„Regarding the testimonies, nothing is ignored; nothing is cast aside; but time and place must be considered.“ 1SM p. 57. „Upon us is shining the accumulated light of past ages. The record of Israel’s forgetfulness has been preserved for our enlightenment. In this age God has set His hand to gather unto Himself a people from every nation, kindred, and tongue. In the advent movement He has wrought for His heritage, even as He wrought for the Israelites in leading them from Egypt. In the great disappointment of 1844 the faith of His people was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had the Adventists in the early days still trusted to the guiding Hand that had been with them in their past experience, they would have seen of the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly in the work of 1844 had received the third angel’s message and proclaimed it in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the closing work would have been completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of His people.“ 8T 115

„The history of ancient Israel is a striking illustration of the past experience of the Adventist body. God led his people in the Advent movement, even as he led the children of Israel from Egypt. In the great disappointment their faith was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had they still trusted to the guiding hand that had been with them in their past experience, they would have seen of the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly in the work in 1844 had received the third angel’s message, and proclaimed it in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world. Years ago the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the closing work completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of his people. It was not the will of God that Israel should wander forty years in the wilderness; he desired to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there, a holy, happy people. But “they could not enter in because of unbelief.” [Hebrews 3:19.] Because of their backsliding and apostasy, they perished in the desert, and others were raised up to enter the promised land. In like manner, it was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be so long delayed, and his people should remain so many years in this world of sin and sorrow. But unbelief separated them from God. As they refused to do the work which he had appointed them, others were raised up to proclaim the message. In mercy to the world, Jesus delays his coming, that sinners may have an opportunity to hear the warning, and find in him a shelter before the wrath of God shall be poured out.“ GC 291-21

In the preceding statements we can clearly see that we, as Seventh Day Adventists, are repeating the history of physical Israel. It is also clearly evident that there is nothing new under the sun. We need to ask ourselves how it is that those fifty thousand that left their Protestant churches as a result of accepting the second angel’s message (Rev. 14:8) were able to unitedly proclaim the second angel’s message to the world, while we as Seventh Day Adventists (being more than eight million in number) are not yet able to unitedly proclaim our message to the world. How is it that 144,000 faithful souls can still not be found from among eight million Adventists? In Early Writings, page 279 we read, „An angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, “It is done.” From that moment on there is no mercy for any living man on earth.

Even if eight more million people or, better yet, half the world had joind the SDA churches, Christ would still not be able to come for He would still not have a people for heaven. This is a serious question for all SDA’s. As early as 1852, Sister White applied the message of the Faithful Witness to Laodicea to the believers of her day (the remnant of the church of Philadelphia that took part in the Midnight Cry of 1844). That church had quickly cooled and become lukewarm (please see Early Writings p. 107)..

„The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded.“ 1T p. 181

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

„I wept and prayed much as I saw our goods confiscated. I tried to read sympathy or pity for me in the looks of those around me, and marked the countenances of several whom I thought would speak to me and comfort me if they did not fear that they would be observed by others. I made one attempt to escape from the crowd, but seeing that I was watched, I concealed my intentions. I commenced weeping aloud, and saying: “If they would only tell me what I have done or what I have said!” 1T 577-8, written 1866-7.

The Holy Spirit teaches us that time and place must be considered. Of those that had come to confiscate her goods, she said that she knew well and that they look on the form of a Catholic procession. These were none other than SDA leaders in Battle Creek that desplayed the spirit of the papacy toward her works. They confiscated the testimonies sent by God to his people in the SDA church. The Great Controversy, 1884 edition, was particularly changed. Many pages were deleted and many more added according to human wisdom. When the original 1884 version began to once more make a comeback, the SDA leadership claims that Sister White herself approved of the changes as shown by the 1888 version of the book. The leadership hid from the people some very pertinent light regarding Revelation chapter 18. If Sister White did, in fact, approve of the changes in the Great Controversy, then the 1884 version was not inspired by the Holy Spirit so that she had to delete whole pages and insert others.

Now that the original 1884 edition od the Great Controversy is being published in Croatia, the Adventist leadership there issued an article in their publication ‘The Adventist Review’ entitled, ‘A Short History of the continuation of the book GREAT CONTROVERSY’. Among the other excuses given for changing her book, we read. „The first four pages from the chapter entitled, ‘Snares of Satan’ were deleted from the chapter for the text applied to Protestant ministers, and was understandable only to Adventists and not to the worldly reader. In 1923, that text was included in the compilation book ‘Testimonies to Ministers’.“

Therefore some questions are in order as to who made decision to delete those four pages from the 1884 Great Controversy and 39 years later, to print it in the compilation Testimonies to Ministries? Is it true that the first four pages deleted applied only to Protestant ministers? Let us look at the first page that was deleted:

„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 are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power. By pleasing sophistry and 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.

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

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

Now let every SDA ask himself whether the above paragraphs apply to the Protestant ministers or to the SDA church. The same article also goes on to say, „Until 1884, Sister White wrote exclusively for Adventists and not for those in the world..“ If this is true, then the third angel’s message also was not preached to the world until 1884. Thus, the number of members in the church would have to remain the same for the message did not go out to the world. Also, if this is true, how is it that in the Great Controversy, vol. 4, p. 520 and 521, the Adventist publishers claim that, „...the publishers felt that this volume could be sold to those not of our faith, so with Mrs. White’s cooperation, they ..... printed subsequent editions .... to sell for $1.50. ...Between 1885 and 1888, ten printings totaling 50,000 copies were produced and sold.“ It is obvious that the great majority of these copies were sold to the world. Furthermore, in Review & Herald, 1, p. 210, Sr. White advises concerning her publications, „Let them be kept where they can be read by many, and let them be worn out in being read by all neighbors.... you should lend the Spirit of Prophecy to your neighbors, and prevail upon them to buy copies for themselves.“ Now this was written in 1882. Apparently, neither Sr. White nor the SDA publishers of that time felt that until 1884, her work was to be confined only to SDA’s.

Does the SDA church truly endeavor to keep all ten commandments? If we would say, ‘yes, she does’, how then is it that she bears false witness concerning Ellen G. White – for the church claims that Sister White herself approved of the changes when in fact, she did not such thing. She herself said that she had no right to change anything that she had written:

A Word to the Little Flock, p. 27 reads, „So far from desiring to withold anything that I have ever published, I would feel great satisfaction in giving to the public every line of my writings that has ever been printed.“ (1883)

Review & Herald, 5, p. 110 reads, „That which I have written is what the Lord has bidden me write. I have not been instructed to change what I have sent out.“ (1905)

Review & Herald, 5, p. 231 reads, „I am not retract one word of the message I have borne.“

If one would carefully compare the 1884 version with the later versions of the Great Controversy, and see the character of the quotes that were changed, one would come to the conclusion that these changes were accomplished by the very head of the SDA church. The main purpose of such changes was to hide the work of the angel from Revelation 18, a work described by Sister White in her book Early Writings under the title, ‘The Loud Cry’. The first 1884 Great Controversy had a chapter with the same title, but the later editions carry changes in the chapter, bearing the title, ‘The Last Warning’. Let us compare these two chapters.

The Great Controversy, 1884 version reads, „Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the earth with his glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard, „Come out of her, my people.“ As these warnings join the third angel’s message, it swells to a loud cry.“

The Great Controversy, 1888 version reads, „Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: „Come out of her, My people.“ These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.“

The change is subtle one, but obvious to the careful reader. In the later edition, no mention of the Loud Cry is made. With the later editions, it was easy for the SDA leadership to insinuate that the Loud Cry will be made to the world (including Protestants, Catholics, etc.), that the members of these churches will have to come out of their fallen churches, and join the SDA church. This they have done in the 1994 Sabbath School Quarterly, final quarter. It is easy for the casual reader of the later editions of the Great Controversy to come to this conclusion because of foregoing changes concerning the fall of the Protestant churches.

In the original (1884) version concerning the Protestant churches we read, „When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them.“ She continues to write about the cry, Babilon is fallen and says that the, „message announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to some religious body that was once pure, and has become corrupt. It cannot be the Romish Church which is here meant; for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries.“ She continues to apply it to the Protestant churches. Thus when the reader comes to the Loud Cry chapter, he will see that the message ‘come out of her, my people’ cannot apply mainly to Protestant or Catholic alone for they have been in fallen condition for some time. It therefore also includes churches that have arisen from 1844 and become spiritual harlots as did the Catholic and Protestant churches.

Concerning the Protestant churches, the later version (p. 389) reads, „But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message; but that fall was not complete....Not yet, however, can it be said that Babylon is fallen....“ Thus when the reader comes to the ‘Final Warning’ chapter, it seems obvious that the message of the fall of Babylon would mainly apply to those Protestant churches that had not completely fallen in the time of the second angel’s message.

Thus is clearly uncovered the main purpose of the change of the 1884 Great Controversy. It was to contradict the fact that the message of the angel of Revelation 18 announcing the fall of Babylon could apply to the SDA churches.

Please note that the Loud Cry is similar to the Midnight Cry. If the purpose of the Midnight Cry was to awaken the ten virgins of Matthew chapt. 25 (God’s people of that time), then it is obvious that the purpose of the Loud Cry is to awaken today’s ten virgins which are sleeping in the SDA churches.> In Bible Comments, vol. 7, p. 984 (written in 1892) we read, „The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.“ All can clearly understand from this quote (referring to the message brought in 1888) that the angel from Rev. 18 came down with his message to the SDA General Conference in Minneapolis. All have seen by the text quoted from the Great Controversy that the Loud Cry cannot begin without the message of the fall of Babylon and without the other voice from heaven, ‘Come out of her, my people’ (Rev. 18:1-5). Therefore, the question arises; how is it that the SDA quarterly studied by approximately 8 million SDA’s, it is taught that the Loud Cry applies to other churches in the world? No one can give a message to others unless they have accepted it for themselves.

One-time Secretary of the General Conference, Robert W. Olson, during his term in office wrote the following reply in answer to a question regarding what became of the message that came down in 1888, „I believe that the message of justification by faith is certainly to be included in the loud cry of Rev. 18:2-3. But it seems clear to me that the Loud Cry, while begun in the 1890’s was aborted for some reason, so now we still are looking to the future for the Loud Cry,“ signed by Mr. Olson.

In order to rightly understand the message from Revelation 18, it is necessary to understand the second angel’s message (Rev. 14:8). We know that message was proclaimed in 1844, but we must know whom the message applied to and why it was necessary for the message to be proclaimed in the first place. What were the results of the proclamation of this message announcing the fall of Babylon due to its poison wine? Those SDA’s who neglected to study well the three-fold angels messages will not be able to understand the message from Rev. 18 for that messenger repeats the second angel’s message, „with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844“. Thus we see that this angel brings out the corruptions that have crept into the churches in the Laodicean period of time. The light from Revelation 18 illuminates or uncovers every drop of poison wine, and the people are obliged to choose between life and death. This, in essence is what happened in the second angel’s message. As stated earlier, in the Great Controversy, (1884 version) concerning the Protestant churches we read, „When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication..... It cannot be the Romish Church which is here meant; for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries.“ In the later editions of the Great Controversy we find that the word ‘alone’ has been added to read, „...it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone...“ thereby suggesting that the second angel’s message applied to the Roman Church also, while Sr. White wrote the opposite in the earlier 1884 version.

As stated earlier, the later version also suggests that Babylon did not completly fall then. If this is true, then those 50,000 who left their Protestant Churches had no right to do so. If the fall of the Protestant Churches was not complete then, how could God have rejected them? If the Protestant Churches had not fully fallen in the time of the second angel’s message, how is it then that in Early Writings, p. 245 we read, „Prophecy was fulfilled in the first and second angels’ messages. They were given at the right time and accomplished the work which God designed to accomplish by them.“

As these statements between the 1884 Great Controversy and the 1888 Great Controversy are directly contradictory, which statement is truth? Did God made a mistake in rejecting the Protestant Churches because they rejected the first angel’s message? Whose idea could it be and to whose advantage would it be if it is widely taught that the fourth angel’s message comes to finish what the second angel’s message did not finish? Why would the SDA Sabbath School Quarterly (1994 entitled The Loud Cry) suggest that the Loud Cry applies mainly to Protestants and Catholics (because the word ‘only’ was added)?

If the angel from Rev. 18 joins the third angel’s message, then won’t that angel come to those who claim to be living under the light of the third angel’s message? If we believe that Jones and Waggoner brought the fourth angel’s message to the General Conference leadership in Minneapolis in 1888 (please remember that we have a report that the Loud Cry had already begun but was ‘aborted’ for some reason, and that Sr. White said the time of test was just upon ‘us’) did Jones and Waggoner proclaim their message to the wrong people then? Should not they have gone to the Protestants instead? Why did God sent them to the SDA leadership?

„The third angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory. The work that might have been done, will be left undone by the rejecters of truth, because of their unbelief. We entreat of you who oppose the light of truth, to stand out of the way of God’s people. Let Heaven-sent light shine forth upon them in clear and steady rays.“ R & H, May 27, 1890.

“I saw that Jones and Waggoner had their counterpart in Joshua and Caleb. As the children of Israel stoned the spies with literal stones, you have stoned these brethren with stones of sarcasm and ridicule. I saw that you willfully rejected what you knew to be the truth, just because it was too humiliating to your dignity. I saw some of you in your tents mimicking and making all manner of fun of these two brethren. I also saw that if you had accepted their message, we would have been in the kingdom two years from that date, but now we have to go back into the wilderness and there stay 40 years.” Melbourne Australia, May 9, 1892

What Moses was to physical Israel, Ellen G. White was to spiritual Israel. That which God showed Moses in the mount and gave him the ten commandments on tables of stone written with God’s own finger, who also shown to Sr. White concerning the heavenly sanctuary and Most Holy place wherein she saw the ark of the covenant, Aaron’s rod that budded, the pot of manna, and the ten commandments written with God’s own finger. Just as Moses gave to physical Israel God’s law, so Sr. White gave to spiritual Israel God’s law shortly after 1844. This is best described in her book Early Writings, in the chapter entitled, ‘The Open and Shut Door’. p. 42.

„The history of ancient Israel is a striking illustration of the past experience of the Adventist body. God led his people in the Advent movement, even as he led the children of Israel from Egypt. In the great disappointment their faith was tested as was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had they still trusted to the guiding hand that had been with them in their past experience, they would have seen of the salvation of God.“ GC (1884), The Third Message Rejected.

Also in Test, 5, p. 160 we read, „Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.“

Thus we see that in 1844, spiritual Israel crossed the spiritual Red Sea (went through the disappointment), and entered into the spiritual wilderness. In 1888 spiritual Israel reached their spiritual Jordan. This is verified by the fact that Sr. White said that Jones and Waggoner had their counterparts in Joshua and Caleb. We see that physical Israel rebelled at the Jordan. „And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! ... Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. ... Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun..... After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years.... And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.“ Numbers chapts. 13 & 14

Here we see that when physical Israel should have gone into the promised land by faith in the mighty hand that had led them through the wilderness, they rebelled against the Lord. When the Lord told them to go back into the wilderness and there wander another 40 years, they then attempted to enter into the land of Canaan. This is exactly what happened in 1888 to spiritual Israel. When they rebelled against the message of Jones and Waggoner, in 1892, Sr. White (our Moses) said that now we had to go back into the wilderness for 40 years. Shortly after this, a certain Br. Stanton, with a few followers, arose announcing that the church was Babylon. Thus in 1893, Sr. White wrote to this brother and told him that he was doing the work of Satan and that the ‘remnant church’ is not ‘Babylon’. Here she was not referring to the remnant of Laodicea but to the remnant of Philadelphia who were still alive at that time of the rebellion against the message of Jones and Waggoner in 1888. There is a diference between the message ‘the church is Babylon’ and between the message ‘Babylon is fallen’ (Rev. 14:8 and Rev. 18:2,3). Therefore it is clearly obvious that the message of Br. Stanton was of Satan. Nevertheless, let us look at an example: When Medopersia conquered Babylon, then Babylon had fallen and the believers were free to choose to leave her or to stay. Babylon had no more authority to keep them as slaves. They could choose to place themselves under the authority of Medopersia or those who had Jerusalem in their hearts could choose to go and build up the city of God (their characters) to prepare it for His coming. Neither the second nor the fourth angel announces that they are Babylon, but that Babylon is fallen.

Now let us remember the opening text of this paper, „time and place must be considered.“ We see that it was the Divine will that spiritual Israel return to the wilderness in 1892, yet in 1893 Br. Stanton and his followers rebelled against that message and did the work of Satan. They represented those to whom Moses said, „Go not up for the Lord is not among you.“ The pillar of cloud and fire had brought both physical and spiritual Israel to Jordan. After the rebellion both physical and spiritual Israel, that same pillar led them back into the wilderness. In both cases, those that rebelled against God had to leave their bones in the wilderness and the future generation would inherit the promise.

It is likewise clearly evident that the work of the angel of Revelation 18 marks the end of the history of this world. This is the final call of divine mercy and after this, God has nothing more to give to the inhabitants of this earth. This is why all who hear the message of this angel will have to choose between life and death. Seeing that the work of this angel unites with the third angel’s message we understand that this angel comes down among those who believe that they are standing in the light of the third angel’s message -- a message that began shortly after 1844 with the crossing of the spiritual Red Sea (disappointment). Indeed, this message came to them once before, along with the Loud Cry, but they failed that test given in 1888 and stoned God’s messengers.

When physical Israel arrived at Jordan a second time, there followed an apostasy greater than any that had occured in its past history of 40 years. There, „those that died of the plague were twenty and four thousand“, Numbers 25:9. Just as physical Israel had to return to the wilderness after rebelling against God, so spiritual Israel had to return to its spiritual wilderness: and just as physical Israel once more came to the banks of the Jordan, so spiritual Israel also must come to the banks of the Jordan, for it is repeating physical history. This means that God will once more send His messenger with the same message of Rev. 18, and the younger generation will be tested, and will have to choose between life and death. Only the most ardent students of the Bible are able to discern between the false angels and the true angel of Rev. 18, whose duty it is to bring out all the corruptions that have been entering the churches since 1844. When this angel begins to sound his message, what do you think the SDA’s will do to such a messanger? Will they not take as their defense those words written by Sr. White to brother Stanton more than a hundred years ago, telling him that he is doing the work of Satan? It is possible that all those who do this are in essence doing the work of Satan themselves, for they use these words as justification for rejecting the message from Rev. 18? Could it be possible that all three SDA churches will do the work of Satan with this testimony written over 100 years ago?

Just as the leaders of the Protestant churches did the work of Satan with words spoken by Christ, „of the day and hour, no one knoweth...“, so today the leaders of God’s people do the work of Satan with the words written by Sr. White, ‘the remnant church is not Babylon’, in order to quell and reject the message of Rev. 18.

The third angel’s message began to be understood from 1847-9 after Ellen G. White had had several visions regarding the sanctuary, particularly the Most Holy place wherein the ark of the covenant was. Not until then could the believers go forward. Until then, confusion reigned amongst the believers for they could not understand why Christ did not come on October 22, 1844. We can safely say that the message of the third angel did not really begin until 1848.

From that time until 1888 is a full 40 years of wandering through the spiritual wilderness. Just as it took some time for physical Israel to prepare to travel from the Red Sea, so it was with spiritual Israel. Also, just as physical Israel remained for a while at the banks of the Jordan, waiting for the spies to return, then rejecting the message of Joshua and Caleb, spiritual Israel also passed some time on the banks of the spiritual Jordan. When physical Israel had to return to the wilderness because of its rebellion at the Jordan, all, both good and evil had to return. Thus, Moses, Joshua and Caleb had to return also, and even though they had been faithful to the Lord, they humbled themselves and returned to the wilderness. The rebellious ones had to leave their bones in the wilderness. So it was after 1888. None of the believers crossed the Jordan in 1888.

There is one other important lesson we need to learn concerning the Red Sea and the Jordan incidents. We know that concerning physical Israel, the Red Sea parted before them and they went over the dry land while Pharoah and his army were buried in the waters as they pursued them. Likewise, when the second generation came to the banks of the Jordan, that water was parted and God’s people once more went over. Thus it will be for the spiritual Israel. God will open the way for them for history repeats itself and there is nothing new under the sun. We must note, however, that before physical Israel went over the Jordan, a reorganization had to take place. There was a change in leadership. Aaron and Miriam had died in the wilderness while Moses was denied access to the promised land because of his sin. Thus God told Moses to appoint Joshua as the new leader who was to take Israel into the promised land. Moses died on the borders of the Jordan.

Another question comes to mind. What is represented by the twelve stones that were left buried in the Jordan River? In Joshua 4:9 we read that twelve stones were set in the Jordan at the spot where the feet ‘of priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood’. We know that Pharoah and his host were buried in the Red Sea, but what do these stones that were buried in the Jordan represent? More to the point, since spiritual Israel is repeating the history of physical Israel, what do these stones symbolize to us? It is true that while twelve stones were left and buried there, there were also twelve stones that were taken out of the midst of the Jordan River and set up as a memorial of the wondrous work of God in parting the Jordan River so that God’s people can cross over on dry land. Thus this memorial witnessed to succeeding generations. When the Lord parted the Red Sea for His people, Moses wrote a song of praise, part of which read, „The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone,“ Exodus 15:5. So we see strong similarities in the crossing of the Red Sea and in the crossing of the Jordan River concernig physical Israel. And so it is with spiritual Israel since we are repeating their history. However, physical Israel wandered in the wilderness 40 years, while spiritual Israel wandered 120 years, three times the 40 years of physical Israel.

As previously mentioned, God’s people did not fully understand the third angel’s message until about 1848, approximately 4 years after 1844. So from 1848 until 1888 was a full 40 years. Due to the rebellion of spiritual Israel against the messengers of God, they had to return to the wilderness for a whole generation to die out (twice the 40 years - - from 1888 until 1968 is a full 80 years). This makes a total of 120 years of wandering in the wilderness. From 1968 until 1970 there was a time of preparation. Then in 1970, letters began to circulate throughout this earth - - letters that clearly spoke against the poison wine that had crept into all three SDA churches since 1844. This angel with his light began to uncover every drop of poison wine produced by all three SDA churches. Most of this poison wine can be found in the book about Daniel and the Revelation written by Uriah Smith. All three SDA churches have accepted this book and the people of all three churches are poison by the wine produced by this book. Some SDA’s have reffered to this book as ‘the bottomless pit’ (Rev. 9:1). That book has hidden the truths found in six chapters of the book of Revelation. These are chapters 8, 9, 13, 16, 17 and 18. Uriah Smith covered the truths of the 7 trumpets by applying them to worldly history and all three SDA churches have acccepted his interpretations as Bible truth, all the while saying, ‘the Bible and the Bible only’. Yet they reject the Bible which interprets itself and accept human suppositions and interpretations not based on Bible truths. Since the 7 trumpets were not rightly understood, the 7 plagues were also misinterpreted. In the third angel’s message we find a strong warning announcing that those who worship the beast and its image and receive its mark on their forehead or hand will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture (not diluted with mercy – thus refering to the 7 plagues which begin after probation closes). Thus it is duty of all SDA’s (claiming to be a people bearing the third angel’s message) to warn the world of the danger of obeying the civil and ecclesiastical leadership above God’s leadership. In Exodus 20:2,3 God commands us not to have any other gods before Him. Anything that we cherish more than His word (such as the customs and traditions of men) would therefore, by definition, be idolatry or transgressing God’s commandment. When we all were baptized into the SDA church, we vowed obedience only to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Thus we are all individually accountable to these heavenly beings until death. To those who are true to this vow, Christ says, „I am with you always, even to the ends of the world,“ Matthew 28:19,20.

In TM p. 476 we read, „If there is a point of truth that you do not understand, upon which you do not agree, investigate, compare scripture with scripture, sink the shaft of truth down deep into the mine of God’s word. You must lay yourselves and your opinions on the altar of God, put away your preconceived ideas, and let the Spirit of heaven guide into all truth.“ Let us therefore heed the counsel of the Holy Spirit and compare scripture with scripture. Now let us look at the 4th trumpet as an example (Rev. 8:12). Here we see that the 4th angel sounded, „And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.“ In Uriah Smith’s book on Daniel and the Revelation, p. 485 we read that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman Kingdom split into 10 countries. That was when Rome lost its glory. But this interpretation is not upheld by scripture. Quite the contrary, earthly kingdoms were depicted as wild beasts – never as the sun, moon and stars. We find that throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the sun, moon and stars always represented God’s people or God’s church. In Genesis 15:5 we see that God told Abraham to look up at the stars without number and told him that’s how his seed would be. Just as the stars shown during earth’s darkest nights, so would his seed. Further we read concerning Joseph’s dream which depicted the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. Jacob well understood the dream for he said to his son, „shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?“ Thus we see that the celestial lights represented God’s people which are to enlighten the earth. We also read in Dan. 8:10 concerning the little horn, that it ‘waxed great’ and that it, ‘cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them’. We believe that this was fulfilled in the Christian Era during the time of the papal supremacy which lasted 1260 years. What then did the stars represent in this prophecy?

Furthermore, we read in Rev. 12:1 concerning the pure woman upon whose head was, „a crown of twelve stars.“ In the same chapter, verses 3 and 4, we read about a great red dragon whose tail, „drew a third part of the stars of heaven.“ Here we see that the stars referred to beings who once reflected heavenly light, but had spiritualy fallen and were depicted as fallen stars.

Rome, however, was never a bearer of heavenly light. The Bible has ever depicted it as a dreadful beast with great iron teeth with which it devoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it.

Now let us look and see how Uriah Smith interprets the 3rd trumpet. In Rev. 8:10 we read, „And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.“ Uriah Smith claims that in this trumpet, the burning star represents Atilla the Hun, who warred against Rome. Atilla was never a bearer of heavenly light, therefore he can never be portrayed as a great star, burning like a lamp. Nor could Genseric be the mountain spoken of in the second trumpet. The Bible depicts this mountain as burning with fire and it was cast into the sea, causing the third part of the sea to become blood. Concerning the 2nd plague (Rev. 16:3) we read that the waters became as the blood of a dead man. We see that the language is similar – that in both the 2nd trumpet and the 2nd plague, the waters become blood. Yet concerning the 2nd trumpet, Uriah Smith interprets it as a man (Genseric), whose followers fought a famous battle at sea in which many men were killed. This would mean that the waters in the 2nd trumpet, according to Uriah Smith are literal waters. Thus, the waters in the 2nd plague would have to be literal waters. This is contrary to Scripture, which plainly states that the waters are, „peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues,“ (Rev. 17:15).

Uriah Smith tells us that the 7 trumpets inform us of wars and political situations in this world. Let us, therefore, take a closer look at who blows these trumpets. Perhaps then more light would be shed on the results of the sounding of the trumpets and what they represent. We have been living in the time of the 7th trumpet since 1844. In Rev. 8:2, we see that the 7 angels that sounded the 7 trumpets stood before God. Let us then try and determine whether these angels blew their trumpets in God’s church or whether they blew them during wars and political upheavals. If we see that the 7th angel blew his trumpet in God’s church, then it is plain to see that the previous 6 angels also sounded their trumpets in the previous 6 churches of the Christian era. In Rev. 11:15-19, we read that when the 7th angel sounded, „there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.“ In EW p. 55, Christ says, „Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.“ In the Great Controversy, under the chapter entitled, ‘The Investigative Judgement’, Sister White described the sequence of the events of the judgement that it is now going on in the Most Holy place. We know that first the dead that professed Christ’s name were judged, then the judgement on the living would begin. Thus we see that Sr. White sounded the trumpet in God’s church concerning the Investigative Judgement. In verse 19 we see that the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. This was also proclaimed by Sister White in EW in the chapter entitled, ‘The Open and Shut Door’. Thus we can clearly see who sounded the 7th trumpet (Sister White) and where it was sounded (among SDA’s). Those who sounded the trumpets, sounded truths given to them by God, for they are depicted (in Rev. 8:2) as standing before God.

If it is indeed true as Uriah Smith claims, that the 7 trumpets inform us of wars and politics, how is it that in the time of the 7th trumpet we had 2 great world wars, the likes of which the world has never seen previously in terms of widespread death and destruction, a good part of which occurred at sea, yet we find no mention of waters turning to blood?

In GC, 1884, p. 357 we read, „If we turn from the testimony of God’s word, and accept false doctrines because our fathers taught them, we fall under the condemnation pronounced upon Babylon; we are drinking of the wine of her abominations.“ These words should not be forgotten by any SDA. Had we been true Bible students, the poison wine would never have been produced among SDA’s. The Holy Spirit cannot place its seal on one forehead wherein any false teaching is cherished. These false teachings are called poison wine by the Bible (Rev. 14:8 and 18:2).

---

„How is the faithful city become an harlot!’ My Father’s house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking.” 8T p. 250

„Of those who boast of their light, and yet fail to walk in it, Christ says, “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh- day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent [in their own estimation], and hast revealed them unto babes.” R&H, August 1, 1893

„Here we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus “Peace and safety” is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together.“ 5T p. 211

„Jerusalem is a representation of what the church will be if it refuses to walk in the light that God has given. Jerusalem was favored of God as the depositary of sacred trusts. But her people perverted the truth, and despised all entreaties and warnings. They would not respect His counsels. The temple courts were polluted with merchandise and robbery. Selfishness and love of mammon, envy and strife, were cherished. Everyone sought for gain from his quarter.... When Christ looked down from the crest of Olivet, He saw this state of things existing in every church. The warnings come down to all that are following in the tread of the people of Jerusalem, who had such great light. This people is before us as a warning. By rejecting God’s warnings in this our day, men are repeating the sin of Jerusalem.... This course has become part of their very nature.... These are no idle tales, but truth. Again I ask: On which side are you standing? “If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” 8T p. 67-8

„There are times when the truth must be spoken, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. The Lord is greatly dishonored when those who profess to believe the truth fail to harmonize among themselves, and make appeals to lawyers.... I saw men linking up arm in arm with lawyers, but God was not in their company. Having many ideas regarding the work, they go to the lawyers for help to carry out their plans.... “Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?” 8T p. 69

In the past 10 years, the General Conference has taken to civil courts and disbanded about 10 independent SDA groups that no longer wanted to be under General Conference control. John Marik was imprisoned. He was freed when friends mortgaged their house to pay his bail. He finally denied his principles and offered to sign any agreement the SDA church wrote up. A copy of an article as written in the LA Times is enclosed. The General Conference of the SDA church lost to the homosexual Kingship group. More than one million dollars of tithe money has been paid for the sake of court litigation. Enclosed please find a General Conference letter admitting that the legal fees were paid from the tithe fund.

Does the church really keep God’s holy law? Does it raise up the downtrodden law and point to the Holy Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world? Or does it accuse the brethren and bring them before civil courts as did the leaders of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation in the time of Christ? Is not today’s church repeating the history of Jerusalem?

„The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” TM p. 265

„And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,“ Rev. 18:2,3.

It has been a full 100 years since the SDA church began to walk in the tracks of Rome. Why is it that those who today are trying to suppress the message from Rev. chapter 18 do not want to read the chapter in Testimonies to Ministers entitled, ‘In The Track of Romanism’ (Catholicism)?

„Many 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. “If thou hadst known,” said Christ, “even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” TM p. 409

„Backsliding of those who have been placed at the head of the work—the very men who through communications have been informed that they were out of place and in error in representing the voice of the General Conference president as being the voice of God. For many years it has not been thus, and it is not thus now; nor will it ever be thus again, unless there is a thorough reformation.“ Manuscript 124, December 9, 1901

„God gave them (GC leadership) clear light as to what they should do, and what they should not do, but they departed from that light ... That these men should stand in a sacred place, to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be,—that is past.“ GC Bulletin, April 3, 1901

„The fourteenth chapter of Revelation is a chapter of the deepest interest. This scripture will soon be understood in all its bearings, and the messages given to John the revelator will be repeated with distinct utterance.“ R&H, October 13, 1904

„The third angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory. The work that might have been done, will be left undone by the rejecters of truth, because of their unbelief. We entreat of you who oppose the light of truth, to stand out of the way of God’s people. Let Heaven-sent light shine forth upon them in clear and steady rays.“ R&H May 27, 1890

„In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their ideas and expectations, they will oppose the work. “Why,” they say, “should not we know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?”—Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties of the messages of God, but persistently said, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” R&H, Nov. 7, 1918 (R&H Dec. 23, 1890)

„Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning.“ TM p. 299 L.G.