Please note that this is a very brief history of God’s chosen people. For a detailed account of their history and more please read the Bible together with any of the following books by the prophetess Ellen G. White:- Patriarchs and Prophets — covers the period from the rebellion in heaven by Lucifer to the reign of King David; The Great Controversy–from the destruction of Jerusalem to the destruction of Satan and the wicked; Prophets and Kings–from King Solomon to the Babylonian captivity and release; The Desire of Ages–the life of Jesus Christ, and Acts of the Apostles.

Israel

Right from the beginning Satan has fought against God’s people and although he has managed to deceive most of them, God has always had a remnant that stayed loyal to Him by obeying His 10 commandments. Noah and his family (8 in number) were the only remnants who were preserved when God destroyed the rest of the population of earth with the flood because of their wickedness. After the flood men again became idol worshippers and so God called Abraham of the line of Shem the son of Noah and the promise was that “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” Genesis 12:3. God also gave Abraham the rite of circumcision which was a pledge that he and his descendants would be God’s special people and would remain separate from idol worship and would keep His law. But their failure to keep this pledge resulted in their sojourn and bondage in Egypt.

Eventually God delivered them from their bondage and made a covenant with Israel (who were the descendants of Abraham) at Mount Sanai based upon the 10 commandments which were spoken and written by God himself on tablets of stone, He said “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:5-6. Blessings were to be theirs if they obey and curses would be their lot if they disobeyed. God drove out the nations that were occupying the land of Palestine because of their wickedness and gave it to Israel with Jerusalem as the capital.

He also gave them detailed instructions concerning the sacrificial system which were types and shadows of the promised Messiah. They were also told to build an earthly sanctuary with two apartments, the first was The Holy place where priests ministered the sacrificial offering every day. The second was Most Holy place where only the High priest entered once a year for the cleansing of the sanctuary and where the presence of God was manifested and was also the 10 commandments contained in the ark of His covenant. God honoured them by making them the guardians and keepers of His law, but it was to be held as a sacred trust for the whole world. He designed to spread His truth to the rest of the world through them.

But sadly because of their repeated backsliding, they failed to keep His covenant and spread His truth to the world and so He allowed them to be captured by the kingdom of Babylon. And after 70 years He released them from bondage, and they returned to their own land. But when the time came for them to receive the long promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, they were led by Satan to reject Him and crucify Him and instead chose Caesar as their king (John 19:15). The nation that claimed to be God’s peculiar people rejected the gospel brought to them in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so, finally God also rejected Israel in AD 34 with the stoning of Stephen which was the fulfilment of the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24 allotted to the nation of Israel and the special relationship that existed between God and Israel came to an end.

Christians

And so, after God rejected Israel, He raised up another group. The new group were made up of the remnant of literal Israel that remained true to God and His commandments and new converts which were mostly Gentiles. This new group were called Christians but inwardly they were now the true Israelites of God “for he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal” Romans 2:28,29. RSV.

God entered into a new covenant with the Christians who were now the inheritors of the promises made to ancient Israel by the words of the prophet, saying, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31: 31-33.

So, the same 10 commandments which formed the basis of first covenant with ancient Israel forms the covenant with Christians (modern Israel) and would be written upon the hearts of the Christian by the Holy Spirit during conversion.

And Paul says, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” Hebrews 8:7. And then he quotes the words of the prophet Jeremiah as stated above. And he says that Christ has now “obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Verse 6.

Paul goes on to say that the earthly sanctuary, built by Moses at the command of God, according to the pattern shown him in the mount, was “a figure for the time then present” that its two holy places were “patterns of things in the heavens;” that Christ, our great High Priest, is “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man;” that “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Heb. 9:9,23; 8:2; 9:24. The sanctuary in Heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy. So ancient or literal Israel had an earthly sanctuary and modern Israel also have a sanctuary but the original one situated in heaven above.

Christians and the Apostasy.

Through Christians the Gospel news that Christ had been crucified for the sins of the world and that all who accepted this sacrifice would have eternal life was spread far and wide. And they were persecuted by Satan’s chief agents at that time i.e. the pagans of the Roman Empire because Christianity was a threat to Satan’s religion of paganism. Seeing that persecution was not working, but instead kept the church pure from error, Satan caused it to cease and working through the bishop of the church at Rome, corrupted Christianity with pagan doctrines.

Satan promised him i.e. the bishop of Rome power to rule the world in fulfilment of prophecy “The dragon (pagan Rome) gave him his power (civil power), and his seat (Rome), and great authority” Revelation 13:2. For in the year 330 AD Emperor Constantine moved his capital to Constantinople leaving Rome with the pope. This was the birth of Catholicism which replaced paganism and became the state religion of the Roman empire and anyone not adhering to it was persecuted by this apostate church using civil authority. But paganism was the real victor because Catholicism is but paganism cloaked with Christianity.

And according to Revelation 13:5, it was to rule the world for 42 prophetic months or 1260 literal years (1 prophetic day = 1 literal year, Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6).

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the Catholic church sought to step into Rome’s place and rule over Western Europe. But 3 nations i.e. the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths refused to yield to the Catholic religion and authority. Therefore the Catholic church made war against these 3 nations. The last of these nations i.e. the Ostrogoths were defeated in March 538 and forced to leave Rome. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Rome_(537–538).

Therefore, March 538 marks the beginning of the years of papal supremacy. And the end of this period is February 10, 1798 when the French general Louis Berthier under directions from Napoleon Bonaparte entered the city of Rome, took pope Pius VI prisoner and exiled him to France. Thus, the year of February 10, 1798 marked the end of the years of papal supremacy exactly 1260 years later as prophecy had predicted!! (March 538 to February 1798 equals 1260 years).

The birth of Catholicism was also a fulfilment of the prophecy of the apostle Paul when talking about the coming “wicked one” i.e. the pope saying that he is the “man of sin….. the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. This new apostate Christian religion now taught that instead of looking to Jesus Christ as High priest in the sanctuary above, Christians were now to look to the pope or his delegated servants in the earthly temples for the forgiveness of sins. Thus, attempting to reverse and nullify the new covenant that Jesus Christ had entered into with Christians.

As already mentioned before that Catholicism is but paganism cloaked with Christianity. They adopted many pagan doctrines including the 2 most dangerous doctrines which is Sunday holiness and the immortality of the soul. And during the Catholic’s long reign of hundreds of years they were able to spread these false doctrines to the rest of the world and persecuted all who would not adhere to her doctrines.

Sunday observance as a law was first enacted by Satan’s chief agent at the time emperor Constantine in A. D. 321. It reads: “All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun. Country people, however, may freely attend to the cultivation of the fields, because it frequently happens that no other days are better adapted for planting the grain in the furrows or the vines in trenches. So that the advantage given by heavenly providence may not for the occasion of a short time perish.”—Joseph Cullen Ayer, A Source Book for Ancient Church History (New York: Charles Scribner’s sons, 1913), div. 2, per. 1, ch. 1, sec. 59, g, pp. 284, 285. Quoted from The Great Controversy 1911 by E.G. White, page 681.

Even though it was a purely pagan law dedicated to their sun god on the 1^st day of the week i.e. Sunday (the day of the sun) but still Emperor Constantine enforced it after his nominal conversion to the Roman Catholic faith because they had adopted it and “Christianized” it.

And the Roman Catholic church is not shy about boasting that they changed the sanctity of the Sabbath from the 7^th day of the week to the 1^stday i.e. from Saturday to Sunday. They say:

“The Ten Commandments….Written by the finger of God on two tables of stone, this Divine code was received from the Almighty by Moses amid the thunders of Mount Sinai….. Christ resumed these Commandments ….He proclaimed them as binding …The Church (Roman Catholic), on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the …. seventh day of the week, to the first, made ….Sunday as the day to be kept holy.” The Catholic Encyclopaedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04153a.htm.

The doctrine of Sunday holiness is dangerous in that it turns the soul from worshiping the creator on His Holy Sabbath day i.e. the 7^th day of the week (Saturday) as expressed in Exodus 20:8-11 to worshipping man on the day 1^st day that he has instituted. And if one disregards God’s warning of Revelation 14:9-11 and receives the mark of the beast i.e. Sunday holiness enforced by law, then he/she will receive the wrath of God which are the 7 last plagues an eventually will be thrown into the lake of fire.

Another pagan doctrine adopted by the Catholic church is that the soul is immortal. This is the belief that when one dies he either goes straight to heaven or to a burning hell. In either case he is supposed to have consciousness in death. Neither of them is true because the Bible says: “The living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything.” “Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun” “There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10.

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul once believed destroys the soul by opening the way for communication with evil spirits pretending to be loved ones that have died.

The Church in the wilderness

The establishment of the Holy Office, or the Inquisition, as the persecuting arm of the Roman Church against all heretics. This effort accounted for the slaughter of 50 million martyrs over a period of about 300 years” The Other End of the World, p 127, by Roger Rusk, Plantation House, 1988.

“In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy,–the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret councils, Satan and his angels presided, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees, and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes. “Babylon the great ” was “drunken with the blood of the saints.” The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.” E.G. White, The Great Controversy, 1884, page 64.

And where was God’s true church, the true Israel of God during these “dark ages” when the Roman Catholic Church ruled supreme and persecuted all who disagreed with her doctrines? The Bible says:

“The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” Revelation 12:6 NIV. In prophecy the church is symbolized by a woman. A pure church symbolized by a virgin, and an impure church by a harlot. Paul speaking to the church says “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I may present you as a pure virgin to Him” 2 Corinthians 11:2 NIV. And using the 1 day for 1 literal year principle found in (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6), God’s true church was in the “wilderness” i.e. in obscurity for 1260 years exactly the number of years of the “dark ages” of papal supremacy of 42 prophetic months (Revelation 13:5).

In every age there were witnesses for God,—men who cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man, who held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the true Sabbath i.e. the 7^th day of the week (Saturday) and not Sunday .

The history of God’s true people during the ages of darkness that followed upon the Catholic church’s supremacy, is written in Heaven. But they have little place in human records. Few traces of their existence can be found, except in the accusations of their persecutors.

No church within the limits of the Roman Catholic church jurisdiction was long left undisturbed in the enjoyment of freedom of conscience. No sooner had the papacy obtained power than she stretched out her arms to crush all that refused to acknowledge her sway; and one after another, the churches submitted to her dominion.

But of those who resisted the encroachments of the papal power, the Waldenses stood foremost. In the very land where popery had fixed its seat, there its falsehood and corruption were most steadfastly resisted. For centuries the churches of Piedmont maintained their independence; but the time came at last when Rome insisted upon their submission. After ineffectual struggles against her tyranny, the leaders of these churches reluctantly acknowledged the supremacy of the power to which the whole world seemed to pay homage. There were some, however, who refused to yield to the authority of pope or prelate. They were determined to maintain their allegiance to God, and to preserve the purity and simplicity of their faith by having no pagan doctrines mixed with their beliefs. A separation took place. Those who adhered to the ancient faith now withdrew; some, forsaking their native Alps, raised the banner of truth in foreign lands; others retreated to the secluded glens and rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there preserved their freedom to worship God.

They contended for the faith of the apostolic church,—“the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” “The church in the wilderness,” and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ, the guardian of the treasures of truth which God has committed to his people to be given to the world.

Protestant Christians.

The persecution of God’s true church did not continue throughout the entire period of the 1260 years. God in mercy to his people cut short the time of their fiery trial. In foretelling the “great tribulation” to befall the church, the Saviour said, “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” [Matthew 24:22.] Through the influence of the Reformation, the persecution was brought to an end prior to 1798.

And so, God sent the Christians a message of salvation by faith in Jesus (not by works or by the pope) during the 16^th century. Martin Luther of Germany and others began to spread this message after they themselves were converted by the Holy Spirit from some of the errors of Catholicism. These new Christians were called Reformers or Protestant Christians because they protested against the errors of the Catholic religion.

One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered for the Reformation, was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of Germany at the Diet of Spires (a formal deliberative assembly) in 1529. The courage, faith, and firmness of those men of God, gained for succeeding ages liberty of thought and of conscience. Their Protest gave to the reformed church the name of Protestant; its principles are the very essence of Protestantism.

Again and again the immediate destruction of all who dared to oppose themselves to the Roman Catholic church appeared inevitable; but at the critical moment the armies of the Turk appeared on the eastern frontier, or the king of France, or even the pope himself, jealous of the increasing greatness of the emperor of Germany, made war upon him; and thus, amid the strife and tumult of nations, the Reformation had been left to strengthen and extend.

At last, however, the papal sovereigns had stifled their feuds, that they might make common cause against the Protestants. The Diet of Spires in 1526 had given each State full liberty in matters of religion until the meeting of a general council; but no sooner had the dangers passed which secured this concession, than the emperor Charles summoned a second Diet to convene at Spires in 1529 for the purpose of crushing heresy. The princes were to be induced, by peaceable means if possible, to side against the Protestants; but if these failed, Charles was prepared to resort to the sword.

At the assembly the reformed princes denied the right of civil rulers to legislate in matters between the soul and God, and declared with prophets and apostles, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” They rejected also the arbitrary power of the church, and set forth the unerring principle that all human teaching should be in subjection to the oracles of God. They declared that the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty.

Again, even thou they were called by a new name, spiritually they were now the true Israelites of God. There was a clear distinction between them and Roman Catholic Christians because the Catholics were a very corrupt group of Christians and the Protestants did not want to share in the sins of the Catholics.

In England as in many other countries in Europe, while renouncing the doctrines of the Catholic church, they had retained many of its forms. Their observance tended to narrow the gulf which separated the reformed churches from Rome, and it was urged that they would promote the acceptance of the Protestant faith by Romanists. To the compromising, these arguments seemed conclusive. But there was another class that did not so judge. The fact that these customs tended to bridge the gap between Rome and the Reformation was in their view a conclusive argument against retaining them.

These uncompromising ones were called Puritans because they wanted a pure religion and as a result they were persecuted by the Church of England for not conforming to the religion of the state. Some at last determined to seek refuge in Holland. John Robinson, their pastor, who was providentially prevented from accompanying them, in his farewell address to the exiles said:

“For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go at present no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; … and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things. This is a misery much to be lamented; for though they were burning and shining lights in their time, yet they penetrated not into the whole counsel of God, but were they now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as that which they first received.”—D. Neal, History of the Puritans 1:269.

It was the desire for liberty of conscience that inspired the Pilgrims to brave the perils of the long journey across the sea, to endure the hardships and dangers of the wilderness, and with God’s blessing to lay, on the shores of America, the foundation of a mighty nation. Yet honest and God-fearing as they were, the Pilgrims did not yet comprehend the great principle of religious liberty. The freedom which they sacrificed so much to secure for themselves, they were not equally ready to grant to others.

The Protestant churches of America,—and those of Europe as well,—so highly favoured in receiving the blessings of the Reformation, failed to press forward in the path of reform. A few faithful men arose from time to time, to proclaim new truth, and expose long-cherished error; but the majority, like the Jews in Christ’s day, or the papists in the time of Luther, were content to believe as their fathers believed, and to live as they lived. Therefore, religion again degenerated into formalism; pagan doctrines that had been inherited from the Catholic church would have been cast aside had the church continued to walk in the light of God’s word, were retained and cherished.

Thus the spirit inspired by the Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as great need of reform in the Protestant churches as in the Roman Church in the time of Luther. There was the same spiritual stupor, the same respect for the opinions of men, the same spirit of worldliness, the same substitution of human theories for the teachings of God’s word. Pride and extravagance were fostered under the guise of religion. The churches became corrupted by allying themselves with the world. Thus were degraded the great principles for which Luther and his fellow-laborers had done and suffer so much.

Chapter 5: Adventist Christians

As we have seen Satan caused the later generation of Protestants to fall from their high calling by making them to love the world more than God.

And so God in 1844, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”, sent them the Judgement message also known as the 1^st angel’s message saying, “Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His Judgement is come” Revelation 14:6,7. In the typical sanctuary services the cleansing of the sanctuary was the Day of Atonement or Judgement Day for ancient Israel.

Since the Protestant Christians were at that time the true spiritual Israel, God raised among them William Miller, a Baptist preacher to lead in spreading the Advent message. He had been privately studying the scriptures for about 10 years and it was only in 1831 that he for the first time publicly gave the reasons of his faith and immediately there was a religious awakening. In many places Protestant churches of nearly all denominations were thrown open to him; and the invitations to labor usually came from the ministers of the several congregations.

William Miller found the starting point of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 in Daniel 9:25 where it says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks”. This commandment in its completeness was given by king Artaxerxes of Medo-Persia (Ezra 7:12-26) in the 7^thyear of his reign which was in 457 BC according to the Ptolemy Canon of kings. Using 1 prophetic day to stand for 1 literal year as shown in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, he added the prophetic “2300 days” to the year 457 BC to arrive at 1844.

The Adventists were further emboldened by the fact that all the dates of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 which had the same starting date of 457 BC had all been fulfilled exactly as prophesied, e.g. the year of the anointing of “the Messiah the Prince” as High Priest by the Holy Spirit in 27 AD, the year He was “cut off” i.e. His crucifixion in 31 AD and the close of probation for the Jewish church in 34 AD which was also the end of the 70 weeks or 490 literal years.

In 27 AD was fulfilled the words “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks” of Daniel 9:25 giving total of 69 prophetic weeks or 483 literal years. 483 added to 457 BC extends to the Autumn of 27 AD when Jesus was baptised by John and received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry.

Furthermore Luke says Jesus Christ was baptised in the 15^th year of the rule of Tiberius Ceasor: “ In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;… Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:1,2,3,20-21.

Tiberius Caesar began his rulership as co-emperor with his father Augustus Caesar in 12 AD because Augustus was sick and nearing his death. And so he appointed Tiberius as his successor according to historian Suetonius from his book The 12 Caesars, Book Three: “After a two-year campaign, he returned to Rome (in AD 12), and celebrated his postponed Illyrian triumph, accompanied by his generals for whom he had obtained triumphal regalia. Before climbing to the Capitol, he dismounted from his chariot and knelt at Augustus’ feet, the latter presiding over the ceremonies… In accordance with the consuls’ decree that he should assist Augustus with the five-year census, and govern the provinces jointly with him”. So as we can see 12 AD + 15 = 27 AD which confirms the prophecy the baptism of Jesus Christ.

John was surprised that Jesus came to him for baptism, but Jesus said to John: “Permit it to be so now: for thus it fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” Matthew 3:15. Then Jesus started preaching the message that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15. In other words the 69 prophetic weeks of Daniel 9:25 had been fulfilled.

In 31 AD was fulfilled the words: “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years]. In the middle of the week [3 and a half days or 3 and a half years] He shall bring to an end to sacrifice and offering” Daniel 9:27. Three and a half years after His baptism, the Lord was crucified in the spring of 31 AD, “And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” Mark 15: 38, showing that the earthly sacrifice and offering had come to an end.

The rest of the “one week” i.e. the other three and a half years were spent by His disciples preaching the gospel to the Jews. And it came to an end in 34 AD with the stoning of Stephen and the “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people” of Daniel 9:24 or 490 years of prophecy allotted to the Jewish nation had come to an end. Thus in 34 AD the Jews as a nation had sealed their rejection of the gospel.

“In the year 1840, another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman empire, and specifying not only the year but the very day on which this would take place. According to this exposition, which was purely a matter of calculation on the prophetic periods of Scripture, the Turkish government would surrender its independence on the eleventh day of August, 1840. The prediction was widely published, and thousands watched the course of events with eager interest.

“At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. When it became known, multitudes were convinced of the correctness of the principles of prophetic interpretation adopted by Miller and his associates, and a wonderful impetus was given to the Advent movement. Men of learning and position united with Miller, both in preaching and publishing his views, and from 1840 to 1844 the work rapidly extended.” The Great Controversy 1888, p. 334,335

The chapters of Revelation 8 and 9 are mainly about the blowing of trumpets which symbolizes war and the judgements of God. In Revelation 8, with the blowing of trumpets 1 to 4, the Western Roman Empire (which had embraced an apostate Christian religion i.e. the Catholic religion as its state religion) was destroyed by God using the Barbarians as the instrument of punishment. This was led by Alaric of the king of the Goths (1^st trumpet Rev. 8:7), Genseric chief of the Vandals (2^nd trumpet Rev. 8:8,9), Attila the Hun (3^rd trumpet Rev. 8:10,11), and Theodoric the Ostrogoth (4^th trumpet Rev 8:12).

Josiah Litch’s calculations are based on Revelation 9 which brings to view the false religion of Islam which God also used as an instrument of punishing an apostate church i.e. The Roman Catholic Church in the East. Thus, the Eastern Empire was destroyed by the Mohammedans symbolized by the 5^th and 6^th trumpets.

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads….And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months.” Rev. 9:1, 5.

Using the 1 day to 1 year principle, the 5 prophetic months are 150 years. The 150 years began by a simple invasion of a Greek province, by Othman, July 27, 1299. During the 150 years, the eastern empire of Rome was harassed beyond measure by the Ottoman power, but was, not subjected entirely to it.

At the termination of 150 years in 1449, the Greeks voluntarily parted with their supremacy and independence, by virtually acknowledging they could not maintain their throne without the permission of the Mahomedans. Thus, from that time the Christian Government of Greece was under Turkish domination and about three years after, fell a victim to Turkish arms.

“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” Rev. 9:13-15

The 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month and 1 year translates into 391 years 15 days. And the Ottoman Empire ruled exactly 391 years 15 days from 1449 to August 11, 1840.

1 hour = 15 days, 1 day = 1 year, 1 month (30 days) = 30 years, 1 year (360 days) = 360 years. Adding all we get: 15 days + 1 year + 30 years + 360 years = 391 years 15 days.

With the indisputable evidence before them that the 2300 prophetic period expired in 1844, the churches rejected this message and as a result God also rejected them. The test for God’s people at this time was between accepting the Judgement message or rejecting it. According to the prophetess Ellen White whom God raised just after the disappointment of 1844 when Jesus did not come to earth as expected, “It was to separate the church of Christ from the corrupting influence of the world that the first angel’s message was given. But with the multitude, even of professed Christians, the ties which bound them to earth were stronger than the attractions heavenward. They chose to listen to the voice of worldly wisdom, and turned away from the heart-searching message of truth…..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 by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message” The Great Controversy 1884 by E.G. White, page 230-233”

Again, there was a clear distinction between Protestant Christians and Adventist Christians because the Adventist did not want to share in the sins of Babylon.

(For more details on the history of Adventists, please read The Great Controversy 1888, page 317, starting at Chapter 17 An American Reformer up to Chapter 22)

Seventh Day Adventists

Once again Satan led the majority of Adventists to fall from the grace of God after the disappointment of 1844 when Jesus did not come as expected to cleanse the earth (which they believed to be the sanctuary) by fire.

To the very few that remained though also disappointed but not disheartened, God opened to them the true meaning of the sanctuary and also raised up the prophet Ellen White among them. The few that were left and studying God’s word to see their mistake were able to confirm or reject any doctrine through the visions of the prophet of God. To this group a full explanation of the 1^st and 2^nd angels messages of Revelation 14 was given; that the hour of His judgement was the Investigative judgement and not the Final judgement of the wicked earth by fire; that their computation of the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 was correct; but that at the end of the 2300 days in 1844 Jesus Christ our High Priest had moved from the Holy place to the Most Holy in the sanctuary in heaven; that 1844 was the beginning of the anti-typical day of Atonement or Judgement where the cases of all who have ever professed to be a follower of Christ was reviewed to determine who will enter into heaven.

To this group was also given the 3^rd angel’s message of Revelation 14 which brought to view the most terrible warning in the entire Bible of worshipping the beast, receiving its mark and worshipping its image. A study of God’s word showed the beast to be the Roman Catholic Church because there at least 10 characteristics in Revelation 13 that identifies the first beast as the Catholic Church. The mark of the Roman Catholic Church was to be the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday because the little horn power of Daniel 7 (which also was identified as symbolizing the Catholic church) “shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” Danile 7: 25. And further more the Catholic church freely and openly admits that they are the ones that changed the sanctity of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.

This new group were called Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) as they now worshipped God on the 7^th day of the week i.e. Saturday not the 1^st day i.e. Sunday. The Majesty of heaven made them the repositories of his truth, not that they might hoard it up, but that they might let the light of heaven shine forth to the world. They were now the true spiritual Israel.

Again, they were to be distinct from Adventists or first day Adventists who were now setting time after time for the Lord to come and there was great confusion among them because they had rejoined Babylon. And now the first day Adventist were used by Satan to become the main opposers of Seventh Day Adventist in that they refuted everything that they ever believed in regarding the prophetic periods.

1857: The Laodicean message

But even though the SDA church was richly blessed by God as we have seen, and were made depositories of His word, they unfortunately allowed history to repeat itself. Just like those churches that went before them i.e. the Protestants, the church at Rome and ancient Israel, modern Israel — the SDA church– started to slowly depart from God. They became lukewarm and God mercifully sent them the Laodecian message in 1857 to arouse them from their spiritual slumber. God speaking through the prophet said:

“The church must arise. They do not half heed the message to the Laodicean church. There are those in the church who love this world better than they love Jesus. They love their treasures here better than they love heaven or eternal life, and with their earthly treasure they will perish. The True Witness now speaks to a lukewarm church. Be zealous and repent; but they scarcely hear or heed the message. A few are afflicting their souls. A few are heeding the counsel of the True Witness. Unless the church speedily arouses they will go into darkness, be ensnared and overcome by the enemy….

“I was shown that many of the church have at this time of peril more care for their farm and their cattle than they have for the servants of God, or the truth which they preach; their labors are so common among them that the laborers are not considered worthy of their hire. His strength must be exhausted, his life embittered by scarcely a well day, must spend and be spent, and yet the church asleep as to these things.

“But I saw that God was not asleep. Said the angel, Jesus says, I know thy works; yes, selfish, professed Sabbath-keepers. God knows thy works. Ye covetous, world-loving Sabbath-keepers, said the angel, God knows thy works. I saw that every privation the servants of God have endured are all written in the book, every tear is bottled up. Every pang of agony they have endured is recorded in the book. I know thy works, says the True Witness. [Revelation 3:15.] All that has been done to help the servants of God is all recorded; all of it is written in the book. All the selfish withholding from God’s servants are all written in the book. All thy deeds, said the angel, are passing in review before God. I saw that the church now must afflict their souls. They must labor, they must agonize or go down.” Manuscript 1 1857.

Most heeded the message but when they saw that it did not immediately end in the loud cry of Revelation 18 and the latter rain, they again became lukewarm. Two years later in 1859 the prophetess writes:

“I saw that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred everywhere. Nearly all believed that this message would end in the loud cry of the third angel.

“But as they failed to see the powerful work accomplished in a short time, many lost the effect of the message. I saw that this message would not accomplish its work in a few short months. It was designed to arouse the people of God, to discover to them their backslidings, and to lead to zealous repentance, that they might be favoured with the presence of Jesus, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel. As this message affected the heart, it led to deep humility before God. Angels were sent in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts for the truth. The cause of God began to rise, and His people were acquainted with their position. If the counsel of the True Witness had been fully heeded, God would have wrought for His people in greater power. The efforts made since the message has been given, have been blessed of God, and many souls have been brought from error and darkness to rejoice in the truth.

“I saw that God would prove His people. Patiently Jesus bears with them, and does not spew them out of His mouth in a moment. Said the angel: “God is weighing His people.” If the message had been of as short duration as many of us supposed, there would have been no time for them to develop character. Many moved from feeling, not from principle and faith, and this solemn, fearful message stirred them. It wrought upon their feelings, and excited their fears, but did not accomplish the work which God designed that it should. God reads the heart. Lest His people should be deceived in regard to themselves, He gives them time for the excitement to wear off, and then proves them to see if they will obey the counsel of the True Witness.” Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, Chapter 33, p. 186-187; same as No. 5, 1859, p. 1-26.

In spite of the backslidden state of the church, God was long suffering and merciful towards the SDA and still kept pouring blessings upon them as seen by the establishment of their first denominational school. Church membership also had increased and in the 1870s was just above 5000.

Apart from the public testimonies which the Lord was sending through the prophetess to arouse His people and the rest of the world from their spiritual slumber, God was also sending individual members of the SDA church their personnel testimony pointing out what was wrong in their spiritual life and what to do to correct this. And these testimonies comprising of letters, manuscripts, books, etc. have been preserved by God so that we who are living today may also find words that will help us in our spiritual walk and not repeat what the SDA did and are still doing in not heeding God’s reproves.

God said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” and so He did not immediately spue them out of His mouth hoping that they would repent. Rev. 3:19. But the SDA as a whole did not repent, and they did not like being reproved or corrected. In 1873 the prophetess writes:

“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time… What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct ….

“In my last vision I was shown that even this decided message of the True Witness had not accomplished the design of God. The people slumber on in their sins. They continue to declare themselves rich and having need of nothing. Many inquire: Why are all these reproofs given? Why do the Testimonies continually charge us with backsliding and with grievous sins? We love the truth; we are prospering; we are in no need of these testimonies of warning and reproof. But let these murmurers see their hearts and compare their lives with the practical teachings of the Bible, let them humble their souls before God, let the grace of God illuminate the darkness, and the scales will fall from their eyes, and they will realize their true spiritual poverty and wretchedness. They will feel the necessity of buying gold, which is pure faith and love; white raiment, which is a spotless character made pure in the blood of their dear Redeemer; and eyesalve, which is the grace of God and which will give clear discernment of spiritual things and detect sin. These attainments are more precious than the gold of Ophir.

“I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them. The True Witness condemns the lukewarm condition of the people of God, which gives Satan great power over them in this waiting, watching time.” Testimony for the church, Vol. 3, p. 252-255, Chapter 27—The Laodicean Church same as Review and Herald September 16 to October 7 1873.

1876: The Jeremiah Message

In 1876 the Lord gave the Seventh Day Adventist church a most startling warning, the exact same warning that was given to ancient Israel through Jeremiah the prophet just before their captivity by Babylon (Jeremiah 35:14; 26:1-6). The prophetess writes, “The Lord gave Jeremiah a message of reproof to bear to his people, charging them with the continual rejection of God’s counsel: “I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto Me. I have sent also unto you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers.”

“God pleaded with them not to provoke Him to anger with the work of their hands and their hearts, “but they hearkened not.” Jeremiah then predicted the captivity of the Jews as their punishment for not heeding the word of the Lord. The Chaldeans were to be used as the instrument by which God would chastise His disobedient people….

“In these days He has instituted no new plan to preserve the purity of His people. As of old, He entreats the erring ones who profess His name to repent and turn from their evil ways. Now, as then, by the mouth of His chosen servants He predicts the dangers before them. He sounds the note of warning and reproves sin just as faithfully as in the days of Jeremiah. But the Israel of our time have the same temptations to scorn reproof and hate counsel as had ancient Israel.

“They too often turn a deaf ear to the words that God has given His servants for the benefit of those who profess the truth. Though the Lord in mercy withholds for a time the retribution of their sin, as in the days of Jeremiah, He will not always stay His hand, but will visit iniquity with righteous judgment.

“The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak unto all the people of Judah who came there to worship, those things which He would give him to speak, diminishing not a word, that they might hearken and turn from their evil ways. Then God would repent of the punishment which He had purposed to inflict upon them because of their wickedness.

“The unwillingness of the Lord to chastise His erring people is here vividly shown. He stays His judgments; He pleads with them to return to their allegiance. He had brought them out of bondage that they might faithfully serve Him, the only true and living God; but they had wandered into idolatry, they had slighted the warnings given them by His prophets. Yet He defers His chastisement to give them one more opportunity to repent and avert the retribution for their sin. Through His chosen prophet he now sends them a clear and positive warning, and lays before them the only course by which they can escape the punishment which they deserve. This is a full repentance of their sin and a turning from the evil of their ways.

“The same danger exists today among the people who profess to be the depositaries of God’s law. They are too apt to flatter themselves that the regard in which they hold the commandments will preserve them from the power of divine justice. They refuse to be reproved for evil, and charge God’s servants with being too zealous in putting sin out of the camp. A sin-hating God calls upon those who profess to keep His law to depart from all iniquity. Neglect to repent and obey His word will bring as serious consequences upon God’s people today as did the same sin upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which He will no longer delay His judgments. The desolation of Jerusalem stands as a solemn warning before the eyes of modern Israel, that the corrections given through His chosen instruments cannot be disregarded with impunity.” Testimonies for the church Vol. 4 page 164-167, Chapter 17—Jeremiah Reproves Israel.

The Jeremiah message was warning the Seventh Day Adventist church that unless they repent, they also would eventually be spiritually captured by Babylon which now is the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical bodies led by the Catholic church. They were first warned about this capture through the prophetess in 1867 in a dream:

“That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed. And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house, saying three times: “This house is proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.” Terror seized me, and I ran through the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak a word to them for fear of being betrayed. I tried to seek a retired spot where I might weep and pray without meeting eager, inquisitive eyes wherever I turned. I repeated frequently: “If I could only understand this! If they will tell me what I have said or what I have done!”

“I wept and prayed much as I saw our goods confiscated. I tried to read sympathy or pity for me in the looks of those around me, and marked the countenances of several whom I thought would speak to me and comfort me if they did not fear that they would be observed by others. I made one attempt to escape from the crowd, but seeing that I was watched, I concealed my intentions. I commenced weeping aloud, and saying: “If they would only tell me what I have done or what I have said!” My husband, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, heard me weeping aloud and awoke me. My pillow was wet with tears, and a sad depression of spirits was upon me.” Testimony for the church, Vol. 1, p. 578, Chapter 102—Sketch of Experience, same as Testimony for the church Number 13.

And as can be seen this prediction was made almost 100 years before it happened, because in the 1960s, the SDA started attending the National Council of Churches meetings and now they have full membership of the Christian World Communion which is a member of the World Council of Churches.

1883: Church manual rejected

In 1883 Satan thought to sneak in the church manual whilst the church was still spiritually asleep. He new that if they accepted the church manual then he could control them through it instead of the Holy Spirit controlling them. But not all were asleep, and it was firmly and unanimously rejected, and it was thought it would never again see the light of day as there was no such book in the Bible. Here are some extracts from the article G.I. Butler, president of the General Conference wrote in the Review and Herald, NOVEMBER 27, 1883:

“The writer was requested by the recent General Conference to make a brief statement through the Review of the action taken in reference to the proposed Church Manual. For four or five years past, there has been with some of our brethren a desire to have some manual of directions for the use of young ministers and church officers, etc. It was thought that this would lead to uniformity in all parts of the field, and afford means of instruction to those who were inexperienced, and be very convenient in many respects. Steps were taken several years ago to prepare a manual, but for a time it was left unfinished. Last year, at the Rome Conference, the matter came up for consideration, and three brethren were appointed a committee to prepare a manual, and submit it to the Conference this year for its approval or rejection..…

“At the recent Conference a committee of thirteen leading brethren were appointed to consider the whole subject, and report. They did so, and unanimously recommended to the Conference that it was not advisable to have a church manual. Their reasons were briefly given in the report of Conference proceedings given in last week’s REVIEW. The Conference acted upon this recommendation, and quite unanimously decided against having any manual.….

“The Bible contains our creed and discipline. It thoroughly furnishes the man of God unto all good works. What it has not revealed relative to church organization and management, the duties of officers and ministers,, and kindred subjects, should not be strictly defined and drawn out into minute specifications for the sake of uniformity, but rather be left to individual judgment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Had it been best to have a book of directions of this sort, the Spirit would doubtless have gone further, and left one on record with the stamp of inspiration upon it. Man cannot safely supplement this matter with his weak judgment. All attempts to do it in the past have proved lamentable failures. A variation of circumstances requires variation in action. God requires us to study important principles which he reveals in his word, but the minuti in carrying them out he leaves to individual judgment, promising heavenly wisdom in times of need….

“While brethren who have favored a manual have ever contended that such a work was not to be anything like a creed or a discipline, or to have authority to settle disputed points, but was only to be considered as a book containing hints for the help of those of little experience, yet it must be evident that such a work, issued under the auspices of the General Conference, would at once carry with, it much weight of authority, and would be consulted by most of our younger ministers. It would gradually shape and mold the whole body; and those who did not follow it would be considered out of harmony with established principles of church order. And, really, is this not the object of the manual? And what would be the use of one if not to accomplish such a result? But would this result, on the whole, be a benefit? Would our ministers be broader, more original, more self-reliant men? Could they be better depended on in great emergencies ? Would their spiritual experiences likely be deeper and their judgment more reliable? We think the tendency all the other way…..

“For these and other reasons, the church manual was rejected. It is probable it will never be brought forward again.” GEO. I. BUTLER.

1884: The snares of Satan revealed

Having failed to introduce the church manual into the Seventh Day Adventist church so that he could control them, the next year in 1884, Satan came up with yet other plans to further weaken God’s people and eventually capture them. These plans were revealed to the SDA church so that they could avoid the snares of Satan:

“Says the great deceiver: “We must watch those who are calling the attention of the people to the Sabbath of Jehovah; they will lead many to see the claims of the law of God; and the same light which reveals the true Sabbath, reveals also the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, and shows that the last work for man’s salvation is now going forward. Hold the minds of the people in darkness till that work is ended, and we shall secure the world and the church also.

“The Sabbath is the great question which is to decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the Sabbath of our creating. We have caused it to be accepted by both worldlings and church-members; now the church must be led to unite with the world in its support. We must work by signs and wonders to blind their eyes to the truth, and lead them to lay aside reason and the fear of God, and follow custom and tradition.

“I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of bondage. The people accept their ministers’ explanations of Scripture, and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.

“But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbath-keepers. We must excite popular indignation against them. We will enlist great men and worldly-wise men upon our side, and induce those in authority to carry out our purposes. Then the Sabbath which I have set up shall be enforced by laws the most severe and exacting. Those who disregard them shall be driven out from the cities and villages, and made to suffer hunger and privation. When once we have the power, we will show what we can do with those who will not swerve from their allegiance to God. We led the Romish Church (Roman Catholic) to inflict imprisonment, torture, and death upon those who refused to yield to her decrees, and now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm of our strength;, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who will not submit to our authority. When death shall be made the penalty of violating our Sabbath, then many who are now ranked with commandment-keepers will come over to our side.”

“But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness, lust and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their fall.

“Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with the cares of this life. Present the world before them in its most attractive light, that they may lay up their treasure here, and fix their affections upon earthly things. We must do our utmost to prevent those who labor in God’s cause from obtaining means to use against us. Keep the money in our own ranks. The more means they obtain, the more they will injure our kingdom by taking from us our subjects. Make them care more for money than for the up-building of Christ’s kingdom and the spread of the truths we hate, and we need not fear their influence; for we know that every selfish, covetous person will fall under our power, and will finally be separated from God’s people.

“Through those that have a form of godliness but know not the power, we can gain many who would otherwise do us great harm. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God will be our most effective helpers. Those of this class who are apt and intelligent will serve as decoys to draw others into our snares. Many will not fear their influence, because they profess the same faith. We will thus lead them to conclude that the requirements of Christ are less strict than they once believed, and that by conformity to the world they would exert a greater influence with worldlings. Thus they will separate from Christ; then they will have no strength to resist our power, and erelong they will be ready to ridicule their former zeal and devotion.

“Until the great decisive blow shall be struck, our efforts against commandment-keepers must be untiring. We must be present at all their gatherings. In their large meetings especially our cause will suffer much, and we must exercise great vigilance, and employ all our seductive arts to prevent souls from hearing the truth and becoming impressed by it.

“I will have upon the ground, as my agents, men holding false doctrines mingled with just enough truth to deceive souls. I will also have unbelieving ones present, who will express doubts in regard to the Lord’s messages of warning to his church. Should the people read and believe these admonitions, we could have little hope of overcoming them. But if we can divert their attention from these warnings, they will remain ignorant of our power and cunning and we shall secure them in our ranks at last. God will not permit his words to be slighted with impunity. If we can keep souls deceived for a time, God’s mercy will be withdrawn, and he will give them up to our full control.

“We must cause distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their own souls, and lead them to criticise, to judge, and to accuse and condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. For these sins, God banished us from his presence; and all who follow our example will meet a similar fate.”” The Great Controversy 1884, p. 337-340, Chapter 27- The Snares of Satan.

1885: The Jeremiah message repeated

In 1885 the startling Jeremiah warning message given in 1876 was again repeated in the Review and Herald June 30, 1885; that the SDA church just like ancient Israel was in danger of being captured by Babylon:

“The Word of the Lord Not to Be Disregarded”

“The Lord gave Jeremiah a message of reproof to bear to his people, charging them with the continual rejection of his counsel: “I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers.” He pleaded with them not to provoke him to anger with the work of their hands and the devices of their evil hearts; “but they hearkened not.”

“Jeremiah then predicted the captivity of the Jews, as their punishment for not heeding the word of the Lord. The Chaldeans were to be used as the instrument by which God would chastise his disobedient people, whose punishment was to be in proportion to the light they had had, and the warnings they had despised and rejected.

“The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and to speak unto all the people of Judah who came there to worship those things which he would give him to speak, that they might hearken, and turn from their evil ways. Then God would repent of the punishment which he had purposed to inflict upon them because of their wickedness.

“The Lord commanded Jeremiah to say to the people: “Thus saith the Lord, If ye will not hearken unto me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened, then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” They understood this reference to Shiloh, and the time when the Philistines overcame Israel, and the ark of God was taken.

“The sin of Eli consisted in passing lightly over the iniquity of his sons, who were in sacred office. His neglect to reprove and restrain his sons brought upon Israel a fearful calamity. The sons of Eli were slain, Eli himself lost his life, the ark of God was taken from Israel, and thirty thousand of the people were slain. All of these calamities occurred because sin was lightly regarded and allowed to remain among them. What a lesson is this to men holding responsible positions in the church of God! It warns them faithfully to remove the wrongs that dishonor the cause of truth.

“In the days of Samuel, Israel thought that the presence of the ark containing the commandments of God would insure them the victory over the Philistines, whether or not they repented of their wicked works. Just so, in Jeremiah’s time, the Jews believed that a strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment of their sinful course.

“The same danger exists today among the people who profess to be the depository of God’s law. They are too apt to flatter themselves that the regard in which they hold the commandments will preserve them from the power of divine justice. They refuse to be reproved for evil, and charge the servants of God with being too zealous in putting sin out of the camp. A sin hating God calls upon those who profess to keep his law to depart from all iniquity. Neglect to repent and to obey his word will bring as serious consequences upon God’s servants today as did the same sin upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which he will no longer delay his judgments. The desolation of Jerusalem stands as a warning before the eyes of modern Israel, that the corrections given through his chosen instruments cannot be disregarded with impunity.

“ When the priests and the people heard the message that Jeremiah delivered to them in the name of the Lord, they were very angry, and declared that he should die. They were boisterous in their denunciations of him, crying, “Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.” Thus was the message of God despised, and the servant with whom he intrusted it threatened with death. The priests, the unfaithful prophets, and all the people turned in wrath upon him who would not speak to them smooth things and prophesy deceit.

“The princes of Judah heard concerning the words of Jeremiah, and they came up from the king’s house and sat in the entry of the Lord’s house. “Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. But Jeremiah stood boldly before the princes and the people, declaring: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold I am in your hand; do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain that if ye put me to death, ye surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

“Had the prophet been intimidated by the threatening attitude of those high in authority, his message would have been without effect, and he would have lost his life. But the courage with which he discharged his painful duty commanded the respect of the people, and turned the princes of Israel in his favor. Thus God raised up defenders for his servant, who reasoned with the priests and false prophets, showing them how unwise would be the extreme measures which they advocated.

“The influence of these powerful persons produced a reaction in the minds of the people. Then the elders united in protesting against the decision of the priests regarding the fate of Jeremiah. They cited the case of Micah, who prophesied judgments upon Jerusalem, saying, “Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.” And they asked, “Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.”

“Through the pleading of these men of influence the prophet’s life was spared; although many of the priests and false prophets, unable to endure the truths that he uttered, exposing their wickedness, would have been pleased had he been put to death on the plea of sedition.

“But Israel remained unrepentant; and the Lord saw that they must be punished for their sins. He had long delayed his judgments because of his unwillingness to humiliate his chosen people, and had pleaded with them to return to their allegiance. He had brought them out of bondage that they might faithfully serve him, the only living and true God; but they had wandered into idolatry, they had slighted his warnings given them by his prophets. Yet he had deferred his chastisement, and had given them opportunity after opportunity to repent and avert the retribution for their sins. Through his chosen prophet, he had set before them in clear and positive terms the only course by which they could escape the punishment which they deserved,–a full repentance of their sins, and a turning from the evil of their ways. But they would not heed his warnings and reproofs, and now he would visit his displeasure upon them, as a last effort to check them in their course of transgression.

“In these days he has instituted no new plan to preserve the purity of his people. As of old, he entreats the erring ones who profess his name to repent and turn from their evil ways. Now, as then, by the mouth of his chosen servants he predicts the dangers before them. He sounds the note of warning and reproves sin just as faithfully as in the days of Jeremiah. But the Israel of our time have the same temptations to scorn reproof and hate counsel as had ancient Israel. They too often turn a deaf ear to the words that God has given his servants for the benefit of those who profess the truth. Though the Lord in mercy withholds for a time the retribution of their sin, as in the days of Jeremiah, he will not always stay his hand, but will visit iniquity with righteous judgment.

“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” “Blessed is the man who thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.” “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

1886: The candlestick to be removed unless you repent

In 1886, God warned the SDA that unless they repent He would remove their candlestick:

“You to whom are committed the sacred, testing truths for this time, are you faithful to your God-given trust?….‘Be zealous and repent,’ is the word of God to his professed people. ‘I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.’ Many of our people are backsliding from God. We need to arouse. Let every soul that has named the name of Christ depart from iniquity. We want a pure Christianity. Great dangers are lurking for us on every side. When they most need the presence of God, many have it least. They are in danger of becoming like the Jewish nation, who knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God….

“When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, his tears were for all who abuse present privileges. He wept that so many who profess his name fail to become what God designed them to be; that they continue in sin and weakness, while he is willing and able to save them if they will but come to him. The Saviour says, “What more could I have done that I have not done in it?” He has dealt with his people as a loving father with a wayward and rebellious child. But he sees grace resisted, privileges abused, opportunities slighted….

“Messengers have been sent with warnings, reproofs, and entreaties. God’s servants have wept and prayed over the lukewarm state of the church. Some may arouse, but only to fall back into unconsciousness of their sin and peril. Passion, worldliness, malice, envy pride, strife for supremacy, make our churches weak and powerless. Some of Christ’s ambassadors are carrying a heavy burden on their souls, because their message is treated by so many as an idle tale. The eye of Jesus, looking down the ages, was fixed upon our time when he said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace!” It is still thy day, O church of God, whom he has made the depositary of his law. But this day of trust and probation is fast drawing to a close. The sun is fast westering. Can it be that it will set, and thou not know the things that belong unto thy peace? Must the irrevocable sentence be passed, “But now they are hid from thine eyes”?…

“The Saviour speaks to his people, “Be zealous and repent.” It is not ministers whom you have slighted; it is not the warnings of men that you have rejected; it is not my delegated prophets that you have refused to hear, but your Redeemer, your only hope. If ye are destroyed, it is yourselves alone that are responsible. Ye will not come to me that ye might have life. “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not.” I desired to save you, but ye would not be doers of my word. The arm strong to save, is also strong to punish…

“The Lord is leading his church in these last days as he led ancient Israel. While he gives them warnings, reproofs, and encouragement through his delegated servant, Christ, the angel of the covenant, who in the pillar of cloud and of fire went before the Hebrew host, is the leader of his people today. Provoke him not with your murmurings, by your selfish withholding from his cause, by cherishing iniquity; for in the face of great light he will not pardon your continual transgressions.” Review and Herald, November 2, 1886.

1888: The righteousness of Christ by faith message rejected

But God was long suffering towards His chosen people, and He was not yet ready to punish them and let them go even though they would not repent. So, he sent them still another message which is, righteousness by faith, but through a different channel consisting of 2 young pastors, A.T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner. This was to be the turning point for the Seventh Day Adventist church. It came at the General Conference of 1888 in Minneapolis. God was telling the SDA that He cannot accept a legal religion where the commandments of God are kept outwardly but inwardly there is no purity of heart. Although this message was included in the Laodicean message where the True Witness’s counsel is to buy of Him white clothes which stands for the righteousness of Christ imparted to the believer by faith, the church paid little heed to this message as seen by the previous posts. Like the Laodicean message this was a testing message but being more to the point by focussing just on the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith. It was only when His people were clothed with the righteousness of Christ by faith could the latter rain fall, and the closing events occur, and Jesus would finally come the 2^nd time to redeem His people and destroy the wicked.

The prophetess Ellen White was elated when she heard this message and encouraged the delegates to accept it saying it was from God. But most of the leadership rejected the message including the president of the General Conference even though he was not present due to illness but was continually communicating with some of the delegates.

And so through the prophetess God rebuked them saying:

“Satan has been having things his own way; but the Lord has raised up men and given them a solemn message to bear to His people to wake up the mighty men to prepare for battle for the day of God’s preparation. This message Satan sought to make of none effect, and when every voice and every pen should have been intensely at work to stay the workings and powers of Satan, there was a drawing apart; there were differences of opinion…

“Elder E. J. Waggoner had the privilege granted him of speaking plainly and presenting his views upon justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ in relation to the law. This was no new light, but it was old light placed where it should be in the third angel’s message. What is the burden of that message? John sees a people. He says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. This people John beholds just before he sees the Son of man “having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” Verse 14.

“The faith of Jesus has been overlooked and treated in an indifferent, careless manner. It has not occupied the prominent position in which it was revealed to John. Faith in Christ as the sinner’s only hope has been largely left out, not only of the discourses given, but of the religious experience of very many who claim to believe the third angel’s message.

“At this meeting I bore testimony that the most precious light had been shining forth from the Scriptures in the presentation of the great subject of the righteousness of Christ connected with the law, which should be constantly kept before the sinner as his only hope of salvation. This was not new light to me for it had come to me from higher authority for the last forty-four years, and I had presented it to our people by pen and voice in the testimonies of His Spirit. But very few had responded except by assent to the testimonies borne upon this subject. There was altogether too little spoken and written upon this great question.” Manuscript 24 1888.

As Satan was busy inspiring men to rebel against the message presented at the meeting in Minneapolis, the Lord gave His prophetess a night vision of what was taking place in their dwelling places:

“In the night season one of God’s messengers stood by my side and asked: “Did not I raise you up when you were sick nigh unto death in Healdsburg? Did not I put My Spirit upon you and sustain you to bear your testimony in Oakland? Did not I, your Lord strengthen you to come the long journey to this place? Have I not kept your mind in peace amid the strife and confusion of tongues? And now I have a work for you to do in this place. My everlasting arms are beneath you. I have given you a message to bear. I will show you many things.”

“I was conducted to the house where our brethren made their homes, and there was much conversation and excitement of feelings and some smart, and, as they supposed, sharp, witty remarks. The servants, whom the Lord sent were caricatured, ridiculed, and placed in a ridiculous light. The comment of words passed upon me and the work that God had given me to do was anything but flattering. Willie White’s name was handled freely, and he was ridiculed and denounced, also the names of Elders Jones and Waggoner.

“Voices that I was surprised to hear were joining this rebellion, and those with whom I had labored in past years, without any evidence or any sure knowledge of any change in Sister White, were hard, bold, and decided in denouncing her. And of all those so free and forward with their cruel words, not one had come to me and inquired if these reports and their suppositions were true…

“After hearing what I did, my heart sank within me. I had never pictured before my mind what dependence we might place in those who claim to be friends, when the spirit of Satan finds entrance to their hearts. I thought of the future crisis, and feelings that I can never put into words for a little time overcame me. “But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in their synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers, and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them.” [Mark 13:9.] “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” [Verses 12, 13.]

“Then the words were spoken, “Only lay hold of the strength of the Mighty One. He is a friend that will never leave thee, never betray thee, and He is thy refuge. No storm or tempest can move thee. In God is thy strength. Faith in God is thy shield and buckler. His grace is sufficient for thee.”….

“The guide which accompanied me gave me the information of the spiritual standing before God of these men who were passing judgment upon their brethren. They were not keeping their own souls in the love of God….

“I had declared my intention of leaving the meeting as soon as the Sabbath should close, but when I was assured I had a work to do to stand at my post, that God had given me a message to bear in His name, even if I had foreseen the consequences, I could not be clear before God and have my peace [if I left the meeting]. And my work must not cease here, for my testimony of this character must continue as God should direct until these wrongs were expelled from the churches.” Lt 14, 1889

“An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and to accept this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord’s message through Brethren Waggoner and Jones. By exciting that opposition, Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world.” Letter 96. 1896.

As can be seen from the letter above, the battle between Christ and Satan was raging hot with Christ desiring to prepare His people to receive the Holy Spirit as the disciples received it on the day of Pentecost but with much more power, and Satan working to oppose this by inspiring his agents in the church to oppose the message.

1889: National Sunday law attempt

Satan was also inspiring his agents in the government of the USA to make a religious amendment to the constitution to make Sunday a holy day as he had planned in 1884. Satan was also working through his agents in the SDA publishing house to stop the latest edition of The Great Controversy i.e. 1888 edition, from going out to the public because it contained in depth the plans of Satan to change the constitution of the USA by working through the National Reform Association. After publication the new edition lay on the shelves for close to 2 years without circulation. The warnings in the new edition which the public was to receive said:

“In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the State, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. [See Appendix, Note 11.] Nay, more, they are opening the door for popery to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance,—a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy,—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God,—that is permeating the Protestant churches, and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.” The great Controversy 1888, page 573.

“Note 11. These movements are apparent under diverse forms and in different ways, but the organization which embodies almost every form, and works in every way to gain its end, is the National Reform Association. It originated in a conference representing “eleven different denominations of Christians from seven of the states of the Union.”….It proposes to have our national constitution amended, “in order to constitute a Christian government,” “acknowledging almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government, the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler among the nations, His revealed will as the supreme law of the land;” and so placing “all Christian laws, institutions, and usages of our government on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land.” One of its propositions, announced by David Gregg, D. D., Pastor Park Street Church, Boston, is that [the state has “the right to command the consciences of men.” Ibid., page 688.

Satan loves war and he causes wars so that he can more effectively carry out his hellish plans undetected. The war between US and Spain in 1889 provided the perfect cover for him to try and bring about a religious amendment to the constitution of the USA. Victory in the war resulted in the rise of the United States as a world superpower exactly as prophecy had predicted in Rev. 13: 11.

Under the heading “The Present Crisis” the messenger of the Lord wrote:

“We feel deeply over the present state of the church whose members have long possessed a knowledge of those events which are to transpire near the close of time in fulfillment of prophetic history. Christ is coming in power and great glory, and the dead are to be “judged out of those things which are written in the books, according to their works.” The One who has stood as our intercessor; who hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented with a rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling his head, is soon to cease his work in the heavenly sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend from the throne, and justice will take their place. He for whom his people have looked will assume his right,–the office of Supreme Judge. “The Father . . . hath committed all judgment unto the Son. . . . And he hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” It was he, says Peter, who was ordained to “judge the quick [the living] and the dead.” “He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.”

“The faith and patience of those who have waited long, have been sorely tried. “Hope deferred has made the heart sick;” and the cry has come up before God, “Lord, how long?” But now the signs are fulfilling,–nation rising against nation, startling calamities by land and by sea, famine, pestilence, fearful storms, sweeping floods, and great conflagrations. All these testify that we are approaching the grand consummation. The cry going up to God from the waiting ones, will not be in vain. The response will come, “It is done.” “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still; . . . he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Can the church contemplate this hour with calm indifference?

“The crisis is now upon us. The battle is to be waged between the Christianity of the Bible and the Christianity of human tradition. Is there not a criminal neglect in our present sleepy condition? There must be a decided advance movement among us. We must show to the world that we recognize, in the events that are now taking place in connection with the National Reform movement, the fulfillment of prophecy. That which we have, for the last thirty or forty years, proclaimed would come, is now here; and the trumpet of every watchman upon the walls of Zion should raise the alarm.

“Prophecy represents Protestantism as having lamblike horns, but speaking like a dragon. Already we are beginning to hear the voice of the dragon. There is a satanic force propelling the Sunday movement, but it is concealed. Even the men who are engaged in the work, are themselves blinded to the results which will follow their movement. Let not the commandment-keeping people of God be silent at this time, as though we gracefully accepted the situation. There is the prospect before us, of waging a continuous war, at the risk of imprisonment, of losing property and even life itself, to defend the law of God, which is being made void by the laws of men. This Bible text will be quoted to us, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. . . . The powers that be are ordained of God.” Review and Herald January 1 1889

“Those who shall seek to compel men to observe an institution of the papacy, and trample upon God’s authority, are doing a work similar to that of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees in the days of the apostles. When the laws of earthly rulers are brought into opposition to the laws of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, then those who are God’s loyal subjects will be true to him.

“The National Reform movement, that the world and the church have linked hands to bring about, will manifest the same oppression, haughtiness, arrogance, and intolerance which have prevailed in past ages. The powers of human councils then assumed the prerogatives of Deity, crushing under their despotic will, liberty of conscience and the right of individual responsibility; and imprisonment, exile, and death followed for all who opposed their dictates.

“Many will plead that there is no prospect that popery will ever be revived. If it shall regain its lost ascendancy, it will be by Protestantism’s giving it the right hand of fellowship. If it shall be legislated into power by the concessions of time-serving men, the fires of persecution will be rekindled against those who will not sacrifice conscience and the truth for the errors of the papacy. Once let the minds of the Christian world be turned away from God; let his law be dishonored and his holy day trampled upon, and they will be ready to take any step where Satan may lead the way.” Review and Herald January 1 1889

“Some urge that the Catholic religion is not what it once was; that the principles to which Protestants could not concede, and indignantly rose up to war against, were held by Catholics in the days of their ignorance and barbarism. They say that the present high mental development of the people would never allow them to adopt the plan of action carried out in the past,–compelling the conscience upon religious subjects. But there is nothing in the Scriptures to assure us against the reinstatement of popery. Protestants today are a self-sufficient, world-loving people; but they must have some religion, and prefer that consisting of forms and outward display, rather than the simplicity of the true religion of Jesus Christ. They are too wise in their own conceit to seek God for counsel and direction,–to open the Guide Book which points them to the only way that leads to heaven. They close their hearts to Jesus in his humiliation, self-denial, and self-sacrifice, and open the door to the delusions of Satan.

“While the Protestant world is, by her attitude, making concessions to Rome, we should arouse to comprehend the situation, and view the contest before us in its true bearings. While men have slept, Satan has been stealthily sowing the tares. Let the watchmen now lift up their voice like a trumpet, and give the message which is present truth for this time. Let them know where we are in prophetic history, that the spirit of true Protestantism may awaken all the world to a sense of the value of the privileges of religious liberty so long enjoyed.

“This nation has been highly favored of God. It has been the great center of religious light and liberty. O, do not sleep now, and in your inactivity feel that you are doing the will of God! The experience of God’s commandment-keeping people now should correspond with the events that are crowding upon us.

“It should be the business of all the righteous in the land, as they see signs of the approach of peril, to arouse to action, and not sit in calm expectation of ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that this work must go on, because prophecy has foretold it, and that the Lord will shelter his people in the day of trial. Effectual, fervent prayers should be ascending to Heaven, that this calamity may be deferred; for we are not ready to meet it.

“Every passing hour now is one of activity in the heavenly courts, to make ready a people upon the earth to act a part in the great scenes that are soon to open upon us. These transient moments, that seem of so little value to us, are weighty with eternal interests. They are molding the destiny of souls for everlasting life or everlasting death. The words we utter today in the ears of the people, the works we are doing, the spirit of the message we are bearing, will be to human souls the savor of life unto life or of death unto death. We must be washing our robes of character in the blood of the Lamb. If we would be saints above, we must first be saints below.” Review and Herald January 1 1889

“We have lost much time in inaction, because we have not realized the time in which we are living. This we deplore, and would humble our souls before God, pleading with him for pardon for sleeping at our post of duty, and allowing the enemy to gain the advantage over us. Many have chosen to do nothing, when they should have been diligent to repulse the enemy. Let your services now be dedicated to God. Gird on the armor for vigorous work, saying, “Here am I, Lord, send me.”

“It is essential that we be much in prayer to God, that his voice and his power may be manifested in behalf of his people, and that the angels may hold the four winds until the truth is more fully proclaimed, and the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. God is not pleased with the attitude of his people. Satan is taking the world captive, and the sentinels for God and the truth are letting him do it. “Watch then, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” Arouse, and come to the front. Be stanch to defend your religious liberty.

“Many of our people are registered in the books of heaven as slothful servants. They have buried their talents of money and capability in the world, and the work they should have done has been left undone. Some to whom the Lord has intrusted means, have been ease-lovers, and have not done their duty in the fear and love of God. Many have left the smaller churches, to unite with larger ones, where they carry no burden of responsibility, and are only in the way. Such lose their spirituality and vital force, because they do comparatively nothing for the truth. What account will these have to give to the Master when he shall say, “Give account of thy stewardship”?

“We are not ready for this great issue to which the enforcement of the Sunday law will bring us. Let the members of our churches become missionaries for the Master; let them not linger in ease and indifference; but let them go forth to work for God. Their spiritual muscles have been nearly palsied with inaction. Go without the camp, bearing the reproach for Christ and the truth. Work today in the Lord’s vineyard. Go out into the highways and hedges, and stir up the people to investigate the truth. Woe to all who profess to walk in the light, yet who are at ease in Zion. They absorb the God-given rays of righteousness, but do not diffuse the light to others. The parable of the faithless servant who hid his Lord’s money, condemns them, and they are classed among those who refuse to be co-laborers with Jesus Christ, selfishly caring for their own ease, and leaving those for whom Christ has died, to perish without the knowledge of the truth which God has graciously given to them. Those who have been the receivers of spiritual light, may become the receptacles of darkness, to whom the words of Christ are applicable, “If therefore the light which is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” May this statement be true of God’s people, to whom he has committed the sacred trust of the knowledge of his law. “Yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night; for when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.” Just when many who have had light and evidence are saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” and declaring that all things continue as they were from the beginning, the terrible realities of the day of God will burst upon them. Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of this generation.

“Every true child of God should now be inquiring, “What wouldst thou have me to do? Brethren, for Christ’s sake, do something, and do it now. Satanic influences are all around us, to be met and resisted. The tares are mingled with the wheat, error with truth, coldness with zeal, darkness with light. There must be a returning to our first love. We must battle nobly with tribulation and danger, in the midst of trials, tests, and provings of God. We must be rich in faith and good works. The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to those who have been made the repository of rich truth. This church is distinguished in prophecy by its great profession of advanced light; yet it was filled with spiritual pride and lukewarmness in religion. They had a religious theory, but were greatly lacking in moral power and holiness. They are pronounced wretched, poor, blind, and naked. O that our people would realize the danger, and heed the counsel of the True Witness, “Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed; . . . and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

“Will we now, who have such great light, make some sacrifice for Jesus, who for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich? We must arouse, and through piety and earnest work for the Master, partake of his spirit of love for souls, of faith in God, that he may work with us, by us, and through us”. By Mrs. E. G. White. Review and Herald January 1 1889

Again towards the end of the year regarding the Sunday movement that was proposing to make Sunday holiness part of the constitution she writes:

“Dear Brethren and Sisters:– I have been much burdened in regard to movements that are now in progress for the enforcement of Sunday observance. It has been shown to me that Satan has been working earnestly to carry out his designs to restrict religious liberty. Plans of serious import to the people of God are advancing in an underhand manner among the clergymen of various denominations, and the object of this secret maneuvering is to win popular favor for the enforcement of Sunday sacredness. If the people can be led to favor a Sunday law, then the clergy intend to exert their united influence to obtain a religious amendment to the Constitution, and compel the nation to keep Sunday.

“There are many who, if they understood the spirit and the result of religious legislation, would not do anything to forward in the least the movement for Sunday enforcement. But while Satan has been making a success of his plans, the people of God have failed at their post. God had an earnest work for them to do; for the honor of his law and the religious liberty of the people are at stake. God would have us see and realize the weakness and depravity of men, and put our entire trust in him; “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

“There are many who are at ease, who are, as it were, asleep. They say, “If prophecy has foretold the enforcement of Sunday observance, the law will surely be enacted;” and having come to this conclusion, they sit down in calm expectation of the event, comforting themselves with the thought that God will protect his people in the day of trouble. But God will not save us if we make no effort to do the work he has committed to our charge. We must be found faithfully guarding the outposts, watching as vigilant soldiers, lest Satan shall gain an advantage which it is our duty to prevent. We should diligently study the word of God, and pray in faith that God will restrain the powers of darkness; for as yet the message has gone to comparatively few, and the world is to be lightened with its glory. The present truth–the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus–has not yet been sounded as it must be. There are many almost within the shadow of our own doors, for whose salvation no personal effort has ever been made. We are not prepared for the time when our work must close. We must take a firm stand that we will not reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the great deceiver. The controversy for the Sabbath will open the subject to the people, and an opportunity will be given that the claims of the genuine Sabbath may be presented. Blindness, disloyalty to God, so prevails that his law is made void, but the psalmist says of such a condition, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law.”

“It is time for God’s people to work as never before, because of the increase of wickedness. The God-fearing, commandment-keeping people should be diligent, not only in prayer, but in action; and this will bring the truth before those who have never heard it. The world is overborne with falsehood and iniquity, and those whom God has made the depositaries of his law, and of the pure religion of Jesus, must be determined to let their light shine. If they do nothing to disabuse the minds of the people, and through ignorance of the truth our legislatures should abjure the principles of Protestantism, and give countenance and support to the Roman fallacy, the spurious sabbath, God will hold his people who have had great light, responsible for their lack of diligence and faithfulness. But if the subject of religious legislation is judiciously and intelligently laid before the people, and they see that through Sunday enforcement the Roman apostasy would be re-enacted by the Christian world, and that the tyranny of past ages would be repeated, then whatever comes, we shall have done our duty.

“The man of sin thinks to change times and laws. He is exalting himself above God, in trying to compel the conscience. But God’s people should work with persevering energy to let their light shine upon the people in regard to the law, and thus to withstand the enemies of God and his truth. When the law of God has been made void, and apostasy becomes a national sin, the Lord will work in behalf of his people. Their extremity will be his opportunity. He will manifest his power in behalf of his church.

“My brethren, you must have Jesus enthroned within, and self must die. We must be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and then we shall not sit down, saying unconcernedly, “What is to be, will be; prophecy must be fulfilled.” O awake, I pray you, awake! for you bear the most sacred responsibilities. As faithful watchmen, you should see the sword coming, and give the warning, that men and women may not pursue a course through ignorance that they would avoid if they knew the truth. The Lord has enlightened us in regard to what is coming upon the earth, that we may enlighten others, and we shall not be held guiltless if we are content to sit at ease, with folded hands, and quibble over matters of minor importance. The minds of many have been engrossed with contentions, and they have rejected the light given through the Testimonies, because it did not agree with their own opinions.

“God does not force any man into his service. Every soul must decide for himself whether or not he will fall on the Rock and be broken. Heaven has been amazed to see the spiritual stupidity that has prevailed. You need individually to open your proud hearts to the Spirit of God. You need to have your intellectual ability sanctified to the service of God. The transforming power of God must be upon you, that your minds may be renewed by the Holy Spirit, that you may have the mind that was in Christ.

“If the watchmen sleep under an opiate of Satan’s and do not recognize the voice of the true Shepherd, and do not take up the warning, I tell you in the fear of God, they will be charged with the blood of souls. The watchmen must be wide awake, men who will not slumber at their post of duty, day nor night. They must give the trumpet a certain sound, that the people may shun the evil, and choose the good. Stupidity and careless indifference cannot be excused. On every side of us there are breakers and hidden rocks which will dash our bark in pieces, and leave us helpless wrecks, unless we make God our refuge and help. Every soul should now be distrustful of self. Our own ways, our own plans and ideas, may not be such as God can approve. We must keep the way of the Lord to do his will, making him our counselor, and then in faith work away from self.

“Light must come to the people through agents whom God shall choose, who will give the note of warning, that none may be in ignorance of the purposes of God or the devices of Satan. At the great heart of the work, Satan will use his hellish arts to the utmost. He will seek in every possible way to interpose himself between the people and God, and shut away the light that God would have come to his children. It is his design to keep them in ignorance of what shall come upon the earth. All should be prepared to hear the signal trumpet of the watchman, and be ready to pass the word along the walls of Zion, that the people may prepare themselves for the conflict. The people must not be left to stumble their way along in darkness, not knowing what is before them, and unprepared for the great issues that are coming. There is a work to be done for this time in fitting a people to stand in the day of trouble, and all must act their part in this work. They must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and be so fortified by the truth, that the delusions of Satan shall not be accepted by them as genuine manifestations of the power of God.

“Years have been lost, but will you now awake? Will those in responsible positions take in the situation, or will they by their indifference and inactivity, say to the people, “Peace and safety”? May God help everyone to come up to the help of the Lord now. The watchmen have been asleep, but may God grant that they may not sleep the sleep of death. Let all who are standing upon the walls of Zion give the trumpet a certain sound. It is a solemn time for God’s people, but if they stand close by the bleeding side of Jesus, he will be their defense. He will open ways that the message of light may come to great men, to authors, and lawmakers. They will have opportunities of which you do not dream, and some of them will boldly advocate the claims of God’s downtrodden law.

“Instead of increased power as we enter the perils of the last days, weakness, dissension, and strife for supremacy, are apparent. But if we had a connection with the God of heaven, we should be mighty in him, and yet we would walk with all lowliness of mind, having self hid in Jesus. But now both spiritual and natural feebleness and death are depriving us of workers. God alone, by his Holy Spirit, can arouse us from the slumber of death. There is now need of earnest working men and women who will seek for the salvation of souls; for Satan as a powerful general has taken the field, and in this last remnant of time he is working through all conceivable methods to close the door against light that God would have come to his people. He is sweeping the whole world into his ranks, and the few who are faithful to God’s requirements are the only ones who can ever withstand him, and even these he is trying to overcome. Much upon these things has been shown to me, but I can only present a few ideas to you. Go to God for yourselves, pray for divine enlightenment, that you may know that you do know what is truth, that when the wonderful miracle working power of Satan shall be displayed, and the enemy shall come as an angel of light, you may distinguish between the genuine work of God and the imitative work of the powers of darkness. Ministers may do a great work for God if Jesus abides in the heart by faith. “Without me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing.” I would that I had the power to present before you your sacred, solemn responsibility.

“It is now too late in the day for men to please and glorify themselves. Ministers of God, it is too late to be contending for the supremacy. The solemn time has come when ministers should be weeping between the porch and the altar, crying, “Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach.” It is a day when instead of lifting up their souls in self-sufficiency, ministers and people should be confessing their sins before God and one another. The law of God is made void, and even among those who advocate its binding claims, are some who break its sacred precepts. The Bible will be opened from house to house, and men and women will find access to these homes, and minds will be opened to receive the word of God; and when the crisis comes, many will be prepared to make right decisions even in the face of the formidable difficulties that will be brought about through the deceptive miracles of Satan. Although these will confess the truth and become workers with Christ at the eleventh hour, they will receive equal wages with those who have wrought through the whole day. There will be an army of steadfast believers who will stands as firm as a rock through the last test. But where in that army are those who have been standard bearers? Where are those whose voices have sounded in proclaiming the truth to the sinning? Some of them are not there. We look for them, but in the time of shaking they have been unable to stand, and have passed over to the enemy’s ranks.

“Brethren and sisters, the Lord wants to impart to us increased light. He desires that we shall have distinct revealings of his glory; that ministers and people shall become strong in his strength. When the angel was about to unfold to Daniel the intensely interesting prophecies to be recorded for us who are to witness their fulfillment, the angel said, “Be strong, yea, be strong.” We are to receive the very same glory that was revealed to Daniel, because it is for God’s people in these last days, that they may give the trumpet a certain sound. God help us to work unitedly and as we never have worked before, is my prayer. There is need now of faithful Calebs, whose voices will be heard in clear, ringing notes, saying of the immortal inheritance, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able.” We need now the courage of God’s faithful servant of old; not one wavering, uncertain note should come from the watchers’ trumpets. They must be true to the sacred, solemn work that has been intrusted to them, and lead the flock of God in right pathways. By Mrs. E. G. White. Review and Herald December 24 1889

Because the watchmen upon the walls of Zion i.e. the SDA church, God’s church were spiritually asleep and not prepared for the crisis that was to come upon the world, God heard the prayers of His faithful servants to hold back the “four winds” and prevented the Sunday movement from succeeding through A.T. Jones and others in 1889 and 1890 to defeat the Breckinridge Sunday Bill.

1893: The candlestick to be removed unless the church repent

1893 started with some of the most startling public rebukes ever given to God’s chosen people, warning again that the candlestick will be removed unless the SDA repents. Under the heading, “Address to the Church”, the prophetess writes:

“Christ, the true witness, addresses the church at Ephesus, saying, “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” What effect have these words had upon the church? Have the professed people of God understood the import of the words, “I will come unto thee quickly [when you are at ease, careless, filled with spiritual negligence], and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” When warnings come no more to the people of God, when tender admonitions from the Spirit of God are silent, when the candle of heavenly illumination shines no longer upon their pathway, they will be left to kindle their own fire, and to walk in the sparks of their own kindling….

“We are under divine forbearance today; but how long will the angels of God continue to hold the winds, that they shall not blow? We are convinced that among the people of God there is blindness of mind and hardness of heart, although God has manifested inexpressible mercy toward us. How few there are who are truly humble, devoted, God-fearing servants in the cause of Christ, whose hearts are full of gratitude and thanksgiving because they are called to act a part in the work of God, being co-laborers with Jesus Christ, partakers with Christ of his sufferings!…

“Today there are few who are heartily serving God. The most of those who compose our congregations are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. They come and go like the door upon its hinges. For years they have complacently listened to the most solemn, soul-stirring truths, but they have not practiced them. They are less and less sensible of the preciousness and value of truth, because they neglect the practice of those things which are pleasing in the sight of God. The stirring testimonies of reproof and warning do not arouse them. The sweetest melodies that come from God through human lips–justification by faith, and the righteousness of Christ–do not bring forth from them a response of love and gratitude. Though the heavenly merchantman displays before them the richest jewels of faith and love, though his voice invites them to buy of him “gold tried in the fire,” and “white raiment that they may be clothed,” and “eyesalve that they may see,” they steel their hearts against him, and fail to exchange their lukewarmness for love and zeal; but fold their hands in complacency, make a profession, but deny the power of true godliness. If they continue in this state, God will reject them with abhorrence. To praise the world and God at the same time, is in no way acceptable to God. Awake, awake, before it is everlastingly too late.” Review and Herald, April 4, 1893

“What more can I say than I have said to impress upon our churches, and especially upon the church at Battle Creek, the eternal loss they are liable to in not arousing and putting to use the executive ability that God has given them?… How many more messages of reproof and warning must the Lord send to his chosen people before they will obey? I tell you in the name of the Lord Jesus, who gave his life for the life of the world, that as a people we are behind our privileges and opportunities. What rich feasts have been provided for the people of Battle Creek! What opportunities have been given them!

“The truth for this time has been presented from the holy oracles, and has been witnessed by the power of the Holy Spirit. It has been clearly shown that in the righteousness of Christ is our only hope of gaining access to the Father. How simple, how plain has the way of life been made to those who have a disposition to walk therein. Would greater evidence, more powerful manifestations, break down the barriers that have been interposed between the truth and the soul?–No. I have been shown that sufficient evidence has been given. Those who reject the evidence already presented would not be convinced by more abundant proof. They are like the Jews to whom Christ said, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” The greatest miracles performed before them would not sweep away their caviling and unbelief. They have sown stubbornness, and it has borne fruit according to the design of Satan. Unless the transforming grace of Christ cleanses and purifies the soul, they will go on from darkness to greater darkness….

“There is less excuse in our day for stubbornness and unbelief than there was for the Jews in the days of Christ. They did not have before them the example of a nation that had suffered retribution of their unbelief and disobedience. But we have before us the history of the chosen people of God, who separated themselves from him, and rejected the Prince of life. Though they could not convict him of sin, though they could not fail to see their own hypocrisy, they hated the Prince of life because he laid bare their evil ways. In our day greater light and greater evidence is given. We have also their example, the warnings and reproofs that were presented to them, and our sin and its retribution will be the greater, if we refuse to walk in the light. Many say, “If I had only lived in the days of Christ, I would not have wrested his words, or falsely interpreted his instruction. I would not have rejected and crucified him as did the Jews;” but that will be proved by the way in which you deal with his message and his messengers today. The Lord is testing the people of today as much as he tested the Jews in their day. When he sends his messages of mercy, the light of his truth, he is sending the spirit of truth to you, and if you accept the message, you accept of Jesus. Those who declare that if they had lived in the days of Christ, they would not do as did the rejectors of his mercy, will today be tested. Those who live in this day are not accountable for the deeds of those who crucified the Son of God; but if with all the light that shone upon his ancient people, delineated before us, we travel over the same ground, cherish the same spirit, refuse to receive reproof and warning, then our guilt will be greatly augmented, and the condemnation that fell upon them will fall upon us, only it will be as much greater as our light is greater in this age than was their light in their age” Review and Herald 11, 1893

“Jesus identifies his interest with his chosen and tried people. He represents himself as personally affected with all that concerns them. He reproved the errors and actions of the Jews with the indignant sensibility of one who felt himself personally misrepresented, accused, and dishonored. Every wrong done to his followers, or to the weakest of humanity, is regarded by him with intense interest. After presenting his relation to his people in various lights, he finally declares that in the great day he will judge of every action as if it had been done unto himself. …

“He says, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” But now the irrevocable sentence must be passed, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” ….The streets of Jerusalem had been trodden by angel feet, and its very soil had been sacred to God. From its temple prayer and praise had ascended to God. From its altar the bleeding sacrifice had testified to human guilt, pointing to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. The Lord had sent them messages of warning and reproof, of consolation and promise, by his prophets, rising up early and sending them, but they had beaten one and stoned another, and it could not be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. Finally God had sent his Son, and from the highest bough to the lowest he had searched for fruit, and had found none. For their sakes he had clothed his divinity with humanity, made himself of no reputation, fled before the feet of his accusers and haters, and yet carried a rebellious people upon his heart. He had done all that could be done, but they turned from him, demanding still more evidence. His life was one continual miracle, but they knew it not, and demanded that he should show them a miracle. But in the face of their utter rejection of his love, their unbelief in his mission and divinity, when he knew that the representative men of the nation were plotting for his destruction, he wept over the city of his love. His prophetic eye read the history of the past, and the woe and the guilt of the future, and his heart was breaking with agony because the people of God knew not the time of their visitation. Hell moved by a power from beneath, that the guilty inhabitants of Jerusalem might carry out the will of the prince of darkness. Stirred with enmity they would yield themselves to the control of the malignant foe, and make the Prince of life their victim. Clouds of wrath were gathering over the doomed city; for they called down upon themselves judgment, crying, “His blood be on us and upon our children.” That blood by virtue of which the repentant sinner might be forgiven–that blood by which a guilty world might be saved, by which the Jewish nation might be saved and purified, which was paid a ransom for the sins of the world, was to them the final guilt in the cup of their iniquity. Jesus knew that his chosen people were to put him, the Prince of life and glory, to an ignominious death. He knew what was to be their doom. With prophetic glance he saw the Roman legions, he heard the tramp of armies, saw the city encompassed and in flames, and the temple a smoking ruin. The miseries of the people whom he longed to save, rose up before him. He beholds their guilt and agony, but they are as unrelenting as was Satan in his rebellion against God.

“The heart of Jesus was pierced with agony, and from his pale lips came forth the words, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” In their blind unbelief they would not know the Prince of life; if they had known him, they would not have crucified him.

“In the Jewish nation we behold a chosen nation divorced from God because of unbelief. Jesus, the lover of humanity, was called upon to pronounce sentence against the people for whom he had lived and labored, but from whom he had borne insult, mockery, and rejection.…

“With the history of the children of Israel before us, let us take heed, and not be found committing the same sins, following in the same way of unbelief and rebellion” Review and Herald April 18 1893.

1893: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Battle Creek General Conference

The earlier rebukes and warning had the desired effect, God’s people humbled themselves and repented. Filled with joy the Lord’s messenger wrote:

“I was rejoiced to hear of the outpouring of the Spirit of God in Michigan, and especially at Battle Creek. I rejoiced with heart and soul and voice; for I knew that something would be done to stir the souls of those who have had the shining of continual rays of light upon them, and who have not hitherto made a response in proportion to the light they have had. The Holy Spirit works in the heart of its receiver, and makes its possessor an agent for its designs. Those who are imbued with the Holy Spirit become channels of light to the world, and those who have had the Spirit of God will make a decided response to the appeals which the Lord is sending.” Review and Herald, December 5, 1893.

“Many prayers have been offered for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and recently there have been demonstrations of gladness of heart in those who have looked intently and undividedly to Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There has been in your midst repentance and confession of sin, with true remorse of soul. There was a sense of the all-sufficient sacrifice, and the realizing of the fulfillment of the promise in the pardon, in transferring the live coal from the altar of atonement and touching the lips, which was the pledge of forgiveness. Lips defiled with sin were expressing the loftiest praise. Hosanna! Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! in the highest!” Ms 51 1893

1893: Satan enraged at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the SDA

Having failed to bring about a religious amendment in the USA constitution by making Sunday holy, and enraged that some of the leadership at General Conference of 1893 repented and the Holy Spirit was poured on them, Satan sent a message through Stanton an SDA member that God’s church–the SDA– was Babylon and people should come out of it. This was firmly rebuked by the prophet Ellen White as it was a false message. Because at that time the SDA were the true spiritual Israel of God, and none of the Babylonian doctrines or variants of them were found in her. The rebuke said:

“There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren.” Review and Herald September 5, 1893.

“We are not to think that the chosen ones of God who are trying to walk in the light, compose Babylon. The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to his birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy, sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various, churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, ‘For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presidents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and Satanic heresies which exalt the false Sabbath, and lead men to trample under foot God’s memorial.” Review and Herald September 12, 1893.

“Why were these men so full of zeal for the cause, not present at the General Conference held at Battle Creek, as were the devout men at Jerusalem at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? At the great heart of the work, men opened their treasures of light, and while the Lord was pouring out his Spirit upon the people, did these men receive of the heavenly anointing? While the deep movings of the Spirit of God were made manifest among the people, and souls were being converted, and hard hearts broken, there were those who were listening to the suggestions of Satan, and they were inspired with zeal from beneath to go forth and proclaim that the very people receiving of the Holy Spirit, who are to receive the latter rain and the glory that is to lighten the whole earth, were Babylon.” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 5, 1893. See also Manuscript 21 1893

The series of articles the Lord’s messenger wrote in 1893 in Review and Herald August 22 to September 12 and also Ms 21 1893 can be summarised as follows:

a) She was rebuking a group of people who wrongly accused the SDA of being Babylon.

b) She says “at the present time” i.e. in 1893 the SDA cannot be called Babylon because the SDA were standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places.

c) While the Spirit of God was made manifest among the people, and souls were being converted, and hard hearts broken, there were those who were listening to the suggestions of Satan and saying that the very people receiving of the Holy Spirit, who are to receive the latter rain and the glory that is to lighten the whole earth, were Babylon.

d) In the vision of Zechariah she was shown that Satan had accused the SDA of sins committed but they had repented and God gave them a promise based on conditions of obedience “if thou will walk in My ways…. I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by”

e) Again she points the SDA to the promises and conditions of Isaiah 58: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;…then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:”

f) So, while the SDA is walking in God’s ways and are the true spiritual Israel, and some arise even at a later stage and say that the church is Babylon then that would be a false message.

g) She also goes on to say that even God’s true church that is walking in His ways will be imperfect, there will be wheat and tares in the church and the tares must be left to grow together with the wheat until the harvest. In other words, God’s church on earth will be the Church militant not the Church triumphant.

h) And while the SDA is walking in God’s ways those individual members that have great light and have not walked in the light and those who have made great profession, but have not kept in step with their Leader will be spewed out of His mouth unless they repent.

i) She says Satan at that time was very happy because a message was heard calling the SDA Babylon and yet the SDA had been made the repositories of God’s law which meant that the wine of Babylon was not found in her at that time.

1893: After the outpouring of the Holy spirit

“But after the outpouring of the Spirit of God in Battle Creek it was proved in the College that a time of great spiritual light is also a time of corresponding spiritual darkness.

“Satan and his legions of satanic agencies are on the ground, pressing their powers upon every soul to make of none effect the showers of grace that have come from heaven to revive and quicken the dormant energies into decided action to impart that which God has imparted. Had all the many souls, then enlightened, gone to work at once to impart to others that which God had given to them for that very purpose, more light would have been given, more power bestowed. God does not give light merely for one person but that they may diffuse light, and God be glorified. Its influence is felt.

“In every age seasons of spiritual revival and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit have been followed by spiritual darkness and prevailing corruptions. Taking into account that which God has done in opportunities and privileges and blessings in Battle Creek, the church has not made honorable progress in doing her work, and God’s blessing will not rest upon the church in advancing still more light until they use the light as God has directed in His Word. The light that would shine in clear and distinct rays will grow dim amid the moral darkness. The aggressive power of the truth of God is dependent upon the cooperation of the human agent with God in piety in zeal, in unselfish efforts to get the light of truth before others.” Ms 45 1893

“But what returns have our young people made to the Lord? Has it been as it was with the people of Israel on the most solemn occasion described in Exodus? Moses had gone up into the mount to receive instruction from the Lord, and the whole congregation should have been in humble attitude before God; but instead of that they ate and drank and rose up to play. Has there been a similar experience in Battle Creek? Have not many lost their hold on God? Did the exercise in games of football bring the participants into more close relation to God?

“In the night season messages have been given to me to give to you in Battle Creek, and to all our schools. While it is in the order of God that the physical powers shall be trained as well as the mental, yet the physical exercise should in character be in complete harmony with the lessons given by Jesus Christ to His disciples….

“This is the record now being made of a large number—“lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” Thus Satan and his angels are laying their snares for your souls, and he is working in a certain way upon teachers and pupils to induce them to engage in exercises and amusements which become intensely absorbing, but which are of a character to strengthen the lower powers and create appetites and passions that will take the lead, and counteracts most decidedly the operations and working of the Holy Spirit of God upon the human heart.

“What saith the Holy Spirit to you? What was its power and influence upon your heart during the General Conference and the conferences in other states? Have you taken special heed to yourselves? Have the teachers in the school felt that they must take heed? If God has appointed them as educators of the youth, they are also “overseers of the flock.” [See Acts 20:28.] They are not in the school work to invent plans for exercises and games to educate pugilists, not there to bring down sacred things on a level with the common.

“I was speaking to the teachers in messages of reproof. All the teachers need exercise, a change of employment. God has pointed out what this should be—useful, practical work <for both students and teachers>—but you have turned away from God’s plan to follow human inventions, and that to the detriment of the spiritual. Not a jot or tittle of the after-influence of an education in that line will fit you to meet the severe conflicts in these last days. What kind of education are our teachers and students receiving? Has God designed and planned this kind of exercise for you, or is it brought in by human inventions and human imaginations?…

“The Lord God of Israel has wrought in your midst again and again. You have had great evidences of the stately steppings of the Most High. But a period of great light, of the wonderful revealings of the spirit and power of God is a period of great peril, lest the light shall not be improved. Will you consider Jeremiah 17:5-10; 18:12, 15? For you are most surely coming under the rebuke of God. Light has been shining in clear and steady rays upon you. What has this light done for you? ” Ms 51 1893

“The Lord has blessed many of you of late. What reason did you assign for this enlightenment? Did you think that God had blessed you simply that you might sit down and be happy, while others were left to perish for the want of the knowledge and experience that you have obtained through the mercy and forbearance of God? Were you willing to be content and gratified that you had received so rich a blessing? The Holy Spirit was imparted to you in order that you might become agents by which God could communicate that blessing to others. Every true believer is a light that will shine amid the moral darkness of the world. “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor [it will not communicate its saving qualities,] wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” The religion that does not reveal itself in good works, in true righteousness and goodness, in saving the souls of poor sinners, is of no value in the estimation of God, and it will not save the souls of those who possess it.” Review and Herald, December 12, 1893.

1898: SDA refuse to come out of the Laodicean state of lukewarmness.

Unfortunately, the repentance made by the leadership at the 1893 General Conference was not deep and thorough enough and the church sunk once again into lukewarmness. But God had told them that all His “promises are all made upon conditions.” Faith and Works, p. 47. He promises “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God: . . . and a curse, if ye will not obey.” Deuteronomy 11:27, 28.

“If the church of God becomes lukewarm, 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” Letter 35, 1898

Note! At this stage in 1898 the SDA church had not yet been converted to Babylon because none of the abominations that exists in the SDA church today (2024) were found in her. But because they were still in the Laodicean state, God’s frown was upon them, and He was still pleading with them to repent so that He could carry out His promises through them.

1901: The SDA again reject the latter rain at the General Conference

Again, at the General Conference of 1901, God wanted to pour the latter rain upon the SDA leadership so that they could finish the work and make the way for the Lord Jesus to come again. But the SDA leadership again refused. The prophetess writes:

“Had thorough work been done during the last General Conference at Battle Creek; had there been as God designed there should be, a breaking up of the fallow ground of the heart, by the men who had been bearing responsibilities; had they, in humility of soul, led out in the work of confession and consecration; had they given evidence that they received the counsels and warnings sent by the Lord to correct their mistakes, there would have been one of the greatest revivals that there has been since the day of Pentecost.

“What a wonderful work could have been done for the vast company gathered in Battle Creek at the General Conference of 1901 if the leaders of our work had taken themselves in hand. But the work that all heaven was waiting to do as soon as men prepared the way was not done, for the leaders closed and bolted the door against the Spirit’s entrance. There was a stopping short of entire surrender to God. And hearts that might have been purified from all error were strengthened in wrong doing. The doors were barred against the heavenly current that would have swept away all evil. Men left their sins unconfessed. They built themselves up in wrong doing and said to the Spirit of God, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee.” [Acts 24:25.]” Letter 123, 1902,

1903: The prophecy of a satanic reformation coming within the SDA

In the year 1903 God gave the SDA a series of messages of even a more startling nature that were meant to arouse the slumbering church out of its lukewarmness. Thus says the Lord through His servant:

“Our position in the world is not what it should be. We are far from where we should have been had our Christian experience been in harmony with the light and the opportunities given us, had we from the beginning constantly pressed onward and upward. ….But many of those who have had special light are so conformed to the world that they can scarcely be distinguished from worldlings. They do not stand forth as God’s peculiar people, chosen and precious. It is difficult to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. 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…Solemn admonitions of warning, manifest in the destruction of dearly cherished facilities for service, say to us: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.” Revelation 2:5… Why is there so dim a perception of the true spiritual condition of the church?…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!’…Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself” Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 247-251 (April 21, 1903)

“The Lord Jesus will always have a chosen people to serve Him. When the Jewish people rejected Christ, the Prince of life, He took from them the kingdom of God and gave it unto the Gentiles. God will continue to work on this principle with every branch of His work. When a church proves unfaithful to the word of the Lord, whatever their position may be, however high and sacred their calling, the Lord can no longer work with them. Others are then chosen to bear important responsibilities. But, if these in turn do not purify their lives from every wrong action, if they do not establish pure and holy principles in all their borders, then the Lord will grievously afflict and humble them and, unless they repent, will remove them from their place and make them a reproach..” —Manuscript 33, April 27, 1903

Finally she told them that if they refused to come out of the Laodicean state, a satanic reformation would take place which would end in the destruction of the SDA church and the rest of Babylon by the 7 last plagues. She says:

“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 accounted 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. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.” Letter 242, October 1903.

She was told by God to do all in her power to prevent this satanic reformation from taking place. She says, “Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth?” Letter 242, October 1903

“I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our Captain, “Meet it!” I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the command, “Meet it!”. That night I was up at one o’clock, writing as fast as my hand could pass over the paper. For the next few days I worked early and late, preparing for our people the instruction given me regarding the errors that were coming in among us.” Selected Messages book 1 p. 206.

By God’s grace she and others were able to halt the satanic reformation for a while. And she further prophesied that “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.” Letter 326 1905 and “I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place” Manuscript 1 1915.

1932 and after: The Satanic reformation fulfilled

And indeed after prophetess was laid to rest in 1915 and all the pioneers had passed away, Satan’s reformation that she had prophesied was fulfilled i.e.

· “A new organization” has been established whilst retaining the name Seventh Day Adventist and structured in a form of a hierarchy. This is not a separate organization because that would not accomplish Satan’s plan for he works most effectively within an organization. This is the same organization but re-organized according to Satan’s order i.e. a hierarchy. That is why it is said to be new because it is not according to God’s order i.e. the General Conference is not to have oversight over all other conferences ( General Conference Bulletin April 5 1901).

· “The principles of truth that God in His wisdom had given to the remnant church,” has been discarded by watering them down e.g. Sanctuary doctrine. So, the new SDA church is not only new in structural organization but also in doctrinal beliefs.

· “Books of a new order” have been written e.g. in 1930 the Church Manual replaced the Bible and the Holy Spirit as the church creed and yet scripture does not contain a record of such a book. That is why it was rejected in 1883 (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald NOVEMBER 27, 1883). And the book Questions on Doctrine published in 1957 undermines the old landmarks.

· “The Sabbath” is “lightly regarded as well as the God who created” it e.g. Sunday is now the Lord’s day as shown by the book From Sabbath to Sunday by pastor S. Bacchiocchi (1977) and his credentials was never revoked.

· “Nothing” is “allowed to stand” in her way e.g. dis-fellowshipping Hungarian members in 1984 for protesting against the church’s membership in the National Council of Free Churches. SDA is now an official member of Babylon i.e. the World Council of Churches by being a member of the Christian World Communion (https://www.oikoumene.org/church-families.)

· “The founders of this system” have done “a wonderful work” in that membership is over 21 million throughout more than 200 countries worldwide and has over 21 million adherents. They have done this “wonderful work” because they teach “that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed” they have placed “their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless”.

Just like the Protestants and the Roman Catholic church before them, in order to secure converts, the exalted standard of the Christian faith has been lowered, and as the result a worldly flood, flows into the church, carrying with it its customs, practices, and idols. As the SDA church secure the favour and support of secular rulers, it has been nominally accepted by multitudes; but while in appearance Christians, many remain in substance pagans and worship in secret their idols.

Thus, there is no hope of ever having a revival and reformation within the SDA church because once the satanic reformation was allowed to start, the prophecy states that, “Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement.”! In other words, it cannot be stopped because “God has been removed” from the SDA church. All that remains to be fulfilled is the “storm and tempest” to “sweep away the structure”, which are the 7 last plagues preceded by the mark of the beast which is the enforcement of the national/international Sunday law.

But before they fall, God in His mercy is calling His people to “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4. Please note that the righteousness of Christ which is the seal of God is the only defence against the 7 last plagues and it cannot be imputed to anyone whist they are still in sin or sharing the sins of Babylon.

So, the conditions that God had set for the SDA has not been met in that they allowed Satan to work out his reformation in the church, even though God had warned them and told them that once this satanic reformation starts it cannot be stopped because God would no longer be in the SDA church.

All that is happening in the SDA today (2024) is all that the prophet Ellen White predicted would take place. The abominations taking place within the SDA are too numerous to list. One example is that the SDA will tell the people that the papacy is the beast of Revelation 13 while at the same time they are in business partnership with papacy in Centura Health, Universities, etc. and in spiritual partnership with them in the Christian World Communion.

The Church in the wilderness again

So, the obvious question then is, since the SDA church, or the other Protestant churches e.g. the Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, etc. or the church at Rome are no longer God’s churches but all now compose Babylon, then who or where is God’s church? For God has always had a church upon the earth. But before answering that question let us look at a prophecy by Isaiah that foretold the state of the churches in our day.

It reads “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.

Since this is a prophecy written in symbols, we will have to understand the symbols first and then determine when it was fulfilled.

“Seven” symbolizes wholeness or completeness or all, e.g. seven days signifies a complete week or a whole week or all the number of days of the week.

A “woman” symbolizes a church, a pure woman–a pure church, an impure woman an impure church, e.g. “I promised you to one husband, to Christ” says Paul, “that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him” 2 Corinthians 11:2 NIV. Again, Babylon in Rev. 17:5 is called the mother of harlots, i.e. an impure church that has churches that follow after her example of impurity and corruption.

The “one Man” obviously refers to Christ.

“Bread” symbolizes the word of God, e.g. Jesus says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: … the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” John 6: 51,63.

“Apparel or clothes” symbolizes righteousness/unrighteousness. Filthy clothes—unrighteousness. Clean clothes – the righteousness of Christ, e.g. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” Isaiah 64:6. “Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes, and he stood before the Angel. And the Angel said to those who were standing before him ‘Take off his filthy clothes’ Then He said to Joshua ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you’” Zechariah 3:3,4 NIV.

So, without the symbols the text reads, “In that day all the churches will take hold of one Man, i.e. Christ, saying, we will teach our own doctrines, we will wear our own righteousness, only let us be called by your name i.e. Christian, to take away our shame” Isaiah 4:1

So, when was this prophecy fulfilled? It could not apply to the times of Isaiah because Israel was the only church of God at that time. Likewise it cannot be applied during the times of the early Christian church during the times of the apostles for there was only one church. Again, it could not be applied during the times of the great apostasy during the supremacy of the Catholic Church for God’s true church was in the “wilderness”. It had a partial fulfilment during the Protestant era because God’s people were not united under one body as Christ said they should do: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17: 20,21.

And so when the “Judgement message” or “Advent message” was sent to the world during the Protestant era, the purpose of the message was to separate God’s people from the world and unite them under one body and name, which eventually happened by the raising of the Seventh Day Adventist church, again the prophecy could not apply during her time as she was God’s true church.

But when the Seventh Day Adventist church apostatized from God starting in 1930 with the introduction of the church manual and later officially joined Babylon in the Christian World Communion, then the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled because none of the denominational churches now present are God’s true church. As the prophecy predicted, each church teaches their own doctrines and from their own doctrines each one defines its own righteousness and yet all want to be called by Christ’s name i.e. Christian.

So, who or where is God’s church?

God’s church is again in the “wilderness” i.e. in obscurity because the last church of God i.e. the Seventh Day Adventist church failed to carry out God’s mandate, they broke His covenant as explained above and God also rejected them. The last time God’s true church went into the “wilderness” state in fulfilment of Rev. 12:6,14 as we have discussed was in the year 538 AD until 1798 due to persecution by the Roman Catholic church as she alone ruled supreme during this same spiritual dark period. However unlike the first “wilderness” state which had a time period of 1260 years, this one will not be tied to any time period because all time prophecies came to an end in 1844, for the Revelator says “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer” Rev. 10: 5,6.

During the first “wilderness” state the world was in great spiritual darkness because the Bible the light of the world was prohibited by the Roman Catholic church. But now Bibles are everywhere, so why is there such a state of spiritual darkness upon the world?

“A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be favorable to the success of popery. It will yet be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is equally favorable for its success. In past ages, when men were without God’s Word, and without the knowledge of the truth, their eyes were blindfolded, and thousands were ensnared, not seeing the net spread for their feet. In this generation there are many whose eyes become dazzled by the glare of human speculations, “science falsely so-called;” they discern not the net, and walk into it as readily as if blindfolded. God designed that man’s intellectual powers should be held as a gift from his Maker, and should be employed in the service of truth and righteousness; but when pride and ambition are cherished, and men exalt their own theories above the Word of God, then intelligence can accomplish greater harm than ignorance. Thus the false science of the nineteenth century, which undermines faith in the Bible, will prove as successful in preparing the way for the acceptance of the papacy, with its pleasing forms, as did the withholding of knowledge in opening the way for its aggrandizement in the Dark Ages.” The Great Controversy 1888, p. 573.

The Remnant of Her Seed

The Word of God says, “You will leave your name for my chosen ones to use in their curses; and the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants He will give another name” (Isaiah 65:15) NIV. Another name at this point in history can be none other than “The Remnant of Her Seed”, for the Bible says, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17 “for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. From the above brief history it is quite clear that the SDA church has rejected the Spirit of Prophesy, i.e. the writings of Ellen. G. White, and the dragon is no longer angry or at war with SDA church because she is now a daughter of Babylon, but instead the dragon is making “war with the remnant of her seed”.

The sifting that is being done right now is among the Remnants. That is why once you separate from the SDA church or any Babylonian church by heeding the call in Revelation 18:4, you should also heed the counsel of the True Witness and buy from Him “eyesalve” that you may be able to discern between the true Remnants and the false Remnants, and between the righteousness of Christ and self- righteousness. Then buy also from Him “white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed” with the righteousness of Christ and of course you will need the “gold tried in the fire” which is the faith and love of Christ (Revelation 3:18).

Yours in Christ,

Andrei Lesiapeto