Tarrying in Jerusalem and the Ezekiel 9 Sealing

Part I

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One of the misguided mentors of The Blasphemous Heckler, is Ulicia Unruh, the wife of an SDA minister, Olie (Oli) Unruh. The Unruh’s live in northern Alberta, not far from where I live. Ulicia teaches that we must remain in apostate Jerusalem, the professing SDA church, in order to receive the sealing of the Man in Linen spoken of in Ezekiel 9. The Blasphemous Heckler takes up her refrain on her forum. Here is their instruction as stated on Ulicia’s SDA forum. First Ulicia’s teaching on Ezekiel 9:

 

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Re: Abominations in the church

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Ulicia Unruh

    •  

Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:14 pm  |

Ezekiel is definitely a warning not to put our primary faith in human leaders,
but in Christ and his Word!
However, I think we need to be careful how we apply Ez. to the church, for many
have used those chapters to completely condemn the church.

The church is the "apple of God's eye"
which in turn makes it the object of Satan's wrath and cunningly destructive
energies.

So while being aware and having our minds fortified to stand in spite of the
"attacks' being made both inside and from the outside, we still know the church
consists of a multitude of sincere members worshiping and serving the living God
who created all things.

I think of the elders in the churches I attend who put in hours of unpaid
service to ensure a good church for members to come and worship. There are many
who have not bowed the knee to baal!

On the other hand -- there is evidence all around of influences, some of them
powerful, within the church that are steering things in the wrong direction,
and many are following.

We must recognize we are in a Great controversy.
Rev. 12:17 and 14:12 tell us that Satan's fierce wrath is directed at the
remnant of Christianity who still cling to God's commandments and the faith and
testimony of Jesus.

So even though it is distressing to see the battle, we shouldn't be surprised.

Our hope and strength lies in the Lord.
With Him victory is assured.

Thus this should be our first "work" -- to seek the Lord with all our hearts,
souls and minds. Like a deer panting for the clear, cool water, we need to
hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Remember Christ will WIN!
All sin and suffering will end.


Remember Ezekiel speaks of the sealing -- the one with the seal goes all through
the midst of Jerusalem seeking those who are faithfully serving God in heart and
mind.
It is that seal which we want, and it comes to those who abide in Christ.


EZEKIEL

Ezekiel 8-9 has many parallels with Rev. 17-18

Rev. 17 pictures a harlot (a woman who claims to belong to Christ but is
unfaithful
Ezekiel 8 speaks of an image of jealousy. (another symbol of unfaithfulness to
God
Rev. 17 mentions abominations perpetuated by this harlot
Ezekiel 8 mentions abominations.
Both show that all who are ensnared by this counterfeit worship will loose out
on life.

Again =the warning is there that "conterfeit" worship will invade the
congregation of God's chosen. But the faithful are in "midst of Jerusalem" in
sorrow over the evil, but holding on in faith and righteousness and receiving
God's seal of life.

Ulicia

 

Ron’s Commentary: Notice the following factors from Ulicia’s testimony:

 

·       It is obvious that Ulicia does not believe God’s and Ellen White’s statements on corporate responsibility for open sin abominations in the church.

·       Ulicia says that Ezekiel 8 mentions abominations. Ezekiel 9 mentions abominations as well, to wit: And the LORD said unto him, 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.” Ezekiel 9:4.

·       Ulicia says that an apostate church is the apple of God’s eye. We will discover which “Jerusalem” is truly the apple of God’s eye.

·       Ulicia says that Ezekiel 9 has “MANY” parallels with Revelation 17, the whore that claims to belong to Christ, but is unfaithful.

·       Ulicia concludes that the warning is there in Ezekiel 8 and 9 that “counterfeit worship will invade the congregation of God's chosen. But the faithful are in "midst of Jerusalem" in
sorrow over the evil, but holding on in faith and righteousness and receiving God's seal of life.”

Now let’s look at DT’s parroting of Ulicia Unruh’s testimony on Ezekiel 9:

 

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Re: [adventism_prophecy] Re: Abominations in the church

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DTOffline

    • DT

Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:30 pm  |

Yes the sealing takes place in the church.

In Ezekiel 9 we see a group who "sigh and cry over all the abominations" and where do we see this group? Off in somewhere separated from the Church?

Where were the group that "sigh and cry over all the abominations" ? The group who received the "mark on the foreheads" they are in "the midst of Jerusalem"

So can those who have separated receive that sealing "Mark"?

What is this "Mark" for? It is so when the slaying begins the slayers will not kill those with the "Mark" who are in the Church (Jerusalem)

"Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled; yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time is short. God is calling; will you hear? Will you receive His message? Will you be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be decided for eternity. Letter 106, 1909, pp. 2, 3, 5, 7. (To "The churches in Oakland and Berkeley," September 26, 1909.) {1MR 260.2}

In 1MR 260.2 Ellen White tells "Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled" but on who?

Those in the Church who--

  • refuse to humble their souls
  • refuse to be converted
  • refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience.

Those who receive that "Mark" in the Church have as Ellen White said--

  • humbled their souls
  • been converted
  • brought these truths into their individual experience

The faithful must ever bear in mind that according to Ezekiel 9, the saints who are sealed are found "in the midst of Jerusalem," exactly where all the abominations are taking place. The sealing angel is not told to go around the edge of the city and seal the little groups who have separated because they can't stand the apostasy any longer. Rather, the sealed saints and the abominations are found in the same place, and when the sealing is over and the slaughter of the faithless accomplished, the sealed saints are left INSIDE Jerusalem.


DT

 

Ron’s Commentary: DT concludes that:

 

·       The saints who are sealed are found “in the midst of Jerusalem, where all the abominations are taking place.

·       DT says that the angel is not told to go around the edge of the city of Jerusalem to seal little groups who have separated because they can’t stand the apostasy any longer.

·       DT says: “Rather, the sealed saints and the abominations are found in the same place, and when the sealing is over and the slaughter of the faithless accomplished, the sealed saints are left INSIDE Jerusalem.

 

The only safe and wise course regarding Ezekiel, chapters 1-22, is to study exactly what occurred in the last literal fulfillment of those chapters. That will be the objective of the remainder of this manuscript.

 

The Very First Act of Jesus’ Ministry Involving Ezekiel 9

 

The very first act of Jesus was to gather out those who would take the gospel to the Jews and the world. We have a Biblical record of this and we have Ellen White’s commentary on this all important issue. Here are some facts of history that are crucial to arriving at the truth on any study of Ezekiel 9:

 

·       We know that Jesus called the disciples to follow Him.

·       Matthew 22:1-10 depicts the two calls the disciples made to the apostate Jews.

·       The disciples were to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power from on high on the Day of Pentecost.

·       Did “tarrying in Jerusalem” mean they were not “gathered out” of the apostate Jerusalem church before the Day of Pentecost? We will explore the truth in answer to this question.

·       In Matthew 22:1-10, the disciples gave two calls to the apostate Jews beginning in A.D. 34. Their calls were rejected.

·       Ellen White reapplies Matthew 22:1-10 to our time in Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, pp. 4-9.

·       The tie-in with Matthew 22:1-10 and Ezekiel Chapters 5, 8, 9 and 22:17-31, is Matthew 22:7, where the murderous city is destroyed. That occurred in A.D. 70, 36 years after the two calls to the apostate Jews began in A.D. 34, on the Day of Pentecost and the stoning of Stephen.

·       The 490 years of probation allotted the Jews to put away sin, Daniel 9, ended in A.D. 34.

·       Ezekiel 9 sealing (Mark by the Man in Linen) and judgment could not begin until the 490 years of their probation ended. That probation ended in A.D. 34 at the stoning of Stephen.

·       Jesus gathered out His disciples in A.D. 27, 7 years before they were to begin their two calls of Matthew 22:1-10. Jesus and His disciples separated from the apostate Jewish church.

·       Jesus died in A.D. 30, so He had to separate before that time and so did His disciples, per the following statement: Christ was a protestant. He protested against the formal worship of the Jewish nation, who rejected the counsel of God against themselves. He told them that they taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and that they were pretenders and hypocrites. Like whited sepulchers they were beautiful without, but within full of impurity and corruption. The Reformers date back to Christ and the apostles. They came out and separated themselves from a religion of forms and ceremonies. Luther and his followers did not invent the reformed religion. They simply accepted it as presented by Christ and the apostles. The Bible is presented to us as a sufficient guide; but the pope and his workers remove it from the people as if it were a curse, because it exposes their pretensions and rebukes their idolatry.” E. G. White, {RH, June 1, 1886 par. 14}

·       Jesus “gathered out” those who would give the three calls of Matthew 22, the first two of which were to the apostate Jews, to wit:

 

"The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ's message and was bent upon His death therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priests, the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations.

As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ's withdrawal from Judea has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established church but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated by their spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the church of their fathers, that they may render obedience." E.G. White, Desire of Ages, 232. 

 

·       Jesus had to “gather out” the disciples before A.D. 30, because Ellen White said He was a Protestant and separated Himself and His disciples from a religion of forms and ceremonies. He died in A.D. 30, so He and His disciples had to separate before His death to fulfill what Ellen White says.

·       How could the disciples have been sealed in the apostate Jerusalem Temple if Jesus gathered them out before His death in A.D. 30, which was BEFORE the close of Israel’s probation in A.D. 34, the close of the 490 years of Daniel 9, and the stoning of Stephen, as well as being the time when the disciples received power from on high in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the typical Day of Pentecost?

·       In every succeeding generation, the ecclesiastical authorities (the leaders) have rejected the teachings of the light of life, Christ, for the commandments and heresies of men.

 

Where the Disciples and All Faithful Christians Received the First Ezekiel 9 Sealing – THE TWO JERUSALEMS WITHIN JERUSALEM WHERE THE MARKING BY THE MAN IN LINEN TOOK (TAKES) PLACE

 

We have seen that the Jews could not have received the Mark (Seal) by the Man in Linen, prior to the end of the 490 years of their probation per Daniel chapter 9. That probation ended in A.D. 34. The stoning of Stephen also ended the probation of the Jews. The disciples were instructed by Jesus to TARRY IN JERUSALEM until they received power from on High, the Day of Pentecost, which occurred in A.D. 34. In A.D. 34, the disciples began calling the Jews out of the apostate Jewish church into home churches. Jesus told His disciples that whoever they bound (sealed) on earth, would be bound (sealed) in heaven. The disciples had their headquarters in Jerusalem as well.

 

Questions:

 

·       If Jesus gathered out His disciples (those who were to give the gospel to the Jews and the world—Matthew 22:1-10), as His very first act, how could they have been sealed in the apostate church of Jerusalem?

·       What virtue would an apostate Temple have to seal anyone for the heavenly garner (Kingdom)?

·       The disciples were told they would bind (seal) the faithful for the heavenly kingdom. They were not in the apostate church of Jerusalem themselves, so how could they seal their converts in that church?

·       The disciples also bound the tares (dross) for hell and destruction—Ezekiel 22:17-31.

·       When the disciples were instructed by Jesus to TARRY IN JERUSALEM until they received power from on high, how could that mean “tarry in the apostate church of Jerusalem, WHEN THEY HAD BEEN GATHERED OUT OF THAT CHURCH AS THE VERY FIRST ACT OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY, when He instructed His disciples to FOLLOW HIM, rather than the leaders of the apostate Jewish Temple?

 

The Two Jerusalem Headquarters of the Church

 

When Ezekiel 9 says that the Man in Linen goes through the Midsts of Jerusalem to put a Mark (Seal) on all who sigh and cry for all the abominations in the midsts thereof, would that include the Christian church established by the disciples in Jerusalem, especially since from the beginning their headquarters was in Jerusalem?

 

It is a matter of historical fact that the disciples established the headquarters for their home churches in Jerusalem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Evangelist

 

“St. Paul in opposing his enemies in Galatia names John explicitly along with Peter and James the Just (the brother of Jesus) as a "pillar of the Church", and refers to the recognition which his Apostolic preaching of a Gospel free from the law received from these three, the most prominent men of the old Mother-Church at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9). When Paul came again to Jerusalem after the second and after the third journey (Acts 18:22; 21:17 sq.) he seems no longer to have met John there. Some wish to draw the conclusion from this that John left Judea between the years 52 and 55.”

 

LUKE 24:45-48; ACTS 1:8 http://new.bereanbiblesociety.org/our-great-commission-part-3-the-twelve-apostles-and-us/

Beginning at Jerusalem

Luke 24:47: “…beginning at Jerusalem.” Acts 1:8: “…and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

This they also did. Indeed, so scrupulous were the twelve in their obedience to these instructions that Jerusalem remained their headquarters even when the disciples were “scattered abroad” by the great persecution that arose when Stephen was stoned to death.

The twelve, Matthias replacing Judas, had begun to carry out their world-wide mission, but had not gotten beyond their own nation. We should always associate Acts 1:8 with Acts 8:1 in our study of the Acts, for Jerusalem, rather than turning to Messiah so that the apostles could go on with their “great commission,” had started a “great persecution” against the Church there, with the result that “they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1).

The twelve have often been charged with bigotry and unfaithfulness for remaining in Jerusalem at this time. In fact, however, it was rare courage and fidelity to their commission that kept them there while persecution raged and their very lives were in danger. They remained at Jerusalem for the same reason that the rest fled: because Jerusalem was not turning to Christ. The first part of their commission had not yet been completed, therefore they were duty-bound to remain there.

Certainly the twelve did not remain at Jerusalem because they were prejudiced against the salvation of the Gentiles. There is too much Scriptural evidence against this. Rather, they remained there because they had a clear understanding of the prophetic program and of their Lord’s commission. They knew that according to covenant and prophecy the Gentiles were to be saved and blessed through redeemed Israel (Gen. 22:17,18; Isa. 60:1-3; Zech. 8:13). Our Lord had indicated no change in this program, and He Himself had worked in perfect harmony with it. Before His death He had insisted that Israel was first in God’s revealed program, commanding His disciples not to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but to “go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:6), and saying to a Gentile woman who came for help: “Let the children first be filled” (Mark 7:27). And now, in His “great commission” to the eleven, He specifically stated that they should begin at Jerusalem, as we have seen above.

It is amazing that some should charge the twelve apostles and the Jewish believers with prejudice against the Gentiles because they did not immediately go “to the uttermost part of the earth,” when they were explicitly told by the Lord to make disciples of all nations beginning at Jerusalem and when there is so much evidence that they longed for the salvation of the Gentiles and rejoiced when Gentiles turned to Christ (See Acts 3:25; 10:9,15; 11:18,23,24; 15:3; 21:19,20).

Which took the greater courage, to flee from Jerusalem now or to remain there in the raging persecution, in daily peril of death? Wouldn’t unfaithful men have fled at such a time? We are not blaming the multitude of the disciples for fleeing for their lives, but are rather giving the twelve due credit for faithfully carrying out the orders specifically given them.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_1st_century

“The years following Jesus until the death of the last of the Twelve Apostles is called the Apostolic Age.[20] The Christian Congregation came fully into being on Pentecost when, according to scriptural accounts, the apostles received the Holy Spirit and emerged from hiding following the death and resurrection of Jesus to preach and spread his message.[21][22] The apostolic period produced writings attributed to the direct followers of Jesus Christ and is traditionally associated with the apostles and apostolic times. This age is the foundation upon which the entire church's history is founded.[23] Though congregations met in the houses of these followers of Jesus Christ, this Apostolic Congregation, also called the "Primitive Church", was the community led by Jesus' apostles and, it would seem, his relatives.”[24]

It is an abomination in and of itself that Ulicia Unruh, as the wife of an SDA minister, would not know all of the facts that I have enumerated above! She should know that the disciples were gathered out by Christ and that any Marking by the Man in Linen in Ezekiel 9 would include the true Christians in the churches established by the disciples, and not just the tares (dross) marked at the apostate Jewish Temple. And DT knows this for I have told him this history during the past eleven years.

Scripture on Home Churches 

Act 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

Act 16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Act 16:40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Act 18:7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain [man's] house, named Justus, [one] that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

Rom 16:5 Likewise [greet] the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

1Cr 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1Cr 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and [that] they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

1Cr 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

 

True Jerusalem Headquarters Versus Apostate Jerusalem Headquarters and The Apple of God’s Eye

 

God told the Jews that they were the apple of His eye:

 

Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

 

Yet, when the Jews apostatized, God gave them a bill of divorce and called them the Synagogue of Satan. But they still referred to themselves as the apple of His eye, just as professing Seventh-day Adventists do after committing their abominable apostasies.

 

An extremely important revelation of the two Jerusalem churches, the true and the false, the apple of God’s eye versus the Synagogue of Satan, is found in Isaiah 4:1-4 as juxtaposed with Isaiah 37:31, 32. These verses totally contradict if one does not see TRUE JERUSALEM as opposed to APOSTATE JERUSALEM, and God’s Word does NOT contradict.

 

All Bible commentaries agree that Isaiah chapters 1-4 are of end-time in context. In Isaiah 4, seven women (symbolic of every formally organized Christian church) take hold of one man (Christ), saying, we will eat our own bread (the commandments of men), and wear our own apparel, our own apparel (our own robes of unrighteousness based on heeding the commandments of men in lieu of God’s commandments), only let us be called by thy name (Christian) to take away our reproach.

 

In light of verse 1, verse 2 is speaking of the remnant of spiritual Jerusalem that purifies herself, for verse 1 describes the apostate churches (women means churches). All who “escaped of Israel,” were the true Christians of the True Jerusalem based home churches. History tells us that every Christian escaped the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, The Great Controversy, Chapter 1. The words: “…he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem,” refer to those who joined the bridal process (the disciples—DA 179 and COL 405-406). The disciples were the bride and Jerusalem represented the guests who joined them, GC, 426, 427.

 

Isaiah Chapter 4

 

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

 

Compare the above with Isaiah 37:31, 32, and then interpret so that NOTHING CONTRADICTS and you will be FORCED to arrive at the same conclusions I have if you are honest, because Isaiah 4:1-4 does not contradict Isaiah 37:31, 32, because the Bible does not contradict itself.

 

31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

 

 

Isaiah prophesied exactly what occurred from A.D. 34-66, in the first literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, when a remnant went forth out of the apostate Temple church at Jerusalem, to join God’s true church at Jerusalem, the home churches established by the disciples, which was also headquartered at Jerusalem. This prophecy was/is directly related to Ezekiel 9 THEN AND NOW, for Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9 will be literally fulfilled. Isaiah 37:31, 32 was literally fulfilled in the last literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, so it must be literally fulfilled in the next literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. This is irrefutable fact for the sincere, honest student of the Scriptures and history.

 

Thus one can witness the folly of Ulicia Unruh and one of her disciples, DT. Jesus called the apostate Jewish Jerusalem church THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN, before He died in A.D. 30. Ulicia Unruh and DT are saying that one had to remain in the SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN to be sealed. That is complete folly, and all who do so will receive the same fate as those who remained in apostate Jerusalem then—men, maidens and little children all perished together.

 

Ellen White clearly stated that it is the THRID ANGEL who seals the wheat for the heavenly garner, and that the THIRD ANGEL is symbolic of faithful men who select the wheat from the tares with a shaking message, just as the disciples did the very same thing. God says that all who unite with the corrupt find it impossible to mature and remain/become pure amongst the corrupt. They are destroyed with the corrupt. Most Adventists do not believe this admonition by God Almighty.

 

"It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God and Christ and the heavenly host would have men know that if he unites with the corrupt he will become corrupt." E. G. White, Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137. 

 

"Thorns sprung up.--The thorns made it impossible for the wheat to mature (see Luke 8:14). In the same way secular interests prevent the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) from reaching maturity. Religion is relegated to the subordinate position of being only one interest among many. For lack of cultivation it withers and eventually dies. That which the thorny-ground hearers lack is a moral transformation. To them, justification is the sum and substance of religion, and they fail to realize that the Christian life consists essentially in the process known as sanctification--the process by which evil traits and tendencies are replaced by the perfect life-pattern of Jesus Christ." Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 405.

 

The wheat can mature amongst tares [insincere believers whose motives we would have to judge in order to remove them], but the wheat cannot mature amongst thorns, open, apostate sinners, because they choke out and kill the wheat. This is why true reformers have separated from open sin apostate churches in every succeeding generation, Desire of Ages, 232. On that page, note that the only reason for separation of the true reformers given is that the ecclesiastical leaders would not tolerate light--truth.

 

If wheat and thorns could dwell together until the harvest at the end of the world, then there should never have been a separation from any apostate body including the apostate Jewish church from A.D. 34, from Roman Catholicism in the Reformation, and from apostate Protestantism in 1844.

 

In the Old Testament, apostasy was dealt with by killing all the apostates who would not repent, and/or leaving them to sacrifice on one's own at home:

 

 "The recreant priests added licentiousness to the dark catalogue of their crimes yet they still polluted by their presence the tabernacle of the Lord, and, laden with sin, dared to come into the presence of a holy God. As the men of Israel witnessed the corrupt course of the priests, they thought it safer for their families not to come up to the appointed place of worship. Many went from Shiloh with their peace disturbed, their indignation aroused, until they at last determined to offer their sacrifices themselves, concluding that this would be fully as acceptable to God, as to sanction in any manner the abominations practiced in the Sanctuary." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, Vol. 1, p. 264, col. 3, December 1, 1881.

 

"It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God and Christ and the heavenly host would have men know that if he unites with the corrupt he will become corrupt." E. G. White, Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137. 

 

"Thorns sprung up.--The thorns made it impossible for the wheat to mature (see Luke 8:14). In the same way secular interests prevent the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) from reaching maturity. Religion is relegated to the subordinate position of being only one interest among many. For lack of cultivation it withers and eventually dies. That which the thorny-ground hearers lack is a moral transformation. To them, justification is the sum and substance of religion, and they fail to realize that the Christian life consists essentially in the process known as sanctification--the process by which evil traits and tendencies are replaced by the perfect life-pattern of Jesus Christ." Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 405.

 

Where were the faithful who departed from Shiloh sealed? Were they dependent upon the licentious priests for being sealed? Did they remain amongst the abominations as Ulicia Unruh and DT say we must remain? Who was the apple of God’s eye; THOSE WHO SEPARATED FROM THE CORRUPT, or those who remained in their presence? From A.D. 34 on, who was the apple of  God’s eye; those God called the Synagogue of Satan, or those who separated from the Synagogue of Satan and formed home churches? History is literally repeating itself!

 

Corporate Responsibility and Bowing the Knee to Baal

 

It is true that God does not necessarily hold anyone responsible for apostasy until they know of it. But what happens when one knows of it and does not make a proper response in separating from it?

 

"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 names of those who sin and refuse to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the Word of God." {11MR 208.3}

 

Corporate Responsibility in Acts 2:36

 

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this , they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men , as every man had need.

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:36-47.

 

Ellen White on Achan and Corporate Responsibility

 

----- Original Message -----

From: luke19v10

To: AdventistHotIssues@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 6:58 PM

Subject: [AdventistHotIssues] Re: A Blasphemous Heckler on Corporate Responsibility

 

 

AMEN bro. Ron and George, the corporate responsibility principle is as unchangeable as God's character.

Brian

"The Lord gave Joshua to understand that the sin of even one man would bring the divine wrath upon the whole congregation.

There was work for both magistrate and people, to keep the camp free from iniquity. They must have vigilant care, not only for themselves, but for one another, lest sin should prevail, and the Lord's name be dishonored. God's character changes not." ST 12/8/81

 

 "Except in his neglect to restrain and control his sons, Eli had faithfully performed the duties of his office. But his failure to maintain the honor of God by repressing sin with an impartial hand, gave rise to a long train of evils, bringing crime and anguish upon a whole nation. In the history of Eli and his sons is a solemn warning for all the ministers of Christ—an admonition to guard their own hearts with diligence, to keep holy all God's requirements, that his blessing may rest upon the workmen, and that the work may bear the signet of Heaven. It should also impress upon them their duty to rebuke sin in the members of the church, be they high or low, rich or poor. Even our dearest friends are not to come between us and our allegiance to God. We need not expect to receive the divine blessing until all that has been left for man to do is done to correct error and repress sin. To neglect this duty, or to be slothful and careless in its performance, is to disobey God, to sanction sin, and to bring his wrath upon his people.

The example of ministers should be such as to impress the people with reverence for God, and with fear to offend him. They should honor the Lord at all times, ever acknowledging that of themselves they can do nothing, that their strength and wisdom must come from God, and that all the glory belongs to him. Those who occupy responsible positions, where if connected with God they might do much good, yet who abuse these privileges by the gratification of appetite or unlawful passion, will be visited with the wrath of God according to the gifts which they have perverted." ibid.

 

"The Captain of our salvation died for the human race that men might be made one with Him and with each other. As members of the human family we are individual parts of one mighty whole. No soul can be made independent of the rest. There is to be no party strife in the family of God; for the well-being of each is the happiness of the whole. No partition walls are to be built up between man and man. Christ as the great center must unite all in one." {FE 479.1}

 

"In this last conflict the Captain of the Lord's host [Joshua 5:15] is leading on the armies of heaven and mingling in the ranks and fighting our battles for us. We shall have apostasies, we expect them. "They will go out from us because they were not of us" (see 1 John 2:19).

 

"'Unless the minister shall fearlessly declare the whole truth, unless he shall have an eye single to the glory of God and shall work under the direction of the great Captain of his salvation,' Ellen White warned, 'unless he shall move to the front, irrespective of censure and uncontaminated by applause, he will be accounted an unfaithful watchman.'" Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 263.

 

"The Captain of our salvation died for the human race that men might be made one with Him and with each other. As members of the human family we are individual parts of one mighty whole. No soul can be made independent of the rest. There is to be no party strife in the family of God; for the well-being of each is the happiness of the whole. No partition walls are to be built up between man and man. Christ as the great center must unite all in one." {FE 479.1}

 

“And then I call attention to a vision the Lord's servant had, in which she saw a ship heading toward an iceberg. She said, 'There, towering high above the ship, was a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, 'Meet it!' There was not a moment's hesitation. It was a time for instant action. The engineer put on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the iceberg.

With a crash she struck the ice. There was a fearful shock, and the iceberg broke into many pieces, falling with a noise like thunder to the deck. The passengers were violently shaken by the force of the collision, but no lives were lost. The vessel was injured, but not beyond repair. She rebounded from the contact, trembling from stem to stern, like a living creature. Then she moved forward on her way.

Well I knew the meaning of this representation. I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our Captain, 'Meet it!' I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the command, 'Meet it!'” –Selected Messages, Bk. 1, pp. 205, 206.

 

"In this last conflict the Captain of the Lord's host [Joshua 5:15] is leading on the armies of heaven and mingling in the ranks and fighting our battles for us. We shall have apostasies, we expect them. "They will go out from us because they were not of us" (see 1 John 2:19).

 

"'Unless the minister shall fearlessly declare the whole truth, unless he shall have an eye single to the glory of God and shall work under the direction of the great Captain of his salvation,' Ellen White warned, 'unless he shall move to the front, irrespective of censure and uncontaminated by applause, he will be accounted an unfaithful watchman.'" Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 263.

 

"The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. They have to a great extent forgotten his past record; and when he makes another advance move, they will not recognize him as their enemy, that old serpent, but they will consider him a friend, one who is doing a good work. Boasting of their independence they will, under his specious, bewitching influence, obey the worst impulses of the human heart and yet believe that God is leading them. Could their eyes be opened to distinguish their captain, they would see that they are not serving God, but the enemy of all righteousness. They would see that their boasted independence is one of the heaviest fetters Satan can rivet on unbalanced minds." {5T 294.1}

 

Open sin "Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church..." E. G. White,  Christ's Object Lessons, 71.

 

"The names of those who sin and refuse to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the Word of God." {11MR 208.3}

 

"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive.  He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us.  Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes.  Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very one whom Christ is drawing to Himself, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope.  Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found wanting.  Many will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there.  Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time." COL 71, 72. 

 

Tares are not open sinners, because open sinners are to be reformed or removed if they won’t reform! Tares are insincere believers whose motives we would have to judge in order to uproot them and we are not to judge motives, but we can judge OPEN SIN APOSTASY without knowing the motives for it. When we choose to ignore open sin apostasy after KNOWING OF IT, we bow the knee to Baal and are THEN corporately responsible for it.

 

Tarrying in Jerusalem Part II  https://omega77.tripod.com/tarryinjerusalem2.htm

 

rwb