cccOur Father and God in Heaven, we prayerfully ask for
Your blessing on this study, as we continue to restore the ninth
commandment against bearing false witness -- the false witness of
the openly idolatrous or openly heathen threat from within. Thus,
we ask for Your blessing to expose the ancient heathen deception
of the visible abomination of Tammuz; and/or the visible false
christ god of ancient and modern heathenism; and/or the visible,
heathen, dead, deified, common man; and/or the visible
representation of Satan personating Jesus Christ and claiming
that he is Christ Himself or that he is God. May people receive
Your Word, rather than the idolatrous gossip and falsehood
promoted by the openly heathen threat from within. Therefore, by
taking heed to Your Laodicean message, may those who will be
Judged by You to be true Seventh-day Adventists be enabled to
literally see the deceptive Conference ranks and the more
deceptive supposedly non-Conference ranks of the openly heathen,
worse than dead, Tammuz-cherishing, Satan aiding or lukewarm
church of the Laodiceans. We give thanks for Your Words of
warning against open heathenism. We pray in the forever holy and
eternally sacred name of Jesus Christ, our infinite, omnipresent,
omnipotent, immutable or unchangeable, and pre-existent Lord God
and Saviour. Amen.
Tammuz --
-- the bewitching, spiritualistic, or heathen abomination;
--and/or
-- the visible, heathen, dead, deified, common man or so-called
hero; --and/or
-- the visible false christ god of ancient and modern heathenism:
 |
 |
|
| 1. Tammuz as he appeared in ancient times. The above image is the original and ancient woodcut image of “Tammuz,” as this visible "god" or "heathen" “abomination” appeared earlier in history, and as he is literally seen in Alexander Hislop’s book, The Two Babylons, pages 21, 99-103, & 199. See also Ex. 20:1-6, 23; Deut. 4:12-19; Rom. 1:21-32; Acts 17:29-31; 1 Cor. 10:13-15; James 2:10; Rev. 7:1-4; 9:1-4, 20-21; 21:7-10, 27; 22:14-15; Ezek. 3:17-21; 8:12-14; 9:1-4; 11:12; 16:1-2, 17; 20:15-21, 30-32; 23:28-30; 24:24; 30:1-3; Micah 5:15; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; ST Dec. 5, 1895; ST Aug. 2, 1899; Prov. 21:16; PP 684-686; and much more. | 2. Let’s add a beard, and we now see Tammuz with facial hair. “Tammuz” is also the visible representation of Satan claiming that “he is Christ Himself “or that “he is God” “in these last days.” See 2 Thess. 2:1-5; 7BC 975, or RH Aug. 9, 1906; 6BC 1106, or RH Aug. 25, 1885; 4T 87-88; GC 557-558; Ezek. 8:12-14; 9:1-11; Rev. 14:9-11; EW 118, 279-282; Ezek. 24:24; 30:1-3; ST Aug. 2, 1899; Matt. 15:9; PP 305-306, 336; Ezek. 11:12; 20:16; 24:24; 30:1-3; 1T 179-141; Lev. 26:28; and much more. | |
 |
 |
|
| 3. Let’s remove Tammuz’s cross image head band. Tammuz’s head band depicted the cross image, which still is a visible and heathen abomination and an image of torture and death to Christ. The “self-made,” “shameful,” “ignominious,” and “cruel cross” of Tammuz is the direct opposite of the real “cross of Christ." See 4T 626-627; 1T 566, 577-578; MH 470; TM 67; RH July 24, 1888. The “cross of Christ” is not an image, but is any action of daily “self denial,” “self-sacrifice,” and/or “suffering for Christ’s sake;” and, thus, in exalting the false and heathen cross of Tammuz or the cross image, the true and Christian “cross of Christ” is “almost entirely forgotten.” See Matt. 16:24; 10:38-39; Lk. 14:27; 2T 177-178; 4T 47-48; 7BC 963, or MS 138, 1902; 7T 9-10; 5T 78, 215-216; and much more. | 4. Let’s fluff up Tammuz’s hair in the front where it was held down by his cross image head band. Tammuz, the visible false christ god or heathen abomination, is now seen as he generally appears today: (a.) in the deceptive, openly heathen, Babylonian church; (b.) in the more deceptive, openly heathen, Laodicean church; and, thus, (c.) in Satan’s visible, “latter times,” “counterfeit” “revival” of open “heathenism,” and/or of “spiritualism,” and/or of secretly disguised “witchcraft and demon worship” -- all an on-going, beguiling, self-exalting “event to take place immediately before the second advent of Christ.” See PP 684-686; GC 464-465, 478, 554-558; 4T 87-88; GC 557; 5T 216; 7BC 959:2:1; 7BC 962:2:1-4; 7BC 970:1:2-7; 1 John 1:6; 3:4; 4BC 1161:2:2-3, 7; and much more.c |
ccc“And I saw another angel ascending from the
east, having the seal of the living God . . . .
cccAnd I heard a great Voice out of the temple saying
to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the
wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out
his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous
sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them
which worshipped his image.” — Revelation 7:2; 16:1-2.
c
cc"This sealing of the servants of God is the
same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision. John also had been a
witness of this most startling revelation." — TM 445.
ccc"What are you doing, brethren, in the great
work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are
receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the
beast." — 5T 216, written in 1882; and, thus, part of
the great 'light of 1882,' as seen in 5T 83-84.
ccc"The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God to-day. It is a message
to professing Christians who have become so much like the world
that no difference can be seen.
cc'These things saith the Amen, the faithful and True
Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest
not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.' . . .
cccMany are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. They clothe themselves in the garments of their
own righteousness, imagining themselves to be rich and increased
with goods and in need of nothing, when they need daily to learn
of Jesus, His meekness and lowliness, else they find themselves
bankrupt, their whole life being a lie [i.e., and/or their whole
life being a false witness or a discernable and open
transgression of God's ninth commandment]. . . .
cccIn a little while every one who is a child of God
will have His seal placed upon him. O that it may be placed upon
our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when
the angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their
foreheads?
cccOnly those who receive the seal of the living God
will have the passport through the gates of the Holy City. But
there are many who take upon themselves responsibilities in
connection with the work of God who are not wholehearted
believers, and while they remain thus cannot receive the seal of
the living God. They trust in their own righteousness, which the
Lord accounts as foolishness. . . .
cccThose who would have the seal of God in their
foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. This
is what distinquishes them from the disloyal . . . .
cccMany will not receive the seal of God because they
do not keep His commandments or bear the fruits of righteousness.
cccThe great mass of professing Christians will meet
with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have
not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm and
halfhearted, they dishonor God far more than the avowed
unbeliever. They grope in darkness . . . ." — 7BC
959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903; 7BC 962:2:1, or Letter 66, 1894;
7BC 969-970, or RH May 28, 1889; 7BC 970:1:2, or Letter 164,
1909; 7BC 970:1:3, or Manuscript 27, 1899; 7BC 970:1:6, or Letter
76, 1900; and 7BC 970:1:7, or Letter 121, 1903.
ccc". . . . groping in the darkness of heathenism
. . . ." — AA 248-249, written in 1911.
ccc"Those who claim to be the children of God, and
yet do not obey His commands, who are hearers but not doers of
the Word, are regarded by the Lord as bankers regard fraudulent
bank-notes. They are not genuine. They claim the name of
Christian, but in reality they are heathen. To those who do not
practise it, the Word of God is a dead letter. Christ says of
such, 'I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My
mouth.' If they realized that they were sinners, He could plead
in their behalf, and the Lord would arouse them by His Holy
Spirit. But He can not present them to the Father; for they are
worse than dead in trespasses and sins. They hear the Word, but
make no application of it to themselves. Instead, they apply the
Word to their neighbors. God can be no power [i.e., no Spirit; no
Latter Rain] to lukewarm Laodiceans." — ST August 2,
1899; or 4ST 50.
ccc"We may go to the heathen [i.e., to include:
the heathen, worse than dead, lukewarm Laodiceans, as God has
plainly warned us about in the previous inspired quote
immediately above] and say to them that we love the truth and
serve the true God; and they will tell you that they worship the
true and living God." — 1SAT 17; or Manuscript 5, 1885.
ccc". . . . the abominations of the heathen . . .
.” — 2 Chronicles 36:14.
ccc". . . . the gods of the heathen . . . ."
— PP 336, written in 1890.
ccc"All the gods of the people are idols."
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be." — Matthew 24:37.
ccc"The men of that generation [i.e., of Noah's
generation] were not all, in the fullest acceptation of the term,
idolaters. Many professed to be worshipers of God. They claimed
that their idols [i.e., gods] were representations of the Deity,
and that through them the people could obtain a clearer
conception of the divine Being. This class were foremost in
rejecting the preaching of Noah. As they endeavored to represent
God by material objects, their minds were blinded to His majesty
and power; they ceased to realize the holiness of His character,
or the sacred, unchanging nature of His requirements. As sin
became general, it appeared less and less sinful, and they
finally declared that the divine law was no longer in force . . .
.
ccc'Thou shalt have no other gods [i.e., idols] before
Me.' . . .
ccc'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image' . .
. .
ccc. . . . The attempt to represent the Eternal One by
material objects would lower man's conception of God. . . .
ccc. . . . The people desired some image to represent
God . . . God had given no manner of similitude of Himself, and
He had prohibited any material representation for such a
purpose." — PP 95-96, 305, 306, 316, written in 1890.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from God
assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there is so little
power in the church today." — SD 57.
ccc"The Lord had done marvelous things for His
people in the manifesting of His power as the only true and
living God; yet many had been led astray by the Satanic delusion
that God might be represented by material objects, the works of
men's hands. By the contemplation of these things, their minds
were diverted from God." — ST May 19, 1881; or 1ST 227.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from God
assumes the form of an idol [i.e., and/or of a god; and/or of any
prohibited representation of God made from material obejcts;
and/or of the Satanic delusion that God might be represented by
material objects, the works of men's hands], and that is why
there is so little power in the church today." — SD 57.
ccc"They despised My Judgments, and walked not in
My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after
their idols [i.e., and/ or after their gods; and/or after their
visible and prohibited representations of God made from material
obejcts; and/or after their Satanic delusion that God might be
represented by material objects, the works of men's hands]."
— Ezekiel 20:16.
ccc"All the gods of the people are idols."
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
— Exodus 20:3.
ccc"The first commandment is a requirement in
reference to man's worship." — 2SAT 181; or Manuscript
126, 1901.
ccc"The second commandment will be easily
disobeyed if the first is not kept." — ST July 2, 1894;
or 3ST 129:3:3.
cccThus, in these latter days, before the day of God,
unlike the great mass of foolishly impenitent, openly idolatrous
and thus openly Sabbath-polluting, openly heathen, worse than
dead, lukewarm Laodiceans, -- if we wish to receive the
salvation-related "mark" or "seal of the living
God," -- we will learn from the Bible about the need to
oppose the openly "heathen" or sorcery-like, openly
idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting
"abomination" of "Tammuz," who was and is the
visible false christ god / idol or the heathen, dead, deified,
common man of ancient and modern heathenism; and, so, we first
turn to the inspired books of Revelation and Ezekiel, in that
order, as follows:
ccc“And I saw another angel ascending from the
east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud
voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth
and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the
trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and
there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all
the tribes of the children of Israel. . . . ccc
cccAnd 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 he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose
a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the
sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto
them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
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 the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues
yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should
not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and
stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk . .
. . ccc
cccHe that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I
will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire [i.e., also, see this
'fire' discussed more in the next quote] and brimstone: which is
the second death. And there came unto me one of the seven angels
which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and
talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride,
the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great
and high mountain, and shewed me that great City, the Holy
Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God . . . And there
shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination [i.e., thus, please see the
abomination of Tammuz and much more discussed in Ezekiel, which
is quoted next], or maketh a lie: but they which are written in
the Lamb's book of life.” — Revelation 7:2-4; 9:1-4,
20; 21:7-10, 27. 9:1-4, 20; 21:7-10, 27.
ccc
ccc“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto
the house of Israel: therefore hear the Word at My mouth, and
give them warning from Me. When I say unto the wicked [i.e., see
'the wicked' and more in 3T 266-267 and 5T 207-216, 474-475],
Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor
speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his
life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his
blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked,
and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he
shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and
commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall
die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his
sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be
remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous
sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is
warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. . . .
cccThen said He unto me [i.e., then said the true Lord
God Jesus Christ unto the prophet Ezekiel], Son of man, hast thou
seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark,
every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord
seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto
me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations
that they do. Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the
Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat
women weeping for Tammuz [i.e., and/or weeping for Satan's
visible false christ god, or openly idolatrous lie, or openly
idolatrous and lying wonder; and/or weeping for Satan's heathen,
dead, deified, common man of ancient and modern heathenism;
and/or weeping for Satan's visible representation or visible
claim that he is Christ Himself or that he is God; and/or weeping
for one of Satan's mammothly deceptive and yet highly visible
abominations in these last days]. . . . cccHe
cried also in mine ears with a Loud Voice [i.e., the true Lord
God Jesus Christ cried also in Ezekiel's ears with a Loud Voice],
saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near,
even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And,
behold, six men [i.e., six angels of God] came from the way of
the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a
slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed
with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side [i.e., God's
sealing angel]: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen
altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the
cherub, whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He
called to the man clothed with linen [i.e., God's sealing angel],
which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said
unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of
Jerusalem, and set a mark [i.e., set the mark or
salvation-related seal of the living God] upon the foreheads of
the men that sigh and that cry for [i.e., of the men that stand
against] all the abominations [i.e., to include: the abomination
of Tammuz] that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others
He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and
smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly
old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but
come not near any man upon whom is the mark [i.e., the mark or
seal of the living God]; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they
began at the ancient men which were before the house. . . . ccc
cccAnd ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have
not walked in My statutes, neither executed My Judgments, but
have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about
you. . . Then fell I down upon my face [i.e., then fell Ezekiel
down upon his face], and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah
Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
Again the Word of the Lord came unto me [i.e., came unto
Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren
[i.e., even thy true brethren], the men of thy kindred, and all
the house of Israel wholly [i.e., all the house of true Israel
wholly], are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have
said [i.e., are they unto whom the inhabitants of
heathen-abomination-cherishing, or Tammuz-cherishing, or
visible-false-christ-god-cherishing Jerusalem have said], Get you
far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession. . .
. ccc
cccBecause with lies ye have made the heart of the
righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the
hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked
way, by promising him life . . . .
cccAgain the Word of the Lord came unto me [i.e., came
unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to
know her abominations . . . Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels
of My gold and of My silver, which I had given thee, and madest
to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them . .
. .
cccBecause they despised My Judgments, and walked not
in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went
after their idols [i.e., and/or after their gods; and/or after
their prohibited representations of God made from material
objects; and/or after their Satanic delusion that God might be
represented by material objects, the works of men's hands; and/or
after their openly heathen and visible abominations, like the
openly heathen and visible abomination of Tammuz]. . . Wherefore
say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye
polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom
after their abominations? For when ye offer your gifts, when ye
make your sons to pass through the fire [i.e., remember: this
'fire' for our time is the lake which burneth with 'fire' and
brimstone, as we have seen in Revelation 21:7-10; and, also,
remember, the perishing and professed people of God, who drift
into heathenism, and who remain pridefully impenitent, have
always historically behaved as the impenitent and ancient heathen
behaved; and, therefore, rather than repent of open idolatry or
open heathenism, today's lost, impenitent, and heathen Laodiceans
are still murdering or sacrificing adult human beings and even
their own children to 'fire' -- even to the lake which burneth
with 'fire' and brimstone], ye pollute yourselves with all your
idols [i.e., gods], even unto this day: and shall I be enquired
of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I
will not be enquired of by you. And that which cometh into your
mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen,
as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. . . . ccc
cccThus Ezekiel is unto you a sign [i.e., a true sign]:
according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this
cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. . . . ccc
cccThe Word of the Lord came again unto me [i.e., came
again unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, prophesy and
say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the
day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy
day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” — Ezekiel
3:17-21; 8:12-14; 9:1-6; 11:12, 13b-15; 13:22; 16:1-2, 17; 20:16,
30-32; 24:24; 30:1-3. ccc
cccccc
ccc“And ye shall perish among the heathen . . .
.” — Leviticus 26:38. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Those who claim to be the children of God, and
yet do not obey His commands, who are hearers but not doers of
the Word, are regarded by the Lord as bankers regard fraudulent
[i.e., false witnessing or lying] bank-notes. They are not
genuine. They claim the name of Christian, but in reality they
are heathen. To those who do not practise it, the Word of God is
a dead letter. Christ says of such, 'I would thou wert cold or
hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew thee out of My mouth.' If they realized that they
were sinners, He could plead in their behalf, and the Lord would
arouse them by His Holy Spirit. But He can not present them to
the Father; for they are worse than dead in trespasses and sins.
They hear the Word, but make no application of it to themselves.
Instead, they apply the Word to their neighbors. God can be no
power [i.e., see below] to lukewarm Laodiceans.” — ST
August 2, 1899; or 4ST 50. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Satan has come down in these last days to work
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.
His satanic majesty works miracles in the sight of false prophets
[i.e., and/or false shepherds], in the sight of men, claiming
that he is indeed Christ Himself. Satan gives his power [i.e.,
his heathen power] to those who are aiding [i.e., see
below] him in his deceptions; therefore those who claim to have
the great power of God can only be discerned by the great
detector, the law of Jehovah. The Lord tells us if it were
possible they would deceive the very elect. The sheep's clothing
seems so real, so genuine, that the wolf can be discerned only as
we go to God's great moral standard and there find that they are
transgressors of the law of Jehovah [i.e., that they are open
transgressors of the law of Jehovah].” — 6BC 1106:1:2;
or RH August 25, 1885. ccc
cccccc
ccc“ . . . . aiding the enemy [i.e., aiding
Satan] . . . The term 'lukewarm' is applicable to this
class.” — 4T 87, written in 1876. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign [i.e., a true
sign]: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when
this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. . . . ccc
cccThe Word of the Lord came again unto me [i.e., came
again unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, prophesy and
say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the
day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy
day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” — Ezekiel
24:24; 30:1-3. ccc
cccccc
ccc“History is repeating.” — DA 258,
written in 1898. ccc
cccccc
ccc“That which hath been is now; and that which is
to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is
past.” — Ecclesiastes 3:15. ccc
ccccccccc
ccc“History is repeating. . . . ccc
cccWhen Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he
directs men to other sources for light and power. Thus he
insinuates himself. Those who turn from the plain teaching of
Scripture and the convicting power of God's Holy Spirit are
inviting the control of demons. Criticism and speculation
concerning the Scriptures have opened the way for spiritualism
and theosophy--those modernized forms of ancient heathenism
[i.e., see below]--to gain a foothold even in the professed
churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — ST May 9, 1906;
or 4ST 420. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign [i.e., a true
sign]: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when
this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. . . . ccc
cccThe Word of the Lord came again unto me [i.e., came
again unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, prophesy and
say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the
day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy
day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” — Ezekiel
24:24; 30:1-3. ccc
cccccc
ccc“The last books of the Old Testament show us
workers taken from the laborers in the field. Others were men of
high ability and extensive learning, but the Lord gave them
visions and messages. These men of the Old Testament spoke of
things transpiring in their day, and Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel
not only spoke of things that concerned them as present truth,
but their sights reached down to the future, and to what should
occur in these last days.” — 3SM 419-420; or
Letter 132, 1898. ccc
cccccc
ccc“The book of Ezekiel is deeply
instructive.” — RH February 25, 1896; or 3RH 335. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Only those who receive the seal of the living
God [i.e., see below] will have the passport through the gates of
the Holy City.” — 7BC 970:1:2; or Letter 164, 1909. ccc
cccccc
ccc“This sealing [i.e., see below] of the servants
of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision. John also
had been a witness of this most startling revelation.”
— TM 445. ccc
cccccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is
a startling denunciation [i.e., thus, as we have seen to the
beginning of this study, the message to the openly heathen or
spiritualistic, worse than dead, perishing, impenitent, devils
worshipping or openly idolatrous and thus openly
Sabbath-polluting and thus openly false witnessing or lying or
fraudulent or not genuine or false-prophet-like or ravening
wolves in sheep's clothing, Tammuz-cherishing or
visible-false-christ-god-cherishing or
heathen-dead-defied-common-man-cherishing or
heathen-abomination-cherishing,
Satan's-heathen-power-or-spirit-having, Satan-aiding or lukewarm
church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation] . . . .
cccWhat greater deception can come upon human minds
than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! .
. . .
cccMinisters who are preaching present truth should not
neglect the solemn message to the Laodiceans. The Testimony of
the True Witness is not a smooth message. The Lord does not say
to them, You are about right; you have borne chastisement and
reproof that you never deserved; you have been unnecessarily
discouraged by severity; you are not guilty of the wrongs and
sins for which you have been reproved.
cccThe True Witness declares that when you suppose you
are really in a good condition of prosperity you are in need of
everything. It is not enough for ministers to present theoretical
subjects; they should also present those subjects which are
practical. They need to study the practical lessons that Christ
gave His disciples and make a close application of the same to
their own souls and to the people. Because Christ bears this
rebuking Testimony, shall we suppose that He is destitute of
tender love to His people? Oh, no! He who died to redeem man from
death, loves with a Divine love, and those whom He loves He
rebukes. 'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.' But many will
not receive the message that Heaven in mercy sends them. They
cannot endure to be told of their neglect of duty and of their
wrongs, their selfishness, their pride and love of the world. . .
. ccc
ccc. . . . But if the sins of the people are passed
over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon
them, and the people of God [i.e., the professed people of God],
as a body, will be held responsible for those sins. In His
dealings with His people [i.e., with His professed people] in the
past the Lord shows the necessity of purifying the church from
wrongs. One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the
light of God from the entire congregation. When the people
realize that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know
the cause, they should seek God earnestly, in great humility and
self-abasement, until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are
searched out and put away. . .
ccc. . . . If wrongs are apparent among His people
[i.e., among His professed people], and if the servants of God
[i.e., if the professed servants of God] pass on indifferent to
them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are
alike guilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of
God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the
guilty. In vision I have been pointed to many instances where the
displeasure of God has been incurred by a neglect on the part of
His servants [i.e., of His professed servants] to deal with the
wrongs and sins existing among them. Those who have excused these
wrongs have been thought by the people to be very amiable and
lovely in disposition, simply because they shunned to discharge a
plain Scriptural duty. The task was not agreeable to their
feelings; therefore they avoided it.
cccThe spirit of hatred [i.e., the spirit of murder,
and/or human sacrifice, and/or transgression of God's sixth
commandment--see PP 308, 337] which has existed with some because
the wrongs among God's people [i.e., among God's professed
people] have been reproved has brought blindness and a fearful
deception upon their own souls, making it impossible for them to
discriminate between right and wrong. They have put out their own
spiritual eyesight. They may witness wrongs, but they do not feel
as did Joshua and humble themselves because the danger of souls
is felt by them [i.e., if you wish, see 'Joshua's Farewell
Address' in ST May 19, 1881; or 1ST 227-228].
cccThe true people of God, who have the Spirit of the
work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever
view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on
the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily
beset the people of God [i.e., which easily beset the professed
people of God]. Especially in the closing work for the church
[i.e., especially in the closing works for the openly heathen,
lukewarm, Laodicean church], in the sealing time of the one
hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault
before the Throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs
of God's professed people. This is forcibly set forth by the
prophet's illustration of the last work under the
figure of the men each having a slaughter weapon in his hand. One
man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by
his side. 'And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of
the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark [i.e.,
set the seal of the living God] upon the foreheads of the men
that sigh and that cry for [i.e., that stand against] all the
abominations [i.e., to include the heathen abomination of Tammuz]
that be done in the midst thereof.' [Ezekiel 9:4.]
cccWho are standing in the counsel of God at this time
[i.e., at this time of the closing work or last work for the
Laodicean church]? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among
the professed people of God and who murmur in their hearts, if
not openly, against those who would reprove sin? Is it those who
take their stand against them and sympathize with those who
commit wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave the work
of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work and
in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, they will never
receive the mark of God's sealing approval. They will fall in the
general destruction of the wicked, represented by the work of the
five men [i.e., of the five Heavenly angels of God] bearing
slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care: Those who receive
the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy
Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen [i.e.,
represented by the mark or salvation-related seal of the living
God by God's sealing angel or man in linen], are those 'that sigh
and that cry for all the abominations that be done' in the church
[i.e., in the openly heathen, lukewarm, Laodicean church]. Their
love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they
have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that
they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying.
Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel [i.e., please note this: the
Heaven-sent, sealing, and latter time vision in the ninth chapter
of Ezekiel actually begins in the eighth chapter of Ezekiel].
cccBut the general slaughter of all those who do not
thus see the wide contrast between sin and righteousness, and do
not feel as those do who stand in the counsel of God and receive
the mark [i.e., the seal of the living God or God's
salvation-related mark], is described in the order to the five
men [i.e., five angels of God] with slaughter weapons: 'Go ye
after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare,
neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom
is the mark [i.e., and/or seal of the living God]; and begin at
My sanctuary.' [Ezekiel 9:5-6.].” — 3T 252, 253,
257-258, 265, 266-267, written in 1873.
ccc“History is repeating.” — ST May 9,
1906; or 4ST 420.
ccc“This sealing [i.e., see below] of the servants
of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision. John also
had been a witness of this most startling revelation.”
— TM 445.
ccc“Only those who receive the seal of the living
God [i.e., see below] will have the passport through the gates of
the Holy City. But there are many who take upon themselves
responsibilities in connection with the work of God who are not
wholehearted believers, and while they remain thus cannot receive
the seal of the living God [i.e., see below]. They trust in their
own righteousness [i.e., self-righteousness], which the Lord
accounts as foolishness. ccc
cccThose who would have the seal of God [i.e., see
below] in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment. This is what distinguishes them from the disloyal,
who have accepted a man-made institution in the place of the true
Sabbath [i.e., please know this: accepting the openly heathen or
spiritualistic, worse than dead, Satan-aiding or lukewarm,
Laodicean church; and/or accepting open heathenism, or open
idolatry and thus open Sabbath-polluting is also accepting a
man-made institution in the place of the true Sabbath]. The
observance of God's rest day is the mark of distinction between
him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.
cccThe seal of the living God [i.e., see below] will be
placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in
character. . . .
cccMany will not receive the seal of God [i.e., see
below] because they do not keep His commandments or bear the
fruits of righteousness.
cccThe great mass of professing Christians will meet
with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have
not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm
[i.e., Satan aiding] and halfhearted, they dishonor God [i.e.,
see below] far more than the avowed unbeliever. They grope in
darkness [i.e., see below] . . . .” — 7BC 970:1:2, or
Letter 164, 1909; 7BC 970:1:3, or MS 27, 1899; 7BC 970:1:4, or RH
May 21, 1895; 7BC 970:1:6, or Letter 76, 1900; and 7BC 970:1:7,
or Letter 121, 1903. ccc
cccccc
ccc“The light of God is ever shining amid the
darkness of heathenism.” — DA 59, written in 1898.
ccc"Those who claim to be the children of God, and
yet do not obey His commands, who are hearers but not doers of
the Word, are regarded by the Lord as bankers regard fraudulent
bank-notes. They are not genuine. They claim the name of
Christian, but in reality they are heathen. To those who do not
practise it, the Word of God is a dead letter. Christ says of
such, 'I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm [i.e., please remember: lukewarm means aiding the enemy
or aiding Satan, as seen in 4T 87], and neither cold nor hot, I
will spew thee out of My mouth.' If they realized that they were
sinners, He could plead in their behalf, and the Lord would
arouse them by His Holy Spirit. But He can not present them to
the Father; for they are worse than dead in trespasses and sins.
They hear the Word, but make no application of it to themselves.
Instead, they apply the Word to their neighbors. God can be no
power to lukewarm Laodiceans." — ST August 2, 1899; or
4ST 50.
cccccc
ccc“The light of God in nature is shining
continually into the darkness of heathenism, but many who see
this light do not glorify the Lord as God. They do not permit
reason to lead them to acknowledge their Creator. They refuse the
Lord, and set up senseless idols [i.e., senseless gods; senseless
abominations] to adore. They make images which represent God . .
. .” — ST August 12, 1889; or 2ST 311. ccc
cccccc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him. . .
belittles God in the mind . . . associates Him with common
things.” — 4BC 1145; or MS 126, 1901.
ccc"God had given no manner of similitude of
Himself, and He had prohibited any material representation for
such a purpose." — PP 316, written in 1890.
ccccccccc
ccc“How my heart has been grieved as I have seen,
in galleries of art, pictures representing Christ.” —
3MR 85; or MS 42, 1886. ccc
cccccc
ccc“ . . . . the gods of the heathen . . . .”
— PP 336, written in 1890. ccc
cccccc
ccc“All the gods of the people are idols.”
— 1 Chronicles 16:26. ccc
cccccc
ccc“The . . . gods [i.e., the idols; and/or the
God-dishonoring, forbidden, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God] . . . an abomination to the Lord . . .
.” — Deuteronomy 7:25. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the
people, transgressed very much after all the abominations [i.e.,
and/or after all the gods; and/or after all the idols; and/or
after all the God-dishonoring, forbidden, so-called true images
and pictures made to represent God] of the heathen; and polluted
the house of the Lord. . . . ” — 2 Chronicles 36:14. ccc
cccccc
ccc“Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus
saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your
fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? For
when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through
the fire [i.e., please, remember: 'fire' in Revelation 21:7-10,
27], ye pollute yourselves with all your idols [i.e., and/or with
all your gods; abominations; or God-dishonoring,
Sabbath-polluting, prohibited, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God], even unto this day: and shall I be
enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord
God, I will not be enquired of by you. And that which cometh into
your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the
heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and
stone.” — Ezekiel 20:30-32.
ccc
ccc“They drank wine, and praised the gods [i.e.,
and/or praised the idols; the abominations; or the
God-dishonoring, forbidden, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God] of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron,
of wood, and of stone.” — Daniel 5:4.
ccc
ccc“Among the heathen . . . ye shall serve gods
[i.e., and/or serve idols; abominations; or God-dishonoring,
Sabbath-polluting, prohibited, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God], the work of men's hands, wood and stone,
which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.” —
Deuteronomy 4:27, 28.
ccc“Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now
their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever
He hath pleased. Their idols [i.e., and/or their gods;
abominations; or God-dishonoring, forbidden, so-called true
images and pictures made to represent God] are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not:
eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear
not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but
they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak
they through their throat [i.e., they are in reality dead]. They
that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth
in them.” — Psalms 115:2-8.
c
ccc“Like attracts like. Like appreciates
like.” — 5T 705, written in 1889.
ccccc
ccc“Would not the mind have clearer, more perfect
ideas of angels, of Christ, of all spiritual things, if no
pictures were made to represent Heavenly things?” —
15MR 114; or Letter 145, 1899.
ccc
ccc“How my heart has been grieved as I have seen,
in galleries of art, pictures representing Christ.” —
3MR 85; or MS 42, 1886.
ccc
ccc“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or
silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times
of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every
where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He
will Judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath
ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that
He hath raised Him from the dead.” — Acts 17:29-31.
ccc
ccc“The light of God in nature is shining
continually into the darkness of heathenism, but many who see
this light do not glorify the Lord as God. They do not permit
reason to lead them to acknowledge their Creator. They refuse the
Lord, and set up senseless idols [i.e., and/or senseless gods;
and/or senseless abominations] to adore. They make images which
represent God and worship His created works [i.e., and/or worship
stone; wood; paper; gold; silver; bronze; brass; iron; paint;
ink; charcoal; lead pencil; felt; plastic; plaster of Paris; or
some other visible, dead, earthly, corrupt, material objects or
created works] as a partial acknowledgment of Him, but they
dishonor him in their hearts.” — ST August 12, 1889; or
2ST 311.
ccc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him.”
— 2SAT 184; or MR #360, 1901.
ccc
ccc“Again the Lord seeks to guard His people
against idolatry [i.e., against heathenism; and/or against
Laodiceanism] . . . making to themselves images to represent
God.” — ST May 6, 1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him.”
— 2SAT 184; or MR #360, 1901.
ccc
ccc“. . . . idolatry . . . is . . . demon
worship.” — PP 685:5, written in 1890.
ccc
ccc“All idolatry is devil worship.” —
Author Unknown; ST January 25, 1899.
ccc
ccc“Blessed are they that do His commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the City. For without are . . . idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie [i.e., whosoever loveth and
maketh a falsehood].” — Revelation 22:14, 15.
ccc
ccc“. . . . the falsehood [i.e., the lie] of
idolatry.” — 1BC 1108:1:1; or MS 58, 1900.
ccc
ccc“The first and second commandments spoken by
Jehovah are precepts against idolatry. This sin if practiced,
would lead men to great lengths in rebellion, and would result in
the offering of human sacrifices [i.e., would result in the
offering of murder, and/or transgression of God's sixth
commandment, and/or sacrificing adult human beings and even one's
own sons and daughters to the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone rather than repent of open idolatry or open
heathenism]. God would guard against the least approach to such
abominations. The first four commandments were given to show men
their duty to God . . . .
cccAgain the Lord seeks to guard His people against
idolatry [i.e., against heathenism; and/or against heathen
Laodiceanism] . . . making to themselves images to represent
God.” — ST May 6, 1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him.”
— 2SAT 184; or MR #360, 1901.
ccc
ccc“The . . . heathen . . . dishonor Him . . .
.” — 5T 196:2, written in 1882.
ccc
ccc“Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign [i.e., a true
sign]: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when
this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. . . .
cccThe Word of the Lord came again unto me [i.e., came
again unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, prophesy and
say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the
day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy
day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” — Ezekiel
24:24; 30:1-3.
ccc
ccc“God's work in the earth in these last days
is to reflect the light that Christ brought into the world. This
light is to dissipate the gross darkness of ages. Men and women
in heathen darkness are to be reached by those who at one time
were in a similar condition of ignorance, but who have received
the knowledge of the of God's Word.” — SpTB11:27:3,
written in 1907.
ccc
ccc“'This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness
[i.e., see more of a 'form of godliness' later below], but
denying the power thereof; from such turn away [2
Timothy 3:1-5-16].'
cccThe class here mentioned by the apostle are not mere
heathen [i.e., remember the 'heathen' above; and see
below].” — ST December 5, 1895; or 3ST 257.
ccc
ccc“History is repeating. . . .
cccWhen Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he
directs men to other sources for light and power. Thus he
insinuates himself. Those who turn from the plain teaching of
Scripture and the convicting power of God's Holy Spirit are
inviting the control of demons. Criticism and speculation
concerning the Scriptures have opened the way for spiritualism
[i.e., see below] and theosophy--those modernized forms of
ancient heathenism--to gain a foothold even in the professed
churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
cccSide by side with the preaching of the Gospel,
agencies are at work which are but the medium of lying
spirits.” — ST May 9, 1906; or 4ST 420.
ccc"On the lips . . . most precious truth was
turned into a lie. The policy . . . advocated was based on a
principle borrowed from heathenism." — DA 540, written
in 1898.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualism [i.e., and/or heathenism] is a
lie.” — ST November 13, 1884; or 1ST 470.
ccc"Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. . . their whole life being a lie [i.e., and/or
their whole life being spiritualism or heathenism in a professing
Christian guise and in a professing Seventh-day Adventist
guise]." — 7BC 962:2:1; or Letter 66, 1894.
ccc"What profiteth the graven image that the maker
thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies,
that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone,
Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and
silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it [i.e.,
it is dead].” — Habakkuk 2:18-19.
ccc
ccc“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but
they that deal truly are His delight.” — Proverbs
12:22.
ccc
ccc“We want to be true in all our representations
of Jesus Christ.” — CW 171; or Letter 145, 1899.
ccc
ccc“Neither God nor Heaven nor Christ, who is the
image of the Father, can be truly represented by the art of
man.” — 15MR 106; or MS 131, September 12, 1899.
ccc
ccc“. . . . everything untrue, must be put away .
. . .” — 18MR 247; or Letter 17a, 1891.
ccc
ccc“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but
they that deal truly [i.e., thus, please see 'truly,' see
'untrue,' and see much more discussed in the next three quotes]
are His delight.” — Proverbs 12:22.
ccc
ccc“The artist may do his best to represent the
things his eyes have never seen, but his representations are so
far beneath the reality that I am pained as I behold them.
Neither God nor Heaven nor Christ, who is the image of the
Father, can be truly represented by the art of man. If the Lord
had thought it advisable to represent Christ in this way, His
person would have been described in the writings of the apostle.
. .
cccSatan is working with masterly power [i.e., with
masterly, spiritualistic, and/or heathen power] to corrupt the
experience of human beings, so that the influence of the truth
will not appear in their lives and become a savor of life unto
life to all who believe. Those who are purified and sanctified
will have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. .
. .
ccc. . . . We need not any external representations of
the person of Christ.” — 15MR 105-106, 107; or MR
#1155, September 12, 1899; or MS 131, September 12, 1899.
ccc
ccc“All these spiritualistic representations are
simply nothingness. They are imperfect, untrue. They weaken and
diminish the Majesty which no earthly likeness can be compared
to. God can not be compared with the things His hands have made.
These are mere earthly things, suffering under the curse of God
because of the sins of man.” — SpTB07:62:4, written in
1905.
ccc
ccc“. . . . separate . . . from . . . all . . .
that is untrue to God . . . .” — PH167:8-9, an undated
but inspired pamphlet.
ccc
ccc“The developments of these last days will soon
become decided. When these spiritualistic deceptions are revealed
to be what they really are,--the secret workings of evil
spirits,--those who have acted a part in them [i.e., those who
unwisely choose not to repent and who have acted a part in them]
will become as men who have lost their minds.” — BCL
124, written in 1905.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualist teachers . . . 'put darkness for
light, and light for darkness.' [Isaiah 5:20.]. . . .
cccSatan is making . . . the Saviour of the world . . .
to be no more than a common man. . . .
cccIt is true that spiritualism [i.e., and/or
heathenism; and/or heathen Laodiceanism] is now changing its
form, and, veiling some of its more objectionable features, is
assuming a Christian guise.” — GC 557, 558, written in
1888.
ccc"The only hope for the Laodiceans is a clear
view of their standing before God, a knowledge of the nature of
their disease. . . The internal work of grace is wanting in their
hearts; of such it is said: 'Thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked.' . . .
cccTo be without the graces of the Spirit of God is sad
indeed; but it is a more terrible condition to be thus destitute
of spirituality and of Christ, and yet try to justify ourselves
by telling those who are alarmed for us that we need not their
fears and pity. Fearful is the power of self-deception on the
human mind! What blindness! setting light for darkness and
darkness for light!" — 4T 87-88, written in 1876.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualist teachers . . . 'put darkness for
light, and light for darkness.' [Isaiah 5:20.]. . . .
cccSatan is making . . . the Saviour of the world . . .
to be no more than a common man [i.e., and/or to be no more than
a Tammuz, who was and is Satan's heathen, dead, defied, common
man or Satan's visible false christ god of ancient and modern
heathenism / spiritualism].” — GC 557, written in 1888.
ccc"The city . . . was the metropolis of
heathendom. . . Everywhere statues of their gods . . . met the
eye . . . The senses of the people were entranced by the beauty
and splendor of art. . . .
cccIn this great city . . . God was not worshiped . . .
.
ccc. . . . Pointing to their statuary and idols, he
[i.e., the apostle Pual] declared that God could not be
likened to forms of man's devising. These graven images could
not, in the faintest sense, represent the glory [i.e., the honor]
of Jehovah. He reminded them that these images had no life [i.e.,
these images are dead] . . . ." — PP 233, 234, 237,
written in 1911.
c
ccc"What profiteth the graven image that the maker
thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies,
that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone,
Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and
silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it [i.e.,
it is dead].” — Habakkuk 2:18-19.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there
is so little power in the church today." — SD 57; or
Manuscript 2, 1893.
ccc"The Lord had done marvelous things for His
people in the manifesting of His power as the only true and
living God; yet many had been led astray by the Satanic delusion
that God might be represented by material objects, the
works of men's hands. By the contemplation of these things,
their minds were diverted from God." — ST May
19, 1881; or 1ST 227.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol [i.e., and/or of a
god; and/or of any prohibited representation of God made from
material obejcts; and/or of the Satanic delusion that God might
be represented by material objects, the works of men's hands],
and that is why there is so little power in the church
today." — SD 57; or Manuscript 2, 1893.
ccc"All the gods of the people are idols."
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc"Thou shalt have no other gods [i.e., and/or
idols; and/or any prohibited representation of God made from
material obejcts; and/or the Satanic delusion that God might be
represented by material objects, the works of men's hands],
before Me." — Exodus 20:3.
ccc"The first commandment is a requirement in
reference to man's worship." — 2SAT 181; or Manuscript
126, 1901.
ccc"Howbeit in vain do they worship
Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying
aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men . . .
.” — Mark 7:7-8.
ccc"The people desired some image to represent God
. . . God had given no manner of similitude of Himself, and He
had prohibited any material representation for such a
purpose." — PP 316, written in 1890.
ccc"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves;
for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake
unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt
yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any
figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast
that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth
in the air, the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the
ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath
the earth . . . Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the
covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make
you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord
thy God hath forbidden thee.” — Deuteronomy 4:17-18,
23.
ccc
ccc"It is a law both of the intellectual and the
spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The mind
gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed
to dwell. . . .
ccc'The worship of images [i.e., the vain worship of
images of God] . . . was one of those corruptions of Christianity
which crept into the church stealthily and almost without notice
or observation. This corruption did not, like other heresies,
develop itself at once, for in that case it would have met with
decided censure and rebuke: but, making its commencement under a
fair disguise, so gradually was one practice after another
introduced in connection with it, that the church had become
deeply steeped in practical idolatry, not only without any
efficient opposition, but almost without any decided
remonstrance; and when at length an endeavor was made to root it
out, the evil was found too deeply fixed to admit of removal. . .
. It must be traced to the idolatrous tendency of the human
heart, and its propensity to serve the creature more than the
Creator. . . .
ccc'Images and pictures [i.e., forbidden images and
pictures of God] were first introduced into churches, not to be
worshiped, but either in the place of books to give instruction
to those who could not read, or to excite devotion in the minds
of others. How far they ever answered such a purpose is doubtful;
but, even granting that this was the case for a time, it soon
ceased to be so, and it was found that pictures and images [i.e.,
forbidden pictures and images of God] brought into churches
darkened rather than enlightened the minds of the ignorant-
degraded rather than exalted the devotion of the worshiper. So
that, however they might have been intended to direct men's minds
to God, they ended in turning them from Him to the worship of
created things.' -- J. Mendham, The Seventh General Council,
The Second Of Nicaea, Introduction, pages iii-vi."
— GC 555, 680, written in 1911.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there
is so little power in the church today." — SD 57.
ccc"The Lord had done marvelous things for His
people in the manifesting of His power as the only true and
living God; yet many had been led astray by the Satanic delusion
that God might be represented by material objects, the
works of men's hands. By the contemplation of these things,
their minds were diverted from God." — ST May
19, 1881; or 1ST 227.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol [i.e., and/or of a
god; and/or of any prohibited representation of God made from
material obejcts; and/or of the Satanic delusion that God might
be represented by material objects, the works of men's hands],
and that is why there is so little power in the church
today." — SD 57.
ccc"They despised My Judgments, and walked not in
My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for
their heart went after their idols [i.e., and/ or after
their gods; and/or after their visible and forbidden
representations of God made from material obejcts; and/or after
their Satanic delusion that God might be represented by material
objects, the works of men's hands]." — Ezekiel 20:16.
ccc"All the gods of the people are idols."
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc“Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven
image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows
shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all
be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and
they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both
worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh
it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his
strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The
carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line;
he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the
compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to
the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.”
— Isaiah 44:10-13.
ccc". . . . the workman made it; therefore it is
not God . . . .” — Hosea 8:6.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualist teachers . . . 'put darkness for
light, and light for darkness.' [Isaiah 5:20.]. . . .
cccSatan is making . . . the Saviour of the world . . .
to be no more than a common man [i.e., and/or to be no more than
Tammuz, who was and is the heathen, dead, defied, common man
and/or the visible false christ god of ancient and modern
heathenism / spiritualism]. . . .
cccIt is true that spiritualism [i.e., and/or
heathenism; and/or heathen Laodiceanism] is now changing its
form, and, veiling some of its more objectionable features, is
assuming a Christian guise.” — GC 557, 558, written in
1888.
ccc
ccc“Amid the confusing cries, 'Lo, here is Christ!
Lo, there is Christ!' will be borne a special testimony, a
special message of truth appropriate for this time [i.e.,
appropriate for this time of 'The Closing Work,' which is the
exact title of this Heaven-sent article], which message is to be
received, believed, and acted upon. It is the truth, not fanciful
ideas, that is efficacious. The eternal truth of the Word will
stand forth free from all seductive errors and spiritualistic
interpretations, free from all fancifully drawn, alluring
pictures. Falsehoods will be urged upon the attention of God's
people, but the truth is to stand clothed in its beautiful, pure
garments. The Word, precious in its holy uplifting influence, is
not to be degraded to a level with common, ordinary matters. It
is always to remain uncontaminated by the fallacies by which
Satan seeks to deceive, if possible, the very elect.” —
RH October 13, 1904; or 3RH 83.
ccc
ccc“Modern spiritualism, resting upon the same
foundation, is but a revival [i.e., Satan's on-going, 'latter
times,' 'counterfeit' 'revival,' which is a 'counterfeit' of
God's true 'revival of primitive godliness, as has not been
witnessed since apostolic times,' and/or which is a 'counterfeit'
of God's true 'revival of primitive faith and godliness,' as all
of this is plainly seen in GC 464-465, 478 and PP 684-686,
688-689] in a new form of the witchcraft and demon worship that
God condemned and prohibited of old. It is foretold in the
Scriptures, which declare that 'in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.' 1 Timothy 4:1. Paul, in his second letter
to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in
spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the
second advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ's second coming, He
declares that it is 'after the working of Satan with all power
[i.e., with all heathen or spiritualistic power] and signs and
lying wonders.' 2 Thessalonians 2:9.” — PP 686, written
in 1890.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualism [i.e., and/or a modernized form
of ancient heathenism; and/or spiritusalistic or heatnen
Laodiceanism] is a lie. It is founded on the great original lie,
'Thou shalt not surely die.'” — ST November 13, 1884;
or 1ST 470.
ccc
ccc""On the lips . . . most precious truth was
turned into a lie. The policy . . . was based on a principle
borrowed from heathenism.” — DA 540, written in 1898.
ccc
ccc ". . . . the falsehood of idolatry [i.e.,
and/or the lie of witchcraft and demon worship; and/or the lie of
spiritualism; and/or the lie of heathenism; and/or the lie of
Laodiceanism].” — 1BC 1108:1:1; or MS 58, 1900.
ccc
ccc“It [i.e., God's second commandment] forbids
the making of any image which man might try to liken to the
Creator. It forbids the making of an image of any creature to
represent God or to be associated in any way with the worship of
God. . . .
ccc. . . . The Egyptians and other heathen nations had
many strange gods -- creatures of their own fanciful imagination.
. . .
ccc. . . . The second precept, which forbids false
worship, is also a command to worship God, and Him only serve.
The Lord is a jealous God. He will not be trifled with. He has
spoken concerning the manner in which He should be worshiped. He
has a hatred of idolatry, for its influence is corrupting. It
debases the mind, and leads to sensuality and all kinds of sin.
cccTo make an image of God dishonors Him.” —
2SAT 182, 184; or MR #360, December 10, 1901.
ccc"The church [i.e., the Laodicean church] has
turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily
retreating toward Egypt [i.e., toward heathenism]." —
5T 217, written in 1882; and, thus, part of the great 'light of
1882' by which 'the church' will be 'found wanting,' as explained
in 5T 83-84.
ccc
ccc“The first and second commandments spoken by
Jehovah are precepts against idolatry [i.e., against heathenism].
This sin if practiced, would lead men to great lengths in
rebellion, and would result in the offering of human sacrifices
[i.e., would result in the offering of murder, or would result in
transgression of God's sixth commandment, or would result in the
historically heathen practice of engaging in human sacrifices to
fire -- even to the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone,
rather than repent of open idolatry, as seen in Revelation
21:7-10, 27]. God would guard against the least approach to such
abominations. The first four commandments were given to show men
their duty to God . . . .
cccAgain the Lord seeks to guard His people against
idolatry [i.e., and/or against heathenism; and/or against heathen
Laodiceanism] by commanding Moses to say unto them, 'Ye shall not
make with Me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods
of gold.' They were in danger of imitating the example of the
Egyptians [i.e., of the heathen], and making to themselves images
to represent God.” — ST May 6, 1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him.”
— 2SAT 184; or MR #360, 1901.
ccc
ccc“The iniquity prevailing in Israel during the
last half century before the Assyrian captivity, was similar to
that which prevailed in the days of Noah, and which has prevailed
in every age when men have rejected God and given themselves
wholly to evil doing. Always the exaltation of nature above the
God of nature, the worship of the creature instead of the
Creator, has resulted in the grossest evils. When the people of
Israel paid to the images of Baal and of Ashtoreth [i.e.,
Ashtoreth or Semiramis, as she was also called, was Tammuz's
mother; and, when she died, Ashtoreth or Semiramis was deified as
the counterfeit holy spirit or power goddess, or as the
counterfeit third person of the false godhead of ancient and
modern heathenism; or, in reality, when Ashtoreth or Semiramis
died she was deified as the representation of Satan's heathen
power or spirit; and her visible symbol was and is an earthly
dove image; her festival was and is Easter; and, in another
study, we will discuss more of this moon goddess, or this
counterfeit unholy spirit goddess, or this heathen power goddess
of ancient and modern heathenism and we will plainly see that her
openly heathen and Laodicean devotees in a professing Christian
guise and in a professing Seventh-day Adventist guise are very
much active today], symbolizing the forces of nature, the homage
due to God alone, they severed their connection with all that is
uplifting and ennobling, and fell an easy prey to temptation. The
defenses of the soul broken down, the misguided worshipers had no
barrier against sin.
cccIn the first chapter of the epistle to the Romans,
the apostle Paul gives a startling picture of the debasing
influence of creature worship. Of those who 'changed the truth of
God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than
the Creator,' he writes:--
ccc'When they
knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful;
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an
image made like to corruptible man [i.e., and/or made like unto
the heathen, dead, deified, common man called Tammuz, who was and
is the visible false christ god of ancient and modern
heathenism], and to birds [i.e., and/orto earthly dove images,
which are one of the express and visible symbols of the heathen,
dead, deified, common woman called Ashtoreth or Semiramis, who
was and is the so-called moon goddess, or the visible power
goddess, or the visible unholy spirit goddess, or the counterfeit
latter rain of ancient and modern heathenism, or the represention
of Satan's heathen power or spirit], and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things.' [Romans 1:21-23.].” — RH January 29,
1914; or 6RH 402.
ccc
cccTherefore, as seen in the next five Heaven-sent
quotes and especially in the fifth quote below from Romans
1:21-32, those who are living in the hope of being Judged by God
to be genuinely penitent Christians and Seventh-day Adventists
[i.e., as distinguished from impenitent, openly sinning or openly
idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting, openly heathen
Laodiceans], will see that demon worship, and/or devil worship,
and/or creature worship, and/or open idolatry, and/or making
images/pictures to represent God results in homosexuality and
results in many more sins among a people. In other words, as seen
in the next five inspired quotes and especially in the fifth
quote below from Romans 1:21-32, contrary to the teachings and
denials of impenitent and openly heathen Laodiceans; and,
contrary to their heathen, Laodicean, so-called masters of
divinity and scholars and theologians and psychologists and
psychiatrists, -- genuinely penitent Christians and Seventh-day
Adventists will acknowledge and plainly see that God says the
true cause of homosexuality and many other sins among a people is
the fact that they refuse to repent of idolatry or they refuse to
repent of making to themselves forbidden images / pictures to
represent God, as follows:
ccc
ccc“How my heart has been grieved as I have seen,
in galleries of art, pictures representing Christ.” —
3MR 85; or MS 42, 1886.
cc
ccc“To make an image of God dishonors Him.”
— 2SAT 184; or MR #360, 1901.
ccc
ccc“Again the Lord seeks to guard His people
against idolatry . . . making to themselves images to represent
God.” — ST May 6, 1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“. . . . idolatry . . . is . . . demon
worship.” — PP 685:5, written in 1890.
ccc
ccc“All idolatry is devil worship.” —
Author Unknown; ST January 25, 1899.
ccc
ccc“Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified Him not as God [i.e., they honored Him not as God],
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be
wise, they became fools, And changed the glory [i.e., the honor]
of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore [i.e., therefore or for which cause] God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to
dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this
cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women
did change the natural use into that which is against nature
[i.e., an inspired reference to the cause of homosexuality]: And
likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one toward another; men with men [i.e.,
another inspired reference to the cause of homosexuality] working
that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that
recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God,
despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection [i.e., without natural affection means:
truceless; truce-breakers; not to be appeased; relentless],
unmerciful: Who knowing the Judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but
have pleasure in them that do them.” — Romans 1:21-32.
ccc
ccc“And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst
of the fire: ye heard the Voice of the Words, but saw no
similitude; only ye heard a Voice. And He declared unto you His
covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten
commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone. And the
Lord commanded me [i.e., Moses] at that time to teach you
statutes and Judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither
ye go over to possess it. Take ye therefore good heed unto
yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that
the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the
similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the
likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any
winged fowl that flieth in the air, the likeness of any thing
that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in
the waters beneath the earth: And lest thou lift up thine eyes
unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the
stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to
worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided
unto all nations under the whole heaven. . . . Take heed unto
yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God,
which He made with you, and make you a graven image, or the
likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden
thee. . . Among the heathen . . . ye shall serve gods, the work
of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor
eat, nor smell.” — Deuteronomy 4:12-19, 23, 27, 28.
ccc"The people desired some image to represent God
. . . God had given no manner of similitude of Himself, and He
had prohibited any material representation for such a
purpose." — PP 316, written in 1890.
ccc
ccc“. . . . the falsehood of idolatry [i.e.,
and/or of heathenism].” — 1BC 1108:1:1; or MS 58, 1900.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualism is a lie. It is founded on the
great original lie, 'Thou shalt not surely die.'” — ST
November 13, 1884; or 1ST 470.
ccc
ccc“On the lips . . . most precious truth was
turned into a lie. The policy . . . was based on a principle
borrowed from heathenism [i.e., and/or from spiritualism].”
— DA 540, written in 1898.
ccc
ccc“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but
they that deal truly are His delight.” — Proverbs
12:22.
ccc
ccc“Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. They clothe themselves in the garments of their
own righteousness, imagining themselves to be rich and increased
with goods and in need of nothing, when they need daily to learn
of Jesus, His meekness and lowliness, else they find themselves
bankrupt, their whole life being a lie [i.e., their whole life
being and abomination to the Lord; and/or their whole life being
heathenism / spiritualism].” — 7BC 962:2:1; or Letter
66, 1894.
ccc
ccc“Truth will never be agreeable to a liar. . . .
” — GC 542, written in 1888.
ccc
ccc“The devil [i.e., the enemy of God and man] . .
. from the beginning . . . abode not in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” — John
8:44.
ccc
ccc“. . . . aiding the enemy [i.e., aiding
Satan, who is in reality the secretly disguised god of ancient
and modern heathenism] . . . The term 'lukewarm' is applicable to
this class.” — 4T 87, written in 1876.
ccc
ccc“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.” — Exodus 20:16.
ccc
ccc“There are those who, though professedly
serving God, are witnessing against Him. To them the message to
the Laodicean church is given.” — 7BC 963:2:5; or
Letter 44, 1903.
ccc
ccc“Let the son of deceit and false witness be
entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence,
and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent [i.e.,
and, thus, the openly heathen and Laodicean church discards the
Laodicean message which the Lord has sent], and receive the most
unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false
theories. Satan laughs at their folly, for he knows what truth
is.
cccMany will stand in our pulpits with the torch of
false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of
Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful
ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so
much.” — SpTA:11:7-8, written in 1898; or TM 409-410.
ccc“Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. . . their whole life being a lie [i.e., and/or
their whole life being falsifiers of those who have borne to them
the Laodicean message from the Lord against their abominations of
open heathenism / spiritualism].” — 7BC 962:2:1; or
Letter 66, 1894.
ccc“They see no necessity for reform, and so they
reject the Words of the Lord, and hate him who reproveth at the
gate [i.e., if you wish, see this type of hate, which is also
murder, or human sacrifice, or another practice of heathenism to
include bein a practice of heathen Laodiceanism, and which is
open transgression of God's sixth commandment, as discussed more
in the Lord's comments on the sixth commandment in PP 308, 337;
and, if you wish, also see the unholy spirit of hatred discussed
in PP 308, 337 and in 3T 266-267].
cccThis very refusal to heed the admonitions which the
Lord sends, gives Satan every advantage to make of them the
bitterest enemies of those who have told them the truth. They
become falsifiers of those who have borne to them the message
from the Lord.” — SpTA:11:6:1-2, written in 1898.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualism is a lie. It is founded on the
great original lie, 'Thou shalt not surely die.'” — ST
November 13, 1884; or 1ST 470.
ccc
ccc“On the lips . . . most precious truth was
turned into a lie [i.e., a falsehood]. The policy . . . was based
on a principle borrowed from heathenism [i.e., and/or from
spiritualism].” — DA 540, written in 1898.
ccc
ccc“The . . . fraud . . . was . . . a . . .
falsehood . . . .” — ST April 17, 1879; or 1ST 98.
ccc
ccc“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity,
nor speak lies . . . .” — Zephaniah 3:13.
ccc
ccc“For He [i.e., God] said, Surely they are My
people, children that will not lie: so He was their
Saviour.” — Isaiah 63:8.
ccc
ccc“Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. . . . their whole life being a lie.” —
7BC 962:2:1; or Letter 66, 1894.
ccc
ccc“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of
Satan, which say they are Jews [i.e., which say they are the true
people of God], and are not, but do lie . . . .” —
Revelation 3:9.
ccc
ccc“Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The
temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the
Lord, are these. . . .
ccc. . . . thou makest this people to trust in a
lie.” — Jeremiah 7:4; 28:15.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc
ccc“Many are Laodiceans, living in a spiritual
self-deception. . . their whole life being a lie [i.e., their
whole life being open heathenism / spiritualism].
cccLove of self excludes [i.e., refuses to admit;
refuses to consider; puts out; forces out; discards; rejects;
expels] the love of Christ [i.e., the commandments of Christ].
Those who live for self are ranged under the head of the
Laodicean church who are lukewarm [i.e., aiding the enemy or
aiding Satan, who is the secretly disguised god of ancient and
modern heathenism or spiritualism], neither cold nor hot.”
— 7BC 962:2:1, or Letter 66, 1894; and 7BC 962:2:2, or MS
61, 1898.
ccc
ccc“It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they
have made void Thy law. . . Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and Thy law is the truth. . . My tongue shall
speak of Thy Word: for all Thy commandments are
righteousness.” — Psalms 119:126, 142, 172.
ccc
ccc“You have had a glimpse of the righteousness of
Christ which you have not lost, as I am sure some others did when
they came in contact with those who did not appreciate this
blessed truth. . . .
cccWhen the third angel's message is preached as it
should be, power attends its proclamation, and it becomes an
abiding influence. It must be attended with divine power, or it
will accomplish nothing. I am often referred to the parable of
the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five foolish. This
parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very letter, for it
has a special application to this time, and, like the third
angel's message, has been fulfilled and will continue to be
present truth till the close of time. . . .
ccc. . . . There are persons who have received the
precious light of the righteousness of Christ, but they do not
act upon it; they are foolish virgins. They prefer the sophistry
of the enemy [i.e., they prefer the cunning lies of the enemy]
rather than the plain 'Thus saith the Lord.' . . . .
cccSatan uses those who claim to believe the truth, but
whose light has become darkness [i.e., heathen darkness], as his
mediums to utter his falsehoods [i.e., his lies] and transmit his
darkness [i.e., his heathen darkness]. They are foolish virgins
indeed, choosing darkness [i.e., choosing heathen darkness]
rather than light, and dishonoring God. . . That which passes
with many for the religion of Christ, is made up of ideas and
theories, a mixture of truth and error. . . .
cccThe state of the Church represented by the foolish
virgins, is also spoken of as the Laodicean state. The True
Witness declares, 'I know thy works [i.e., thy heathen /
spiritualistic works], that thou art neither cold nor hot: I
would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm [i.e., aiding the enemy or aiding Satan], and neither
cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.' . . .
ccc. . . . These professors of religion claim to keep
the law of God, but they do not keep it.” — RH August
19, 1890; or 2RH 419, 420.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc
ccc“You cannot affiliate with the world [i.e., see
below] without becoming a partaker of its spirit [i.e., without
becoming a partaker of its heathen power or spirit], without
becoming guilty of treason against the Lord who has bought
you.” — RH August 26, 1890; or 2RH 421.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., please
remember the previous inspired quote immediately above] that no
difference can be seen. . . .
cccLove of self excludes [i.e., refuses to admit;
refuses to consider; puts out; forces out; discards; rejects;
expels] the love of Christ [i.e., the commandments of Christ].
Those who live for self are ranged under the head of the
Laodicean church who are lukewarm [i.e., aiding the enemy or
aiding Satan], neither cold nor hot.” — 7BC 959:2:1, or
RH August 20, 1903; and 7BC 962:2:2, or MS 61, 1898.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments. . . He
that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth
Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will
love him, and will manifest Myself to him. . . . If a man love
Me, he will keep My Words: and My Father will love him, and we
will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth
Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the Word which ye hear is not
mine, but the Father's which sent Me. These things have I spoken
unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace
I give unto you: not as the world [i.e., see below] giveth, give
I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come
again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said,
I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I. And now I
have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to
pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you:
for the prince of this world [i.e., see below] cometh, and hath
nothing in Me. . . .
cccIf the world [i.e., see below] hate you, ye know
that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world
[i.e., see below], the world would love his own: but because ye
are not of the world [i.e., see below], but I have chosen you out
of the world, therefore the world [i.e., see below] hateth you.
Remember the Word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours
also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name's
sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.” — John
14:15, 21, 23-30; 15:18-21.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., thus,
remember the Biblical counsel concerning 'the world' and more
just above; and see the next very important Heaven-sent quote
below] that no difference can be seen. . . .
cccLove of self excludes [i.e., refuses to admit;
rejects; expels] the love of Christ [i.e., the commandments,
Words, and sayings of Christ]. Those who live for self are ranged
under the head of the Laodicean church who are lukewarm [i.e.,
aiding the enemy or aiding Satan], neither cold nor hot. The
ardor of the first love has lapsed into a selfish egotism. The
love of Christ in the heart is expressed in the actions. If love
for Christ is dull, the love for those for whom Christ has died
will degenerate. There may be a wonderful appearance for zeal and
ceremonies, but this is the substance of their self-inflated
religion. Christ represents them as nauseating to His taste.
[Revelation 3:17-18 quoted.]
cccSelf-exaltation [i.e., see below] is a dangerous
element. It tarnishes everything it touches. It is the offspring
of pride, and it works so ingeniously that, unless guarded
against, it will take possession of the thoughts and control the
actions.
cccThe Laodicean message must be proclaimed with power;
for now it is especially applicable. Now, more than ever before,
are seen pride, worldly ambition, self-exaltation [i.e., see
below], double-dealing, hypocrisy, and deception. Many are
speaking great swelling words of vanity, saying, 'I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing.' Yet they are
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” — 7BC
959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903; 7BC 962:2:2, or MS 61, 1898; and
7BC 962:2:3-4, or RH September 25, 1900.
ccc
ccc“The sanctification [i.e., as seen in FW 51,
this is will-worship; and/or modern, counterfeit sanctification]
now gaining prominence in the religious world, carries with it a
spirit of self-exaltation [i.e., remember above; see below], and
a disregard for the law of God, that mark it as foreign to the
religion of the Bible. Its advocates teach that sanctification is
an instantaneous work, by which, through faith alone, they attain
to perfect holiness. 'Only believe,' say they, 'and the blessing
is yours.' No further effort on the part of the receiver is
supposed to be required. At the same time they deny the authority
of the law of God, urging that they are released from obligation
to keep the commandments. But is it possible for men to be holy,
in accord with the will and character of God, without coming into
harmony with the principles which are an expression of His nature
and will, and which show what is well-pleasing to Him?
cccThe desire for an easy religion [i.e., the desire
for an easy religion is the sin of covetousness for an easy
religion -- see PP 309], that requires no striving, no
self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made
the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine; but
what saith the Word of God? Says the apostle James: 'What doth it
profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? can faith save him? . . . Wilt thou know, O vain man, that
faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified
by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest
thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith
made perfect? . . . Ye see then how that by works a man is
justified, and not by faith only.' [James 2:14-24.]
cccThe Testimony of the Word of God is against this
ensnaring doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that
claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions
upon which mercy is to be granted. It is presumption; for genuine
faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the
Scriptures.
cccLet none deceive themselves with the belief that
they can become holy while willfully violating one of God's
requirements. The commission of a known sin silences the
witnessing Voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God.
'Sin is the transgression of the law.' And 'whosoever sinneth
(transgresseth the law) hath not seen Him, neither known Him.' [1
John 3:6.] Though John in his epistles dwells so fully upon love,
yet he does not hesitate to reveal the true character of that
class who claim to be sanctified while living in transgression of
the law of God. 'He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso
keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.' [1
John 2:4, 5.] Here is the test of every man's profession. We
cannot accord holiness to any man without bringing him to the
measurement of God's only standard of holiness in Heaven and in
earth. If men feel no weight of the moral law, if they belittle
and make light of God's precepts, if they break one of the least
of these commandments, and teach men so, they shall be of no
esteem in the sight of Heaven, and we may know that their claims
are without foundation.
cccAnd the claim to be without sin is, in itself,
evidence that he who makes this claim is far from holy. It is
because he has no true conception of the infinite purity and
holiness of God, or of what they must become who shall be in
harmony with His character; because he has no true conception of
the purity and exalted loveliness of Jesus, and the malignity and
evil of sin, that man can regard himself as holy. The greater the
distance between himself and Christ, and the more inadequate his
conceptions of the divine character and requirements, the more
righteous he appears in his own eyes.” — GC 471-473,
written in 1888.
ccc
ccc“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee,
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is
high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the
ground? Though thou exalt thyself [i.e., self-exaltation] as the
eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will
I bring thee down, saith the Lord. . . For the day of the Lord
is near upon all the heathen [i.e., upon all self-exalted or
openly heathen Laodiceans]: as thou hast done, it shall be done
unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye
have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink
continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down,
and they shall be as though they had not been.” —
Obadiah 1:3-4, 15-16.
ccc
ccc“Satan beguiles men now [i.e., Satan N.L.P.'s
men now; and/or Satan bewitches men now; and/or Satan controls
men with his heathen power or spirit now; and/or Satan controls
men with his spiritualistic power or spirit now; and/or Satan
hypnotizes men now] as he beguiled Eve in Eden, by flattery, by
kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, by exciting
ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing these evils that
caused his fall, and through them he aims to compass the ruin of
men. 'Ye shall be as gods,' he declares, 'knowing good and evil
[i.e., from the Hebrew, 'knowing good and evil' means: that one
falsely believes that a mixture of good and evil can be had and
even taught, as if this mixture of truth and error were to be
excused and accepted as a familiar friend; and, thus, through
this false belief in foolishly accepting a mixture of good and
evil, as supposedly being alright, men and women become as 'gods'
themselves].' [Genesis 3:5.] Spiritualism [i.e., witchcraft and
demon worship; and/or heathenism; and/or heathen Laodiceanism]
teaches 'that man is the creature of progression; that it is his
destiny from his birth to progress, even to eternity, toward the
Godhead,' And again: 'Each mind will Judge itself and not
another.' 'The Judgment will be right, because it is the Judgment
of self. . . . The Throne is within you.'” — GC 554,
written in 1888.
ccc
ccc“We [i.e., those who will be Judged by God in
His Judgment and found to be true Seventh-day Adventists and
Christians] should be careful not to take into our hands the work
of Judging that belongs to God.” — MH 484, written
1905.
ccc
ccc“We are all Judgment bound.” — 5T 14,
written in 1882.
ccc
cccTherefore, one example of the openly heathen or
spiritualistic church of the Laodicean's self-exaltation is
making boasts of some type of superior goodness, which is
reserved for the Judgment of God alone to decide. In effect, men
and women become as gods; and, self-exaltingly assuming the
Judgment Throne of God, they enter into God's Judgment making
certain self-exalted claims or hypnotizing claims through their
counterfeit Judgment. For example, no body of men or women can
Judge and rightfully say they are the wheat or the true remnant
on this side of the true Judgment of God, because this is a
decision reserved for the true Judgment of God alone to decide --
not for the counterfeit Judgment of men and women acting as gods
to decide. Please, prayerfully think about these matters dear
friends.
ccc
cccHowever, as we have just seen from God's Word,
Satan's counterfeit revival of witchcraft and demon worship,
and/or spiritualism, and/or heathenism, and/or heathen
Laodiceanism is also synonymous with beguiling, bewitching, or
hypnotizing self-exaltation. What is another example of this
self-exaltation? Well, when men or women make a graven image or a
so-called true statute of God, or when men or women make even a
so-called true likeness or picture of God, what have they in
reality done?--They have simply put their own thoughts into
tangible form so they can see them. Therefore, beguiling,
bewitching, or hypnotizing self-exaltation is one of the things
forbidden by God in each of His commandments--to include in His
first and second commandments against open idolatry, and/or
against open heathenism, and/or against open witchcraft and demon
worship in disguise, and/or against open spiritualism, and/or
against an openly heathen form of godliness, and/or against
openly heathen Laodiceanism.
ccc
cccIn these last days, rather than growing in Christian
humility, many perishing and openly heathen Laodiceans are
self-exaltingly and hypnotically claiming to be historical
Seventh-day Adventists, but are they really? What are the
differences between a historical and true Seventh-day Adventist,
and between a historical and openly heathen Laodicean? Well, God
will be the One that decides in His Judgment who is really a
historical and true Seventh-day Adventist; but, for one thing,
historical and true Seventh-day Adventists will be humble and
genuinely repentant, whereas historical and openly heathen or
openly sinning Laodiceans will be hypnotically self-exalted, will
excuse and cloak over the abomination of Tammuz, will be in
highly visible and open idolatry, and will thus perish in their
self-exaltation unless they repent. Thus, please, notice what the
historical words of J. W. Watt were, as printed in the November
18, 1898, Signs Of The Times, as follows:
ccc
ccc“When man has formed a graven image, what has
he in reality done?--He has simply put his own thoughts into
tangible form so that he can see them. . . Self-exaltation is one
of the things God warns us against in the second commandment. . .
.
cccThe Intelligent Catholic [i.e., and also the lost,
more deceptive, and heathen Laodicean] will tell you that he does
not worship the image that is before him, but that the image is
there to remind him of the object he worships, adores, or whose
aid he seeks; but even this is forbidden by the Lord."
— J. W. Watt; ST November 18, 1898; or 3ST 515.
ccc"To make an image of God dishonors Him. . .
belittles God in the mind . . . associates Him with common
things." — 2SAT 184; or Manuscript 126, 1901; or 4BC
1145.
ccc"[Exodus 20:4-6 quoted]. If we attempt to
represent God by an image or other object, we misrepresent
Him; we belittle Him. It is a sacrilege, for no finite mind can
imagine the form, or the glory, or the majesty of the Eternal
One." — Alma E. McKibbin; Half Hours With The Bible;
Pacific Press Association (1946); page 56.
ccccAnd the Testimony of Jesus says:
ccc“In the days that were before the flood, men
left God out of their reckoning, and followed the imagination of
their own hearts until violence and cruelty, selfishness and
self-exaltation, were the order of the day. The Lord destroyed
the inhabitants of the world [i.e., see below] by a flood, and He
declares that as it was in the days before the flood, so it shall
be in the days when the Son of man is revealed.” — RH
November 13, 1894; or 3RH 202.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen. . . .
cccSelf-exaltation [i.e., remember above; and see
below] is a dangerous element. It tarnishes everything it
touches. It is the offspring of pride, and it works so
ingeniously that, unless guarded against, it will take possession
of the thoughts and control the actions.
cccThe Laodicean message must be proclaimed with power;
for now it is especially applicable. Now, more than ever before,
are seen pride, worldly ambition, self-exaltation [i.e., remember
above; and see below] . . . .” — 7BC 959:2:1, or RH
August 20, 1903; and 7BC 962:2:3-4, or RH September 25, 1900.
ccc
cccTherefore, please notice what the Word of God says
about God's true revival and about Satan's on-going, worldly,
self-exalted, counterfeit revival, as follows [i.e., bracketed
pastoral comments supplied]:
ccc
ccc“Before the final visitation of God's
Judgments upon the earth, there will be, among the people of the
Lord [i.e., among the true people of the Lord], such a revival
[i.e., such a true revival] of primitive godliness as has not
been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God
will be poured out upon His children [i.e., upon those who will
be Judged by God in His Judgment and found to be His true
children]. At that time many will separate themselves from those
churches in which the love of this world [i.e., remember the
previous inspired quote above] has supplanted love for God and
His Word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept
those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this
time, to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. The enemy
[i.e., please remember, lukewarm means aiding the enemy or aiding
Satan, as seen and defined in 4T 87] of souls desires to hinder
this work; and before the time for such a movement shall
come [i.e., before the time for such a true revival or movement
shall come], he will endeavor to prevent it, by introducing a counterfeit
[i.e., Satan's ongoing, 'counterfeit' 'revival' or 'movement' of
open 'heathenism,' or 'spiritualism,' or 'witchcraft and demon
worship,' as seen in PP 684-686; and GC 464-465, 556-558]. In
those churches [i.e., to include: the openly heathen, or worldly,
or spiritualistic, or treasonous-to-Christ, Tammuz-cherishing,
witchcraft and demon worshipping, self-exalted, Satan's heathen
spirit or power having, Satan-aiding or lukewarm church of the
Laodiceans] which he can bring under his deceptive power [i.e.,
under his deceptive, heathen spirit or power], he will make it
appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there will be
manifest what is thought to be great religious interest.
Multitudes will exult [i.e., self-exaltation] that God is working
marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit
[i.e., of another heathen spirit or power]. Under a religious
guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian
world.
cccIn many of the revivals [i.e., in many of the
counterfeit revivals or movements of open heathenism or
spiritualism, as seen in PP 684-686; GC 464-465, 556-558] which
have occurred during the last half century, the same influences
have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be
manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is
an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false,
that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In
the light of God's Word it is not difficult
to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect
the Testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain,
soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of
the world [i.e., please, remember the previous Heaven-sent quote
above], there we may be sure that God's blessing is not bestowed.
. . .
ccc. . . . It is only as the law of God is restored to
its rightful position that there can be a revival [i.e., a true
revival] of primitive faith and godliness among His professed
people.” — GC 464, 478, written in 1888.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc
ccc“Here are our children. Shall we allow them to
be contaminated by the world [i.e., see below], by its iniquity,
its disregard of God's commandments?” — SpM 245,
written in 1902.
ccc
ccc“The Church and the world [i.e., see below] are
united in trampling upon God's commandments, and those who obey
these commandments they threaten with death.” — RH July
16, 1901; or 4RH 318.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., please,
remember the previous four Heaven-sent quotes above] that no
difference can be seen. . . .
cccLove of self excludes [i.e., refuses to admit;
rejects; expels] the love of Christ [i.e., the commandments,
Words, and sayings of Christ]. Those who live for self are ranged
under the head of the Laodicean church who are lukewarm [i.e.,
aiding the enemy or aiding Satan, who is the secretly disguised
god of ancient and modern heathenism or spiritualism], neither
cold nor hot.” — 7BC 959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903;
and 7BC 962:2:2, or MS 61, 1898.
ccc
ccc“'This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness
[i.e., please see this 'form of godliness' discussed below to the
end of this study], but denying the power thereof; from such turn
away.' [2 Timothy 3:1-5.]
cccThe class here mentioned by the apostle are not mere
heathen [i.e., see below].” — ST December 5, 1895; or
3ST 257.
ccc
ccc“When the early church became corrupted [i.e.,
please remember: making images to represent God is the forbidden
imagery that corrupts, as God has plainly warned in Deuteronomy
4:12-19] by departing from the simplicity of the gospel, and
accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and
power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the
people she sought the support of the secular power. The result
was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the State,
and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the
punishment of 'heresy.' . . .
cccIt was apostasy that led the early church to seek
the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for
the development of the papacy,--the beast. Said Paul, There shall
'come a falling away, . . . and that man of sin be revealed.' [2
Thessalonians 2:3] So apostasy in the church will prepare the way
for the image to the beast. And the Bible declares that before
the coming of the Lord there will exist a state of religious
declension similar to that in the first centuries. 'In the
last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers
of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness [i.e., see below to the end of this study], but
denying the power thereof.' [2 Timothy 3:1-5.] 'Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils.' [1 Timothy 4:1; and see also PP 686.] Satan will work
'with all power and signs and lying wonders [i.e., the
wide-spread acceptance of Tammuz, the visible false christ god,
and/or the heathen, dead, deified, common man of ancient and
modern heathenism, is just one example of Satan's lying wonders],
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.' And all that
'received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,'
will be left to accept 'strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie.' [2 Thessalonians 2:9-11; and, remember, many are being
'led astray by the Satanic delusion that God might be represented
by material objects, the works of men's hands. By the
contemplation of these things, their minds were diverted from
God,' as explained in ST May 19, 1881; or 1ST 227; and, 'anything
that diverts the mind from God assumes the form of an idol' or
'god,' as seen in SD 57 and 1 Chronicles 16:26.] When this
state of ungodliness shall be reached, the same results will
follow as in the first centuries [i.e., thus, if you wish to
see exactly how the openly heathen church of the Laodiceans is
even now persecuting Christians and Seventh-day Adventists who
stand against their open heathenism or paganism, please
prayerfully read the chapter called 'Persecution In The First
Centuries' in GC 39-48].” — GC 443, 444, written in
1888.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc
ccc“The line of distinction between professed
Christians and the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable.
Church-members love what the world loves, and are ready to join
with them; and Satan determines to unite them in one body,
and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of
spiritualism [i.e., and/or into the ranks of cherishing Tammuz;
and/or into the ranks of a modernized form of ancient heathenism;
and/or into the ranks of a heathen form of godliness]. Papists,
who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will
be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and
Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be
deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings [i.e., to include:
papist, so-called Protestant, worldly, openly heathen Laodiceans]
will alike accept the form of godliness [i.e., see below]
without the power . . . .” — GC 588-589, written in
1888.
ccc
ccc“And how is this matter to end? The Satanic
agencies are to combine with, and inspire, the professedly
Christian world. Those who have the form of godliness
[i.e., see below to the end of this study] without the power,
will rank under Satan's banner, and will display their zeal in
making void the law of God. The whole world will have the
opportunity of choosing between Christ and Barabbas [i.e.,
Barabbas was a type of false messiah god or the false christ god
of the heathen and Laodicean church with their heathen form of
godliness at the first advent of Christ; and, thus, history is
repeating, just as God has warned, and as seen in Revelation
3:14-18; ST December 5, 1895, or 3ST 257; DA 35-36, 172, 225,
258, 278-280, 733, 738-741; and 1SM 357, 406].” — BEcho
January 25, 1897.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc
ccc“Satan came as an angel of light in the
wilderness of temptation to deceive Christ; and he does not come
to man in a hideous form, as he is sometimes represented, but as
an angel of light. He will come personating Jesus Christ, working
mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus
Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the
world [i.e., remember above; and see below] will glorify as
Christ.” — 6BC 1105-1106; or RH December 18, 1888.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc
ccc“The children of the world are called the
children of darkness. They are blinded by the god of this world,
and are led by the spirit of the prince of darkness.” —
1T 279, written in 1862.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen. . . .
cccLove of self excludes [i.e., refuses to admit;
rejects; expels] the love of Christ [i.e., the commandments,
Words, and sayings of Christ]. Those who live for self are ranged
under the head of the Laodicean church who are lukewarm [i.e.,
aiding the enemy or aiding Satan], neither cold nor hot.”
— 7BC 959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903; and 7BC 962:2:2; or MS
61, 1898.
ccc
ccc“God will test the fidelity [i.e., thus, please
know: idolatry or heathenism is spiritual adultery or infidelity
against God, as seen in PP 305-306] of His people. Many of the
mistakes that are made by the professed servants of God are in
consequence of their self-love, their desire for approval [i.e.,
their openly coveting or sinful desire for sinful approval, as
seen in PP 309], their thirst for popularity. Blinded in this
manner, they do not realize that they are elements of darkness
[i.e., elements of openly heathen darkness] rather than of light.
'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing [i.e., as we are
instructed in 5T 14, touch not the unclean thing means do not
imitate the practices of the ungodly]; and I will receive you,
and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.' These are the conditions
upon which we may be acknowledged as the sons of God--separation
from the world [i.e., please remember above; and see below], and
renunciation of those things which delude, and fascinate, and
ensnare. . . .
ccc. . . . We are all Judgment bound.” — 5T
12-13, 14, written in 1882; and, thus, part of the great 'light
of 1882' by which 'the church' will be weighed and may be 'found
wanting,' as God has plainly warned in 5T 83-84.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc
ccc“In all ages of the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] the truth and its adherents have been
unpopular; and how can we expect it to be different now, so
near the close of time? It is impossible for a man to become
loyal to God, [i.e., remember: openly sinning or openly heathen,
lukewarm Laodiceans are also openly disloyal to God, as seen in
7BC 970 and ST August 2, 1899, or 4ST 50; and, whereas, others
who God will Judge as being true Seventh-day Adventists are loyal
to God] rendering obedience to all His commandments, without
finding himself immediately marked as odd from the rest of the
world [i.e., remember above; and see below], and cut off from the
society of those who transgress that law. If all would be
obedient to the law of God, he would not be obliged to give
up his former associates; but where one alone,
or a very few at most, take a position on
the side of right, a separation becomes necessary.
There is a difference between the children of light and the
children of darkness [i.e., see below]. Their tastes and habits
are widely dissimilar. Though they may be thrown together, there
is no congeniality between them; for one has a love for Heavenly
things, and the other for those that are earthly. 'What concord
hath Christ with Belial?' What harmony is there between light and
darkness [i.e., see below]?” — RH January 13, 1885; or
1RH 497.
ccc
ccc“The children of the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] are called the children of darkness. They
are blinded by the god of this world, and are led by the spirit
of the prince of darkness. They cannot enjoy Heavenly things. The
children of light have their affections set on things above. They
leave behind them the things of this world [i.e.,
remember above; and see below]. They fulfill the command: 'Come
out from among them, and be ye separate.' [2
Corinthians 6:17.] Here is the conditional promise: 'I will
receive you.'” — 1T 279, written in 1862.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc
ccc“The prayer of faith is the great strength of
the Christian and will assuredly prevail against Satan. . . His
arts and devices are received as from Heaven, and faith in the
detector, the Bible, is destroyed in the minds of thousands.
Satan here receives the worship which suits his satanic majesty.
Thousands are conversing with, and receiving instructions from,
this demon-god and acting according to his teachings. The world
[i.e., remember above; and see below] which is supposed to be
benefited so much by phrenology and animal magnetism, never was
so corrupt. Satan uses these very things to destroy virtue and
lay the foundation of spiritualism.
cccI was directed to this Scripture as especially
applying to modern spiritualism [i.e., and/or heathenism]:
Colossians 2:8: 'Beware lest any man spoil you [i.e., thus,
beware lest Tammuz, who was and is heathenism's or spiritualism's
heathen, dead, deified, common man spoil you] through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
of the world [i.e., remember above; and see below], and not after
Christ.'” — 1T 296-297, written in 1862.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc
ccc“Spiritualism [i.e., and/or heathenism; and/or
heathen Laodiceanism] is a dangerous phase of infidelity, and we
[i.e., those who will be Judged by God in His on-going
Investigative Judgment and thus declared by God to be humble,
genuinely repentant, loyal-to-God, not loyal to open heathenism
or heathen Laodiceanism, faithful, true Seventh-day Adventists
and true Christians; and/or the wheat] should not go
into the assemblies of spiritualists
prompted by motives of curiosity. In so doing we are placing
ourselves on Satan's ground, and cannot expect help from God
unless He has a work for us to do to speak some message to those
who are ignorant and deceived, and immediately leave
the assembly. 'They are of the world; therefore
speak they of the world, and the world [i.e., remember above; and
see below], heareth them.'” — ST September 3, 1894; or
3ST 145.
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., remember
above; and see below] that no difference can be seen.”
— 7BC 959:2:1; or RH August 20, 1903.
ccc“None will enter the Holy City, the paradise of
God, but as conquerors,--those who have separated
themselves from the world [i.e., remember above; and see
below].” — RH August 25, 1885; or 1RH 542.
ccc
ccc"The message to the church of the Laodiceans
applies especially to the people of God today [i.e., to the
professed people of God today]. It is a message to professing
Christians who have become so much like the world [i.e., thus,
remember 'the world' and more discussed in at least the previous
seventeen Heaven-sent quotes above] that no difference can be
seen.
ccc'And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and True
Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works
[i.e., thy secretly hidden works and thy openly heathen works],
that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot. So then because thou art lukewarm [i.e., aiding the enemy or
aiding Satan], and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of
My mouth.' . . .
cccOnly those who receive the seal of the living God
will have the passport through the gates of the Holy City. . . .
cccThe great mass of professing Christians will meet
with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have
not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm
[i.e., aiding Satan] and halfhearted, they dishonor God far more
than the avowed unbeliever. They grope in darkness [i.e., see
below] . . . .” — 7BC 959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903;
7BC 970:1:2, or Letter 164, 1909; and 7BC 970:1:7, or Letter 121,
1903.
ccc
ccc“As the people of God approach the perils of
the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his
angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their
faith. He sees that the popular churches [i.e., these popular
churches include: (1.) the popular, deceptive, openly
Tammuz-cherishing, heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly
heathen, openly idolatrous and openly sun-day-keeping churches of
the world, who openly worship Satan, and who do not profess to be
Christian; (2.) the popular, more deceptive, openly
Tammuz-cherishing, heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly
heathen, openly idolatrous and openly Sunday-keeping, Babylonian
church of Rome; (3.) the popular, still more deceptive, openly
Tammuz-cherishing, heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly
heathen, openly idolatrous and openly Sunday-keeping churches of
so-called Protestantism; (4.) the popular, still even more
deceptive, openly Tammuz-cherishing,
heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly heathen, openly
idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting, Conference ranks of
the openly heathen church of the Laodiceans; and (5.) the
popular, still even yet more deceptive, openly Tammuz-cherishing,
heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly heathen, openly
idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting, supposedly
non-Conference ranks of the openly heathen church of the
Laodiceans] are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power.
By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders [i.e., to include: by
pleasing Tammuz pictures, which are one of Satan's lying wonders]
he can continue to hold them under his control. Therefore he
directs his angels to lay their snares especially for those who
are looking for the second advent of Christ, and endeavoring to
keep all the commandments of God.
cccSays 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 [i.e., remember the previous
quote] till that work is ended, and we shall secure the world and
the church also.'
cc '''The Sabbath is the great question which is to
decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the sabbath of our
creating [i.e., thus, please remember: as first-day
Sunday-keeping is a false sabbath of Satan's creating,
seventh-day Sabbath-polluting with idols; and/or with gods;
and/or with the Satanic delusion that God might be represented by
material objects, the works of men's hands; and/or with
abominations; and/or with forbidden, God-dishonoring, so-called
true images and pictures of God is also a false sabbath of
Satan's creating, just as we have already discussed from God's
Word in study #2, in study #3, and also in this present study #4c
on the heathen threat from within].' . . .
ccc''Through those that have a form of godliness
[i.e., see below] 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.'” — 4SP
337, 338, written in 1884.
ccc
ccc“Those who make a profession of being
Christians, that is, Christlike, and who yet live a life of sin,
cast dishonor upon the truth of God. Many of this class trample
upon the law of God, and teach others that its precepts are not
binding, and yet they presume to take the name of Jesus upon
their lips, and talk of being saved by His grace. Such teaching
tends to enfeeble the moral tone of the church, and true
godliness is banished while a miserable, heartless, outward form
of godliness [i.e., remember above; and see below] remains.
Such come under the rebuke of Christ when He says, 'I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm [i.e.,
also, please see 'lukewarm' and much more discussed in next three
quotes just below], and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of My mouth.' . . .
ccc'To the
law and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this
Word, it is because there is no light in them.' Paul asks, 'Shall
we continue in sin, that grace may abound?' and answers, 'God
forbid.' Again he asks, 'Do we then make void the law through
faith?' and answers, 'God forbid; yea, we establish the law.'
God's will is expressed in His holy law, and Jesus says, 'Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which
is in Heaven.' The law of God is the standard by which character
is to be measured, and he whose life is in harmony with that law
is worthy to be trusted, but of what value is the testimony of a
man whose life and teaching contradict the law of Jehovah? He
then measures himself by his own finite standard, and may claim
for himself as much as does the pope of Rome; but in the light of
the detector of sin, his character may be wholly wanting. He may
claim great spiritual riches, and think that he is in need of
nothing, and may boast of the grace of Christ, but at the same
time may have turned that precious grace into lasciviousness.
This spurious character of religion is on the increase, and many
whose hearts are carnal prate of the grace of Christ, while at
the same time they openly blaspheme the name of the God of Heaven
by casting contempt upon the law of God, which rebukes their
inconsistent course and detects their unchristlike
character.” — RH August 28, 1894; or 3RH 181-182.
ccc
ccc“. . . . aiding the enemy [i.e., aiding
Satan, the secretly disguised god of ancient and modern
heathenism] . . . The term 'lukewarm' is applicable to
this class.” — 4T 87, written in 1876.
ccc
ccc“But of how much value is salt that has lost
its savor? When those who claim to be Christians, do not in their
words and actions reveal the attributes of Christ, they are
represented as salt that has lost its savor. Whatever may be
their profession, they are looked upon by men and angels as
insipid [i.e., as tasteless; as flat; as having lost its savor;
as dull] and disagreeable. Of such Christ says: 'I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm [i.e.,
aiding the enemy or aiding Satan], and neither cold nor hot, I
will spue thee out of My mouth.' They have a form of godliness
[i.e., see below], a profession of religion; but it is
contradicted by their lives.” — ST November 7, 1895; or
3ST 251 .
ccc
ccc“Christ presented the requirements of God's law
with great force and clearness, but many of His hearers turned
away, careless and indifferent. And to-day God's ministers preach
the Word with power sent down from Heaven, but on the minds of
many no permanent impression is made. The messages given by God
are not received and practised. It is not thought necessary to
bring the controlling power of God into the daily and hourly
transactions of life. God is not known by an experimental
knowledge, and therefore He can not encircle them with the
realities of the unseen world. The eternal reward of the
righteous does not impress their minds. The great day of the
Lord [i.e., also, see the second quote below], which is right
upon us, awakens neither alarm nor rejoicing in their hearts.
They have a form of godliness [i.e., again, please
remember above; and also see the very next Heaven-sent quote
below], but not the power of the truth. Wrapped in self, nothing
can help them till they realize their true condition.
cccThose who claim to be the children of God, and yet
do not obey His commands, who are hearers but not doers of the
Word, are regarded by the Lord as bankers regard fraudulent
[i.e., false witnessing or lying] bank-notes. They are not
genuine. They claim the name of Christian, but in reality
they are heathen. To those who do not practise it, the
Word of God is a dead letter. Christ says of such, 'I
would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm
[i.e., aiding the enemy or aiding Satan], and neither cold nor
hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.' If they realized that
they were sinners, He could plead in their behalf, and the Lord
would arouse them by His Holy Spirit [i.e., by His true power; by
His true Latter Rain]. But He can not present them to the Father;
for they are worse than dead in trespasses
and sins. They hear the Word, but make no application of it to
themselves. Instead, they apply the Word to their neighbors. God
can be no power [i.e., no Spirit; no Latter Rain] to lukewarm
Laodiceans.” — ST August 2, 1899; or 4ST 50.
ccc
ccc“'This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness
[i.e., thus, particularly remember the 'form of godliness' of the
'heathen,' 'worse than dead,' 'careless,' 'indifferent,' 'wrapped
in self,' 'fraudulent' or 'not genuine,' 'lukewarm Laodiceans,'
as discussed in the previous Heaven-sent quote immediately above;
and, know that the openly idolatrous and thus openly
Sabbath-polluting, openly heathen church of the Laodiceans with
its Tammuz-cherishing Conference and supposedly non-Conference
ranks will not teach nor even acknowledge the previous five
quotes just above, especially in combination with this present
quote], but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.'
[2 Timothy 3:1-5.]
cccThe class here mentioned by the apostle are not
mere heathen [i.e., thus, if we are living in the
hope of God accepting us to be true Seventh-day Adventists and
thus true Christians, we must remember and pray for the
impenitent, lost, great mass of openly heathen, perishing, openly
a heathen-form-of-godliness-having, Tammuz-cherishing or
heathen-abomination-cherishing, Satan-aiding or lukewarm
Laodiceans and/or pray for the openly heathen church of the
Laodiceans].” — ST December 5, 1895; or 3ST 257.
ccc". . . . the abominations of the heathen . . .
.” — 2 Chronicles 36:14.
ccc
ccc“He [i.e., Christ] said also unto me [i.e.,
said also unto the prophet Ezekiel], Turn thee yet again, and
thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then He brought
me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward
the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz
[i.e., and/or weeping for the visible false christ god; and/or
the heathen, dead, deified, common man of ancient and modern
heathenism]. . . .
cccAnd the Lord said unto him [i.e., unto His sealing
angel], Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of
Jerusalem, and set a mark [i.e., set the seal of the living God]
upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done in the midst thereof. . . .
cccAnd ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have
not walked in My statutes, neither executed My Judgments, but
have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about
you. . . .
cccAgain the Word of the Lord came unto me [i.e., came
unto the prophet Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to
know her abominations . . .
cccYet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the
wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had
given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of
all lands; Because they despised My judgments, and walked not in
My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after
their idols [i.e., and/or after their gods; and/or after their
forbidden, openly idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting,
God-dishonoring, Satan-aiding, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God; and/or after their Satanic delusion that
God might be represented by material objects, the works of men's
hands; and/or after their abominations]. . . .
cccThus Ezekiel is unto you a sign [i.e., a true sign]:
according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this
cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God. . . .
cccThe Word of the Lord came again unto me [i.e., came
again unto Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus
saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is
near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it
shall be the time of the heathen.” — Ezekiel 8:13-14;
9:4; 11:12; 16:1-2; 20:15-16; 24:24; 30:1-3.
ccc
ccc“Among the heathen . . . ye shall serve gods,
the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor
hear, nor eat, nor smell.” — Deuteronomy 4:27, 28.
ccc
ccc“ . . . . the gods of the heathen . . . .”
— PP 336, written in 1890.
ccc
ccc“All the gods of the people are idols.”
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc
ccc“The idols [i.e., and/or the gods; and/or the
forbidden, openly idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath-polluting,
God-dishonoring, Satan-aiding, so-called true images and pictures
made to represent God; and/or the Satanic delusion that God might
be represented by material objects, the works of men's hands;
and/or the abominations] of the heathen are silver and gold, the
work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes
have they, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not;
neither is there any breath in their mouths [i.e., they are not
alive; they are dead]. They that make them are like unto them: so
is every one that trusteth in them.” — Psalms
135:15-18.
ccc
ccc“Howbeit in vain do they worship
Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying
aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men . . .
And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of
God, that ye may keep your own tradition. . . Making the Word of
God of none effect [i.e., making the Word of God of none effect
is also the very last deception of both Satan and thus also of
the great mass of openly heathen, Satan-aiding or lukewarm
Laodiceans, who Satan uses as his mediums, just as God has
plainly forewarned in 1SM 48; 5T 210-211; RH August 19, 1890, or
2RH 419-420; Matthew 15:9; PP 305-306; Leviticus 26:38; ST August
2, 1899, or 4ST 50; and 4T 87] through your tradition, which ye
have delivered: and many such like things do ye. And when He had
called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken unto
Me every one of you, and understand.” — Mark 7:7, 8, 9,
13, 14.
ccc
ccc“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15.
ccc
ccc“. . . . flee from idolatry.” — 1
Corinthians 10:14.
ccc
ccc“Again the Lord seeks to guard His people
against idolatry [i.e., against heathenism; and/or against
heathen Laodiceanism] . . . making to themselves images to
represent God.” — ST May 6, 1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is
a startling denunciation . . . .
cccThe fear of God was daily growing less . . .The
blasphemous tokens of their blind idolatry were to be seen . . .
There were none who dared to expose their lives by openly
standing forth in opposition to the prevailing blasphemous
idolatry. The altars of Baal, and the priests of Baal who
sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars, were conspicuous
everywhere.” — 3T 252, 262-263, written in 1873.
ccc“Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
— Hebrews 11:1.
c
cccTherefore, the true faith of Christian Seventh-day
Adventists “is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen” [Hebrews 11:1], whereas
the direct opposite or counterfeit faith of the great mass of
perishing and openly heathen Laodiceans is the substance of things
they self-exaltingly guarantee for themselves, the evidence
of things that they must literally see -- thus, their
visible gods, (for example), and their self-inflated religion
(for another example), which is all based upon that which must be
seen, upon that which is visible, or upon the physical senses
rather than upon the spiritual senses. Please, notice the words
of the truly historical Seventh-day Adventist, E. A. Sutherland,
as follows:
ccc“The ease with which men fell into evil habits
is illustrated in the history of the world after the flood. . .
They chose an education of the senses rather than one of faith .
. . paganism [i.e., open heathenism or idolatry] took the place
of the worship of God.” — E. A. Sutherland; Living
Fountains Or Broken Cisterns; Review And Herald
Publishing Company (1900); pages 54, 55.
ccc“History is repeating.” — ST May 9,
1906; or 4ST 42.
cccAnd the Word of God says:
ccc“Again the Lord seeks to guard His people
against idolatry [i.e., and/or against paganism; and/or against
heathenism; and/or against heathenism Laodiceanism] . . . making
to themselves images to represent God.” — ST May 6,
1880; or 1ST 154.
ccc“Prophecy had declared that the papacy was to
'think to change times and laws.' [Daniel 7:25.] This work it was
not slow to attempt. To afford converts from heathenism a
substitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their
nominal acceptance [i.e., to promote their in-name-only
acceptance] of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics
was gradually introduced into the Christian worship. The decree
of a general council [i.e., the Second Council Of Nice, A.D. 787]
finally established this system of idolatry. To complete the
sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of God
the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and to divide
the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number. . . .
cccIt is a law both of the intellectual and the
spiritual nature, that by beholding, we become changed. The mind gradually
adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell.
. . .
ccc'The worship of images . . . was one of those
corruptions of Christianity which crept into the church
stealthily and almost without notice or observation. This
corruption did not, like other heresies, develop itself at once,
for in that case it would have met with decided censure and
rebuke: but, making its commencement under a fair disguise, so
gradually was one practice after another introduced in connection
with it, that the church had become deeply steeped in practical
idolatry, not only without any efficient opposition, but almost
without any decided remonstrance; and when at length an endeavor
was made to root it out, the evil was found too deeply fixed to
admit of removal. . . . It must be traced to the idolatrous
tendency of the human heart, and its propensity to serve the
creature more than the Creator.' . . .
cc''Images and pictures [i.e., meaning: images and
pictures of Heavenly things -- like forbidden, so-called true
images and pictures of God the Father, of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and of God the Holy Spirit; -- and, also, like forbidden,
so-called true images and pictures of God's angels (see CW 171,
or Letter 145, 1899); -- and, also, like forbidden, so-called
true images and pictures of New Jerusalem, as forbidden in TDG
103, or Letter 54, April 4, 1886] were first introduced into
churches, not to be worshiped, but either in the place of books
to give instruction to those who could not read, or to excite
devotion in the minds of others. How far they ever answered such
a purpose is doubtful; but, even granting that this was
the case for a time, it soon ceased to
be so, and it was found that pictures and images
brought into churches darkened rather than enlightened the minds
of the ignorant--degraded rather than exalted the devotion of the
worshiper. So that, rather however they might have been intended
to direct men's minds to God, they ended in turning them from Him
to the worship of created things.'--J. Mendham, The Seventh
General Council, The Second Of Nicaea, Introduction, pages
iii-vi.” — GC 51-52, 555, 680, written in 1911.
ccc
ccc“. . . . the falsehood of idolatry.”
— 1BC 1108:1:1; or MS 58, 1900.
ccc
ccc“Blessed are they that do His commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the City. For without are . . . idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” — Revelation
22:14, 15.
ccc
ccc“We are all Judgment bound.” — 5T 14,
written in 1882.
ccc
ccc“Justice requires that man shall have
light, and it also requires that he who refuses to walk in this
Heaven-sent light, the giving of which cost the death of the Son
of God, shall receive punishment. It is a principle of
Justice that the guilt of the sinner is proportionate
to the knowledge given him, but not used, or used
in a wrong way [i.e., thus, this is one reason why the more
deceptive, openly more guilty, openly idolatrous and thus openly
Sabbath-polluting, openly heathen church of the Laodiceans can
never become the deceptive, openly less guilty, openly idolatrous
and openly Sunday-keeping, openly heathen, Babylonian church;
and, thus, to claim that the Laodicean church is the Babylonian
church is to mount a direct attack upon this principle of God's
Justice, is to also mount a direct attack upon the Investigative
Judgment of God itself going on right now in the Most Holy Place
of the Heavenly Sanctuary, and is also to mount a direct attack
upon the Sanctuary message itself; but, predictably contrary to
the great mass of openly heathen Laodiceans and the church they
range under, God's Laodicean message does most definitely command
a turning away and a separation from the impenitent, openly
heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly heathen church of the
Laodiceans, just as God's Babylonian message also commands a
turning away and a separation from the openly less guilty,
impenitent, openly heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly
heathen churches of the Babylonians themselves -- this is the
truth -- the science of true education is the truth -- the third
angel's message is the truth]. . . .
cccIf God had failed to act His part, if He
had given human beings any reason for neglecting the great
salvation offered them, man might plead ignorance as a
valid excuse. But He has made the way plain. When
has He required any one to do anything without giving him full
directions as to what He requires him to do? . . .
cccTo some is given greater light than to others.
Each will be Judged by the light given him. The degree
of light bestowed is the measure of responsibility. . . .
cccThe people of each age will be Judged by the
light they have received.” — ST May 27, 1903; or
4ST 291.
ccc
ccc“There hath no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to
be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry
[i.e., and/or flee from open heathenism; and, thus, flee from the
deceptive, openly guilty, impenitent, openly idolatrous and
openly openly Sunday-keeping, vain worshipping,
Tammuz-cherishing, openly heathen-form-of-godliness-having,
openly heathen, Babylonian churches; and, therefore, also flee
from the even more deceptive, openly even more guilty,
impenitent, openly idolatrous and thus openly Sabbath polluting,
vain worshipping, Tammuz-cherishing, openly
heathen-form-of-godliness-having, openly heathen, Laodicean
church]. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I
say.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13-15.
cccv
ccc“Again the Lord seeks to guard His people
against idolatry [i.e., against paganism; and/or against
heathenism; and/or against heathen Laodiceanism] . . . making to
themselves images to represent God.” — ST May 6, 1880;
or 1ST 154.
ccc
ccc“All idolatry is devil worship.” —
Author Unknown; ST January 25, 1899.
ccc
ccc“. . . . idolatry . . . is . . . demon
worship.” — PP 685:5, written in 1890.
ccc
ccc“Here the Lord gave expression to His
abhorrence of idolatry. Those heathen nations had turned from the
worship of the living God, and were paying homage to demons.
Shrines and temples, beautiful statues, and costly monuments, all
the most ingenious and expensive works of art, had held the
thoughts and affections of the veriest slavery to Satanic delusions
[i.e., please, see a 'Satanic delusion' and more discussed in the
first and third inspired quotes just below].” — 2BC
996:2:1; or ST April 21, 1881.
ccc
ccc“. . . . many had been led astray by the Satanic
delusion that God might be represented by material
objects, the works of men's hands. By the
contemplation of these things, their minds were
diverted from God.” — ST May 19, 1881; or 1ST 227.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there
is so little power in the church today." — SD 57; or
Manuscript 2, 1893.
ccc
ccc“History is repeating.” — ST May 9,
1906; or 4ST 420.
ccc
ccc“Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites
as a nation maintained their allegiance to God, and His blessing
attended them. . . .
cccAs Joshua felt the infirmities of age stealing upon
him, and realized that his labors must soon cease, he assembled
the elders, the judges, and the officers of Israel, that he might
communicate to them his last warnings and admonitions. . . .
cccHe repeated the instructions given by Moses, that
they were to form no allegiance with the idolatrous nations
[i.e., thus, form no allegiance with impenitent, openly
idolatrous, or openly heathen churches] . . . They were forbidden
to manifest the least respect for the gods of the heathen, to
take oath by their names, or to join in their worship in any
manner. They were warned that familiarity with idolatry would
remove their abhorrence of it, and would expose them to God's
displeasure. . . .
cccWe are in as great danger from contact with
infidelity as were the Israelites from intercourse with
idolaters. The productions of genius and talent too often conceal
the deadly poison. . . .
cccAs a rule, those who choose for their friends and
companions, persons who reject Christ and trample upon God's law,
eventually become of the same mind and spirit [i.e., eventually
become of the same heathen mind and heathen spirit]. We should
ever feel a deep interest in the salvation of the impenitent, and
should manifest toward them a spirit of kindness and courtesy;
but we can safely choose for our friends only those who are the
friends of God.
cccThose who make the Word of God their rule of life
are hated by the world [i.e., and/or are hated by the heathen
church of the Laodiceans who have become so much like the world
that no difference can be seen, acording to 7BC 959:2:1, or RH
August 20, 1903]. The ungodly are not willing to have their
consciences aroused; and the silent example of Christ's true
followers is a constant reproof. There are many professed
Christians who partake of the spirit of the world, and love its
friendship. But none need be deceived by their example; for the
Word of truth declares that the friendship of the world is enmity
with God. Those who take human feeling and human reasoning for
their guide, will as surely separate from the wisdom of God, as
did ancient Israel when they forsook the Lord to serve Baal and
Ashtaroth [i.e., and/or to serve ancient and modern heathenism's
three deities: #1. Baal or Nimrod, who was and is Satan's
heathen, dead, deified, counterfeit father god, or sun god, and
the so-called father of Tammuz; and #2. Ashtaroth or Semiramis,
who was and is Satan's counterfeit power or spirit goddess or
moon goddess or the heathen, dead, deified mother of Tammuz; and
#3. Tammuz, himself, the visible false christ god or the son of
the sun god of ancient and modern heathenism]. . . .
ccc. . . . In view of all that God had done for them,
Joshua exhorted the people, 'Now therefore fear the Lord, and
serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which
your fathers served . . . and serve ye the Lord.' The human mind
is naturally inclined to dwell upon the things which are seen and
heard, and to neglect the things which are unseen. The Lord had
done marvelous things for His people in the manifesting of His
power as the only true and living God; yet many had been led
astray by the Satanic delusion that God might be
represented by material objects [i.e., by stone; wood; paper;
gold; silver; bronze; brass; iron; paint; ink; charcoal; lead
pencil; felt; plastic; plaster of Paris; or by some other
visible, dead, earthly, corrupt, common, and material objects], the
works of men's hands. By the contemplation of these things,
their minds were diverted from God. . . .
cccJoshua sought to show his people the inconsistency
of their course of backsliding. He wished them to feel that the
time had come to make a decided change, to put away every vestige
of idolatry, and to turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart.
. . .
cccOur dangers are similar to those which threatened
the prosperity of ancient Israel. The oft-repeated warnings
against idolatry addressed to the Hebrew host, are no less
applicable to us. . . .
cccThe Lord our God is a jealous God. He is just and
holy He will not be trifled with. He reads a deceptive heart.
He abhors a double mind. He hates lukewarmness
[i.e., thus, He hates the disease of aiding the enemy or aiding
Satan, as seen in the inspired quote below].” — ST May
19, 1881; or 1ST 227, 228.
ccc
ccc“The Laodicean message [i.e., not the
Babylonian message, but the Laodicean message] applies to the
people of God who profess to believe present truth. The greater
part are lukewarm professors . . . aiding the enemy [i.e.,
aiding Satan] . . . The term 'lukewarm' is applicable to
this class. . . .
cccThe only hope for the Laodiceans is a clear
view of their standing before God, a knowledge of the nature of
their disease. They are neither cold nor hot; they occupy a
neutral position, and at the same time flatter themselves [i.e.,
since they flatter themselves, they are thus beguiling,
hypnotizing, or bewitching themselves, as seen in GC 554-558]
that they are in need of nothing. The True Witness hates this lukewarmness
[i.e., hates this aiding the enemy or aiding Satan]. . . .
cccFaith and love are the true riches, the pure gold
which the True Witness counsels the lukewarm to buy.
However rich we may be in earthly treasure, all our wealth will
not enable us to buy the precious remedies that cure the disease
of the soul called lukewarmness [i.e., and/or the disease
of the soul called aiding the enemy or aiding Satan, who is the
secretly disguised god of ancient and modern heathenism].”
— 4T 87, 88, written in 1876.
ccc". . . . aiding the enemy [i.e., aiding
Satan] . . . The term 'lukewarm' is applicable to this
class." — 4T 87, written in 1876.
ccc
ccc“They should see the sinfulness of aiding
the enemy of God and man by placing objects [i.e., please
remember the 'material objects' and more, as discussed in the
second and fifth quotes above; and see such 'material objects'
and 'object' discussed more in the fourth inspired quote just
below] before the mind to divert the attention from
Christ and Heaven.” — RH January 27, 1891; or 2RH
460.
ccc"Anything that diverts the mind from
God assumes the form of an idol, and that is why there
is so little power in the church today." — SD 57; or
Manuscript 2, 1893.
ccc"All the gods of the people are idols."
— 1 Chronicles 16:26.
ccc"The first commandment is a requirement in
reference to man's worship." — 2SAT 181; or Manuscript
126, 1901.
ccc“'Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.'
cccJehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One,
Himself the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to
supreme reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any
other object [i.e., thus, please remember the 'objects'
and the 'material objects' discussed in the fourth, sixth, and
ninth Heaven-sent quotes above, and see such 'material objects'
discussed more in this present quote below] the first place in
his affections or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to
lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him,
of that do we make a god.
ccc''Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image' . .
. .
cccThe second commandment forbids the worship [i.e.,
thus, as we have seen in this study, the second commandment
forbids the vain worship; forbids the false worship; forbids the
worship of created works; forbids the worship of created things;
forbids the creature worship; forbids the devil worship; forbids
the demon worship; forbids the witchcraft and demon worship; and
forbids the secretly disguised Satan worship -- which all take
place as soon as people make to themselves some forbidden image
or picture to represent God] of the true God by images or
similitudes. Many heathen nations [i.e., to include: the
openly heathen, Satan aiding or lukewarm church of the
Laodiceans] claimed that their images were mere figures or
symbols by which the Deity was worshiped [i.e., was truly
worshiped], but God has declared such worship [i.e., such vain
worship; such false worship; such created works worship; such
created things worship; such creature worship; such devil
worship; such demon worship; such witchcraft and demon worship;
such Satan worship; and/or such idolatry] to be sin. The
attempt to represent the Eternal One by material objects
[i.e., by stone; wood; paper; gold; silver; bronze; brass; iron;
paint; ink; charcoal; lead pencil; felt; plastic; plaster of
Paris; or by some other visible, dead, earthly, corrupt, common,
and material objects] would lower man's conception of God.
The mind, turned away from the infinite perfection of
Jehovah, would be attracted to the creature rather than to the
Creator. And as his conceptions of God were lowered, so
would man become degraded. . . .
cccThe Sabbath [i.e., if sacredly observed, or if kept
free from the gods of the openly idolatrous or openly heathen
church of the Laodiceans] . . . distinguishes the true God from
all false gods. . . .
cccBy causing men to violate the second commandment,
Satan aimed to degrade their conceptions of the Divine
Being. By setting aside the fourth, he would cause them to forget
God altogether. God's claim to reverence and worship [i.e., true
worship], above the gods of the heathen [i.e., to include:
above the gods of the heathen or openly idolatrous church of the
Laodiceans], is based upon the fact that He is the Creator . . .
Had the Sabbath always been sacredly observed [i.e., not
satanically changed to Sunday-keeping by the deceptive, openly
guilty, impenitent, perishing, openly heathen, openly idolatrous,
Sunday keeping, Babylonian church; and not satanically changed to
Sabbath-polluting by the more deceptive, openly more guilty,
impenitent, perishing, openly heathen, openly idolatrous and thus
openly Sabbath polluting, Laodicean church; -- but, had the
Sabbath always been sacredly observed], there could never have
been an atheist or an idolater [i.e., and/or there could never
have been an atheist, nor a gods-server, nor a secretly disguised
Satan worshipper, nor a deceptive and heathen Babylonian, nor a
more deceptive and heathen Laodicean]. . . .
ccc. . . . Through long intercourse with idolaters the
people . . . had mingled many heathen customs with their
worship . . . .” — PP 305-306, 307, 336, 364, written
in 1890.
ccc
ccc“And ye shall perish among the heathen . . .
.” — Leviticus 26:38.
ccc
ccc“And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury
upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” — Micah
5:15.
ccc
ccc“O God, the heathen are come into Thine
inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled . . . .”
— Psalms 79:1.
ccc
ccc“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from
among the heathen . . . .
cccIt is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have
made void Thy law. . . Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and Thy law is the truth. . . My tongue shall
speak of Thy Word: for all Thy commandments are
righteousness.” — Psalms 106:47; 119:126, 142, 172.
ccc
cccFather in Heaven, please strengthen us, according to
Psalms 106:47: “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from
among the heathen” - - from among the Tammuz-cherishing,
pridefully and foolishly impenitent, openly heathen threat from
within. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
ccc
cccTherefore, as we have seen in this study, the
“line of distinction” [GC 588]:
(A.) between perishing and openly heathen Babylonians, who
profess to be Christians;
(B.) between perishing and openly heathen Laodiceans, who profess
to be both Christians and Seventh-day Adventists; and
(C.) between the “ungodly” [GC 588] is now “hardly
distinguishable” [GC 588].
cccThus, both the deceptive, openly guilty, impenitent,
openly idolatrous or openly spiritualistic, Tammuz-cherishing,
Babylonian church-members; and, also, the more deceptive, openly
more guilty, impenitent, openly idolatrous or openly heathen or
openly spiritualistic, Tammuz-cherishing, Laodicean
church-members “love what the world loves” [GC 588],
and are ever ready to join with “the world.” 7BC
959:2:1, or RH August 20, 1903; and 7BC 970:1:7, or Letter 121,
1903.
ccc
cccTherefore, just exactly as God has forewarned, and
as Satan has previously determined, Satan has already united
deceptive, Tammuz-serving, openly heathen Babylonians and more
deceptive, Tammuz-serving, openly heathen Laodiceans “in one
body” [GC 588] -- in “one” openly idolatrous,
and/or openly heathen, and/or openly spiritualistic, and/or
openly Satan worshipping “body” -- and/or in
“one” spiritualistic or openly heathen “form of
godliness” in a professing Christian “guise.” GC
588-589; ST May 9, 1906; and GC 557-558.
ccc
cccTherefore, just exactly as God has forewarned, Satan
has already considerably strengthened “his cause” [GC
588] by sweeping all of these precious souls “into the ranks
of spiritualism” [GC 588], -- which is the same thing as
being swept into a Tammuz-serving or modernized form of
“ancient heathenism” [ST May 9, 1906; or 4ST 420], --
which is also the same thing as being swept into the heathenism's
open idolatry [PP 305-306], -- which is also the same thing as
being swept into the ranks of Satan's secretly disguised,
on-going, “counterfeit” “revival” of
“witchcraft and demon worship” [PP 684-686; GC 464-465,
478, 556-558], or -- which is also the same thing as being swept
into secretly disguised “Satan” “worship.” 1T
296-297.
ccc
cccTherefore, papists, -- to include the deceptive and
openly heathen Babylonians of the openly heathen and
Tammuz-serving church of Rome; and, also, to include the more
deceptive and openly heathen Laodiceans of the openly heathen and
Tammuz-serving church of the Laodiceans, who mutually engage in
self-exalting
god-like-Judgment-Throne-of-God-assuming-counterfeit-Judgment and
thus mutually self-exalt or “boast” [GC 588] of being
the “true church” [GC 588] without any consideration of
God's Judgment, -- have already been “deceived” [GC
588] by Satan's spiritualistic or openly heathen and
“wonder-working power” [GC 588]. They have “cast
away the shield of truth” [GC 588], and have become
“deluded” [GC 588] by a lie. They have alike accepted
the lie of the openly “heathen” “form of godliness
without the power” [2 Timothy 3:1-5; GC 588-589; ST December
5, 1895; ST August 2, 1899], and they already blindly
“see” [GC 589] in this spiritualistic “union”
a so-called grand “movement for the conversion of the
world” [GC 589]. “In these last days,” God says
“turn away” [2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 3:10-11] from such
openly heathen ones with their openly “heathen”
“form of godliness” [ST December 5, 1895], when they
persistently and arrogantly choose to remain impenitent. God has
given more than ample warnings.
ccc
cccNevertheless, it is amazing that the Tammuz-serving
Conference ranks and certain Tammuz-serving supposedly
non-Conference ranks of the highly visible or openly heathen
church of the Laodiceans have been able to bewitch or hypnotize
such a great mass of people into believing that no one can
separate and “turn away” from the mammothly deceptive,
openly “heathen,” Tammuz-cherishing,
“heathen” “form of godliness” promoting,
Satan aiding or lukewarm, Laodicean church itself -- we are,
according to openly heathen Laodiceans, just to "turn away
from" the openly heathen, Tammuz-cherishing, Babylonian
church. 2 Timothy 3:1-5; GC 588-589; ST December 5, 1895; ST
August 2, 1899. What an absurd idea that Christian and
Seventh-day Adventist men and women are not to turn away and to
separate from open heathenism wherever it is stubbornly
cherished! What supreme nonsense! As God's Word has plainly
revealed in this study, the false belief that teaches there is no
command for separation in God's Laodicean message is also a most
absurd idea and supreme nonsense! Only a great mass of impenitent
and openly heathen Laodiceans can irrationally advocate that no
one can separate and turn away from the openly heathen,
Tammuz-serving, and foolishly impenitent, Laodicean church;
because, as we have just seen in this study of God's Word, God's
Laodicean message not only commands such a turning away and such
a separation, but God's Laodicean message also plainly teaches
that just such a “separation is necessary” [RH January
13, 1885] from the Laodicean church.
ccc
cccAs we have seen in this study of God's Word, here is
an eye-opening summary of the highly visible, openly
heathen,Tammuz-promoting, Laodicean church: God says it is a
highly visible or openly heathen or worldly or spiritualistic,
worse than dead, gods-serving or atheistic, papist, spiritually
self-deceived and deceiving, wrapped in self, self-loving, living
for self, selfishly egotistical, promoting a self-inflated
religion or promoting a religion that hears the Judgment of God
while making no application of it to themselves and while
applying it only to others, vain, mingling truth with error,
excusing their made-up mixture of truth and error, adopting
heathen tradition, groping in heathen darkness even in the day of
God, spiritualistic or heathen form of godliness promoting or
thus lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady,
high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, false
prophets or ravening wolves in sheep's clothing, perishing,
impenitent, openly devils worshipping or openly idolatrous and
thus openly Sabbath polluting and thus openly false witnessing or
lying or fraudulent or not genuine and much more, vain
worshipping, false worshipping, created works worshipping,
created things worshipping, creature worshipping, devil
worshipping, demon worshipping, witchcraft and demon worshipping,
Satan worshipping, corrupt and corrupting, world-loving or openly
guilty of treason against Christ, disloyal-to-Christ,
nauseating-to-Christ, visible-false-christ-god-cherishing or
Tammuz-cherishing or heathen-dead-defied-common-man-cherishing or
heathen-abomination-cherishing, blinded by the god of this world,
led by Satan's heathen power or spirit, used by Satan, Satan's
mediums or foolish virgins, Satan aiding or lukewarm, Laodicean
church. Therefore, what bewitching hypnotism it is to actually
believe that God's Laodicean message does not command separation
from the impenitent, openly heathen, Laodicean church! Heathen
Laodiceans are giving the Babylonian message to perishing and
heathen Babylonians; and, therefore, is it not supreme nonsense,
self-inflated hypocrisy, and self-loving heathenism in and of
itself to act as if the Laodicean message should not be given to
perishing and openly heathen Laodiceans? God has given abundant
forewarning regarding this openly heathen threat from within!
ccc
cccIn our previous study, in this series on the heathen
threat from within, we saw that the so-called true picture of
Christ [sic] is at best hearsay, rumor, gossip, and/or a “he
or she said Ellen White said” situation -- without any
chapter or verse from God's Word for support of such a so-called
true picture of Christ [sic] -- and without any book or
page number from God's Word for the authority to even make a
so-called true image or picture of Christ [sic]. Remember, the
“supreme authority” [AA 69] of the Testimony of God's
“Word” [AA 69] is always above the much advertised and
misused “authority” [9T 260-261] of the openly heathen
church of the Laodicean's “General Conference.” See AA
68-69; 9T 260-261; and please notice the dates. Thus, both in
this present study and in our previous study on the heathen
threat from within, according to the “supreme
authority” [AA 69] of the Testimony of God's
“Word” [AA 69], the so-called true picture of Christ
gossip [sic] is most definitely a falsehood and is one of Satan's
lying wonders that is still being brazenly used to lead people
into the open idolatry or open heathenism of the deceptive
Conference ranks and of the even more deceptive supposedly
non-Conference ranks of the perishing, impenitent, openly heathen
or spiritualistic, worse than dead, Tammuz-cherishing, Satan
aiding or lukewarm, Laodicean church. Therefore, as we also saw
in our previous study combined with this present study, how
tragic it is that the great mass of openly heathen Laodiceans are
led to blindly follow after Tammuz [i.e., after a heathen and
literally dead man, who was and is deified by ancient and modern
heathenism]; and, also, how tragic it is that openly heathen
Laodiceans misuse official church publications -- like the May
23, 1974 issue of the Review and others -- to pass off
idolatrous gossip or to pass off the so-called true picture of
Christ falsehood [sic], rather than accepting and promoting the
weight of evidence from God's Word, which plainly states that
making images and pictures to represent God is open idolatry or
open heathenism. This is a serious matter! The “great
mass” of “heathen,” “worse than dead,”
“lukewarm Laodiceans” will “perish” and will
thus most definitely “meet with bitter disappointment in the
day of God.” Please, remember Leviticus 26:28; ST August 2,
1899, or 4ST 50; 7BC 970:1:7, or Letter 121, 1903; 1 John 3:4;
4BC 1161:2:2-3, 7-8; and much more.
ccc
cccSince our previous study in this continuing series,
very interesting news came in from Australia. A thoughtful
brother from Australia was very kind and diligent enough to dig
in his files, to locate and duplicate a portion of the January
11, 1997 issue of the Australian Record, and to thus mail
us some information which is relative to the gossip and falsehood
of the so-called true picture of Christ fable [sic] being
corporately and officially promoted in Australia. I say thank you
to him, but I will not carelessly reveal his name. God knows who
he is, and there is no need for our Australian brother to incur
unnecessary persecution from impenitent and openly heathen
Laodiceans. Again, you remember from our previous study, we
mentioned that the May 23, 1974 issue of the Review was
misused in America to pass off the gossip and falsehood, which
supposedly has Ellen G. White endorsing a so-called true picture
of Christ [sic]. So, besides this corporate misuse of the May 23,
1974 issue of the Review in America, thanks to God and
thus thanks to the information supplied by our Australian
brother, we now see that even more recently the deceiving
Conference ranks of the openly heathen, worse than dead,
Tammuz-cherishing, Satan aiding or lukewarm, Laodicean church
also misused the January 11, 1997 issue of the Australian Record
to similarly pass off the gossip and falsehood of the so-called
true picture of Christ gossip [sic] in that part of the world.
ccc
cccAs graciously mentioned by our brother in Australia,
the Record is to professing SDA's in Australia, as the Review
is to professing SDA's in America. Interestingly enough, in the
aforementioned January 11, 1997 issue of the Australian Record,
after predictably lauding and promoting the gossip and falsehood
regarding the so-called true picture of Christ [sic], and after
thus displaying and foolishly promoting the openly idolatrous or
openly heathen and falsely so-called true picture of Christ
itself [sic], at least the January 11, 1997 issue of the
Australian Record, on page 6, finally had the decency to
note and to honestly state the following: “there is no
mention of the picture itself in Ellen White's writings.”
Therefore, the world-wide, openly heathen, Laodicean, Conference
door was briefly cracked in Australia for just a moment of fresh
air!
ccc
cccSo, are we to accept fables or falsehoods, as
evidence for or against a doctrine of religious faith? No! Are we
to accept hearsay, rumor, gossip, or a “he or she said that
Sister White said” without any inspired reference being
supplied, as evidence for or against a doctrine of religious
faith? No! But perishing and openly heathen Laodiceans
predictably accept and promote just such gossip and just such
falsehoods to support their openly idolatrous or openly heathen
beliefs, as we have already seen in this series. Therefore, we
should not be forever startled that the perishing, impenitent,
great mass of openly heathen Laodiceans and the church they range
under predictably use misrepresentations or falsehoods or lies,
as they deem necessary, to promote and to cloak over Satan's
highly visible, on-going, “latter times,”
“counterfeit” “revival” of open
“heathenism,” -- which is the same thing as Satan's
“counterfeit” “revival” of open
“idolatry,” and/or of open “sorcery,” and/or
of open “spiritualism,” and/or of secretly disguised
“witchcraft and demon worship,” -- and which is all a
mammothly deceptive and bewitching “event to take place
immediately before the second advent of Christ,” just as God
has plainly forewarned in His Word and in His law. Please, see 1
Samuel 15:23; 1SM 357, or RH July 23, 1889; Leviticus 26:38; ST
August 2, 1899, or 4ST 50; PP 336; Ezekiel 8:12-14; 11:12;
16:1-2, 17; 20:16; 24:24; 30:1-3; Matthew 15:9; PP 305-306,
684-686; and GC 464-465, 478, 556.
ccc
ccc“The law of ten commandments is not to be
looked upon as much from the prohibitory side, as from the mercy
side. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in
obedience. As received in Christ, it works in us the purity of
character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. To the
obedient it is a wall of protection.” — 1SM 235; or
Letter 96, 1896.
ccc
cccTherefore, indeed, God's commandments are a
“wall of protection.” 1SM 235. This includes being a
“wall of protection” [1SM 235] against the Laodicean
church's open idolatry or open heathenism. Satan does not care
whether souls remain blinded and perishing in the heathen and
Babylonian church, or whether souls remain blinded and perishing
in the heathen and Laodicean church. Thus, because of this
“wall of protection” [1SM 235], when Seventh-day
Adventists or Christians go into a church that openly makes and
stubbornly promotes images and pictures to supposedly represent
God, they know right away that they are in an openly idolatrous
or openly heathen or Satan aiding church. This is “not
difficult!” GC 464. Similarly, because of this “wall of
protection” [1SM 235], when Seventh-day Adventists or
Christians go to a web site that openly makes and stubbornly
promotes images and pictures to supposedly represent God, they
know right away that they are viewing an openly idolatrous or
openly heathen or Satan aiding web site. Why link to such a site?
Again, this is “not difficult!” GC 464.
ccc
cccIn the paragraphs below to the end of this study, I
give the following testimony to strengthen and encourage my
brothers and sisters, who are even now being wickedly persecuted
by the openly heathen church of the Laodiceans simply for loving
and trying to save heathen Laodiceans from the coming
destruction. You are not alone. Christ is with you, Christ is a
majority of One, and He understands exactly what you are going
through, because He went through it all and infinitely more
Himself! Contrary to the varied ranks of openly
“heathen” and “worse than dead”
“Laodiceans” today, “history is repeating,”
and Christ denounced “heathenism” and/or the
“heathen,” “Christless,” Pharisaical
“church of the Laodiceans” at the “first coming of
Christ” and He also denounced their “heathen”
“form of godliness” at the first advent, which is the
same thing as denouncing their “legal religion” [i.e.,
having a “legal religion” is what being legalistic and
being in legalism really means] and/or their “loveless,
Christless religion” at the first advent; Christ was
rejected by the “heathen,” “Christless,”
Pharisaical “church of the Laodiceans” at the first
advent in that they chose a false messiah god named
“Barabbas,” instead of the true Christ at the first
advent; Christ “suffered” and “died outside the
gate” at the first advent; and, as we approach the second
advent, it is all that much more necessary to know and accept
that being “baptized” into Christ's
“sufferings” or fellowshipping with Christ in His
“sufferings” “outside the gate” is the
“most weighty trust” and the highest “honor”
that Heaven can bestow upon men, women, and children -- indeed,
“history is repeating,” just as God has forewarned. See
Revelation 3:14-19; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; ST December 5, 1895, or 3ST
257; DA 35-36, 59, 225, 258, 278-280, 733, 738-739, 741; 1SM 406;
6T 145-146, 2 Timothy 3:1-5; ST December 5, 1895, or 3ST 257; ST
August 2, 1899, or 4ST 50; Proverbs 21:16; 1T 183-184; and much
more.
ccc
cccI will never forget, some twenty years ago, when I
was a pastor in the Illinois Conference, and my wife and I went
to see the Conference President, Elder Everette Cumbo in his
office. After seeking God in prayer, I went to his office to
present President Cumbo my research on history being repeated, on
the salvation-related seal of the living God and what was not
being taught about receiving it, on the importance of the books
of Ezekiel and Revelation concerning the seal of the living God,
and on Tammuz [i.e., there is so much more on Tammuz than we have
been able to introduce in this study]. At the time, President
Cumbo verified my research saying that he had the same type of
information and research in a file of his own; but, then, he told
me to “put it on the back burner,” because the General
Conference would never accept it! That was startling and shocking
to me -- at the time! After much reasoning back and forth,
President Cumbo finally agreed that I could teach these much
needed subjects in the Elmhurst Seventh-day Adventist church
where I was pastoring.
ccc
cccAs time went on, the heathen threat from within
began applying more and more pressure. Spiritually speaking, when
you hold forth Christ's Word against heathen gods, their priests
will rise up and manifest themselves in defense of their deities.
One Sabbath, at a potluck at the Elmhurst church, I asked
President Cumbo why he would not help me teach these
salvation-related matters, since he knew they were true. I will
never forget he waved his hand back and forth to take in the
membership of the church, and he quietly said to me that he and I
knew these things were true; but, as his arm waved over the
crowd, he also quietly said: “the people do not know.”
Furthermore, the wave of his arm and his demeanor clearly
indicated that he did not want people to know these truths.
However, the church board had agreed to let me present a study to
them on these matters, so that event was going forward.
ccc
cccThen, two church members decided to act on their own
to remove idolatrous images from the church, just before the
scheduled board meeting where I was to present a study on the
issue as planned; but, when the two church members informed me as
to their intentions, I told them about the scheduled board
meeting and pleaded with them not to remove any images, until the
church board could study the issue. I reasoned with the two
church members saying that unless the church board saw the truth
they would simply replace the images anyway; whereas, if the
church board honestly examined the idolatry issue and acted
accordingly, the forbidden images would be removed and would stay
removed. There was a huge stained glass window depicting Tammuz
above the altar in the Elmhurst church, and removing it was a
real sore spot with the church board. They had objected saying it
would all cost too much money. But God is very good, and He had
sent an enthusiastic young man, whom I was getting ready for
baptism, and who was part of the solution to the problem. I was
taking this young man to the board meeting with me, since he was
a stained glass artist by profession, and he said he would
rearrange the stained glass for free to create an acceptable
stained glass window, as the church board would so choose. Also,
another brother on the church board had agreed to defray any
unforeseen costs, which might arise in this stained glass renewal
project.
ccc
cccHowever, although I was not aware of it, contrary to
my pleading and instructions, a week before the scheduled church
board meeting, the aforementioned two church members acted on
their own anyway and removed the other images from the church.
When I found out what they had done, it was too late. Then, when
I went to the church board meeting, the openly heathen and
Laodicean threat from within, who were in the majority on the
board, were absolutely enraged. Blaming and accusing me for all
of it, they now refused to study the Word of God on the subject
of idolatry or listen to any words of reason. The same board
member, who previously offered to defray any costs, now offered
to defray any other expenses incurred by the misguided action of
the two men, if the board would just study God's Word on the
subject at hand; but, the heathen Laodiceans controlling the
church board flatly refused to study God's Word on idolatry, even
though the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual,
revised 1981 edition, page 129 stated the following: “The
church board is composed of the principle officers of the church.
It has a number of important responsibilities, but its chief
concern is the spiritual nurture of the church;” and, thus
God's Word plainly says:
ccc
ccc“When a message is presented to God's people,
they should not rise up in opposition to it; they should go to
the Bible, comparing it with the law and the Testimony, and if it
does not bear this test, it is not true.” — TM 119.
ccc
cccBut instead of going to God's Word, the church board
had summoned and gone to their tragically double-minded and
vacillating President Cumbo to carry out their negative wishes.
Even though the two church members, who had acted on their own to
remove the offending images, came forward to tell the whole story
and to attempt to clear me, it did not matter. President Cumbo
suspended me from my pastorate taking the literal keys to the
church from me. I thought this certainly could not be the
Seventh-day Adventist church -- a church board that actually
refused to study God's Word, even though their objections about
monetary costs were all being met! [But, then, this was the same
tragically spiritualistic or “heathen,” “worse
than dead,” professedly Seventh-day Adventist church board
that had much earlier attempted to pass off other predictable
“supreme nonsense” on me in that they commanded me not
to mention Ellen G. White's writings from the pulpit. See ST
August 2, 1899, or 4ST 50; and 1T 297-298. Such a god-serving
command I could not and will not comply with. Contrary to the
wishes of such openly heathen or openly spiritualistic and worse
than dead Laodiceans, being a pastor and living in the hope of
being Judged by God to be a Seventh-day Adventist, I gratefully
appreciate the opportunity of utilizing both the Bible and the
inspired writings of Ellen G. White to include utilizing both of
these sources of inspiration when preparing sermons, as prayer
and God directs, and to include utilizing both of these sources
of divine inspiration when speaking from the pulpit during the
Sabbath worship hour. No such Ellen G. White hating commands from
any apostate body of Satan-aiding or lukewarm men and women
steeped in open heathenism or open spiritualism and yet
boastfully claiming to be Seventh day Adventists should be
blindly followed and thus encouraged in any predictable endeavor
to thus “make of none effect” the inspired writings of
Ellen G. White in such a manner. 1SM 48.].
ccc
cccSince President Cumbo had the keys to the church, I
was directed to remain at home until further notice; but,then,
after my wife and I and some precious others had been much in
prayer, the tragically double-minded and ever vacillating
President Cumbo called me into his office the very next day after
taking the keys to the church. He now actually apologized,
returned the church keys to me, called for a church board
meeting, agreed that we should study this topic as a church, and
he told me I was to preach that very next Sabbath back at
Elmhurst. So, on Sabbath, at Elmhurst, I preached what turned out
to be my last sermon in Conference employment, and it was
entitled: “The Power We Dare Not Neglect” [i.e., we
still offer this tape and many more for distribution, as listed
on our web site at www.4runnerministries.com]; and, during the
sermon, I could see out to the back of the church and into the
foyer where some of the enraged church board members had
gathered. They angrily refused to come into the sanctuary to hear
God's Word. Its hard, even today, to forget those murderous looks
of shear hatred. I forgive them and all others involved. Although
a need exists in other cases, there is no need to mention their
names here at this time. Their angry wives were bitterly weeping
out there in the church's foyer. It reminded me of the text in
Ezekiel, “weeping for Tammuz.” Ezekiel 8:14. After
“The Power We Dare Not Neglect” sermon, God very
strongly impressed me to have an unplanned altar call, and I was
pleasantly shocked as nearly the whole church rose up as a body
and enthusiastically began making amends one with another all
around the sanctuary. That one day so long ago now, saw God's
sweet presence and peace very strong in that Elmhurst sanctuary.
While amends were being made all around by church members one
with another, some other dear souls who had not yet been baptized
came forward, and these baptismal candidates smiled warmly and
pleasantly surprised me as they dropped jewelry on the podium in
front of me saying they wouldn't be needing these things anymore.
To God be all the honor, as it was such a privilege to see Him
work during that Sabbath moment in time. That single altar call
has been one of the most key memories I have to this very day. By
God's amazing and very real power, a true revival was taking
place before my very eyes; but, it only seemed to enrage the
angry church board members gathered out in the foyer all that
much more. It turned out that they had great anger, and they made
a commotion over my sermon during the next few days; and, thus,
in time, I was again suspended from the ministry by President
Cumbo. Now, while shouting out his desires to suspend me,
President Cumbo actually commanded me not to speak to any
Seventh-day Adventists, until further notice! Was this actually
happening in America, supposedly the land of free speech?
ccc
cccMonths seemed to drag by. I thought this certainly
could not be the Seventh-day Adventist church, but by profession
it was! During this suspension time, with her permission, I
prayerfully presented these subjects to Dr. Agatha Thrash, who
was a guest in my home at this time; and, Dr. Thrash pronounced
our study as being the truth saying: “this should go to the
world,” although to my immediate thoughts the Elmhurst
Seventh-day Adventist church seemed to be more than a full time
situation in those days. Therefore, I entreated Dr. Thrash to
help me get these related truths out to the people, and she said
she would help. As it turned out, no Seventh-day Adventist will
ever need the kind of “help” that was really offered!
To make a very long story short, after much more turmoil with the
Conference, and many more threats, attempted bribes, and
opposition that probably would have to be seen with one's own
eyes to actually be grasped, President Cumbo summarily terminated
me from my Conference ministry. I wish I could tell you about the
input of the very few, who were of such wonderful encouragement,
like Pastor J. W. “Bill” Lehman; but, these things
would require a book. After I was “terminated,” as
President Cumbo called it, one worker on the inside track in Mark
Finley's openly idolatrous or openly heathen sect told me in
confidence that: “The way they are going to handle you is to
pretend that you no longer exist!” Dr. Agatha Thrash, who
had earlier said, “this should go to the world,” now
passed off the “supreme nonsense” [1T 297-298] saying
that since I was terminated, even for speaking the truth, that I
could no longer preach, hold meetings, nor even hold worship in
private homes! They had actually put a guard at the door of the
Elmhurst Seventh-day Adventist church for the purpose of not
allowing my wife and I to even enter on the Sabbath! Many members
left the Elmhurst church to worship in neighboring churches. In
the December 13, 1979 issue of the Adventist Review on
page 6, the President of the General Conference, Neil C. Wilson,
wickedly and openly said that he and others were
“tired” of those who “sigh for the
abominations;” and, at least for now, Mr. Wilson got away
with it in that he was not terminated for such an outrage, but
Mr. Wilson and those like him will not get away with it forever,
because God has plainly stated that the “wicked”
“mock,” “ridicule,” and “sneer at”
the “sighing and crying” ones who stand against the
openly “heathen” “abominations” in the openly
“heathen” church of the “Laodiceans,” and
Christ will soon return to deal with all such impenitent and
openly “wicked” ones. See Ezekiel 8:12-14; 9:1-4;
11:12; 16:1-2; 24:24; 30:1-3; ST August 2, 1899, or 4ST 50; 5T
474; 3T 252, 266-267; and more. Knowing that my wife and I had no
apparent way of making a living, President Cumbo coldly said that
my wife and I would “blow away like the dust.” He
brazenly offered us $500.00 to leave the state of Illinois. We
stayed put; and, by the grace of God, over six years in home
church, we made many of the tapes that are still being
distributed and that are listed on this web site at http://www.4runnerministries.com/casettetapelist.htm.
cccThen, three years after we had been
“terminated” by President Cumbo, he disfellowshipped my
wife and I and four others in an absolute farce of a so-called
trial [long story]. We were repeatedly falsified before and
during this time by President Cumbo and by the rest of the openly
heathen threat from within; but, then, the falsifying and also
the shunning really commenced in earnest, after we were
wrongfully disfellowshipped. Openly heathen Laodiceans, who
profess to be Christians and Seventh-day Adventists, very
frequently and typically misrepresent what you truly teach and
believe. They falsely accuse you to others of teaching that which
you neither believe nor teach; and, then, to supposedly win, they
show people how their own made-up misrepresentations and
falsehoods cannot be sustained from God's Word. What deception
and Satanism! It all has never stopped for more than twenty years
now. But, these past twenty years or so, we are very grateful and
immensely thankful to God for continuing to teach us and for
sustaining us in a self-supporting and full-time ministry. God is
very, very good! God bless our dear brethren and friends. In
Jesus' name, Amen. Remember, dear friends, the impenitent and
openly heathen or spiritualistic threat from within will
“put darkness for light, and light for darkness”
[please see and compare Isaiah 5:20; 4T 87-88; GC 557], and they
will betray and desert you; but, God will never betray nor desert
you for He has promised: “I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5. God's promises are sure and are
absolutely living truth.
ccc
cccLet's close and persevere in prayer: Father in
Heaven, please strengthen us, “save us, O Lord our God, and
gather us from among the heathen” -- from among the lost,
Tammuz-cherishing, perishing, pridefully and foolishly
impenitent, openly heathen threat from within. Psalms 106:47. And
most especially, we ask that this prayer arise in behalf of not
only our persecuted brethren around the world, but also in behalf
of the highly visible and openly heathen church of the Laodiceans
itself, because its members are doing after the manner of the
world and/or after the manner of open heathenism, just as You
have forewarned. Thank You, Father, for providing this bread of
life, this abundant forewarning and guidance from Your Word. In
Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Michael O. Hodges
FORERUNNER, self-supporting ministries
Home church (since 1983)
Continued.
Pastor Michael O. Hodges
Copyright 2003.
Permission is hereby given to reprint any
of these studies and articles provided that they are duplicated
in their entirety without any change or comment.