It has been erroneously taught by some SDAs, that Israel was never referred by Scripture to as being any part of Babylon. They maintain that Israel was never branded as being part of Babylon, so they conclude that the SDA church would never be so branded. That simply is not so. The Bible has something to say on this issue:
Isaiah 1:21 Isaiah 1 Isaiah 1:20-22 See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her-- but now murderers!
"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." Jeremiah 3:8.
The Distinction Between a Harlot and Marriage to Babylon's Confederacy
So Judah, as well as Israel, played the harlot. Playing the harlot is not marriage to Satan's confederacy, but when by conspiracy (Jer. 11:9-15) a church aligns itself with the enemies of God by way of association, counsel, girding and confederacy, this is more than harlotry; this is marriage to Satan's Synagogue. That Synagogue is his brothel, and all harlot daughters who thus become married to Satan, are Babylonian in nature. The Jewish church was finally labeled the Synagogue of Satan, which is part and parcel to Babylon and vice versa.
Any church that aligns itself with Babylon, after knowing the three angel's messages, fall off the Midnight Cry Lighted path and it is impossible to get back on again, Word to the Little Flock, p. 14. This IMPOSSIBILITY, connotes unpardonable sin. If all individuals and churches that heard the Midnight Cry and the first and second angel's messages in 1844, but rejected same, became fallen, (and Ellen White says that such was the case), then the same principle applies to professing New Movement Seventh-day Adventist church. Although there is still hope for those who do not know what the church has done ecumenically.
"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 upon every high mountain and under every green tree, ." and there hath played the harlot Jer. 3:6.
Playing the harlot is flirting (socializing--fellowshipping) with the enemies of God, while not forming any bond of unity with those enemies. An example of such harlotry is joint Easter sunrise services with Babylon. A full-fledged harlot is one that goes beyond flirting (dialoguing and concord with error--socializing) with enemy to joining the enemies associations, councils and confederacies. There is Mother harlot, and daughter harlots. A harlot, is a harlot, is a harlot. The mother of harlots is Rome or Babylon, and she has her origin in early Christianity as a professing Christian religion. This relates harlotry with a once early Christian and/or God fearing religion, and of course, Israel, was a God fearing religion and should have adopted Christianity.
This is why Ellen White applied the words "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" to the church in the event it fell, so who can fault anyone for calling the fallen SDA church Babylon, after it has joined the (Ministerial) associations, (National and World) councils, and confederacies of Babylon? The church is a MEMBER of at least eight National Councils of Churches, and a church need only be member of one National Council of Churches in order to be considered a member of the World Council of Churches. I was told by a Phd. Official at the Canadian Council of Churches, that the local Ministerial Associations of member churches, are a local arm of the World Council of Churches. And all SDA Ministers are encouraged to join these Ministerial Associations.
"The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, 'a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.'" Testimonies to Ministers, p. 265.
The world was thus introduced into the church and married to the church in the early 1930's, when it voted to accept the accreditation of worldly accreditation boards that direct what shall be taught in all Adventist educational facilities. What could be a more clever way in which Satan could marry the church and the youth to the world?
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Rev. 18:2.
"Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall..." Ezekiel 13:11.
It is also proper to say that professing Adventism is worse than Babylon because they have had the truth and advanced light.
"God's professed people are selfish and self-caring....They are idolaters, and are worse, in the sight of God, than the heathen, graven-image worshippers who have had no knowledge of a better way." Testimonies, vol. 2, 441-442.
"If the church of God becomes LUKEWARM [LAODICEAN] it does not stand in favor with God any more than do the churches that are represented as having fallen and become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Those who have had opportunities to hear and receive the truth, and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive of the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God." E.G. White, Letter 35, 1898.
Did the church become lukewarm?
"Satan has a large confederacy, his church. Christ calls them the synagogue of Satan because the members are the children of sin. The members of Satan's church have been constantly working to cast off the divine law, and confuse the distinction between good and evil. Satan is working with great power in and through the children of disobedience to exalt treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty." E.G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, 16.
"The day of God is right upon us, and the world has converted the church. Both are in harmony, and are acting upon a short-sited policy" E.G. White, General Conference Bulletin, 1st Quarter, 1900.