Godsloveandlaw's Blog

In this part one, we’ll discuss the events up to Ezekiel 9 (Beginning judgement for the living). In part two we’ll discuss Ezek.9 and  the post church purification and up to our Lord’s coming in the clouds (The beginning of the millennium in heaven)

Many SDA today  think of the standard  end time scenario they have been taught. The soon to come dreaded “Sunday Law” will happen and then we as faithful Sabbath keepers, have to make our stand to avoid getting the deadly “mark of the beast”.  But is that what the  3 inspired books tell  us (Bible, EGW, Shep. Rod)? Let us look more closely at the big picture and see how the puzzle fits when we study God’s 3 sources of His word. It will  be quite different than the standard SDA teaching of end time events.

The general SDA today understand the following simplified end time view.

1) The people in our church go out NOW into babylon (the Sunday churches,   and all heathen of the world) and try to bring in the people to God’s remnant church, the SDA. Efforts are made by many divisions (3abn, Amazing facts, Hope channel,General conference initiatves,etc.)

2) As the people are brought in , they are taught to expect the upcoming Sunday law. This will be the next “big” thing to come upon the world that everyone needs to focus on.

3)After the establishment of the Sunday law takes place, the millions of people( including many millions of SDA) who don’t submit to this Sunday worship, get sealed by God and are spared the plaques.

4) Jesus comes in  the clouds and we are ushered into the heavenly millennium.

As we start to investigate this scenario, many points and questions arise that ultimately leave gapping holes in this outline. And these are not minor ones. For instance,let’s look at some of the obvious ones.

In point one, we notice that our calling out the people of the world into the SDA churches is doing this —  We are calling them out of one church filled with sinners, into another church filled with sinners. The SDA church being co-mingled with the wheat and the tares (Godly and unGodly) right now. Is this really God’s plan? Has God stopped caring about His church, it’s true spiritual condition? Unfortunately, we must come to that decision if we are to believe that the  SDA point one is to make sense.

Ellen White describes the current situation within the SDA church. “Men and women are in the last hours of probation, and yet are careless and stupid, and ministers have no power to arouse them; they are asleep themselves. Sleeping preachers preaching to a sleeping people!” (Testimonies, Vol.2, p.337)   Can we expect God to be pleased as we call the people into His current sleeping church?  Again EGW says “But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true (this cannot mean co-mingled). In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel (SDA church). The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and will thoroughly purge His floor.” (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p.80)

Some may say , in regards to point one, “How can it be that God doesn’t want us to win souls all over the world now?” Perhaps this is best answered by the  following clear and obvious points. 

1)EGW says in (Christian Service, p.41) “…not one on twenty whose names are registered on the church books, are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.”  And keep in mind that was back in”her day”. With the millions more in the church today, what really is the ratio?

EGW clearly brings home a strong point in allowing new church members in. “Only when the church is composed of pure unselfish members, can it fulfill God’s purpose. Too much hasty work is done in adding names to the church roll. Serious defects are seen in the characters of some who join the church. Those who admit them say, we will first get them into the church, and then reform them. But this is a mistake. The very first work to be done is the work of reform. Pray with them, talk with them, but do not allow them to unite with God’s people in the church relationship until they give decided evidence that the spirit of God is working on their hearts (Review and Herald, may 21, 1901)

So if we have a serious problem within the church now, does it make sense to ignore our fellow brothers and sisters, and reach out to even more, yet let our own proceed perilously head long into the abyss? God wants a pure clean church for the people to “come into”. Sadly we are told this would never happen unless HE takes the reins Himself and does something about it.

More evidence that God will not allow a co-mingled church much longer. “The purging and cleansing will surely pass through EVERY CHURCH (SDA) in our land that has had great opportunities and priveleges, and has passed them unheeded.” (Testimonies to Ministers, p.414)  The SDA church being given great light on many truths, and unfortunately to a large degree,  has not heeded it’s own teachings.

2) The last prophet’s  message from God,  being our most important message right now, clearly explains why we are to go into our own church now,  not babylon. In the “Answerer, Vol.3, question 67”  The prophet says “As the same departure from Christ exists within the church now as it didthen (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p.217) it will take much greater effort to rescue the people from the Laodicean “sad deception” (Testimonies , Vol. 3, p.253), than if they were in heathenism for in Laodicea they are made to believe that they have all the truth there is to be had, that they are rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing,—their salvation forever secured as long as they hold membership in the church Hence there is greater risk of losing their souls in the church while she is “lukewarm” and about to be spued out, than if they remain in the world until the church awakes from her slumber, and anoints herself with eyesalve (truth)-sees right, does right, and leads and feeds the flock”

“…the Davidians labor in the interest of the church, the Denomination carries the old message to the world. But should the Davidians also devote their time and money to looking after the interests of the heathen then both the church and the world would be plunged into hell. Consequently, to save the world, we must first seek to save the church from the ruin that is imminent, as did John the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles, in their day.

After the church awakes and ceases dreaming that she is “rich and increased with goods”, finds out that she is in need of everything rather than of “nothing”, puts on her strength by turning to Christ her Leader, clothes herself in the garments of His righteousness, and let’s the unclean no more pass through her ( Isa.52:1), then shall her righteousness go forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see her righteousness, and all the kings her glory (Isa.62:1-2). Then shall she really be able to save.”    (Please note, we should not think that we advocate ignoring someone outside the church who wants to know the truth, only that our PRIMARY focus should be within our own church)

We needed to spend some time on point one because this clearly shows “why” the SDA final event scenario is off track to begin with.The focus is causing the people to look left with they should be looking right.

On point two, whereas the SDA  teach the primary focus of the Sunday law, as the next important world event for the church, the Davidian SDA are focusing on the imminent sudden appearance of the Lord into His churches. (Mal 3:1) ” Behold, I send my messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of Hosts. ”

The remainer of Malachi describes the purification  (never happened yet) of the church. So, clearly we see two distinct and quite different end time views. On the SDA view , we are clearly led to believe no church purification takes place BEFORE the Sunday laws. The sinners and righteous in church remain, to make their own decision as to accepting the “mark” or not.

But the Davidians view is the same as EGW’s clear statement about the church. “Now we can clearly see why there must be a sifting of God’s people BEFORE the loud cry can be given. The cause of weakness must first be removed before the valiant service can be expected in the field. A Gideon’s band is mightier than the host of Midian. God’s people will never be prepared to attack the sins of babylon as long as the principle of babylon is in their hearts.Therefore the giving of the loud cry must be PRECEEDED by a message TO GOD’S PEOPLE, which will accomplish an entire seperation from babylon.” (Review and Herald, Feb. 4, 1902)

Let us understand this statement as well “..only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it (the third angel’s message) when it shall have swelled into the Loud Cry.”(Review and Herald ,Nov.19,1908)

This “message” is believed to be the straight testimony of the Davidians  given now to the SDA about the Lord’s coming “suddenly to His temple”. The clear purpose is WARN the people about our Lord’s “sifting” out the unrighteous and uncoverted from among the church. This is for the express purpose of forming God’s last day “elect”, the 144,000. Our Lord speaks of this in (Mal.3:17) ” They shall be Mine” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day I make My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”

So we see warnings going out now, from one group. And a lukewarm sense of contentment from the other. Nevertheless, it has always been God’s way to “warn”. EGW explains “God does not send judgements upon His people without first warning them to repent. He uses every means to bring them back to obedience and does not visit their iniquity with judgements until He has given them ample opportunity to repent.” (Testimonies, Vol. 4, p.179)

So to summarize part one, we see two different actions by the SDA and the DSDA. One is allowing the incoming of sin and sinners into the church, proclaiming that all will work itself out, just beware of the Sunday laws coming. The other is actively warning their own to “wash your garments” , get ready now, the Lord is about to begin “judgement for the living” beginning with us within the church.

Next week we’ll look at further views of the final events.

In Christ, Rob

Note —  This post has a youtube version, which can be viewed here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAcVqHRQGo&list=UL

This entry was posted on January 28, 2012 at 4:58 am and is filed under Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, End times, Final Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.