11 QUESTIONS PERTAINNG TO THE "TRUE CHURCH" AND THE APOSTASY OF THE SDA CORPORATE BODY....ANSWERS FROM THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN WHITE

11 Questions Pertaining to the "True Church" and the Apostasy of the SDA Corporate Body . . . Answered from the Writings of Ellen White:

Question #1: Why did Sister White denounce Stanton in 1893 for declaring the church to be Babylon?

“The counsel of Christ to the Laodicean Church was being acted upon...”  {Review and Herald Articles, vol.  6, 513.}

Question #2: Did Ellen White, only 5 years later in 1898, perceive a different state of the church?

“Those who claim to believe the truth do not possess that power that God would bestow upon them if they really believed, and were striving for conformity to His image.  The church is in the Laodicean state.  The presence of God is not in her midst.” {Manuscript 156, 1898 - Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library.  vol. 1, Need of Self-Sacrificing Effort,  p. 99.}

Australia on globe Question #3: During this time frame of 1891-1900, Sister White moved to Australia.  This seems like an odd time to move to the other side of the world, considering the pivotal theological dialogue taking place among the prominent SDA leaders and elders.  Why did she make this decision?

“The Lord was not in our leaving America.  He did not reveal that it was his will that I should leave Battle Creek.  The Lord did not plan this, but he let you all [the General Conference] move after your own imaginings.  The Lord would have had W. C. White, his mother, and her workers remain in America.  We were needed at the heart of the work, and had your spiritual perception discerned the true situation, you [O. A. Olsen, GC President] would never have consented to the movements made.  But the Lord read the hearts of all.  There was so great a willingness to have us leave, that the Lord permitted this thing to take place.  Those who were weary of the testimonies borne were left without the persons who bore them.  Our separation from Battle Creek was to let men have their own will and way, which they thought superior to the way of the Lord. ... It was not the Lord who devised this matter.  I could not get one ray of light to leave America.” {The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials.   Letter to O. A. Olsen, December 1, 1896. Chapter 187, p. 1622-3.}

Question #4: The leadership of the SDA Church gets a lot of mileage out of the following statement:  “I testify to my brethren and sisters that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.” Which church was she referring to?

“God has a church.  It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments.  'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them' (Matthew 18:20).  Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” {The Upward Look, p. 315. (Emphasis supplied)}

The church “which is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard” can’t be the SDA Church, for Ellen White confirmed in 1898 that “the presence of God is not in her midst,” and confirmed in 1903 that the SDA Church was deprived of His divine presence by saying, “'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.” It is indeed His presence which “can alone constitute a church.” Therefore, it is utter falsehood by the leaders of the SDA Church to claim that the SDA Church “is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.”

Acts of the Apostles by Ellen White“To the end of time, the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.” {Acts of the Apostles, p.  55. (Emphasis supplied)}

The leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church have also been using the following statement made by Ellen White to discourage members from leaving the church: “The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall.  It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the precious wheat....The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy.” {Selected Messages, vol. 2, 380.}

(The church militant:  the Christian church on earth...; thus distinguished from the church triumphant, or in heaven.  –Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

“Those who think that the church militant is the church triumphant make a great mistake.”  -The Upward Look, p. 152. (Emphasis supplied)

Question #5: In Hebrews 12:18-24, we learn about the triumphant Church of Zion, which is the only faithful body in the universe, headquartered in Heavenly Jerusalem.   It is the church of angels, which enjoys the presence of the Father and Son.  It is also the church of the first born, i.e. those humble, faithful souls who purify themselves by His enabling grace; and thus are able to join the triumphant Church of Heaven (whose members “are written in Heaven”).   So this is "the church" which in the coming conflict “may appear as about to fall, but does not fall.”  What else can we learn from Sister White about the triumphant Church of Heaven?

“The members of the church triumphant--the church in Heaven--will be permitted to draw near to the members of the church militant, to aid them in their necessity.” {The Southern Watchman, September 8, 1903 - Power from Above.}  

“The work is soon to close. The members of the church militant who have proved faithful will become the church triumphant.” {Letter 32, 1892. - Evangelism, Chapter 20 - The Message Triumphant, p. 707.}

“For we are not come unto the mount that might be touched ... but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” {Review and Herald, November 8, 1906. par. 9.}  

Question #6: So when will the triumphant church appear “about to fall but does not fall”?  When will this event take place?

“The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet as the time of Jacob's trouble....  Jacob's night of anguish, when he wrestled in prayer for deliverance from the hand of Esau (Genesis 32:24-30), represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble....Jacob's company, unarmed and defenseless, SEEMED ABOUT TO FALL HELPLESS VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND SLAUGHTER.” {The Great Controversy, (1911 edition), p.  616. (Emphasis supplied)}

Question #7: And what will happen to the members who remain in the once militant SDA Church, and refuse to join in faith the triumphant church of Zion in the Heavenly Jerusalem?

Ezekiel 9 Quote“Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel.  These words will be literally fulfilled yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep.  They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted.  Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience.  The time is short.  God is calling; will YOU hear?  Will YOU receive His message?  Will YOU be converted before it is too late?  Soon, very soon, every case will be decided for eternity.” {Letter 106, 1909, pp.  2, 3, 5, 7.  (To The churches in Oakland and Berkeley, September 26, 1909.)  -E.G. White Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 260. (Emphasis supplied)}

“The Lord reads the heart as an open book.  The men who are not connected with God have done many things after the imagination of their own evil hearts.  The Lord declares concerning them, 'They have turned unto Me their back, and not the face, though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them; yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.'  We are amid the perils of the last days, the time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.” {The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials.  Chapter 158, To A. R. Henry, Oct. 27, 1894, p. 1303. (Emphasis supplied)}

Question #8: We know from Ellen White's writings that the SDA Church will repeat the history of ancient Israel, and will face the same doom.  But did she ever quote an example from Scripture where His faithful ones separated from ancient Israel before AD 34?

“As the men of Israel witnessed the corrupt course of the priests, they thought it safer for their families not to come up to the appointed place of worship.  Many went from Shiloh with their peace disturbed, their indignation aroused, until they at last determined to offer their sacrifices themselves, concluding that this would be fully as acceptable to God, as to sanction in any manner the abominations practiced in the Sanctuary.” {E.G.  White, The Signs of the Times, vol. 1, p. 264, col. 3, December 1, 1881. (Emphasis supplied)}
Shiloh (BibleAtlas.org)

Shiloh (BibleAtlas.org)

So the supposition that no one actually separated from the apostasy of ancient Israel is a falsehood promoted by the corrupt leadership of the SDA Church today.  We know from Jeremiah chapter 26 that Shiloh was destroyed and became desolate; excavations have confirmed the destruction and desolation of Shiloh around 1100 BC.  This proves that His true followers in ancient Israel were separating from the official temple service as far back as 1100 BC and even earlier.

There are more compelling reasons today to separate from the SDA Church than there were for His faithful ones in ancient Israel.  Today, the SDA Church is actively working and uniting with all the fallen denominational churches of Christendom, and with the United Nations as well.  The church is also submitting her schools, hospitals, and universities to worldly policies and regulations, earnestly striving to shed all that has set her apart from the rest of the fallen denominational churches, in order to become accepted by these churches.  

“When those who are uniting with the world, yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever been the opposers of the cause of truth we should fear and shun them as decidedly as did Nehemiah.  Such counsel is prompted by the enemy of all good.  It is the speech of timeservers, and should be resisted as resolutely today as then.  Whatever influence would tend to unsettle the faith of God's people in His guiding power, should be steadfastly withstood.” {Prophets and Kings, p. 660. (Emphasis supplied)}

Question #9: God’s Spirit, through Ellen White, declared the SDA Church a harlot in 1903.  This declaration placed the church under probation, necessitating corporate repentance, so that the church could come out of this divine probation.  Was the possibility of the church not repenting, and thus irreversibly becoming part of fallen Babylon ever a possibility in Ellen White's mind?
Come Out of Her, My People! Video Poster

Come Out Of Her, My People! (Video)

“We must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel.  Licentiousness, unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree...We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird, and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” {E. G. White, Manuscript Releases No. 449, pp. 17, 18.}

Question #10: Did Sister White ever consider leaving the SDA Church during her long ministry?

“Reforms must be made, for spiritual weakness and blindness were upon the people who had been blessed with great light and precious opportunities and privileges.  As reformers they had come out of the denominational churches, but now they act a part similar to that which the churches acted. We hoped that there would not be the necessity for another coming out.” {MS:  1216, pp.5-6. (Emphasis supplied)}

Question #11:What was Ellen White's last testimony to the SDA Church?

“I am charged to tell our people that they do not realize that the devil has device after device, and he carries them out in ways that they do not expect.  Satan’s agencies will invent ways to make sinners out of saints. I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place.  I do not know when I shall be taken; and I desire to warn all against the devices of the devil.  I want the people to know that I warned them fully before my death.” {Manuscript 1, February 24, 1915. (Emphasis supplied)}

I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place. (Ellen White)

If alive today, Ellen White would be actively giving the “come out of her, My people” call to His faithful within the SDA Church.  But she did not separate while still alive for the following reasons:

Even though the SDA Church was declared a harlot devoid of the divine presence in 1903 by the Instructor, the church was not yet fallen, for if she repented of her sins, God would again bless her with His divine presence.  This is why Ellen White up to her death did not separate from the SDA Church.  It was still under probation.  Furthermore, Satan made sure that the leadership would not rock the boat of Adventism while Ellen White was living, and not until the last faithful pioneer had passed away.  However, after the passing away of Ellen White in 1915, and with the passing away of the last pioneer, John Norton Loughborough, in 1924, the leaders of the SDA Church began to take calculated, gradual steps to convert the denomination into a mainstream church.
Jesuit logo

   Who are the Jesuits?

1926: One of the first steps that the SDA church took was to adopt working policy #O 75 [in 2006, it was referred to as: #O 110] in which the leadership of the church voted to recognize the Jesuits “as a part of the divine plan for evangelization of the world.” {Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, Second Revised Edition, 1995, Art.  “Ecumenism”}

More recently. . . 2005-2006 Working Policy of the General Conference of SDA:  # O 110 - Relationships with Other Christian Churches and Religious Organizations, retrieved on March 13, 2012 via <http://www.bibelschule.info/streaming/Working-policy-of-the-General-Conference-of-Seventh-day-Adventists---2005-2006_21970.pdf>  By this single traitorous act, the church closed its probation, and has indeed become fallen and beyond reform.

Subsequent acts and actions of the SDA Church confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt the fallen condition into which the church plummeted  after 1926, a far cry from the repentance which should have taken place:

1931: Adoption of the Roman Catholic Trinity doctrine.

1957: The SDA Church declared oneness with the fallen Protestants denominations.

“We are one with our fellow Christian denominational groups in the great fundamentals of the faith once delivered to the saints.” {Questions on Doctrine (Seventh-day Adventist book), p. 32.}

This book came right after the end of the discussion of 1955 and 1956 with the Protestants Barnhouse and Martin.  In this book, the Church changed her position on Christ’s nature to that of Adam’s nature before the fall, and changed her teaching on the Atonement being completed at the Cross, instead of actually starting at the Cross.  These compromises and changes were required by the Protestant leaders in order to categorize the Seventh-day Adventist Church as an evangelical Christian church instead of being classified as a sect.

1974: The SDA Church officially declared to the world the Rome is no longer the Beast of Revelation.

“Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint...that attitude on the Church's part was nothing more than a manifestation of widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned.” {Neal C.  Wilson, past president of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference; Court Transcript of United States vs. the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs. the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the General Conference.  Reply Brief for Defendants, p.  4, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, presided over by Judge Charles B.  Renfrew, U.S.  District Court, San Francisco, California, 1974-1975.}
Medal given to Pope Paul VI by Seventh-Day Adventist Church official, B.B. Beach

Medal given to Pope Paul VI by Seventh-Day Adventist
Church official, B.B. Beach

1977: Having surrendered to the Protestants in 1957, the SDA Church formally surrenders to Rome.

“B.  B.  Beach has a private audience with Pope Paul VI in the Vatican and presents him with gold medallion confirming friendship of the SDA Church with the Vatican” {RH, Aug 11, 1977.}

1995: At the General Conference Session in the Netherlands, the Vatican flag was carried through the meeting hall in a singular fashion amidst an unusually loud ovation.

1999:  Pope John Paul II is welcomed in St.  Louis by the SDA Pastor B.T.  Rice with the following words:

“Pope, your Holiness, your historic visit to St.  Louis Missouri has served as a catalyst in the creation of this program (ecumenical program) and it transforms your presence into a lasting legacy for our region.  Today, we present to you this proclamation, announcing the Creation of Faith Beyond Walls; your commitment to improving inter-faith relations has fostered an environment wherein the spirit of collective faith positively can thrive.  In addition, we also present you with this banner, the emblem of Faith Beyond Walls.  We hope and pray it will inspire inter-faith communities around the world to focus their efforts on improving health and the quality of life for all humanity.  Again, we welcome you to our region.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uqf3ibbhuc)

The “great changes” in the Seventh Day Adventist Church which Sister Ellen White warned us of in her last testimony have indeed taken place.  She could not separate from the SDA Church because it was still under probation while she was alive.  The official changes that would have given her concrete evidence that God’s Spirit no longer resided with the SDA corporate body took place decisively after her death.

The famed SDA historian and leader, Dr. George Knight, has blatantly affirmed in Ministry Magazine, that

“Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to
subscribe to the denomination’s Fundamental Beliefs.” {George R. Knight,Ministry, October, 1993, p. 10}

No honest truth seeker would want to continue being a member of a church devoid of God's divine presence and whose beliefs today would not be accepted by Ellen White and the pioneers.