“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matt. 7:24-27. Through this parable Jesus has called out a strong warning to mankind. People pay far too little attention to it. Here Jesus shows us two men who were building. Both of them heard His Word; but the difference between them was that one of them did it and thus had rock as a foundation for his house, whereas the other man did not do the Word which he heard and consequently had only sand as a foundation for his house. In Revelation 14 John saw the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Rev. 14:1. How did they get this name on their foreheads? They had overcome! Rev. 3:12. They had followed the Lamb wherever He went; in other words, they had done what Jesus had taught them. In their mouth was found no guile, for they were without fault. They had built their house on the rock, on Mount Zion which is never shaken. While they stood there they sang a new song that no one else could learn. Now the floods and the storms had ceased, but listen how things went with the other house: “And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon [the great] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’” Rev. 14:8. We can read more about her fall in the 17th and 18th chapters; it happened as Jesus said: “And great was its fall.” Babylon, that great harlot, is the one that divides the hearts between God and the world. She hears and speaks God’s Word, but she does not do it. It is difficult for people to discern between the bride and the harlot, for both of them build and work with Jesus’ words. Their activities appear to be the same outwardly, but there is a difference in their heart relationship. The one is faithful and does what he hears and says he will do, whereas the other one is unfaithful; he does not do what he hears and says. The house that is being built on sand is large. When we consider the striving among the denominations to become big, to gain many members, to build large buildings (everything is BIG, BIG, BIG), we are automatically reminded of this word: “Babylon the great.” Jesus said that only the few walk on the narrow way. If you want to do what Jesus has said, the way becomes narrow, and it leads to the top of Mount Zion. The bride and the harlot each have their own gospel. Many are they who sit in various places and sing, “Bend me at the foot of the wooden cross; cleanse me anew in Thy blood.” But where do you find that Jesus or the apostles have ever said, “Bend me at the foot of the wooden cross”? Jesus says that unless you take up your cross daily and deny yourself, you cannot be His disciple. And Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ.” Gal. 2:20. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Gal. 5:24. Here you can clearly see the difference between doing and not doing. The one who wants only to hear but not do the Word doesn’t need to take up his cross or crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. He knows that every once in a while he cannot manage to keep a good conscience, and in order to be healed, he sings, “Bend me at the foot of the wooden cross,” etc. But that building will not stand on the day when the storms come. “Babylon [the great] is fallen, is fallen . . . .” Those who want to do Jesus’ words must take up their cross and deny themselves, and that building will stand on the day when the storms come. They fought and wept while they were building. “Strive to enter in through the narrow gate.” They were scorned and mocked; but when the storms come, when the fire is to test the building, the roles are reversed. Then they will sing a new song. An intense battle is being fought between these two gospels—between the bride and the harlot. We need men and women who can rise up and preach with power that Jesus’ words are to be heeded. “And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: ‘Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’” Acts 13:39-41. The law could not bring anything to perfection, but with Jesus came the time of the restoration of all things. Heb. 9:9-14; 10:1-9. The offerings according to the law could sanctify only to the cleansing of the flesh—they could only cleanse the vessel outwardly. On the other hand, when Jesus came, sin was condemned in the flesh. Rom. 8:3. He came with a perfect cleansing—inside and outside. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matt. 5:27-28. This is where Jesus came with an inner cleansing. We can hear people say when there is talk about victory over sin, “Yes, but what about the thought life?” They do not believe in Jesus’ finished work, that the vessel can be cleansed on the inside. And who is there who believes that a church can arise—an assembly of people taken out from the world, from sin and vices—who can become one just as the Father and the Son are one (John 17:22-23)—and that it can happen in this world? When one member is honored, then all the other members rejoice with him. Paul says, “It is no longer I who live . . . .” “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” That is something totally different from bowing at the foot of the wooden cross. When we preach this message we can hear the mockery from those who say they are Christians but are not: “I have never seen a dead man,” or, “Show me someone who doesn’t live for himself,” or “Do you have the victory?” etc. Rev. 2:9. However, this is the work that God does in these days with the souls who have forsaken everything and are following Jesus, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you. But the time will come, you despisers, that you will marvel and perish on the day that the bride will stand on Mount Zion and sing. Acts 13:41; Rev. 14:3. “But . . . we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak . . . .” 2 Cor. 4:13. Why do you not speak, brother and sister? Do you not believe that the time of restoration came with Jesus? Have you become so disappointed in Christians that you do not believe? Jesus said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them . . . .” It is up to the individual. Are you building on the rock or on the sand? May God grant that many men and women will arise in these last days who speak God’s Word in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. In the same chapter Paul also saw a third house, which was the house of the beast. The beast also has a gospel, which is: We must assert our rights; we must meet steel with steel; we do not look to heaven or to any god for help; we must assert ourselves, etc. Those who do not want to have anything to do with God fit in here. The beast thinks only of the body—food and clothing—it doesn’t care for the soul. This struggle of the beast may be justified, for unrighteousness is widespread; but none of these beasts who arise are in a position to create peace. We must not be fooled by their gospel but do what James writes when he speaks about these circumstances: “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. . . . For the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Read James 5:1-10. No one else is in a position to restore all things. The harlot is sitting on the beast, and many religious people are courting both the beast to have a good life in this world and God to have it good in eternity. But listen to how it will go with such people: “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Rev. 14:9-10.Sigurd Bratlie