Archive for August, 2023

What we can learn from our Catholic Friends

August 19, 2023

Raised as a Catholic, yours truly learned firsthand many things concerning the Catholic Church. In this post, we will look at some customs of this Church and compare that to my current faith –Seventh-day Adventist.

First before we begin, I would like to point out that although the Catholic Church has many benevolent qualities, it is still mired in many ways. Among the most profound errors that come from it, are the idolization of humans (Pope, Mary, and the Saints for example), false doctrines, and the changing of the Commandments. 

“It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving God according to the best light they have. They are not allowed access to His word, and therefore they do not discern the truth. They have never seen the contrast between a living heart service and a round of mere forms and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth as it is in Jesus, and many will yet take their position with His people.”(Great Controversy, p.565)

This being said, we shall look at her more admiring qualities that we as SDA can learn from and hopefully come in line with.

1) Head covering

When you attend Catholic services, you will often see the women covered with head coverings. Although the new generations aren’t as faithful in this custom as times past, it still is a practice observed by many of the Catholic women (especially the older women). Within the SDA Church this custom is practically non-existent. Only a rare few can be seen doing it. However, the “advanced” SDA, meaning those who have kept pace with the unrolling of the scroll DO WEAR THEM. What do we mean by advanced SDA?

Briefly explained, this means those within the SDA Church who strictly and literally believe in God’s word  and His prophecies, called Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. They believe that a “final” prophet was sent to our SDA Church, and that promise is found in Malachi 4:5-6. The SDA, for the most part, either says it is symbolic or that Ellen White fulfilled that promise. Although that is mocking God’s word despite what EGW herself prophesied —

“Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say: “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.”(Testimonies to Ministers, p.475)

To say the prophetess meant “she” when she said “he” is nothing short of gaslighting and mockery of the plain English language. Now,  once the DSDA study and learn the writings of a man named Victor Houteff, who DSDA believe is that prophesied prophet to come, they soon learn that this final message of Elijah makes clear the issue of head coverings.

SHALL THE WOMAN LEAVE HER HAT ON WHEN THE MAN TAKES HIS OFF?

Question No. 119:

   What does Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 11  concerning the woman covering her head? Does not verse 15 show that the hair is her covering?

Answer:

   “But I would,” says the Holy Spirit, “have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Cor. 11:3.

   Note the order in which divinity and humanity are linked: God, Christ, the man, the woman. Thus it is that “every man praying or prophesying,  having his head covered, dishonoureth his head [God]. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth  her head [the man]: for that is even all one as if she where shaven.

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn [that is, if a woman will not wear a hat, then let her cut off her hair]: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered [let her wear a hat]. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” 1 Cor. 11:4-8.

   This scripture plainly teaches that a man ought to take his hat off when praying or prophesying (teaching the Scriptures), while the woman should put hers on. One could not logically conclude from 1 Cor. 11:15  that the woman’s hair is the covering referred to.  If such were the case, then logically the man should shave his head in order to make the distinction between the two.

   Moreover, if the woman’s hair is the covering required, then why would the Scriptures say she is to wear it when “praying or prophesying”? What else could she do? And could she take off her hair (covering) when not praying, unless she wore a wig?

   The Scriptures therefore make it clear that any religious occasion which requires the man to take his hat off, requires the woman to put hers on. (Answerer, vol. 5, Q-119)


2) Modesty in dress

For the most part in a Catholic Church service, you will see modest dressing, both males and females. This custom has stood firm for many decades. Again, the newer generations can be seen to not reflect this custom as much, but overall this seems still the custom. The SDA church is not so concerned with this. In fact, in our local Churches, lazy street clothes by the men and women’s short skirts are often in plain view within the sanctuary.

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”(1 Tim. 2:9-10)


The Bible clearly says modest dressing is reflective of the Christian life. There are just too many references, both in Ellen White’s writings and Victor Houteff’s, to plead ignorance of this injunction.

3) Reverance in the Sanctuary 

“Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord.” (Lev. 19:30)

“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13)

Let us not forget that God’s house, His place of worship, is to have holy reverence in it. This custom is another one found within the Catholic Church that is commendable. You rarely see people shaking hands, laughing, talking, playing with their cell phones, etc within that Church. I remember as a kid that holy reverence and it gave the sense of God’s presence within her. Contrast that to the SDA Church, and you will see all of the lack of reverence aforementioned and more. Nearly NO HOLY REVERANCE is noticed within her.

Now because of these dire shortcomings within our Church, inspiration has given several warnings.

“There is a lack of moral and spiritual power throughout our Conferences. Many churches do not have light in themselves. The members do not give evidence that they are branches of the True Vine, by bearing much fruit to the glory of God, but appear to be withering away…They understand not the true application of the Scriptures, nor the power of God. They have eyes, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; they continue in their evil ways, yet regard themselves as the privileged, obedient people who are doers of the word.

A carnal security and ease in Zion prevail. Peace, peace, is sounded in her borders, when God has not spoken peace. They have forfeited the terms of peace; there is reason for an alarm to be sounded in all “my holy mountain.” The sinners in Zion should be afraid, in a time when they do not expect it, sudden destruction will surely come upon all who are at ease.” (RH December 23, 1890)


So we see that we as Adventists can indeed learn from our Catholic friends the above-said issues. Sadly, not only has the SDA fallen into such abominations but she has also, to a large degree, rejected the Lord’s final message of Elijah. A very sad situation indeed!

In closing, despite the Catholic shortcomings, many of our Catholic friends, who walk in all the light they have now, will indeed one day see the light and come into His kingdom, praise His holy name.




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The Seven Trumpets

August 5, 2023



Rev. 8:7. “The first angelsounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”

We know that literal “fire,” “hail,” and “blood” would, if commingled, result in the fire’s melting the hail and burning up the blood. This result did not, however, follow the mingling of these three elements, the “hail” and “fire” and “blood” at the sounding of the first trumpet. Inescapably, therefore, they must be symbolically interpreted. And this conclusion is reenforced by the fact that the fire burnt all the “green grass,” and only a “third part” of the “trees.” This unnatural circumstance makes unavoidable the inference that the dry grass, which is more easily burned was unharmed; otherwise no mention would have been made as to the kind of grass consumed by the fire. But as it is contrary to nature for dry grass not to be consumed in the burning of green grass, the “green grass” and the “trees” are hence symbolical of something living, and vulnerable to injury, whereas the dry is not.

And finally, as proof in “good measure, pressed down…, and running over” (Luke 6:38), that the trumpets are symbolical, we call attention to the main events to take place in connection with some of the other trumpets.

At the sounding of the second trumpet, a great “mountain,” as it were burning with fire, “was cast into the sea.” Had not the “mountain” been symbolical, then after it had been cast into the “sea,” either the waves would have extinguished the fire or the fire would have transformed the water into steam. Instead, though, a part of the sea became “blood” — a condition utterly illogical, also unhistorical.

Obviously, then, the “mountain,” the “fire,” the “ships,” the “creatures,” and the “life” which they had, are each figurative. Likewise must be the sea, for only those “creatures” which are in the “sea,” and which “had life,” “died,” showing that there were others which did not have life but which yet lived on. If the creatures are not symbolical, it would be superfluous to say that those which “had life,” “died.” For unless they had life, how could they have died? A natural sea, furthermore, is never motionless, but ever undulating. Accordingly, were this “sea” literal, it would be impossible to confine the “blood” within the limits of the “third part of the sea.”

Were the “star” which, at the sounding of the third trumpet, “fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters,” not symbolical, but literal, it would jar the earth off its course and annihilate it!

At the sounding of the fourth angel, the “third part” of the “sun,” the “moon,” and the “stars” were “smitten.” Its being impossible, though, to smite the heavenly luminaries, then those here recorded as “smitten” are manifestly symbolical. This is made doubly plain in the light of the knowledge that even were they literal, and one part of them actually was smitten, the two parts of them remaining unsmitten would still emit more than enough light to prevent darkness.

Out of the “smoke” which, at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, rose from the “bottomless pit,” came fabulous “locusts” the like of which do not exist. The locusts, the “smoke,” and the “pit,” therefore, must also stand for something else. And furthermore as the personal pronoun “he” applies to the “star,” the star, consequently, is figurative of a male person.

That a horse, as in the sixth trumpet, should have a tail of serpents, a lion’s head, and a mouth belching fire, smoke, and brimstone — how utterly and fantastically impossible! These unnatural and grotesque combinations therefore reveal that the truth of the seven trumpets is to be unlocked only by the key of symbolical interpretation, and that hence the Bible Itself must explain

The Nature of the Trumpets.

That singular parallelism exists between the several effects of the seven trumpets and the several effects of the seven last plagues, is clearly to be seen in the following collocations:

(1) Both the elements of the first trumpet (“hail and fire mingled with blood”) and the contents of the vial of the first plague are cast upon the “earth” (Rev. 8:7; 16:2).

(2) The “mountain” at the sounding of the second trumpet and the contents of the “vial” at the pouring out of the second plague find their point of coincidence in falling alike into the “sea” (Rev. 8:8; 16:3).

(3) “Upon the rivers and fountains of waters” (Rev. 8:10; 16:4) fall both the “star” of the third trumpet and the contents of the “vial” of the third plague.

(4) Just as at the sounding of the fourth trumpet, so likewise at the pouring out of the “vial” of the fourth plague, the sun is affected (Rev. 8:12; 16:8).

(5) Darkness (Rev. 9:2; 16:10) ensues in common at the sounding of the fifth trumpet and at the pouring out of the fifth plague.

(6) As with the sixth trumpet just so with the sixth plague, the “river Euphrates” is the focal point (Rev. 9:14; 16:12).

(7) And bringing up the seventh parallel, the seventh trumpet and the seventh plague exhibit the identical components: the temple in heaven the voices and thunderings and lightnings therefrom, the earthquake and the hail (Rev. 11:15; 16:17-21) — the second coming of Christ.

These coincidences demonstrate beyond the slightest peradventure that the nature and the purpose of the seven trumpets are the same in kind as the nature and the purpose of the seven last plagues: destructive; and that of the wicked after their probation has closed.

Let it not, however, be understood that the respective destructions revealed in the subject of the seven trumpets must be one and the same in time and event with the corresponding destructions of the seven last plagues, for such a conclusion is made impossible by the fact that the voice which spoke to the angel at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, saying, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates,” came “from the four horns of the golden altar.” Rev. 9:13, 14. The altar’s being in the holy apartment of the sanctuary at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, proves that the trumpet sounded before the Most Holy apartment was opened for use. For had it been in use, the “voice” would necessarily have come from therein, where the throne is. Hence, the sounding of this trumpet had to take place before the door of the Most Holy was opened and the throne occupied.

Just as the seven plagues, therefore, reveal the judgments to be visited upon the wicked living after they reject the message in the closing period of this world’s history, so the seven trumpets reveal, as will be seen, the sequent destructions of the successive generations of the wicked, each of whose probation closed consequent to their rejecting God’s respective message to them. Thus the trumpets culminate with those who reject His message to them today.

This basic truth that each period of destruction follows only after a corresponding period of sealing, is corroborated by the fact that the symbolical locusts, which came up at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, hurt only those men which had “not the seal of God in their foreheads.” All this shows not only that each trumpet follows its sealing period, but also that the nature of the trumpets reveals the punishment of those who failed to receive the seal in their particular periods. (Final Warning Tract, p.26-32)

 

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