At The Eleventh Hour

Where is the eleventh hour mentioned?

• Matthew 20:1-8 - "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first."

• Here we see the Householder hires laborers at five different times. There are four three-hour periods. In each of the first three periods, only one group is hired. In the fourth and last period of three hours, two groups are hired. The agreement for a penny a day, the laborers' reward, is made only with the first group. The other groups are to receive "whatsoever is right." At the day's end, all are given the same pay - a penny a day even though the last worked only an hour.

Who is the householder?

• In Matthew 21:33, Jesus told a parable about "a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:" The Householder is God. The same as in Matthew 20:1.

• In Christ Object Lessons 396.5, we are further told: "The householder's dealing with the workers in his vineyard represents God's dealing with the human family."

Who are the laborers?

• 1 Corinthians 3:8: "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building."

• We, the believing children of God are His laborers.

What is represented by the vineyard?

• The vineyard is the place of labor. In Matthew 28:19 we read: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" Here we see the place of labor is the world or among the nations.

• In Christ Object Lessons 301.3 we are told: "God claims the whole earth as His vineyard."

• The same thought is expressed in Testimonies for the Church Vol. 6, page 24.1: "The vineyard includes the whole world"

What does the marketplace symbolize?

• The marketplace is where gospel workers are hired. In Testimonies Vol. 5, page 203.3 we read: "The words of Christ apply to the church: 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?'" Hence, the church is represented by the marketplace.

What does the day or period of labor denote?

• The day represents a period illuminated by the sun's light, which signifies the Bible, the spiritual "light of the world" that makes the parabolical day, as brought out in Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

• This day or Bible period is both preceded and succeeded by a night. The night before day, is the period before the Bible, before the written Word of God, began to shine forth into the hearts of men. The period called "oral tradition." See Great Controversy page v.2.

• The night following the day is the period after the gospel work is finished, after the close of probation. When "darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." Isaiah 60:2; When men "shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it." Amos 8:12; When men shall say "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Jeremiah 8:20; When the "unjust" the "filthy" the "righteous" and the "holy" remain in their respective conditions. Revelation 22:11

• The parable divides the time of salvation into two equal parts of 12 hours each, the period before the Bible (night) and the period during the Bible (day). "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world." John 11:9

Who are the early-morning laborers?

• They are called at sunrise, at the arrival of the Bible, the spiritual light of the world.

• The Bible arrived with the Exodus Movement, with ancient Israel on their journey out of Egypt - Exodus 12:41. Also we are told in Christ Object Lessons page 400.2, "The Jews had been first called into the Lord's vineyard."

• It was to this movement that God gave the Sanctuary Ceremonial System when He said, "let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Exodus 25:8. It was a new revelation of truth.

• They are the only group the Householder made a covenant or agreement with, as expressed in Haggai 2:5: "According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not."

Who are the third hour laborers?

• The message of the Jews was fulfilled at the cross. The Early Christians were the next group. They also had an original message or new revelation of truth.

• Their message, the crucifixion, resurrection, and heavenly Priesthood of Christ, Acts 2:22, 23; Heb. 4:14 was also original like that of Ancient Israel.

• Significantly, the Lord was crucified at the 3rd hour of the day, Mark 15:25, and likewise, Pentecost came at the 3rd hour of the day, Acts 2:15.

How are the remaining groups of laborers identified?

• Since the first two groups preached brand new revelations of truths, they set divine precedents and patterns for all the other groups to follow.

• Therefore, the identity of the remaining groups of laborers is determined by their messages. They too must come with original truths, rather than old trodden-down truths in need of restoration.

• To this end, Christ Object Lessons page 127.4 says: "In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that generation."

• Also, the Great Controversy page 609.1 states, "Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God's people at that time."

Who are the sixth-hour laborers?

• This third group of laborers with an original truth is found after the years of the Protestant Reformation because the Reformation did not bring new truths but endeavored to restore old, trodden-down truths.

• The First Day Adventists or Millerites was the only group with such a message. Their message was the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14).

• Although they preached about the cleansing of the sanctuary, they did not understand what the sanctuary was and the nature of its cleansing. See Early Writings page 243.2 and Great Controversy page 324.3.

Why were the sixth and ninth-hour calls combined?

• They are combined in verse 5 which says, "Again He went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise."

• This is so because the messages and servants of these two calls were to be closely related to and associated with each other. Their messages fused into one. The message of the former, the Cleansing of the Sanctuary revealed the message of the latter, the Judgment of the Dead.

Who are the ninth hour laborers?

• At the terminus of the prophetic 2300 days (Daniel 8:14) in October 1844, the Seventh-day Adventists emerged, proclaiming the Investigative Judgment (of the Dead), Daniel 7:9, 10. The First Angel's message in its primary phase - Revelation 14:6, 7. It was another new revelation of truth.

• This proclamation was to "many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." Revelation 10:11. Not to "all" or "every." Therefore, the message of the ninth-hour Servants, not destined to go to "all" nations, will not finish the work.

• Thus, there must be another message, the last before the end of the parabolical day, that will go to all nations and finish the work. It must be proclaimed by the Eleventh Hour Servants.

Who are the eleventh-hour laborers?

• The Eleventh-Hour Call, coming within the same three-hour period of the ninth-hour call, and just one hour before sunset, the close of probation, before "the night cometh, when no man can work," John 9:4, is a call to Seventh Day Adventists with the message of "the Judgment of the living," Ezekiel 9, the last original truth.

• Hence, we are told, "We are to throw aside our narrow, selfish plans, remembering that we have a work of the largest magnitude and highest importance. In doing this work we are sounding the first, second, and third angels' messages, and are thus being prepared for the coming of that other angel from heaven who is to lighten the earth with his glory." Testimonies Volume 6, page 406.6.

• Indeed, it is the Loud Cry (Revelation 18:1-4) of the Third Angel's message, elaborated on in Early Writings 277.1: "Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory."

• It is further reiterated in Great Controversy 611.1: "The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel's message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold." It will be a "mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel."

• A "movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: "Come out of her, My people." These announcements, uniting with the third angel's message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth." Great Controversy page 604.1.

• It will be proclaimed by faithful Seventh-day Adventists, the 144,000. Revelation 7:4; Revelation 14:1, 4, 5. Their sealing is the "closing work for the church" Testimonies Vol. 3, page 266.2.

Why another call, and so late in the day?

• They are called when "men of learning and position…separated from God, yielded to the influence of the world, and the Lord rejected them." Testimonies Volume 5 page 82.2. When "The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily retreating toward Egypt." Testimonies Volume 5 page 217.2. When "Seventh-day Adventists are giving the trumpet an uncertain sound," and "are following in the path of worldlings." Testimonies to Ministers page 86.2. When "Daily the church is being converted to the world" Christ Object Lessons 315.3.

• They are called while the day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5, Matthew 17:11) is being announced.

• They are called when "The Lord will work to purify His church." when "the Lord is about to turn and overturn in the institutions called by His name." Testimonies to Ministers page 372.4

• Their calling is when "the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace." and "when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor." Testimonies Volume 5 page 79.4

• They escape the judgment in the church and preach the Loud Cry to all nations. Isaiah 66:15, 16, 19, 20.

• They "withstand temptation in the strength of the Mighty One" and preach the Loud Cry. Review and Herald, November 19, 1908, par. 9.

Is the call to come out of Babylon being given today?

• Great Controversy 1888 Edition, page 382.3 says "Furthermore, in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation, in a message which is yet future, the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon."

• This call is to be given in a future message.

What will be the reaction to the message?

• "The third angel's message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory." Review and Herald, May 27, 1890, par. 6