Resources For SDAs Only An Introductory Study for SDAs on the Subject of Separation - What is the significance of God's declaration in 1903, just 2 weeks after the end of the GC session, that His presence has left the SDA church?
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Page 17 of 19 What is the significance of God's declaration in 1903, just 2 weeks after the end of the GC session, that His presence has left the SDA church? “He (Christ) declared it to be His will that where He was, there His church should be…” {SDA Bible Commentary, vol.7A, p.1150, col. 2}. “God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, 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" (Matt. 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.” {UL, p 315}. When the Spirit of God departed the SDA church in 1903 it ceased to be His church . The only way for this state of being a God-less church to change was for the SDA church to reverse its rebellious course and repent its ways. When a church is first declared a harlot ( Babylon), it is not declared a fallen Babylon until it persists in its harlotry and passes God's boundary of mercy and grace. Here is the SOP support for this understanding? Here is what Ellen White said about where God's people where at the proclamation of the first angel's message: “At the proclamation of the first angel's message, the people of God were in Babylon…” {4SOP, p 23}. We know that the first angel's message was first proclaimed in 1833 and began to gain steady momentum by 1840. So, God's church in 1840 was declared to be Babylon by the pen of inspiration. And why was God's church declared Babylon at the proclamation of the first angel's message? “The churches became corrupted by allying themselves with the world.” {4SOP, p 194}. Christ gave the Protestant churches, which had become Babylonian, the first angel's message to win them back to Him, away from Babylonian influences. “It was to separate the church of Christfrom the corrupting influence of the world that the first angel's message was given.” {4SOP, p 231}. When the Protestant churches of God, who were considered to be Babylonian due to their worldly corruption, rejected the first angel's message they were then declared a fallen Babylon. And hence, God's people had to, in addition to giving the declaration that Babylon is fallen, separate from her. “When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, " Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." [REV. 14:8] This message was understood [ They did not have a 'thus says the Lord' for such a conclusion. But inspiration confirmed their understanding of God's ways] by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message. The proclamation, " Babylon is fallen," was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches.” {4SOP, p 232}. [Brackets supplied]. When God first declared the Protestant churches to be Babylon, He gave them one last chance before totally rejecting them. Their chance was accepting the first angel's message. If they rejected this last message then they would be declared by God as fallen Babylon, and His people inside those churches would have to come out of and be separate. “I saw Jesus turn His face from those who rejected and despised His coming, and then He bade angels lead His people out from among the unclean, lest they should be defiled. Those who were obedient to the message stood out free and united. A holy light shone upon them. They renounced the world, sacrificed their earthly interests, gave up their earthly treasures, and directed their anxious gaze to heaven, expecting to see their loved Deliverer. A holy light beamed upon their countenances, telling of the peace and joy, which reigned within. Jesus bade His angels go and strengthens them, for the hour of their trial drew on. I saw that these waiting ones were not yet tried as they must be. They were not free from errors. And I saw the mercy and goodness of God in sending a warning to the people of the earth, and repeated messages to lead them to a diligent searching of heart, and study of the Scriptures, that they might divest themselves of errors which have been handed down from the heathen and papists.” {EW, p 249-250}. The above has revealed to us that when a God's church is first declared Babylon it has a chance to repent. If it persists in its harlotry then it will present to God's people a compelling case of its having become a fallen Babylonian church. When this understanding is reached by God's people then the declaration of its fallen status is coupled with decided move to separate and come out of her. In 1903 GOD HIMSELF, and not the prophet, declared the church to be a harlot. (See again 8T, p 250). It was given a last chance for repentance. The question which faces us today is: Has the SDA church repented or persisted in its evil course since last warned in 1903? The honest in heart can not but agree that the church has not repented by one bit. In fact, even during the last years of Ellen White (between 1903 and 1915) we find that the church has not repented; to the extent that she has made some very startling statements concerning the condition of the church at HER TIME.. ““ I have a work to do, and I am now making decisions . I must remain away from conference meetings. I must not attend camp meetings. The spirit of drawing apart, as the result of judging one another, has become so common, and the churches are becoming so leavened with this spirit, that I have no desire to attend these meetings . After returning from them, it is often weeks before I am able to take up my neglected work. Because those in positions of responsibility have for years left the Southern field unworked, notwithstanding the most decided testimonies urging them to take up this work; because they continue to neglect this field and use every manner of device in trying to uproot the confidence of the people in those who have done the hardest and most self-sacrificing work in the South , I have but very little confidence that the Lord is giving these men in positions of responsibility spiritual eyesight and heavenly discernment. I am thrown into perplexity over their course; and I desire now to attend to my special work, to have no part in any of their councils, and to attend no meetings, nigh nor afar off. My mind shall not be dragged into confusion by the tendency they manifest to work directly contrary to the light that God has given me. I am done. I will preserve my God-given intelligence. “My voice has been heard in the different conferences and at camp meetings. I must now make a change. I cannot enter the atmosphere of strife and then have to bear testimonies that cost me much more than those to whom they are sent can imagine. When I attend the different meetings, I am compelled to deal with men, standing in responsible places, who I know are not exerting an influence that God can endorse. And when I bear a testimony in reference to their course of action, advantage is taken of this testimony. These men have not clear understanding. Should I say the things that I know, they would not, with their present experience, use this instruction wisely, and would bring upon me inconceivable burdens. “I shall, therefore, leave them to receive word from the Bible, in which the principles upon which they should work are laid down in straight lines.” {17 MS, p 65-66}. [Written in December 2, 1902, in a letter to Edson and Willie]. Letter 186, 1902 “The warning is given in the Word, "Some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." We now repeat, Parents, keep your children away from Battle Creek. Some of our medical missionary workers are becoming leavened with infidelity. Specious heresy has been taking hold of minds, and its threads have been woven into the pattern of the figure. Who is responsible for giving young men and women an education that has left a seducing influence upon their minds? One father writes that of his two children, who were sent to Battle Creek, one is now an infidel and the other has given up the truth.” {20 MS, p 67}. Letter 208, June 29, 1906. “There are serious objections to having the school located at Battle Creek. Here is a large church, and there are quite a number of youth connected with this church. And in so large a church, where one has influence over another, if this influence is of an elevating character, leading to purity and consecration to God, then the youth coming to Battle Creek will have greater advantages than if the school was located elsewhere. But if the influences at Battle Creek shall be in the future what they have been for several years past, I would warn parents to keep their children from Battle Creek. There are but few in that large church who have an influence that will steadily draw souls to Christ. There are many who would, by their example, lead the youth away from God to the love of the world.” {Testimonies to the Church at Battle Creek, p 50}. 3T, p 197- PH 123, p 50, 1872. “Now, those who have had years in this same experience, know not God nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and should such go forth as representatives of Jesus Christ? These men will never give the right mold to other minds; they have not grown up to the full stature of men and women in Christ. They simply have the name of Christians but are not fitted for the work of God, and never will be until they are born again, and learn the A.B.C. in true religion of Jesus Christ. 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.” {12 MS, p 334}. Some may suggest that the above quotes represent only the condition of the SDA church at the then world head quarters, and therefore far away churches could be insulated from the evil leaven of world headquarters. Listen to what Ellen White had to say about this very point: “The great heart of the work is at -----; and, as the human heart throws its living current of blood into all parts of the body, so does the management at this place, the headquarters of our church, affect the whole body of believers. If the physical heart is healthy, the blood that is sent from it through the system is also healthy; but if this fountain is impure, the whole organism becomes diseased by the poison of the vital fluid. So it is with us. If the heart of the work becomes corrupt, the whole church, in its various branches and interests, scattered abroad over the face of the earth, suffers in consequence.” {4T, p 210}. Therefore, after the SDA church was first declared a harlot in 1903 the church was given a last chance of repentance. This is why from 1903 and until her death (1915), the Lord's servant did not call God's people out of the SDA church. But did she hold much faith of genuine repentance by the SDA leadership after her disappearance from the scene? Here are her words in her last testimony, few months before her death: “I am charged to tell our people that do not realize, that the devil has device after device, and he carries them out in ways that they do not expect. Satan's agencies will invent ways to make sinners out of saints. 'I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place. I do not know when I shall be taken; and I desire to warn all against the devices of the devil. I want the people to know that I warned them fully before my death. I do not know especially what changes will take place; but they should watch every conceivable sin that Satan will try to immortalize.’ ” {1MS, p1,1915}. Did 'great changes' in the SDA church take place after her death as she predicted? YES. Where those changes for the better or for the worse? An honest in heart would not have difficulty answering those questions. If 'great changes' for the worse took place in the SDA church since her death, is it reasonable to conclude that the SDA church, has since 1915, at the some point in time crossed God's boundaries and became fallen Babylon? In the Great Controversy God outlines for us, through inspiration, the reasons why a once-chosen church becomes part of fallen Babylon . “The sins of Babylon will be laid open… By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these. In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of [1] her errors and [2]sins, because of her [3] rejection of the truth sent to her from heaven.” {GC, p 606}. [Brackets supplied]. A harlot church becomes fallen Babylon due to 3 reasons:
How will the SDA church stand if tested against the above criteria ? Let us examine each of the above 3 qualifications in relations to the SDA church, to see if it has indeed met the 'fallen Babylon' condition or not! 1) Her sins: The sins of the SDA church are easily documented. For brevity I will state few of her major sins:
“...The General Conference of the Church, the only body having AUTHORITY TO ALTER the structure of the CHURCH either in DOCTRINE or organization.”{ EEOC vs. PPPA, 1975}. [ (Court Transcript of United States vs the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the General Conference, Opening Brief for the Church, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, December 4, 1974, p 17] “..The General Conference session holds the singular AUTHORITY FOR REVISING the Church Manual--including THE CHURCH'S FUNDAMENTAL beliefs.” { Adventist Review 7-5-1990}. “Only a committee appointed by the General Conference can interpret prophecy.” (Adventist Review, June 5, 1986, p 2). “It is our responsibility to study the Scriptures for ourselves, to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to submit our understandings to those in the church who are able to judge our findings, and then to abide to the decisions of the church...” (Seventh-day Adventist Church Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, Lesson 13, March 28, 1987, p 92, or p 153 in the Teacher’s Edition). Adopting the Roman Catholic model of church organization, in flagrant disregard to the council of God. Here is what Raymond Cottrell, associate editor of the SDA Bible Commentary, stated in the Spectrum: " 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." Spectrum, March 1984, pg. 42. In the same year, 1984, in a court case involving the Harris Pine Mills, as asset owned by the SDA church, Judge William T. Hart, presiding over the case stated the following: “ Next to the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, the Adventist church is the most centralized of all the major denominations in the country.” Is it surprising to SDA's after what has been quoted above to read what Neal C. Wilson had to say about modeling the SDA church after the Roman Catholic Church? Here is what he said: “ There is ANOTHER universal and TRULY CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION, the SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH.” Neal Wilson. Adventist Review, 3/5/1981. Four years later at the GC in New Orleans, Neal C. Wilson referred five times to his vice presidents as cardinals. 2) Her errors:
“We don't have to worry whether our name has come up yet in the heavenly courtroom. We don't have to be anxious about the judgment closing before we have had a chance to CONFESS ALL OUR SINS.” We Still Believe, pg. 45.
“Often the Scriptures set forth merely general principles, leaving it to the church to decide specific policies. The Adventist Church has done this in the Church Manual. Once a matter has been discussed and voted, minority opinion gives way to majority, and loyalty dictates that all follow the new actions...Thus there is clearly a teaching AUTHORITY in the church BEYOND THE RECOGNIZED TEACHING AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE . There is, then, a teaching AUTHORITY in the Adventist Church that ought to be obeyed. Every member must not do merely 'that which is right in his own eyes.' Ministers and church leaders must uphold this AUTHORITY .” {Review and Herald 1-31-1974}. Again, loyalty to the church {and not God} is clearly set in the following court record by the leaders of the SDA church: “The General Conference, then is the Seventh-day Adventist church... the embodiment of the remnant church as a Christian denomination, in a unified worldwide organization, to which all baptized Seventh-day Adventists owe spiritual allegiance.” {EEOC vs PPPA, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, p 17, Opening Brief, 1974-1975}.
In the Reply Brief for Defendants of the Mary Kay-Silver trial, on page 4, Neal C. Wilson stated for the SDA church: “Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint, and the term 'hierarchy' was used in a pejorative sense to refer to the papal form of church governance, that attitude on the church's part was nothing more than a manifestation of widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned.” Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Vs the Pacific Press Publishing Association and SDA Church, civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975. 3) Her rejection of truth sent to her from heaven: The SDA church has rejected the testimonies of God at least in the following areas:
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