Duty to Sigh and Cry for Sins and
Abominations Not Singular to Prophets
It has been
and is being taught on some SDA chat group forums that all one has to do in
response to sins and abominations in the church is to give the three angel's
messages, and the sins and abominations will take care of themselves. Also,
it is being taught that only some are corporately responsible for the sins
and only they are given the duty to warn others of the sins and abominations
in the church.
Let's analyze
if that is the course taken by the ancient prophets and Ellen G. White:
"Mark
this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in
them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in
linen, are those 'that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be
done in the church.' Testimonies,
vol. 3, pp. 266-267.
"And the
Lord said unto me: Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of
Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that
cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the
other he said in mine hearing, God ye after him through the city, and smite:
let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young,
both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon
whom is the mark [seal]; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the
ancient men [leaders] which were before the house." Ezekiel 9:4-6.
"Son of
man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the
word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked,
Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the
wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die
in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou war
the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he
shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." Ezekiel
3:17-19.
The same
warning as given above is restated in verses 20-21. When the Lord repeats
something like that, it is a most important directive.
Is the responsibility to warn only delegated to prophets? Notice:
“So
far as his opportunities extend, every one who has received the light of
truth is under the same solemn and fearful responsibility as was the prophet
of Israel, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: "Son of man, I
have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear
the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man surely die; if thou dost not
speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of
his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his
iniquity, but thou has delivered thy soul.”
Eze 33:7-9. The Great
Controversy, p. 459.
"For
evils that we might have checked, we are just as responsible as if we were
guilty." Desire of Ages, p.
44.
Blood of the
Prophets:
Luke 11:50
Luke 11:49-51 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the
blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the
world, Luke 11:50-52 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who
was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this
generation [Corporate responsibility] will be held responsible for it all.
In the above
text we find that an entire generation of Jews was held responsible for the
blood of all the prophets shed since the beginning of the world. In
principle, this is the same kind of corporate responsibility Ellen White is
stating below. She thus has scriptural authority for the following statement:
"The
plain straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will
rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their
sins. God holds His people, as a body [corporately], responsible for the sins
existing in individuals among them." Testimonies,
vol. 3, p. 269.
The ancient
prophets pointed out the sins and abominations of Israel. They warned against
association, council, girding and confederacy with the enemies of God. They
called Israel a harlot and pointed out what she did to deserve that title.
For example:
1Cr 6:16
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body?
for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
1Cr 6:15 Know
ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the
members of Christ, and make [them] the members of an harlot? God
forbid.
2. Ellen
White: "In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist
church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and
advantages that she has had. . . .I saw our Instructor pointing to the
garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them of, He laid bare he
defilement beneath. Then He said to me: 'Can you not see how they have
pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? How
is the faithful city become an harlot?" E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 8, pp. 247-250.
"In
Revelation 17, Babylon is represented as a woman, a figure which is used in
the Scriptures as the symbol of a church. A virtuous woman represents a pure
church, a vile woman an apostate church. Babylon is said to be a
HARLOT; and the prophet beheld her drunken with the blood of saints and
martyrs. The Babylon thus described represents Rome, that apostate church which
has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ. But Babylon the HARLOT
is the MOTHER of DAUGHTERS who follow her example of corruption. Thus are
represented those churches that cling to the doctrines and traditions of Rome
and follow her worldly practices, and whose fall is announced in the second
angel's message." E.G. White, The
Spirit of Prophecy, Volume Four, p. 233.
Question: Do
all the harlot daughters of Rome, teach all the corruption's of their Mother?
No! Are they still regarded as Babylon? Yes.
"The
churches that would not receive the light of the first angel's message, and
as they rejected the light from heaven they fell from the favor of God. They
trusted in their own strength, and placed themselves by their opposition to
the first message where they could not see the light of the second angel's
message. But the beloved of God, who were oppressed, answered to the message,
Babylon is fallen, and left the fallen churches." E.G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Volume 1, p. 140.
Clearly,
rejecting any of the three angel's messages, and/or the Midnight Cry, is to
render a church in a fallen state called Babylon. SDA's have now violated
everyone of those messages by Ecumenical Liaison with Babylon, via MEMBERSHIP
in at least eight Nationals Councils of Churches in the world, and MEMBERSHIP
in localized Ministerial Associations. A Ph.D official at the Canadian
Council of Churches told me personally over the phone that local Ministerial
Association are a local subsidiary of the World and National Councils of
Churches. Ellen White said that we are not to be linked in any way with the
fallen churches.
"Babylon
of Revelation 18 [Revelation 18:1-8 quoted].--The whole chapter shows that
Babylon that has fallen is the churches (plural) who will not receive the
messages of warning the Lord has given in the first, second, and third
angel's messages. They refused the truth and accepted a lie. They refused the
messages of truth. See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume One, p. 361.
"In
every part of the land, light was given upon the second angel's message, and
the cry was melting down thousands. It went from city to city, and from
village to village, until the waiting people of God were fully aroused. Many
would not permit this message to enter the churches, and a large company who
had the living testimony within them left the fallen churches. A mighty work
was accomplished by the Midnight Cry." E.G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Volume 1, p. 141.
Jer 3:6 The
LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen [that]
which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain
and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Jer 3:8 And I
saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I
had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister
Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jer 3:8 And I
saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I
had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister
Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Eze 16:15 But
thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because
of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by;
his it was.
Eze 16:16 And
of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers
colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: [the like things] shall
not come, neither shall it be [so].
Eze 16:28
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast
unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet
couldest not be satisfied.
Eze 16:31 In
that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest
thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in
that thou scornest hire;
Eze 16:35
Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
Eze 16:41 And
they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in
the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot,
and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
Eze 23:5 And
Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her
lovers, on the Assyrians [her] neighbours,
Hsa 4:15
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, [yet] let not Judah offend; and
come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD
liveth.
Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given
a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Amo 7:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot
in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy
land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and
Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
Mic 1:7 And
all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires
thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay
desolate: for she gathered [it] of the hire of an harlot, and they
shall return to the hire of an harlot.
Nah 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the
wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations
through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
"The
Jews had deceived themselves by misinterpreting the words of the Lord through
his prophets, of his eternal favor to his people Israel.
'Thus saith
the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the
moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the
waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart
from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from
being a nation before me forever. Thus saith the Lord: If heaven above can be
measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also
cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.'
Jer. 31:35-37.
These words
the Jews applied to themselves. And because God had shown them so great favor
and mercy, they flattered themselves that, notwithstanding their sins and
iniquities, he would still retain them as his favored people, and shower
especial blessings upon them. They misapplied the words of Jeremiah and
depended for their salvation upon being called the [chosen] children of
Abraham. If they had indeed been worthy o the name of Abraham's children,
they would have followed the righteous example of their father Abraham, and
would have done the works of Abraham.
This has been
the danger of the people of God in all ages; and especially is this the
danger of those living near the close of time. . . .
God would in
no wise excuse sin in a people who had been enlightened, even if he had, in
their days of faithfulness and purity, loved them, and given them especial
promises. These promises and blessings were always upon condition of
obedience upon their part.
The Lord
pronounced, by the mouth of Moses, blessings upon the obedient, and curses
upon the disobedient." E. G. White, Review
and Herald, Vol. 1, 123.
Some just
want to hear the "good news." That is characteristic of the
Nicolaitans. They do not want to hear of the curses (warnings) upon the
disobedient.
Part 2
If merely
giving the three angel's messages will prevent gross sin and apostasy from
entering the SDA Church, what happened in the following cases:
"The
enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great
reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this
reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the
pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this
reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that
God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our
religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the
work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A NEW ORGANIZATION
would be established. Books of a NEW ORDER would be written. A system of
intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system
would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course,
would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be
allowed to stand in the way of the NEW MOVEMENT. The leaders would teach that
virtue is better than vice, but GOD BEING REMOVED, they would place
their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their
foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away
the structure.
Who has
authority to begin such a [NEW] movement? We have our Bibles, we have our
experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have
a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything
that is not in harmony with this truth? E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, 204, 205.
Questions: If giving
the three angel's message takes care of all the sins and abominations in the
church, how is it that everyone of the above stated abominations has come
into the church as the Omega of Apostasy, which Ellen White said would surely
come, develop and wax stronger until Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven.
Series B, No. 7. Is Ellen White just "dancing in a cow dung heap"
by stating the above abominations. Who is warning against that apostasy? Who
understands that apostasy? Who understands that it has been fulfilled and can
give examples as to how every specification has been fulfilled? Is it the
dumb-dog watchmen? Is it their dotting dumb sheep followers? No indeed. It
has always taken the seers of God's vineyard to point out the sins and
abominations of Israel, and indeed they are the only ones who can see
such--they and those who will awaken to their message of warning.
LeRoy Froom
wrote books of a New Order, saying that the nature of Christ was that of Adam
before the fall. That paved the way for the Trinity doctrine which teaches
that Christ did not come in fallen sinful flesh, and that divinity could not
die for our sins, and that only the humanity of Christ died for those sins,
when Christ died to His state of pure divinity forever, as part of the
Incarnation Atonement for our sins. he laid down that purely divine life as a
regenerating gift to us. Truth is that the second death was when Christ
commended His Holy Spirit to the Father for the last time on the cross, and
could never thereafter return to His former first estate of pure divinity
ONLY. He could have refused the cross and returned to that state before the
crucifixion, but His death on the cross meant that He took upon Himself
humanity forever. So it was eternal death to His former pure divinity ONLY
state of Being. That was a sacrifice in and of itself.
Main Entry: re·pu·di·ate
Pronunciation: ri-'pyü-dE-"At
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -at·ed; -at·ing
Etymology: Latin repudiatus, past participle of repudiare, from
repudium rejection of a prospective spouse, divorce, probably from re-
+ pudEre to shame
Date: 1545
1 : to divorce or separate formally from (a woman)
2 : to refuse to have anything to do with : DISOWN
3 a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject
as unauthorized or as having no binding force b : to reject as
untrue or unjust <repudiate a charge>
4 : to refuse to acknowledge or pay
synonym see DECLINE
- re·pu·di·a·tor
>javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?repudi02.wav=repudiator')
"The
things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me
would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will
be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The
senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted
to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy
Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This
is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none
effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this
time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use
musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me
would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time needs
nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam of noise
shocks the senses and pervert that which if conducted aright might be a
blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to
have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirits working." Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 36.
Question: Why
do we have the above apostasy occurring at SDA campmeetings JUST BEFORE
PROBATION CLOSES, if just preaching the three angel's messages, takes care of
all the sins and abominations in the church?
"I saw
the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us
to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth. The
saints then will be an obscure [hidden] people, little known to the
Catholics; but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and
customs (for they hate us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not
refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those
who disregard the institutions of the people; that is, that they keep the
Sabbath and disregard Sunday.
Then the
Catholics bid the Protestants to go forward, and issue a decree that all who
will not observe the first day of the week, instead of the seventh day, shall
be slain. And the Catholics, whose numbers are large, will stand by the
Protestants. The Catholics will give their power to the image of the beast.
And the Protestants will work as their mother worked before them to destroy
the saints. But before their decree bring or bear fruit, the saints will be
delivered by the Voice of God. Then I saw that Jesus' work in the sanctuary
will soon be finished. And after His work there is finished, He will come to
the door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head
of the Scape Goat. Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the
plagues will come upon the wicked, and they do not come till Jesus puts on
that garment, and takes Hs place upon the great white cloud. Then while the
plagues are falling, the Scape Goat is being led away. He makes a mighty
struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he
should effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives. I saw that it would take
time to lead away the Scape Goat into the land of forgetfulness after the
sins were put on his head.
The great
white cloud I saw was not the holy place, but entirely separate from the holy
and most holy place, entirely separate from the sanctuary.
Then the
angel repeated these words, and said, 'This is the time spoken of in Isaiah.
He saw that there was not man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. He
had no mediator between God and man, and these plagues could be withheld no
longer, for Jesus had ceased to plead for Israel, and they were covered with
the covering of the Almighty God, and they could live in the sight of a holy
God, and those who were not covered, the plagues fell upon them, for they had
nothing to shelter or protect them from the wrath of God." E.G. White,
Dorchester, Maine, October 23, 1850, Spalding--Magan's Unpublished Mss. Testimonies, pp. 1, 2.
Question: If
the three angel's messages insure that the sins and abominations will take
care of themselves, as many are saying, why are there nominal Adventists who
are not just tares, but so pro-active as to report faithful SDA's to the
Catholics at the end-time? Who are Nominal Adventists at the end-time? The
truth is that Nominal Adventists are described and defined in the appendix of
Early Writings as being those who do not accept all of present truth.
All
blessings,
—rwb
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