My
Vision on the State of the Church and the World
As
to Time, Place and Circumstance
Part
1
A Message to
Startle People to Study —"The testing message for this
time is to be borne so plainly and decidedly as to startle the hearers, and
lead them to desire to study the Scriptures." —Testimonies For The Church 9:109 (1909).
Time, Place and
Circumstance:
"Regarding the Testimonies, nothing is ignored nothing is cast aside but
TIME AND PLACE MUST BE CONSIDERED...Every jot and tittle is essential and must
appear at the
opportune time."
E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 57.
On the 16th
day of February, 2017, I was instructed by the angel of the Lord that I should
write out a compendium of the content of visions I have received dating back to
the 1980’s, that need to be stressed because of the seriousness of the times,
and the place in which we find ourselves in relation to a parallel with God’s
first chosen people, and the circumstances of the church and the world in
regard to the soon coming of Jesus, our precious Lord and Saviour. As usual, I
give supporting evidence from Scripture and Ellen White as to what I have been
shown.
A Message to
Startle People to Study —"The testing message for this
time is to be borne so plainly and decidedly as to startle the hearers, and
lead them to desire to study the Scriptures." —Testimonies For The Church 9:109 (1909).
I was shown that the
testing message is the Everlasting gospel of Revelation 14, and what happens to
those who reject that warning by committing apostasy on the banks of the
Jordan, an apostasy that waxes stronger until Jesus comes.
The first theme that
was stressed to me was the great error many professing Seventh-day Adventists
are making in comparing the state of God’s second chosen people with the early
history of His first chosen, the Jews. Many leader types within, and even some
so-called reformer types without, misconstrue the time, place and circumstances
of Adventists as compared to the example of the Jews. I refer to such teachings
as using the responses of Moses, Daniel, and Elijah’s response to apostasy in
the context of Israel’s probationary time limitation, when referring to the
apostasy of modern-day professing Seventh-day Adventists.
For example, I was
shown the attitude of Moses and Daniel in their concern and prayers for the
corporate church of their day, as compared with Christ and His contemporaries’
response to the apostasy of Israel. For example, Moses prayed for the people of
Israel on a corporate basis and did not want to be saved unless God pardoned
them. Elijah felt he was the only faithful one in all of Israel. He was told
that there were seven thousand others who had not bowed the knee to Baal. These
facts are used to excuse the apostasy in the church and to teach that we are to
remain in church membership “no matter what the church does!” Below I cite what
Ellen White stated in the book Story of
Redemption, p. 206:
“Moses was greater than any who had lived before him. He had been highly
honored of God, being privileged to talk with the Lord face to face, as a man
speaks with a friend. He was permitted to see the bright light and excellent
glory that enshrouded the Father. The Lord through Moses delivered the children
of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Moses was a mediator for his people, often
standing between them and the wrath of God. When the anger of the Lord was
greatly kindled against Israel for their unbelief, their murmurings, and their
grievous sins, Moses' love for them was tested. God proposed to destroy them
and to make of him a mighty nation. Moses showed his love for Israel by his
earnest pleading in their behalf. In his distress he prayed God to turn from
His fierce anger and forgive Israel, or blot his name out of His book.”
This was Moses’
sentiment in the early experience of Israel. Though Moses was in heaven with
Christ at the time the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 70 A.D., at that
time, Moses was convinced of the longsuffering of Christ, and that He had given
Israel 490 years from Daniel's time (Daniel Chapter 9) to put away sin from the
camp. I have been shown that Moses did not contend for Israel at this Ezekiel 9
fulfillment upon his people, for he knew that God had given them every
opportunity to reform. We must remember this when reminded that we should have
the attitude of Moses and Daniel toward God's second chosen people who will
meet with the same fate because God and Ellen White also prophesied that
Ezekiel 9 will be literally fulfilled upon God’s second “chosen” people because
they refuse to fulfill the conditions of salvation, as did the Jews.
Neither Elijah nor
Moses were told in A.D. 70, that there were seven thousand in Israel who had
not bowed the knee to Baal. DO YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT TIME, PLACE AND
CIRCUMSTANCE is when deciphering the proper course? God told Elijah and Moses
that in A.D. 70 He had searched for ONE MAN who was faithful in the apostate
camp of Jerusalem, and that He found NONE. All the faithful who had come out to
form Home churches (Rev. Chapters 2 and 3), fled to Pella and were saved.
Eze 22:30 And I sought
for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap
before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Ezekiel Chapter 22 is
a description of the first literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9.
Again, I was shown
that I should remind God’s people as to the time, place, and circumstance
factors involved. It is true that even Ellen G. White said that we should have
the attitude of Moses and Daniel regarding God’s people, but that there is a
great difference that has accrued since her death. Some of you know that she
prophesied that great negative changes would occur after
her death, and I was shown that most Adventists
do not believe those changes have accrued. I was shown that this is a much REJECTED
element of Ellen White’s prophesies concerning the church.
Most leaders and laity
alike maintain that the church is not in apostasy, and at the most, there is
only some apostasy IN THE CHURCH. But the truth on this matter cuts both ways
like a two-edged sword, for the entire church is corporately responsible for
ANY APOSTASY THAT IS IN THE CHURCH, AS WELL AS FOR THE APOSTASY OF THE CHURCH,
for apostasy was to be cleansed from the church by removing open sinners if
they would not reform. But that admonition has not been obeyed, and Ellen White
also prophesied in Testimonies, Vol.
5, p. 211, that the dumb dog leaders will NEVER AGAIN show the House of Jacob
their sins, let alone remove their membership if they won’t reform.
But it goes far beyond
mere APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH, to the church leaders being the ringleaders in
apostasy that includes the entire church because of the biblical principle of
corporate responsibility. I was shown that due to the great changes that Ellen
White prophesied would occur in the church after her death, if we now pray that
our names be blotted out of the book of life if Jesus won’t save the corporate
church, we will meet with the fate of all who are eternally destroyed in the
next literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, beginning at His Sanctuary, His Church,
the House of Jacob, those who have been privileged with great and advanced
light. We should pray for individuals in the church who have not heard the pure
truth.
Ringleaders in the Apostasy of the
Church
“Those who have been regarded as worthy and
righteous [the leaders] prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy...” Ellen G.
White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 212.
In the following statement, the ancient men are the
leaders who will NEVER AGAIN show the House of Jacob its sins:
"Here we see that the church the Lord's
sanctuary was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and
who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look
for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days.
Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He
is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus "Peace and safety’ is the cry
from men who will never again
lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's
people their transgressions and the
house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not
bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens,
and little children all perish together." E.G. White, Testimonies
for the Church, vol. 5, p. 211.
In the example of
Israel, it was the leaders who were the ringleaders in apostasy. Ezekiel
22:17-31.
I was shown that in
denying that the church is in apostasy, SDA leaders are not only rejecting
Ellen G. White, but the testimony of Scripture, because both the Spirit of
Prophecy and the Bible instruct the destroying angel to begin at His Church,
His Sanctuary, Ezekiel 9. If the church is not in apostasy, God and Ellen White
have prophesied that Ezekiel 9 slaughter of men, maidens and little children
will occur at the House of Jacob, His Church, His Sanctuary, His people,
BECAUSE OF NOTHING, because the leaders are adamant that the church is not in
apostasy, and that all apostates will be shaken out of the church!!!
Come let us reason together: If the church is not in apostasy, and the tares are
shaken out of the church, WHY THEN IS EZEKIEL 9 SLAUGHTER SLATED TO BEGIN
THERE, JUST AS IT BEGAN AT THE TEMPLE IN THE A.D. 70 EZEKIEL 9 DESTRUCTION OF
JERUSALEM?
The Prefigure of Israel for our
Instruction
The final fate of
God’s second chosen people is so important for us that God saw fit to style it
all according to the PREFIGURE final fate of His first chosen people who
rejected His conditions, that we would have no excuse as to the proper course
of action and response. I was shown that all that transpired via Christ’s
ministry and that of His disciples was a PREFIGURE (TYPE) that we are to
follow, that we might not have any cause for wonderment or confusion as to what
to do and when to do it regarding such serious decisions.
Ellen White said that
we have EXACTLY followed in the footsteps of the Jews. For that reason,
apostate Adventists can look forward to the same horrible fate, Ezekiel 9
slaughter of men, maidens and little children. Just as the salvation of little
children is dependent upon the fate of their parents, so is the destruction of
little children.
In The Great Controversy, Chapter 1, Ellen
White relates the history of the first literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. On
page 25 she says that what happened to the Jewish apostate church was a
PREFIGURE of the next literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 at the end-time. What I am showing you is ROCK SOLID,
because it is based on the PREFIGURE (TYPE) of what happened to apostate Israel
as the first literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. Notice:
“The future was mercifully veiled from the disciples. Had
they at that time fully comprehend the two awful facts--the Redeemer's sufferings
and death, and the destruction of their city and temple--they would have been
overwhelmed with horror. Christ presented before them an outline of the
prominent events to take place before the close of time. His words were not
then fully understood; but their meaning
was to be unfolded as His people should need the instruction therein given.
The prophecy which He uttered was twofold in
its meaning; while foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem, it prefigured
also the terrors of the last great day.” The Great
Controversy, p. 25.
Some of my readers have been so foolish as to comment to
the effect that Ellen White is merely speaking of the terrors of the last great
day and not the church! But what is she speaking of? Ezekiel 9 destruction! And
she said that same destruction would literally BEGIN at His church, His
Sanctuary, the House of Jacob, Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 211, and Ezekiel 9
Eze 9:6 Slay
utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not
near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began
at the ancient men which were before the house.
The ancient men, the leaders AT THE TEMPLE, were first to
be destroyed.
"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.)" E. G. White Manuscript
Releases Volume One, p. 260.
“The
time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that
prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very
letter.”— Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.
How do we KNOW FOR SURE That
the Destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the First Literal Fulfillment of
Ezekiel 9?
We know for absolute surety that the A.D. 70 was the
first literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 because the 490 years of Daniel’s
probationary time concerning Israel (Daniel Chapter 9) ended in A.D. 34,
commensurate with the stoning of Stephen. God would not mark any of Israel to
be sealed and/or slaughter until the 490 years of probation He had granted
Israel was ended. The SDA Bible Commentary errantly applies Ezekiel 9 to the
more ancient Babylonian destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, but that event was
concomitant with the God intended punishment by captivity of Israel that they
might reform. The destructions by Nebuchadnezzar were permitted by God because
of Israel’s backslidings, but they DID NOT involve the sealing of the faithful
and the destruction of the apostates that is involved in Ezekiel Chapter 9.
I once asked the Lord why He gave Israel so much time to
put away sin, when it is obvious that His second chosen people will not have
that much time to overcome sin. I was shown that this is because we have the
all too graphic example of Israel regarding their ventures into apostasy and
the result, and that more time would only increase our apostasy rather than
curb it, which fact is evinced by the brazen act of church leaders in denying
that the church is in apostasy, and their increasing abominations all the while
teaching the people that God is too merciful to visit them in Ezekiel 9
judgments. In fact, SDA leaders and laity alike have been so willing to be
misled by Satan, that they believe that anyone who teaches the woes of Ezekiel
9 are Shepherd Rodsmen, as though Ezekiel 9 does not apply to them because of
the errors of the Shepherd’s Rod movement. What folly! What contempt for God’s
Word and the instruction of His prophet Ellen G. White, both of which make it
plain just where Ezekiel 9 begins and why!
In her day, Ellen White kept the apostasy at bay. As
long as that circumstance continued,
one could rightfully maintain the same love and concern for the corporate
church as did Moses and Daniel. In addition, in the TIME of Moses and Daniel,
the church still had at least 490 years of probationary time (Daniel 9), which
ended in A.D. 34.
I was shown that the
time, place and circumstance of the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be
compared with that of the Jews in A.D. 27, at which time the apostasy had become
so rampant in the Jewish organized church, that the first act of Christ’s
ministry was to “gather out” His bride that should carry the gospel to all the
world.
"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.
The Time for the Bride, the
144,000, Jerusalem, Philadelphia to Leave
I was
shown a direct correlation between the reformation begun by John the Baptist,
the “gathering out of those who would take the gospel to the world,” and the
current time frame which had it’s beginning in the mid 1950’s when the SDA
church involved itself in violation of Isaiah 8:9-12 by meeting with the
Evangelicals (Walter Martin, Donald Grey Barnhouse, and T. E. Unruh, Reid,
Anderson and Froom) and proceeded to “sell out” doctrines which stood/stand as
pillars of our faith. I refer to the human nature of Christ, which Ellen White
says means everything to us, to wit:
“The
humanity of the Son of God is EVERYTHING to
us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ
to God. This is
to be our study.
Christ was a real man. He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He
was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed
the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, 'Put off thy shoes
from off they feet, for the place where on thou standest is holy ground.' We
should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with contrite heart. And the study of the
Incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who
digs deep for hidden truth." E.G. White, The Youth's Instructor, Oct. 13, 1898.
It
should be apparent that something that is EVERYTHING to us is a pillar,
landmark doctrine, as is the Incarnation of Christ. We are talking about the
most important sacrifices Christ made for us. In the Evangelical discussions,
SDA leaders changed its books and literature on the human nature of Christ. The
first book they changed was Bible Readings for the Home Circle, wherein
it said that Christ came in our sinful nature.
I was
shown in no uncertain manner that the bride must mature and be ready before the
ten virgins. In Isaiah 62:1-5, the word bride means bethulah, a strictly pure
virgin, whereas the ten virgins are not as pure and are not selected as the
bride. Because it is IMPOSSIBLE to unite with the corrupt and remain/become
pure, like the disciples of Christ, the bride must leave the apostate church.
Like Enoch and John the Baptist, the bride will mature in an environment that
does not embrace any apostasy whatsoever.
"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.
The Beginning of
the Gross Apostasy in the SDA Church
"Men in responsible positions are uniting with
those in the church and out of the church, whose counsel is misleading." Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 69.
Even in Ellen White’s day leaders were uniting with
those whose counsel was misleading. But I was shown that the dividing line is
when such leaders remove pillar doctrines by teaching to the laity the
misleading counsel they have received as a result of violation of Isaiah
8:9-12. Ellen White prevented that stage of things in her day. But soon after
her death, just as she prophesied, the “great changes” began to occur.
https://omega77.tripod.com/beginningofendvf.htm
https://omega77.tripod.com/letterstothechurchesvf.pdf
The Disciples as the Bride of Christ
“John had by nature
the faults and weaknesses common to humanity, but the touch of divine love had
transformed him. He dwelt in an atmosphere uncontaminated with selfishness and
ambition, and far above the miasma of jealousy. He manifested no sympathy with
the dissatisfaction of his disciples, but showed how clearly he understood his
relation to the Messiah, and how gladly he welcomed the One for whom he had
prepared the way.
He said,
"A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye
yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am
sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the
bridegroom's voice." John represented himself as the friend who acted as a
messenger between the betrothed parties, preparing the way for the marriage. When the bridegroom had received his bride,
the mission of the friend was fulfilled. He rejoiced in the happiness of
those whose union he had promoted. So John had been called to direct the people
to Jesus, and it was his joy to witness the success of the Saviour's work. He
said, "This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must
decrease." Desire of Ages, 179.
The THIRD
ANGEL, faithful men, do a similar work today, as John the Baptist did in the
wilderness. True Reformers are preparing and gathering out a bride for Jesus
Christ. She is the church triumphant 144,000, Zion, the church written in
heaven, Hebrews 12:22, 23.
The bride is to gather together before the Sunday
Law decree, before the day the wheat is separated from the chaff. The bride is
represented by the earliest, firstfruits crop in Israel, BARLEY.
Zep 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather
together, O nation not desired;
Zep 2:2
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before
the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger
come upon you.
Zep 2:3 Seek
ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek
righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the
LORD'S anger.
As Christ gathered out His disciples who would give
the gospel to the world, so the Bride gathers herself together and OUT of the
apostate Synagogue of Satan FIRST. When the new movement, new organization SDA
“church” removed pillar doctrines, they removed God, 1 Selected Messages, pp. 204-205. When God is removed, there is only
one other master, and he presides over the Synagogue of Satan.
I repeat for important emphasis and articulation
purposes:
"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.
Who was it that
“would not tolerate the light?” It was/is the religious leaders, the ringleaders
in apostasy. The principle here is that WHEN the religious leaders will not
tolerate and obey the light of the Testimonies of Scripture and the Spirit of
Prophecy, TRUE REFORMERS are forced to seek another class who are longing for
the truth.
“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. {RH, June 1, 1886 par. 14}
When a corporate church engages apostasy and will
not put it away and out of the camp, the faithful must leave or be corporately
responsible. This is the reason Christ and His disciples left. This is why Paul
left. This is why Protestants left Rome. This is why Adventists left the other
churches in 1844, when they would not tolerate light.
Jesus
Left
"Christ was a protestant...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." E.G. White, Review and Herald, vol. 2, 48, col. 2.
Paul
Left
“And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly
for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning
the kingdom of God. But when divers were
hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he
departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school
of one Tyrannus.” Acts 19:8, 9.
“Fearing that the faith of the believers would be
endangered by continued association with these opposers of the truth, Paul
separated from them, and gathered the disciples into a distinct body.” E.G.
White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 285,
286.
The principle taught herein has always been the case
dating back to the times of Shiloh.
"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.
As far back as Shiloh, the first civilized settlement after leaving the
Sinai desert, faithful Jews were withdrawing from the apostate church to
worship on their because of the corruptness.
The Bride’s House IS NOT where the 10 maidens dwell,
to wit:
“Christ with His disciples is seated upon the
Mount of Olives. The sun has set behind the mountains, and the heavens are
curtained with the shades of evening. In full view is a dwelling house lighted
up brilliantly as if for some festive scene. The light streams from the
openings, and an expectant company wait around, indicating that a marriage
procession is soon to appear. In many parts of the East, wedding festivities
are held in the evening. The bridegroom goes
forth to meet his bride and bring her to his home. By torchlight the bridal
party proceed from her father's house to his own, where a feast is provided for the
invited guests. In the scene upon which Christ looks, a company are
awaiting the appearance of the bridal party, intending to join the procession.
Lingering
near the bride's house are ten young women robed in white. Each carries a
lighted lamp and a small flagon for oil. All are anxiously watching for the
appearance
of the bridegroom. But there is
a delay. Hour after hour passes; the watchers become weary and fall asleep. At midnight the cry is heard, "Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." The sleepers, suddenly awaking,
spring to their feet. They see the procession moving on, bright with torches
and glad with music. They hear the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the
bride. The ten maidens seize their lamps and
begin to trim them, in haste to go forth. But five have neglected to fill their
flasks with oil. They did not anticipate so long a delay, and they have not
prepared for the emergency. In distress they appeal to their wiser companions
saying, "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out." (Margin.)
But the waiting five, with their freshly trimmed lamps, have emptied their
flagons. They have no oil to spare, and they answer, "Not so; lest there
be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves."
While they went to buy, the procession moved on,
and left them behind. The five with lighted lamps joined the throng and entered
the house with the bridal train, and the door was shut. When the foolish
virgins reached the banqueting hall, they received an unexpected denial. The
master of the feast declared, "I know you not." They were left
standing without, in the empty street, in the blackness of the night.
As Christ sat looking upon the party that waited
for the bridegroom, He told His disciples the story of the ten virgins, by
their experience illustrating the experience of the church that shall live just
before His second coming.
The two classes of watchers represent the two
classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins
because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the word of God.
The psalmist says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto may
path." Christ’s Object Lessons,
pp 405, 406.
It is of crucial importance to note the
following factors in the above statement:
·
The bridegroom goes forth to meet his bride and bring her to his home. By
torchlight the bridal party proceed from her father's house to his own.
Christ’s home is the heavenly Jerusalem where the bride enters the Most Holy
Place by faith. EW. 256.
·
The torchlight which
leads the bride to the bridegroom’s house is the Spirit of Prophecy.
·
The invited guests
are the ten virgins. They are the people of the church militant (wheat and tare
co-ed church); wise and foolish virgins ALL WHO WHOM SLEPT, Matthew 25.
·
A company are awaiting the appearance of the bridal
party, intending to join the procession. That company is the church militant.
·
Lingering near the bride's house are ten young women
robed in white. These are the ten virgins who linger NEAR, but not AT THE
BRIDE’S HOUSE. They do not enter the heavenly church of true reformers (Zion)
by faith.
·
At midnight the cry
is heard, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." The
sleepers, suddenly awaking, spring to their feet. They see the procession
moving on, bright with torches and glad with music. They hear the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride.
·
The Midnight Cry is
repeated at the time of the Sunday Law. It awakens all ten of the sleeping
virgins.
·
I recently listened
to a video by David Gates, wherein he said: “I like to think that some of the
ten virgins are awake.” Matthew 25 says that THEY ALL SLUMBERED AND SLEPT. Even
the wise don’t awaken until they hear the voice of God and the voice of the
bride at the next LOUD MIDNIDHT CRY.
·
The Midnight Cry was
heard in 1844, but then Scripture says there was a falling asleep because of
the tarrying time (since 1844).
Identifying the Characteristics of the Bride at this
Time, and Other Differences Between the Bride and the Guest Members of the
Church Militant
In every generation
there has been a church militant consisting of wheat and tares, which are also
represented as guests at the wedding. Here is another distinction between the
bride and the guests:
“The coming of Christ as our
high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought
to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days, as
presented in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by
Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by
the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the
parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.
In the summer and autumn of 1844
the proclamation, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," was given. The two
classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then developed--one
class who looked with joy to the Lord's appearing, and who had been diligently
preparing to meet Him; another class that, influenced by fear and acting from
impulse, had been satisfied with a theory of the truth, but were destitute of
the grace of God. In the parable, when the bridegroom came, "they that
were ready went in with him to the marriage." The coming of the
bridegroom, here brought to view, takes place before the marriage. The marriage
represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital
and representative of the kingdom, is called "the bride, the Lamb's
wife." Said the angel to John:
"Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." "He
carried me away in the spirit," says the prophet, "and showed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
Revelation 21:9, 10.
Clearly, then, the bride represents the Holy City, and
the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol of the church. In
the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage
supper. Revelation 19:9. If guests, they cannot be represented also as the
bride. Christ,
as stated by the prophet Daniel, will receive from the Ancient of Days in
heaven, "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;" He will receive the New
Jerusalem, the capital of His kingdom, "prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband." Daniel 7:14; Revelation 21:2. Having received the kingdom,
He will come in His glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords, for the
redemption of His people, who are to "sit down with Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob," at His table in His kingdom (Matthew 8:11; Luke 22:30), to
partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
The proclamation, "Behold,
the Bridegroom cometh," in the summer of 1844, led thousands to expect the
immediate advent of the Lord. At the appointed time the Bridegroom came, not to
the earth, as the people expected, but to
the Ancient of Days in heaven, to the marriage, the reception of His kingdom. "They that were
ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut." They were
not to be present in person at the marriage; for it takes place in heaven,
while they are upon the earth. The followers
of Christ are to "wait for their Lord, when He will return from the
wedding." Luke 12:36. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by
faith as He goes in before God. It is in
this sense that they are said to go in to the marriage.
In the parable it was those that
had oil in their vessels with their lamps that went in to the marriage. Those
who, with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also the Spirit and
grace of God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had patiently
waited, searching the Bible for clearer light--these saw the truth concerning
the sanctuary in heaven and the Saviour's change in ministration, and by faith they followed Him in His work in the
sanctuary above. And all who through the testimony of the Scriptures
accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as He enters in before God to
perform the last work of mediation, and at its close to receive His
kingdom--all these are represented as going in to the marriage.” The Great
Controversy, pp. 426, 427.
The New Jerusalem represents the
Holy City as its ambassador on earth. The New Jerusalem is also a symbol of the
bride, Zion, the 144,000. The bride gets the name New Jerusalem in her
forehead. Notice:
Rev
3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a
pillar [leader] in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will
write upon him my new name.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy
city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband.
·
The New Jerusalem is
Philadelphia, the church that gets the name New Jerusalem in its forehead. Rev.
3:10-12. She is made pillars in the Temple in heaven. Only the 144,000 enter
that Temple, Early Writings, p. 19.
·
The TEN virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a
symbol of the people in the church militant.
·
In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the
guests at the marriage supper. Revelation 19:9. If guests, they cannot
be represented also as the bride.
·
The guests are the
wheat and tare 10 virgins.
·
The bride is
represented by Barley, which is the firstfruits crop in Israel.
·
In 1844, Jesus came
to the wedding, to get His bride and take her to His home, the Most Holy Place
in the Temple of Heaven. She enters there by faith. Early Writings, p. 251 and 255.
“I saw that while Jesus was in the most holy
place He would be married to the New Jerusalem; and after His work should be
accomplished in the holiest, He would descend to the earth in kingly power and
take to Himself the precious ones who had patiently waited His return.” Early Writings, p. 251.
“It was represented to me that the remnant followed Jesus
into the most holy place and beheld the ark and the mercy seat, and were
captivated with their glory.” Early
Writings, p. 255.
·
It is only the bride
that goes into the Temple on Mt. Zion in heaven. It is she who is the lesser
priests therein, while Jesus is the High Priest.
“And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus
raised His lovely voice and said, ‘Only the 144,000 enter this place,’ and we
shouted, “Alleluia.”
The bride today, is the
True Reformers who enter the church of Zion in heaven:
"The members of the church triumphant--the
church in heaven--will be permitted to draw near to the members of the church
militant, to aid them in their necessity." E. G. White, The Southern
Watchman, Sep. 8, 1903.
"Characteristics of True
Reformers.--Here
are given the characteristics of those who shall be reformers, who will bear
the banner of the third angel's message, those who avow themselves God's
commandment-keeping people, and who honor God, and are earnestly engaged, in
the sight of all the universe, in building up the old waste places. Who is it
that calls them, The repairers of the breach, The restorers of paths to dwell
in? It is God. Their
names are registered [written--Heb. 12:22, 23] in heaven as reformers,
restorers, as raising the foundations of many generations." E. G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1151.
The True Reformers are
WRITTEN, REGISTERED in the church triumphant of heaven. They, Zion, are the
apple of God’s eye, rather than a once church that has removed Him by its
apostasy. 1SM 205. It is a blasphemous abomination sacrilege for a church
militant, especially one that is apostate, to refer to itself as the apple of
God’s eye. However, there was a short time during which the church was
Philadelphia, and that was even before it was organized in 1863, for by 1852
Ellen White pronounced it as being Laodicean. Laodicea is not the apple of
God’s eye, nor was it EVER so.
Zec 2:7
Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the
daughter of Babylon.
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.
Heb 12:22
But ye are come unto mount Sion [SAME
AS ZION], and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of
all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Rev 14:1
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having
his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their
harps:
Rev 14:3
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the
four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4
These are they which were not defiled
with women; for they are virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the firstfruits
unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5 And in
their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of
God.
The words “not defiled with women” refer to apostate
churches. They leave churches whose leaders and laity will not tolerate the
truth. If they did not leave, they would be defiled by the apostasy of said
churches, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to unite with open sinning THORNS, and
remain/become pure. The thorns differ from tares in that the thorns choke and
kill the wheat, while tares are insincere believers whose motives we would have
to JUDGE in order to uproot them (Christ’s
Object Lessons, pp. 70-72). You don’t have to question the motives of open
sinners. You do have to know that THEY CHOKE WHEAT AND KILL IT, MAKING IT
IMPOSSIBLE TO MATURE. The wheat and tares dwell together until the harvest, BUT
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE DWELLING TOGETHER WITH APOSTATE THORNS.
"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 church triumphant has existed in every succeeding
generation and will come to the aid of the church militant if the church
militant will accept that aid which is a shaking message such as you are
reading in this document.
"The members of the church triumphant--the church in
heaven--will be permitted to draw near to the members of the church militant,
to aid them in their necessity." E. G. White, The Southern Watchman, Sep.
8, 1903.
The members of the church triumphant, the
faithful of all ages, is a member of the church in heaven, Hebrews 12:22, 23,
and has entered that church by faith, to wit:
“After
Jesus opened the door of the most holy, the light of the Sabbath was seen, and
the people of God were tested, as the children of Israel were tested anciently,
to see if they would keep God's law. I saw
the third angel pointing upward, showing the disappointed ones the way to the
holiest of the heavenly sanctuary. As
they by faith enter the most holy, they find Jesus, and hope and joy spring
up anew. I saw them looking back, reviewing the past, from the proclamation of
the second advent of Jesus, down through their experience to the passing of the
time in 1844. They see their disappointment
explained, and joy and certainty again animate them. The third angel has
lighted up the past, the present, and the future, and they know that God has
indeed led them by His mysterious providence. {EW 254.2}
“It
was represented to me that the remnant followed Jesus
into the most holy place and beheld the
ark and the mercy seat, and were captivated with their glory. Jesus then raised
the cover of the ark, and lo! the tables of stone, with the ten commandments
written upon them. They trace down the lively oracles, but start back with
trembling when they see the fourth commandment among the ten holy precepts,
with a brighter light shining upon it than upon the other nine, and a halo of
glory all around it. They find nothing there informing them that the Sabbath
has been abolished, or changed to the first day of the week. The commandment
reads as when spoken by the voice of God in solemn and awful grandeur upon the
mount, while the lightnings flashed and the thunders rolled; it is the same as
when written with His own finger on the tables of stone: "Six days shalt
thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord
thy God." They are amazed as they behold the care taken of the ten
commandments. They see them placed close by Jehovah, overshadowed and protected
by His holiness. They see that they have been trampling upon the fourth
commandment of the decalogue, and have observed a day handed down by the
heathen and papists, instead of the day sanctified by Jehovah. They humble
themselves before God and mourn over their past transgressions. {EW 255.1}
"Those who think that the church militant
is the church triumphant make a great mistake." E.G. White, The Upward Look, 152.
Those who think that the church triumphant is
the church militant purged and cleansed make a greater mistake! Members of the
church militant who prove faithful will become part of the church triumphant,
but it is unmistakeable from Scripture and Ellen White that the heavenly church
of Hebrews 12:22, 23 has existed from the
beginning being represented by faithful souls [the bride of Christ] on
earth.
“The Church Triumphant.--The
work is soon to close. The members of the church militant who have proved
faithful will become the church triumphant.” Letter 32, 1892. {Ev 707.1}
The members of the church
militant who prove faithful in order to become the church triumphant, must meet
all of the characteristics of the bride, the True Reformers. They must come out
of apostate, false Jerusalem so as not to be defiled by her, because it is
IMPOSSIBLE to unite with the corrupt and remain/become pure. Remember, the
reformers of all ages have left the church of their fathers when the leaders
would not tolerate truth:
"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.
Characteristics of a True Church
Most folk are very careful to
the point of paranoia about the characteristics of a true prophet, but they are
very careless concerning the characteristics and qualifications of a true
church.
"God has a church. It is not the great
cathedral, (or the super mega church), neither is it the national
establishment, neither is it the various denominations;
it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. 'Where two or
three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.' Where
Christ is even among the humble few, THIS IS CHRIST'S CHURCH, for the presence
of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a
church." Upward Look, p.
315.
"The
church is in the Laodicean condition. The presence of God is not in
her midst." Notebook Leaflets, p.99.
"The state of the Church
represented by the foolish virgins, is also spoken of as the Laodicean
state." E.G. White, Review and Herald, 8/19/1890.
"The
church is in the Laodicean state. The presence of God is not in her midst.--NL
99 (1898). Latter Day Events, p. 49.
"To
the end of time, the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true
church." E.G. White, Acts of the Apostles, p.
55.
“I was shown that
those who are trying to obey God and purifying their souls through obedience to
the truth are God’s chosen people, His modern Israel”. 2T-109.
“There is no other church
than the assembly of those who have the word of God, and who are purified by
it. Adventists, seeing that the churches rejected the testimony of God’s word,
could no longer regard them as constituting the church of Christ.” 4 SP-237.
“God has a church.
It is not the great cathedrals, neither is it the national establishment, neither
is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His
commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I
in the midst of them’. Matthew 18:20. Where Christ is even among the humble
few, this is Christ’s church, for the presence of
the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” The Upward Look,
315.
Reckon the following
statement with the above one:
"The church is in the Laodicean
condition. The presence of God is not in her midst."
Notebook Leaflets, p.99.
Ellen White said that the Laodicean message
applies to ALL CHURCHES:
"The
warning for the last church [Laodicea] also must be proclaimed to all who claim to be Christians. The Laodicean message, like a sharp, two--edged
sword, must go to ALL THE CHURCHES:...It is our work to proclaim
this message. Are we putting forth every effort that the churches may be
warned?" Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 77.
The
message to all seven churches applies to the end of time:
“The messages [plural] given to the churches in
Asia, portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious
world today. The names of the churches are symbolic of the Christian church in
different periods of the Christian era the number of the churches--SEVEN--indicates
completeness and is symbolic of the fact that the messages [plural] extend to
the end of time, and are enforced today while the figures used are symbolic of
the state of God's professed people,--the wheat developing among the tares truth;
standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error.” Ms 81, 1900, pp. 17,
18. ("Solomon's Reign," 1900.) {1MR 372.2}
"I
wish to emphasize the fact, that the churches to which John was told to send the
instruction given him represent all the churches in our world, and that this
revelation to him is to be studied and believed and preached by the Seventh-day
Adventist Church today. Christ came personally to John to tell him "the
things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Revelation
1:19). And He said unto him, "What thou seest, write in a book, and send
it unto the seven churches" (Revelation 1:11). The light was not to be
hidden under a bushel." {1MR 372.3}
"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.
“The church is God's
fortress. His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal
of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His
only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the
church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a
faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave
the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor,
others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation
with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent
forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been
able to prevail against His people.” Acts
of the Apostles, p. 11.
Who Selects the Wheat From the Tares at Harvest Time?
The Bible says that the
angel’s select the wheat from the tares. Ellen White carries it further to
inform us exactly who the THIRD ANGEL is symbolic of:
"I then saw the THIRD ANGEL. Said my
accompanying angel, 'Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel
that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind,
the wheat for the heavenly garner." E.G. White, Early Writings, 118.
Third Angel—“No one hears the voice of these
angels, for they
are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with the
universe of heaven. Men and women, enlightened by the Spirit of
God and sanctified through the truth, proclaim the three messages in their
order.” E.G. White, Selected
Messages, Bk. 2, p. 387.
"The angel represented in prophecy as
delivering this message, symbolizes a class of faithful men, who obedient to the
promptings of God's Spirit and the teachings of his word, proclaim this warning
to the inhabitants of earth. This message WAS NOT to be committed to the religious leaders of the
people." E.
G. White, The
Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, 199, 200.
The Third Angel
(faithful men of Zion) select the wheat from the tares by a shaking message that is first extended to those who
will have an opportunity to comprise the bride, the 144,000. As Jesus first gathered His bride, the disciples, so
Zion, as THE THIRD ANGEL, FIRST gathers out those who will comprise the bride,
via a shaking message, which is an invitation to be the bride of Christ. If
this message is refused by rejection, this is tantamount to any of the
disciples of Christ refusing His personal invitation to be joined to Him. There
will be no further opportunity to be the bride of Jesus Christ. This is what
the Lord Jesus showed me in my first vision in the 1980’s:
Heb 6:4
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of
the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come,
Heb 6:6
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and
bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing
from God:
Heb 6:8
But that which beareth THORNS and BRIERS is rejected, and is
nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
I was also shown Ellen
White’s version on the theme of the above verses, to wit:
"While praying at the family altar, the Holy
Ghost fell on me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the
dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not
find them--when a voice said to me, 'Look again, and look a little higher.' At
this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path cast up high above the
world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the City, which was at
the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the
first end of the path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry. This light shone all along the path, and
gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if they kept their
eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the City, they
were safe. But soon some grew weary, and they said the City was a great way of,
and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by
raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came a glorious light which
waved over the Advent band, and they shouted Hallelujah! Others rashly denied the light
behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The
light behind them went out leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they
stumbled and got their eyes off the mark and lost sight of Jesus, and fell off
the path down in the dark and wicked world below. It was just as impossible for them to get on
the path again and go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had
rejected. They fell all the way along the path one after another, until we
heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of
Jesus' coming....
By
this time the 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads
was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus' new
name." E.G. White, Word to the Little Flock, p. 14.
"Verily
I say unto you," Christ continued, "whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven." Verse 18.
This statement holds its force in
all ages. On the church has been conferred the power to act in Christ's stead.
It is God's instrumentality for the preservation of order and discipline among
His people. To it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions
respecting its prosperity, purity, and order. Upon it rests the responsibility
of excluding from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their
un-Christlike conduct would bring dishonor on the truth. Whatever the church
does that is in accordance with the directions given in God's word will be
ratified in heaven.” 7T 263.
The THIRD ANGEL is
Zion, the bride of Christ. She gathers herself together before the Sunday Law
decree, because it is she who gives the Loud Cry that awakens the ten virgins,
all of whom slumbered and slept, Matthew 25.
Zep 2:1
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not
desired;
Zep 2:2
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before
the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger
come upon you.
Zep 2:3
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his
judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the
day of the LORD'S anger.
Zion is the bride, the strictly
chaste virgin that is married, Isaiah 62:1-5. In the last verses she is the one
that gives the Loud Cry.
Isa 62:1
For
Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will
not rest, until the righteousness thereof go
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
Isa 62:2
And the Gentiles shall see thy
righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
[The New Jerusalem, Rev. 3:10-12, the church of Philadelphia.]
Isa 62:3
Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal
diadem in the hand of thy God.
Isa 62:4
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but
thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in
thee, and thy land shall be married.
Isa 62:5
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and
as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over
thee.
Isa 62:6
I have set [TRUE REFORMER] watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall
never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep
not silence,
Isa 62:7
And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a
praise in the earth.
Isa 62:8
The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength,
Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons
of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast
laboured:
Isa 62:9
But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and
they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my
holiness.
Isa 62:10
Go through, go through the gates; prepare
ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones;
lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 62:11
Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation
cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. [The Loud Cry, Behold the Bridegroom cometh,
go ye OUT to meet Him.]
Isa 62:12 And they shall call them, The holy people,
The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
Ellen
White’s Response to the Alpha Heresy
Many are under the false delusion that Ellen White
never advocated separation from those who refused to tolerate and obey truth.
They are unaware of the following serious admonitions.
"Even though you may not be able to speak a
word to those who are working on wrong principles, leave them. Your withdrawal
and silence may do more than words. Nehemiah refused to associate with those
who were untrue to principle, and he would not permit his workmen to associate
with them. The love and fear of God were his safeguard-Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone. Thus as did Moses, you will endure the seeing of Him who
is invisible. But a cowardly and silent reserve before evil associates, while
you listen to their devices makes you one with them. Come out from among them
and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Review & Herald Vol. 4, p.
42.
Fear and Shun "'They that forsake the law
praise the wicked.' Proverbs 28:4. When those who are uniting with the world,
yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever been the
opposers of the cause of truth, we should fear and shun them as decidedly as
did Nehemiah. Such counsel is prompted by the enemy of all good. It is the
speech of timeservers, and should be resisted as resolutely today as then.
Whatever influence would tend to unsettle the faith of God' people in His guiding
power, should be steadfastly withstood." E.G. White, Prophets and
Kings, p. 660.
"We
should never give sanction to sin by our words, our deeds, our silence or our
presence." Desire of Ages, 152.
Do all you can
to warn and then separate: "Some who have received
warning and instruction from God have deliberately turned from the messages
sent them. They have, as it were, walked blindfolded into Satan's prepared
snares. Satan is playing the game of life for their souls. And some who might
be in a position to help these ensnared souls have themselves become ensnared
as captives to the arch deceiver. . . l am instructed to say that we must do
all we can for these deceived ones. Their minds must be freed from the
delusions of the enemy, and if we fail in our efforts to save these erring
ones, we must 'come out from among them' and be separate. . . For years the
backward tendencies of many have greatly hindered the work of God. Now, just
now, the Lord's people are to show their loyalty. The time has come when the
Lord would have all who will honor Him take their stand firmly on the side of
truth and righteousness. No longer are we to be a mixed multitude.” E. G.
White, Manuscript 106, 11/20/05.
"There is a little hope in one direction: Take
the young men and women, and place them where they will come as little in
contact with our churches as possible, that the low grade of piety which is
current in this day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a
Christian." E.G. White, Manuscript Release #995, p. 5.
There was no further counsel to leave the church
because Kellogg and his cronies were disfellowshipped from the church and/or
some left of their own accord.
Some believe they are going to turn the apostate church
around! But if they remain long enough, they are the ones who will be turned
around, for it is impossible to unite with the corrupt and remain/become pure.
That is why Jesus left. That is why true reformers in every succeeding
generation have left.
Ellen White prophesied
that the omega heresy would be far worse than the alpha and that it would wax
stronger until Jesus comes.
"One thing it is certain is soon to be
realized, the great apostasy, which is developing and increasing and waxing
stronger, and will continue to do so
until the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout. We are to hold fast the
first principles of our denominated faith, and go forward from strength to
increased faith. Ever we are to keep the faith that has been substantiated by
the Holy Spirit of God from the earlier events of our experience until the
present time. We need now larger breadth, and deeper, more earnest, unwavering
faith in the leadings of the Holy Spirit. If we needed the manifest proof of
the Holy Spirit's power to confirm truth in the beginning, after the passing of
the time, we need to-day all the evidence in the confirmation of the truth,
when souls are departing from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils. There must not be any languishing of soul now." (E.G.
White, Special
Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, p. 57).
"The
enemy will set everything in operation to uproot the confidence of the
believers in the pillars of our faith in the messages of the past, which have placed us upon the elevated platform of
eternal truth, and which have established and given character to the work. The
Lord God of Israel has led out His people, unfolding to them truth of heavenly
origin." "The truth for this time is precious, but those whose hearts
have not been broken by falling on the Rock Christ Jesus, will not see and
understand what is truth. They will accept that which pleases their ideas, and will begin to manufacture another foundation than that
which is laid. They will flatter their own
vanity and esteem, thinking that they are capable of removing the pillars of
our faith, and replacing them with pillars they have devised. This will continue
to be as long as time shall last."
Notebook,
Leaflets, pp. 61-62.
"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.
If
Laodicea is not regarded with any more favor by God than the fallen churches,
and the call of Laodicea is to all churches, then there is no difference
between Laodicea and the fallen churches as far as being in a fallen state is
concerned. Different churches believe different aspects of Babylonian
teachings, but Ellen White equates them all as far as falling from the favor of
God is concerned, and as far as constituting the habitation of devils and the
hold of every foul spirit and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
"We
must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness,
unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large
degree...We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing
our churches to become corrupted and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for
every unclean and hateful bird, and will we be clear unless we make decided
movements to cure the existing evil? E. G. White, Manuscript Releases No.
449, pp. 17, 18. (Letter 51, 1886 to Elder Butler) Testimonies on Sexual
Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, p. 193.
"Now
it is just EXACTLY as in the days of the Jews. When a message came in, why all
the power of the leaders [such some leaders on this forum] WAS PUT AGAINST IT,
THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE PEOPLE. Now, brethren, GO TO GOD FOR
YOURSELVES, and on your knees plead with God...If God sends us light, let it
come to us, and let no man close the door, or try to close it. Don't close it
yourselves. Open the door of your heart and let the brilliant rays of light
shine into your heart and into your mind. I pray you, let the Sun of
Righteousness in." E.G. White, Manuscript Release #900, Manuscript
9, 1890. 1888 Materials, p. 541.
Time
place circumstance -- Time, Place and Circumstance: "Regarding the
Testimonies, nothing is ignored nothing is cast aside but TIME AND PLACE MUST
BE CONSIDERED...Every jot and tittle is essential and must appear at the
opportune time." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 57.
Obviously,
CIRCUMSTANCE is implied by TIME, PLACE AND OPPORTUNE TIME.
“We
must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness, unlawful
intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree...We
are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches
to become corrupted and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean
and hateful bird, and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure
the existing evil? E. G. White, Manuscript Releases No. 449, pp. 17, 18. (Letter
51, 1886 to Elder Butler) Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and
Divorce, p. 193.
"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.
The
church not only became Laodicean, it has gone into COLD APOSTASY.
Spiritual
Jerusalem becomes NOT BABYLON, but 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. God’s Word says that there is another coming out of
Jerusalem as well as Babylon:
Isa 37:31
And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit
upward:
Isa
37:32 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.
There
was a going out of Jerusalem (Judah) from A.D. 27-66. What occurred in that
Ezekiel 9 ESCAPE was a prefigure of the
next literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. A faithful remnant will have to be called
out from a church that has become part of the Synagogue of Satan by removing
pillar doctrines and thus removing God’s presence, which ALONE can constitute a
church:
'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 ac counted 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."- Selected Messages, Book 1, pp. 204,
205.
Those
Adventists who are awake recognize that every specification of the above
statement has materialized. The Trinity Doctrine ALONE fulfills it all! But the
other specification have all had their own fulfillment as well. Since God has
been removed and there are only two masters, who is in control at the former
“church?” That once “church” has become the Synagogue of Satan, because God
does not dwell there. What then? What about the following statement?
"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 has indeed been introduced into the church and married to it. Ellen White
put it as good as it can be. She says in Early Writings, 273, that the
other fallen churches cannot be distinguished from the world. Then she said
that A NEW ORDER has come into the Adventist ministry and some pattern after
those other churches!
Pattern
after other churches: "A new order of things has COME INTO the ministry.
There is a desire to pattern after other churches and simplicity and humility
are almost unknown. The young ministers seek to be original, and to introduce
new ideas and new plans for labor. Some open revival meetings, and by this
means call large numbers into the church. But when the excitement is over,
where are the converted ones? Repentance and confession of sin are not seen.
The sinner is entreated to believe in Christ and accept Him, without regard to
his past life of sin and rebellion. The heart is not broken. There is no
contrition of soul. The supposed converted ones have not fallen upon the Rock,
Christ Jesus." E.G. White, Selected Messages, Bk. 2, pp. 18, 19.
That
is how the church has become married to the world! That is how the church
crosses land and sea to make proselytes twofold MORE the children of hell than
itself:
Mat
23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the
child of hell than yourselves.
The
Lord has shown me how some will immediately counter that their church pastor is
not like that! He may not be, but the entire church is corporately responsible
for the pastors who have done that!
"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}
“In every generation God has
sent His servants to rebuke sin, both in the world and in the church. But the people desire smooth
things spoken to them, and the pure, unvarnished truth is not acceptable. Many
reformers, in entering upon their work, determined to exercise great prudence
in attacking the sins of the church and the nation. They hoped, by the example
of a pure Christian life, to lead the people back to the doctrines of the
Bible. But the Spirit of God came upon them as it came upon Elijah, moving him
to rebuke the sins of a wicked king and an apostate people; they could not
refrain from preaching the plain utterances of the Bible-- doctrines which they
had been reluctant to present. They were impelled to zealously declare the
truth and the danger which threatened souls. The words which the Lord gave them
they uttered, fearless of consequences, and the people were compelled to hear
the warning.
Thus
the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to
be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those
who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the
unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will
be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives
them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing
the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism,
the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power--all will be unmasked. By
these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will
listen who have never heard words like these. In amazement they
607
hear
the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and
sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from heaven. As the
people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so?
the ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things[RB1] , to soothe their fears and
quiet the awakened conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with the
mere authority of men and demand a plain "Thus saith the Lord," the
popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their
authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan and stir up the
sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.” The Great
Controversy, p. 606-7.
“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. Every new truth has made its
way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were
tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an
emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present
the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at
the peril of their souls. Christ's ambassadors
610
have
nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results
with God. The
Great Controversy, pp. 609-10.
"The Lord will give His message to those who
have walked in accordance with the light they have had, and will recognize them
as true and faithful, according to the measurement of God. These men will take
the place of those who, having light and knowledge, have walked not in the way
of the Lord, but in the imagination of their own unsanctified hearts."
{3SM 422.1}
Statements that are
Dishonestly Applied to the Church no Matter What it Does
The
following statement is one that is regularly used to teach the lie that we
should remain in the church no matter what it does—no matter what manner of
apostasy it commits. That is what the leaders of Israel convinced many of its
members to do right up to the time the Temple experienced the worst human
slaughter in history to that time.
“During
ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill.
From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven
have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may
appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense
His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to
reveal His power to transform hearts.” Acts
of the Apostles, p. 12.
Are
enfeeblements and defects the same as gross apostasy? We find that before the
Day of Pentecost, the disciples were enfeebled and defective, but they were not
apostate! There is a huge difference!
Let’s
apply Ellen White’s “enfeebled and defective” statement to all the other
churches that existed in 1844, before the SDA church came into existence. There
had to be a true church before the SDA church arrived! What happened to that
church? Let’s apply the “enfeebled and defective” statement to the church in
Christ’s day! Why did Jesus “gather out” of the apostate church of His first
chosen people? Was it because that church became the Synagogue of Satan? Is
that what Jesus called it?
We should apply all of the
qualifications Ellen White applies to what constitutes a church. For example,
how does the following statement reconcile with the all the above statement I
have cited that define the church?
"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.
“If a brother is teaching error,
those who are in responsible positions ought to know it; and if he is teaching
truth, they ought to take their stand at his side. We should all know what is being taught among us, for if it is truth,
we need to know it. The Sabbath school teacher needs to know it, and every
Sabbath school scholar ought to understand it. We are all under obligation to
God to know what He sends to us. He has given directions by which we may test
every doctrine--"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according
to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). But if
it is according to this test, do not be so full of prejudice that you cannot
acknowledge a point when it is proved to you, simply because it does not agree
with your ideas.” {TDG 93.2}
“Do not catch at every objection, however small, and make it as large as
possible, and preserve it for future use. No one has said that we shall find
perfection in any man's investigations, but this I do know, that our churches
are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in
Christ, and for kindred truths. {TDG 93.3}
Righteousness by faith is one of
the pillar doctrines that has been removed by the New Movement church. And
righteousness by faith is the three angels messages in verity. Both have been
muted by apostate church leaders. Some have forbidden pastors in their
conference to give the message of Revelation 14! The entire church is
corporately responsible.
COUNTERPART:
"In the time of the Saviour, the Jews had so covered over the precious
jewels of truth with the rubbish of tradition and fable, that it was impossible
to distinguish the true from the false. The Saviour came to clear away the
rubbish of superstition and long-cherished errors, and to set the jewels of God's
word in the framework of truth. What
would the Saviour do if he should come to us now as he did to the Jews? He
would have to do a similar work in clearing away the rubbish of tradition and
ceremony. The Jews were greatly disturbed when he did this work [As are
SDAs today!]. They had lost sight of the original truth of God, but Christ
brought it again to view. It is our
work to free the precious truths of God from superstition and error."
E.G. White, Review and Herald,
Vol.
2, 308.
COUNTERPART:
"The Lord commanded one of his ancient servants, 'Pray not thou for this
people [Jer. 7:16 and 11:9-15], neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither
make intercession to me for I will not hear thee.' The prophet thus describes
the sins which had called forth this fearful denunciation: 'The prophets prophesy
falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end
thereof?' 'From the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is
given to covetousness and from the prophet even unto the priest, every one
dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people
slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.' The apostles declare
that this state of things will find its COUNTERPART in the last days. Many have a form of godliness,
but in their daily life deny the power thereof. They have ceased to be
convicted of their sins or alarmed at their state. They say in their hearts,
'The church is flourishing. Peace and spiritual prosperity are within her
borders.' The words of the prophet may well apply to these self-deceivers, 'They have chosen their own ways, and their
soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and
will bring their fears upon them." E. G. White, Second Advent
Review and Sabbath Herald, 11-07-82.
COUNTERPART:
"The members of our churches are not
incorrigible; the fault is not so much to be charged upon them as upon their
teachers. Their ministers do not feed them." Special Testimonies, Series
A, No.1, p.46.
The above statement is a classic
example as to why many of the leaders hate Ellen White and have relegated her
office to that of a counselor. They say she contributed to no doctrines in the church,
when God showed her which points of doctrine were valid. Also, they point to
her writings in Desire of Ages in an attempt to prove that she believed the
Trinity Doctrine!
The Final Fate of the Church as Prophesied by Ellen G.
White:
Prolepsis http://www.dictionary.com/browse/prolepsis?s=t
Origin
pro·lep·sis
proʊˈlɛpsɪsShow
Spelled[proh-lep-sis] Show IPA
noun, plural pro·lep·ses -sizShow
Spelled[-seez] Show IPA.
1. Rhetoric .
the anticipation of possible objections in order to answer them in advance.
2. the
assigning of a person, event, etc., to a period earlier than the actual one; the representation of
something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred; prochronism.
3. the use
of a descriptive word in anticipation of its becoming applicable.
4. a
fundamental conception or assumption in Epicureanism or Stoicism arising
spontaneously in the mind without conscious reflection; thought provoked by
sense perception.
5. Pathology
. the return of an attack of a periodic disease or of a paroxysm before the
expected time or at progressively shorter intervals.
PROLEPSIS PROPHETIC STATEMENT:
Here is the Spirit of Prophecy prophesied prolepsis
statement regarding the final fate of that once Noble Ship. This is a major
LYNCHPIN to my warning message. Can you explain it away? Are you a passenger on
this once NOBLE SHIP, that is about to sink to rise no more? NOTICE WHO SEPARATES FROM WHOM:
"Jesus sends HIS PEOPLE a message of warning
to prepare them for his coming. To the prophet John was made known the closing
work in the great plan of man's redemption. He beheld an angel flying 'in the
midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and
people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him for the hour
of his Judgment is come and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains of waters [Rev. 14:6, 7.].
The angel represented in
prophecy as
delivering this message, symbolizes a class of
faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of God's Spirit and the
teachings of his word, proclaim this warning to the inhabitants of earth. This message was not to be committed to
the religious leaders of the people. They had failed to preserve their
connection with God, and had REFUSED THE LIGHT FROM HEAVEN therefore they WERE
NOT of the number described by the apostle Paul: 'But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children
of light, and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness'
[1 Thess. 5:4, 5].
The watchmen upon the walls of Zion should be the first to catch
the tidings of the Saviour's advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim
him near, the first to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But they were
at ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep in their
sins. Jesus saw HIS CHURCH, like the barren fig-tree, covered with
pretentious leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful
observance of the forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility,
penitence and faith--which alone could render the service acceptable to
God--was lacking. Instead of the graces of the Spirit, there were manifested
pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A BACKSLIDING CHURCH closed their eyes to the signs of the
times. God did nor forsake them, or suffer his faithfulness to fail but they departed from him, and SEPARATED THEMSELVES from his love. As they REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS, his promises were
NOT FULFILLED to them." E.G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol.
4, pp. 199-200 [The
1884 edition of The Great Controversy, 199, 200].
Note these important delineations in
the above statement:
·
Ellen
White is addressing HIS PEOPLE.
·
Ellen
White is addressing those to whom God committed the EVERLASTING GOSPEL of
Revelation 14.
·
Ellen
White is defining the angel represented in prophecy as symbolizing a class of
faithful men.
·
Ellen
White is saying emphatically that the final Loud Cry message is delivered NOT
BY THE LEADERS OF THE SDA CHURCH, but by a class of faithful men, because
the leaders had failed to preserve their connection with God and had refused
light from heaven!
·
Ellen
White is addressing "watchmen upon the walls of Zion," NOT FALLEN
BABYLON!
·
Twice
Ellen White mentions HIS CHURCH, NOT FALLEN BABYLON.
·
It is the MEMBERS of
said church that SEPARATE FROM GOD, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO SEPARATE FROM
THEM OR BE CORPORATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR APOSTASY.
·
The above reasons
are why there is another coming out of a faithful remnant FROM APOSTATE
JERUSALEM AS WELL AS FALLEN BABYLON.
·
Isa 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house
of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
·
Isa 37:32 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.
Ellen White is addressing a BACKSLIDING CHURCH
whose leaders and laity alike failed and rejected light from heaven and
who refused to comply with the conditions so that God's promises are not
fulfilled to them. Consider the following commentary on the 1884 Great
Controversy that the above statement is quoted from:
“Consider for a few moments the chapter in the
first edition of Great Controversy, Volume IV, published by Pacific
Press in 1884. In Chapter XXVII, ‘The Snares of Satan,’ you find that about
four pages in the latter part of the chapter were omitted from the later
editions of Great Controversy. These four pages are to be found in
Testimonies to Ministers, pages 472 to 475. The information contained in these
four pages is very valuable to Seventh-day Adventists and was very
appropriately included in the first edition of Great Controversy, Volume IV,
which when it was published was like the other volumes considered to be A
MESSAGE ESPECIALLY TO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, and to [all] Christian people
sympathizing with them in beliefs and aims.” W. C. White, Selected Messages,
Appendix C, pp. 452, 453.
Prime Conclusion:
Professing Seventh-day Adventist leaders and laity
alike, are making the same foolish, tragic error Israel made, interpreting
God’s promises and favorable comments to the church as being UNCONDITIONAL, NO
MATTER WHAT THE CHURCH DOES. The Jews were told that as long as the sun and the
stars shone and the waves roared, the seed of Israel would not cease from being
a nation FOREVER.
“Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light
by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who
disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): “ If
those ordinances depart from before Me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel
shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.” (Jer. Jer. 31:35-36)
[emphasis added]
But what happened in A.D. 70, in the first literal
fulfillment of Ezekiel 9? So it will be again with the second once “chosen”
people of God, because they chose to regard the promises of their prophetess as
UNCONDITIONAL. What folly. What shame. What treason to the God of the Universe.
Only those who escape from apostate Jerusalem and
only those who escape from the apostate churches of Babylon will be saved.
Ellen White said this verse was written more for us than the Jews, because we
had their example:
Isa 37:31
And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take
root downward, and bear fruit upward:
Isa 37:32
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.
There is one more LOUD MIDNIGHT CRY by the Bride,
Zion, calling all who will be saved out of apostate (spiritual) Jerusalem, and
fallen Babylon. One is no better than the other. Apostate Jerusalem is WORSE
because she knew advanced truth conveyed by her prophets.
I will relate my vision on the State of the World
in Part 2
In
the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Ronald
William Beaulieu
Addendum:
THIS DAY WITH GOD, PAGE
55
God Hates Deception, February 16
Cry aloud, spare not,
lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression,
and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1.
Hypocrisy is
peculiarly offensive to God. A large majority of the men and women who profess
to know the truth prefer smooth messages. They do not desire to have
their sins and defects brought before them. They want accommodating
ministers, who will not arouse conviction by speaking the truth. They choose men who will flatter them, and in their turn they
flatter the minister who has shown such a “good” spirit, while they revile the
faithful servant of God....
Many praise the minister
who dwells on the grace and mercy and love of Jesus, who is not particular
to enforce duties and obligations, who does not warn of the danger of
hypocrisy, or present the terrors of God's wrath.
The Lord's work is
earnest and decided, above deceit and hypocrisy. His true shepherds will not
praise and exalt man. They will come before the people with a plain “Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” They will bear His message, whether men will
hear or whether they will forbear. If men despise God's
Word, and trust in oppression, hypocrisy, and worldliness, they must declare
against them God's denunciations, that, if possible, they may be aroused to
repentance. If they are too proud to repent and confess their errors, to turn
to God, welcoming His salvation and seeking His favor, the Lord will remove His
light from them and will leave them to walk in the way they have chosen.
Those who drive the
Lord's faithful messengers into corners, who discourage them, who stand between
them and the people, that their message may not have the influence God designed
it should, are answerable for the deceptions and heresies that come into the
church as a result of their course. They have a fearful account to render to
God. After the Lord has
repeatedly warned His people, and they still refuse to hearken to His voice, and will not be instructed, their guilt
becomes peculiarly abhorrent to Him. The record of their rebellion is written in a book before Him,
and will confront them when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be
opened.—Manuscript 10, February 16, 1899, “Words of Warning.”
[RB1]Do SDA Leaders prophesy
smooth things—peace and safety?
Begin at My Sanctuary -- "Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus 'Peace and safety" is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211.