Now to your questions regarding the Reformed SDA church and why I am convinced that they are not, nor can ever be the true remnant church, I will let the word of Inspiration speak for me rather then my own opinion, for that is of little worth in the sight of God if that is all we have to offer. I will try to specifically address the issues you present in your letter.
1. Their claim that "their movement is symbolized by that other angel of Revelation 18." How does this square up against the word of Inspiration? We read: "The third angel's message is swelling into a loud cry..." 1888 Materials: pg.959; and again: The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth." Ibid.1073.
I believe that we are in this "swelling" period right now, the "beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth." My conviction that this is so is enforced by the following statement which I believe is being fulfilled RIGHT NOW! "I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant." EW 261. Doesn't this exactly describe your experience and mine and the experience of thousands around this globe, and doesn't this statement strengthen and encourage us as we see its fulfillment happening all around us?
But let us read on: "Under the
proclamation of the third angel, great power is to come to the church. This is
represented in the description given by John in Revelation 18: "And after
these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and
the earth was lighted with his glory" (verse 1). This is the last call to
And again: "The last great conflict
is before us; but help is to come to all who love God and obey his law, and the
earth, the whole earth, is to be lighted with the glory of God. "Another
angel" is to come down from heaven. This angel represents the giving of
the loud cry, which is to come from those who are preparing to cry mightily,
with a strong voice, "
So this angel of Revelation 18 represents the giving of the loud cry (IT DOES NOT REPRESENT A CHURCH OR AN ORGANIZATION), but let us look at another VERY IMPORTANT aspect of the loud cry, which also tells us when it will be manifested. We read: "I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth in great power. It had effect. I saw those who had been bound; some wives had been bound by their husbands, and some children had been bound by their parents. The honest who had been held or prevented from hearing the truth, now eagerly laid hold of the truth spoken. All fear of their relatives was gone. The truth alone was exalted to them. It was dearer and more precious than life. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, "It is the latter rain. The refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The loud cry of the Third Angel." 1RH 12/31/57.
And again: "As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, "the time of Jacob's trouble," they will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of his Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attends the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel." 1RH 05/27/62
So if these people maintain that "their movement is symbolized by that other angel of Revelation 18" then they are saying that the latter rain began in 1914 when that church was founded, are they not? But we read: "Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost." 5T 214.
"When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received "the latter rain," "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done;" and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords." GC 613.
The way I understand the chain of these
events is that if the Reform SDA church claims to be "the angel of
Revelation 18, then the sealing began, as did the latter rain began to fall way
back in 1914. But the problem that presents itself is where then does that
statement from EW 261 [par.4, pg.1] fit in if the people are called out
"before the loud cry of the third angel is given"? In fact to
strengthen this argument we read: "The first, second, and third angels'
messages are to be repeated. The call is to be given to the church: "
Again we read: "Many who heard the
first and second angels' messages thought they would live to see Christ coming
in the clouds of heaven. Had all who claimed to believe the truth acted their
part as wise virgins, the message would ere this have been proclaimed to every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people. But five were wise and five were foolish.
The truth should have been proclaimed by the ten virgins, but only five had
made the provision essential to join that company who walked in the light that
had come to them. The third angel's message was needed. This proclamation was
to be made. Many who went forth to meet the Bridegroom under the messages of
the first and second angels, refused the third angel's message, the last
testing message to be given to the world. A similar work will be accomplished
when that other angel, represented in Revelation 18, gives his message. The
first, second, and third angels' messages will need to be repeated. The call
will be given to the church, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins." "
Now when were the 3 angel's messages
repeated prior to 1914?, for it is only after the 2nd time they are given that
the angel of Revelation 18 is manifested! And when was the call given to
"the church" to come out of
2. You state that "Some of them assert that the self-supporting ministries are going into the track of independency." Let us look at that in the light of Inspiration. They are probably referring to this statement: "I know that the Lord loves His church. It is not to be disorganized, or broken up into independent atoms. There is not the least consistency in this. There is not the least evidence that such a thing will be. Those who shall heed this false message, and try to leaven others will be deceived, and prepared to receive advance delusions, and they will come to naught." MS 1: 304.
But the question that needs to be answered is "independent" of what--the organized church? Let us see. "God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted platform of eternal truth--the commandments of God and faith of Jesus. He will discipline and fit up his people. They will not be at variance, one believing one thing, and another having faith and views entirely opposite, each moving independently of the body. Through the diversity of the gifts of governments he has placed in the church, they will all come to the unity of the faith. If one man takes his views of Bible truth without regard for the opinions of his brethren, and justifies his course, alleging that he has a right to his own peculiar views, and then presses them upon others, how can he be fulfilling the prayer of Christ? and if another, and still another, arises, asserting his right to believe and talk what he pleases without reference to the faith of the body, where will be the harmony that Christ prayed might exist with his brethren that existed between him and his Father? Test. 24: 164.
So it is not being independent that displeases God, it is being independent of "the exalted platform of eternal truth--the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, the unity of the faith, the faith of the body." In fact, contrary to what you have been told we read:
"As we do this work, we must learn to rely upon what God can do for the saving of souls. Generally too much dependence is placed upon human ability, and too little faith is shown in him whose grace is sufficient to supply all our deficiencies. We are inclined to think that unless an organized company of workers is sent to a field, the efforts put forth will be useless. We feel as if we must belong to some organization if we would accomplish good. But John the Baptist did not work on this plan. His mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah by his God-given message; and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he did the work appointed him without calling to his aid priest or rabbi." 5RH 03/29/98
And again: "He [Satan] works to restrict religious liberty, and to bring into the religious world a species of slavery. Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of God, will work under Satan's dictation to bring men under the control of men: and fraud and guile will bear the semblance of zeal for truth, and for the advancement of the kingdom of God . Whatever in our practice is not as open as the day, belongs to the methods of the prince of evil. His methods are practiced even among Seventh Day Adventists, who claim to have advanced truth." 1888 Mat.pg.1433.
In fact, look at these startling statements: "Independent men of earnest endeavor are needed, not men as impressible as putty. Those who want a work all made ready to their hand, where they have a fixed amount to do and a fixed salary, and where they will prove an exact fit without trouble of adaptation or training, are not the men God calls to do a work in his cause. A man who cannot adapt his abilities, to fill almost any place if necessity requires, is not the man for this time. Men whom God will connect with his work are not to be fibreless and limp, without muscle or moral force of character." T25:50 And again: "Individual independence and individual power is what is now needed. Individual character need not be sacrificed, but modulated, refined, elevated." Ibid.
So this sentiment that working independently is working contrary to God is only because the god they now worship is not God the Creator but the temple, the structure which they have erected, not God, as we shall see.
Yes, the Reform SDA church does have much truth. That cannot be denied. In fact, in contrast to the corporate SDA church their doctrines are much purer, but let us look at "the rest of the story." Their belief, sentiment, teaching, etc., that unless you belong to their church you cannot be saved is not Biblical in the slightest bit. We read: "Cyprian (d. about 258) is considered the founder of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. He advocated the theory that there is but one true church, and that outside of it there is no access to salvation." 4BC: 835.
So this is a totally papal concept which no true Christian should be expressing or even entertaining. For "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. "We are not saved as a sect; no denominational name has any virtue to bring us into favor with God. We are saved individually as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." We may have our names recorded on the books of the most spiritual of the churches, and yet we may not belong to Christ, and our names may not be written on the Lamb's book of life. Christ said, "I am the way." 4RH 01/10/91
In closing, let me present the most
significant reason why it is impossible for the Reform SDA church to be God's
true remnant church. But first I must quote from their publication, which has a
direct bearing on this issue. We read: "The apostasy in
Of course the author of this statement would like it to be true, and may even believe with all of his heart that it is true, because the organization of the Reform SDA church is an exact mirror image of the apostate, corporate, SDA church--it too has a General Conference, Divisions, Unions, and so on. It is no wonder that he is defending that organizational system. But that statement is absolutely false, as we shall see, for it IS its system of organization that led the SDA church to the fall into apostasy
In 1903, the leadership of the SDA church were involved in General Conference Proceedings. At this time a Minority Committee [David Paulson, E.J. Waggoner, and P.T. Magan] gave a report, part of which stated: "The minority report expresses in a word the feelings which actuated the minority in making the report, because we believe that the constitution proposed by the majority of the committee appears to us to be so subversive of the principles of organization given to us at the General Conference of 1897 and 1901. Those principles were given to us by the Spirit of God. In my judgment, and in the judgement of the minority of the committee, this constitution is absolutely subversive of those principles. Further: The proposed new constitution reverses the reformatory steps that were taken, and the principles that were given, and which were adopted as the principles of reorganization, at the General Conferences of 1897, and 1901, and which were incorporated in the constitution of 1901.--any man who has ever read 'Neander's History of the Christian Church,' Mosheim's or any of the other of the great historians--any man who has ever read those histories can come to no other conclusion but that the principles which are to be brought in through this proposed constitution, and in the way in which they are brought in, are the same principles, and introduced in precisely the same way, as they were hundreds of years ago when the Papacy was made." General Conference Bulletin, 35th Session, April 10, 1903.
Exactly 11 days later, in direct response to these treacherous actions by the leadership that led to the forming of the present organizational structure of the denomination, Ellen White was compelled to write these words: "In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings conferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced the sentence: "Found wanting." By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be judged… The heavenly Teacher inquired: "What stronger delusion can beguile the mind than the pretense that you are building on the right foundation and that God accepts your works, when in reality you are working out many things according to worldly policy and are sinning against Jehovah? Oh, it is a great deception, a fascinating delusion, that takes possession of minds when men who have once known the truth, mistake the form of godliness for the spirit and power thereof; when they suppose that they are rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, while in reality they are in need of everything."... Who can truthfully say: "Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world"? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: "Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? 'How is the faithful city become an harlot!' My Father's house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking." 8T 247-250.
It was the very action of introducing the papal hierarchal system, the exact same system adopted by the Reform SDA church, and which governs it to this day, that compelled God to not only call it an HARLOT, but to remove His divine presence and glory from it! Where is the evidence that, as that committee reported, a papacy was forming? We read the following from official publications and leading scholars of the SDA church:
"Structure. At the local conference level the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a representative form of government. Above that level the polity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is hierarchical: authority flows downward and members in local congregations have virtually no voice. Above that level, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a closed, self-operating, and self-perpetuating system similar to the Roman Catholic Church, in which those in authority are not responsible to lower echelons. Above the local conference level, those in authority are not elected by, representative of, or administratively accountable to, local congregations or the membership at large." Raymond F. Cottrell Spectrum, March 1984 pg.42. (Associate Editor: SDA Bible Commentary)
And again: "There is ANOTHER universal and TRULY CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION, the SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH ." Neal Wilson, Adventist Review 3/5/1981.
FIVE TIMES then president of the General Conference, Neal Wilson referred to some of his vice-presidents as "CARDINALS," at the New Orleans General Conference. Adventist Review 7/3/1985.
So, as stated before, but which cannot be emphasized too much, the hierarchal system of organization which the Reformed SDA church practices and defends is directly contrary to the principles given by God and which led the SDA denomination to be labeled a harlot, devoid of His presence and glory. How then can the Reformed SDA church continue to claim that it is, or ever was, God's true remnant church???
Brother D, I hope that this answers satisfactorily your questions regarding the Reform SDA church, and what our attitude should be regarding any man-led denomination. In closing may I invite you to read with me: "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by Thy name, to take away our reproach." Isaiah 4:1. Now let us compare that verse with this one: "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. There were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." Revelation 14:4
Now we either belong to one group or the other. Which group, brother D, would you say the Reformed SDA church belongs to? Can it be a harlot and a virgin at the same time? Can it proclaim that none can be saved outside of it--none can find salvation in any other name, and yet claim to follow Christ also?
May God abundantly bless, and keep you as you contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Yours in the Blessed Hope,
Your brother in Christ,
Clarence A. Settle
The Issue
