genesis 49:5-7

This was their blessing. They would not possess land in Israel which they could call their own. Levi and Simeon were like a city without walls. Can you see the symbolism?

Next in age to Reuben were Simeon and Levi. They had been united in their cruelty toward the Shechemites, and they had also been the most guilty in the selling of Joseph. Concerning them it was declared–“I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.”

At the numbering of Israel, just before their entrance to Canaan, Simeon was the smallest tribe. Moses, in his last blessing, made no reference to Simeon. In the settlement of Canaan this tribe had only a small portion of Judah’s lot, and such families as afterward became powerful formed different colonies and settled in territory outside the borders of the Holy Land. {PP 235.6}

Simeon was a very small tribe because of their passion and cruelty. No part was given to them as an inheritance, but instead they were allotted a portion within the land of Judah, and later thousands were forced to subsist among the other tribes by teaching their children.

Observe now their vulnerability when temptation came upon Israel by the hand of Balaam. They were easy prey when Balaam caused the Hebrews to fall into idolatry and immorality with the Midianite women.

Read Numbers 25:1-9,14

“The shores of the stream of time are strewn with the wrecks of characters that have been stranded upon the rocks of sensual indulgence. When licentious desires rule the heart, other sins quickly follow,”   S N Haskell, The Cross and its Shadow p. 295.

The Simeonites were amongst the ring leaders in this apostasy. Look what happened to them.

Read Numbers 1:23 - This is how many they numbered when they left Egypt.

Read Numbers 26:14 – This is how many they numbered when they entered the Promised Land.

Of the 59,300 fighting men who originally left Egypt, only 22,200 Simeonites were left after the parents had died in the forty years of wandering in the wilderness and, more were slain because of Baal Peor. They did not practise self-control and so were greatly reduced in number.

At the numbering of Israel, just before their entrance to Canaan, Simeon was the smallest tribe. {PP 235.6}

What encouragement is there for the passionate members of this tribe who lack self-control?  Is Simeon among the 144,000?

They needed be purged in order to be saved. The way God purifies His people is through trial. Here is an example of the purging, purifying experience that these people will go through

Read Genesis 42:6-7 - Joseph kept himself hidden behind that Egyptian façade. He interrogated them roughly and accused them of being spies. He put them through some hard experiences.

Read Genesis 42:17-24 - Why did he pick Simeon? They had already been in prison, but he wanted to send them home so they could give food to their father, so he took Simeon and bound him. Why? Because Simeon was the instigator of all the cruel treatment metered out on Joseph, and Joseph knew that.

 Read Genesis 42:36 - Can you imagine the agony of these brothers as they were going through this torturous experience? Firstly, being imprisoned, secondly Simeon having to stay in prison, and then to hear the agony of their father – terrible circumstances, terrible trials, and tribulation. This is how it works.  God’s people with their cruel traits of character must be purged through difficult times. They can finally be victorious, but only this way.

The three days in the Egyptian prison were days of bitter sorrow as the brothers reflected upon their past sins. {PP 225.4}

Can you see the purging experience? The Lord brings circumstances about so that past sins can be remembered and forsaken.

Unless Benjamin could be produced their conviction as spies appeared certain, and they had little hope of gaining their father’s consent to Benjamin’s absence. {Ibid.}

Can you see the torment?

On the third day Joseph caused the brothers to be brought before him. He dared not detain them longer. Already his father and the families with him might be suffering for food. “This do, and live,” he said; “for I fear God; if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.” {Ibid.}

So, he kept one hostage.

This proposition they agreed to accept, though expressing little hope that their father would let Benjamin return with them. Joseph had communicated with them through an interpreter, and having no thought that the governor understood them, they conversed freely with one another in his presence. They accused themselves in regard to their treatment of Joseph: “We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.” {Ibid.}

Can you see the purifying exercise which God’s people have to go through? To agonise over their past sins. “And look what has happened because of those sins! Because of this and that thing that I have done.” “Look at what is happening to us now!” They recount their sins.

Reuben, who had formed the plan for delivering him at Dothan, added, “Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.” Joseph, listening, could not control his emotions, and he went out and wept. On his return he commanded that Simeon be bound before them and again committed to prison. In the cruel treatment of their brother, Simeon had been the instigator and chief actor, and it was for this reason that the choice fell upon him. {Ibid.}

And he was left there in prison until they came next time. This is the purification exercise.  It is by this method that God works to purify His people and to bring them to their senses.

TO BE AMONG THE PURIFIED 144,000

If we can identify with Simeon’s cruel nature – judgmental, self-justifying, and cruel in dealing with the sins of others – is there a possibility for people like that being among the 144,000, after the purging experience?

Revelation 7:7 - Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand.

So, no matter how cruel and passionate we might be, we can be among the 144,000. We may, like Simeon, need some prison time and be subject to some severe trials, but these experiences will purify us.  As a result, we will remember our sins and be led into deep heart-searching and repentance.

So long as we are in the world, we shall meet with adverse influences. There will be provocations to test the temper; and it is by meeting these in a right spirit that the Christian graces are developed. {MH 487.2}

Various temptations will harass us, and through these experiences we discover our character defects, such as cruelty and harsh judgment. And the way we exercise our Christian graces is by meeting these provocations in a right spirit.

If Christ dwells in us, we shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful amid frets and irritations. {Ibid.}

Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self and grow into a noble heroism. {Ibid.}

This must be our experience if we are going to be among the 144,000. Unconfessed sin, not sin itself, bars us from receiving eternal life.

This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a personal battle to fight. Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory. {Ibid.}

What must we do to conquer sinful tendencies? Be patient, kind, forbearing, and cheerful amid frets and irritations. But how can we do this? How can we conquer self and grow into noble heroism? This task cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus. We need help from Jesus! We can pray to Him, but is that all we need to do? He does help us, but what else is needed? Resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a battle to fight, and God can’t help us unless we become co-workers with Him by doing our part. And we won’t be among the 144,000 if we decline this struggle and thereby lose the strength and joy of victory. What a beautiful explanation of how to be among the 144,000. What an object lesson in found in the experience of Simeon. God permits circumstances to take us through hard experiences to purify us.

As I was sharing this, the thought struck me. Some of God’s people will end up in prison during the time of Jacob’s trouble, after the close of probation. Some will be in prison, but others won’t; they will be out in the wilderness. I wonder whether perhaps it will be the Simeonites that will be in prison . . .

This is yet another tribe that helps us to understand who the 144,000 are – they come out of great tribulation. What are they doing? They are dealing with their past sins; they are understanding why they are going through this hard experience. It is because of their past sins. And as we reap the consequences of our past actions, like the sons of Jacob, may God grant us to really take hold of this work and not forget what we have studied here, because we want to be among the 144,000. This is what the Spirit of Prophecy says: we should strive with all our might to be among them.  May God help us. What is our allotted task?

. . . help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. {Ibid.}

Let us take hold of these things so that we can be among the 144,000.