"We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ, how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God's servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth." Selected Messages, book 1, p 406.

Ellen White stated that Seventh-day Adventists, or the people of God, will have the same trials and attitudes that the Jewish people experienced, and that they will occupy the same position as did the Jews. The Seventh-day Adventist church and its leaders will have the same attitude and will be just like the Jewish church and its leaders were of old, and the church membership of today will go through the same trials as did the Jewish church members.

As our experiences today will be just like it was of old, lets review some of the Jewish history to see exactly what happened. Please remember that what we will be going over now, God prophesied would be seen repeating itself in the SDA church.

The wickedness of the Jewish church, its leadership and people was so great that about 500 years before Christ was born, and just before the Jewish temple was first destroyed, the ark--along with God's visible presence--was removed far away from their church, and was never returned to them (see Prophets and Kings, p 453). So when the Jews rebuilt their temple, the "Shekinah" or the presence of God, was not to be found anywhere in that church and organization.

But did the Jewish leaders, or the priests and Pharisees, let their people know that the symbol of God's presence was no longer in the church? Did these leaders tell the people that all the sacrifices, ceremonies, and services that they would religiously perform in that structure, would be useless and but a form because the ark and God's presence was not in it? Did these leaders and priests tell their people that instead of looking to them for counsel and instruction from the Lord, they would now have to look directly to God for all their instruction and counsel? And that before God would hear and answer their prayers, they would have to search their hearts for sins and then confess these before God themselves? No!

Since God's presence was no longer in that church, the leadership made the church into their God. All the worship that was going to the true God was now shifted and placed upon the temple. It became God to them, and everything centered around the church instead of being centered around the living God.

"The Jews worshiped the temple, and were filled with greater indignation at anything spoken against that building than if it had been spoken against God." Early Writings, p 198.

As the leaders, priests, and Pharisees made the church their God, and as their people were accustomed to look to them for God's instructions, they then taught the people to uphold that God-less church, and to continue to obey their voice as the voice of God to them (see Desire of Ages, p 670).

Their high priest became their president (see Desire of Ages, p 133), and they organized their church into an ecclesiastical hierarchy where man was controlled by man (see Desire of Ages, p 395 & 232).

As God's glory had departed from their temple, they turned to the world for glory and honor.

"The Israelites fixed their hopes upon worldly greatness....and followed the ways of the heathen....

"The Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing allegiance to God. They had been specially favored by Him, and they laid claim to righteousness above every other people. But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain....and were full of hypocrisy." Desire of Ages, p 28, 582-83.

The highest leaders of that church and its organization made Satan their leader. They put man-made yokes of darkness upon the necks of their people, and kept their free God-given will and conscience under bondage to their supreme authority. God was put out of sight and man was exalted in His place, sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God!

That the sacred tithe and offerings devoted to God could be kept pouring into the church treasury, these leaders masterfully had the people believing that God's presence was still in the church. They also taught that in order to be a true child of God, all had to be members in good standing in that church. Thus they kept the people blind to the real truth that God had left the church many years before.

This whole false satanic system of bondage and lies was kept going for generations, and the people were blind being led of the blind. They had no free choice, no will or conscience of their own, for their church leaders had usurped supreme authority over everything. The people were taught to explicitly obey their church leaders without question in every religious matter, and so they were nothing more than captives and slaves to a God-less church, and to a corrupt satanic leadership.

"They (Jews) robbed God of His glory, and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction.

"The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth, had become representatives of Satan....God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.

"They had chosen a ruler (Satan) who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,--to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning." Desire of Ages, p 36.

But yet these leaders taught the people that at Jerusalem they were to worship God (see Desire of Ages, p 154)! What a masterful deception, and sister White stated that this is going to be the same experience that Seventh-day Adventists will go through!

This is the scene when Christ came into the picture. In the early part of His ministry, He declared that He was to set the captives free. But free from what? I find 3 things.

1. To free His people from their blindness and error by showing them truth (see John 8:32, Desire of Ages, p 237).

2. To set free His people's consciences and wills from being bound and chained to their church leaders.

"At the time of the first advent of Christ to our world, the men who composed the Sanhedrin exercised their authority in controlling men according to their will. Thus the souls whom Christ had given His life to free from the bondage of Satan were brought under bondage to him in another form." Testimonies to Ministers, p 361.

"The interest of the people in Christ and His work had steadily increased. They were charmed with His teaching, but they were also greatly perplexed. They had respected the priests and rabbis for their intelligence and apparent piety. In all religious matters they had ever yielded implicit obedience to their authority....

"Through their reverence for tradition and their blind faith in a corrupt priesthood, the people were enslaved. These chains Christ must break. The character of the priests, rulers, and pharisees must be more fully exposed." Desire of Ages, p 611-12.

3. To set His people free from their corrupt church structure and organization.

"The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ's message and was bent upon His death; therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priests, the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations." Desire of Ages, p 232.

Then she adds:

"As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ's withdrawal from Judea has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established church; but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated by their spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the church of their fathers, that they may render obedience." Desire of Ages, p 232.

Where do you stand? Are you listening for the voice of God and ready to accept truth whenever and in whatever guise it may be presented? Is following truth more precious to you than keeping church membership in a God-less church? We all need to examine our own souls to see exactly where we stand, because if the truth is not precious enough to us, to the point that we will forsake all--even life itself to obey it, then we will never see Heaven!

After Christ presented truth to the people, what words did He speak? He said, "Come, take up your cross and follow me" Luke 9:23. He did not say go back under bondage to your church leaders and to your God-less church, but He said come and follow me.

Christ also stated: "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be..." John 12:26. So wherever Christ's presence is, then there His servants will be also. The other side of the coin is also true, that where Christ's presence is not to be found, then Christ's true and honest servants will not be found there either, unless God directly leads them to be. So Christ's presence is the key to discovering where His church is.

"Where He (Christ) is, there His church shall be." Desire of Ages, p 834.

"He (Christ) declared it to be His will that where He was, there His church should be..." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 5, p 1150, col 2.

"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 (Matt. 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." Upward Look, p 315.

The Jewish church and organization was without God's presence, so they could not constitute the church of God. They had actually become the chief headquarters and synagogue of Satan. And as God was not in the church, then as John 12:26 states, God's true and honest servants could not be or remain there either.

How many today are servants of the most high God? Then wherever the presence of Christ is not to be found, you will not be found there either! Again we all need to search our own hearts to see exactly where we stand.

Of course the Jewish leaders did all in their power to stop Christ from freeing the people from being slaves and captives to their controlling influences. They did all in their power to keep the people from hearing, accepting and understanding the precious truth which Christ presented.

"Jesus alone could reveal the truth which it was necessary men should know in order that they might obtain salvation....It was His work to free it from error and to set it before men in its heavenly light.

"Satan was roused to oppose Him, for had he not put forth every effort since the fall to make light appear darkness, and darkness light? As Christ sought to place truth before the people in its proper relation to their salvation, Satan worked through the Jewish leaders, and inspired them with enmity against the Redeemer of the world. They determined to do all in their power to prevent Him from making an impression upon the people." Selected Messages, book 1, p 407.

You see both Christ and the Jewish leaders were trying to save "the church." Christ was trying to save His true church of individuals from being destroyed while they remained bound to corrupt men and a false church. While the priests and pharisees were trying to save their God-less church and its hierarchical organization from being destroyed and its captives being set free from their controlling influences if Christ's truth became known and understood. And these leaders were even ready to kill any one who exposed them and their satanic system in order to save their counterfeit church which was posing as the church of God.

Now which group of Jewish leaders did the most to persecute Christ and His true followers? It was the group of the pharisees! Now were these employed by the Jewish church? No! Only the priests were paid, and yet the greatest and most bitterest persecutions against Christ and His followers was from the pharisees--a group of Jewish leaders outside of church employment, or from a group of conservative self-supporting people. This group of conservative self-supporting church leaders did more to obstruct the truth from reaching and being understood by the people, than did the actual priests of the temple!

Christ had done all that He could do. He had shown light and precious truth abundantly upon His church. He had sent warnings upon warnings to get them to repent and accept Him before it was forever too late. Yet Christ's own chosen people disregarded all His warnings, despised His precious light and truths, and rejected Him--their last and only chance of remaining His chosen people and His church.

"They refused every overture of mercy, and rejected the Son of God, and thus made themselves guilty of the greatest of all sins. Christ charged the whole nation with this sin." Review and Herald, December 13, 1898 (vol 3, p 631, col 2).

As the whole nation was charged with the rejection of Christ, then even the innocent were held guilty in what their church leaders were doing because they were members of the church. They were corporately responsible.

"A nations sin and a nations ruin, were due to its religious leaders." Christ's Object Lessons, p 305.

But time could wait no longer, and probation closed upon the church.

"Looking around upon the interior of the temple for the last time, He (Christ) said with mournful pathos, 'Behold, your house is left desolate'....Hitherto He had called it His Father's house, but now, as the Son of God passed out from those walls, God's presence was withdrawn forever from the temple built to His glory....

"Alas for the haughty Jews who knew not the day of their visitation! Slowly and regretfully, Christ, with His disciples, left forever the precincts of the temple." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 3, p 69, 81.

Heavens "woe" (see Review and Herald, March 3, 1896, vol 3, p 337, col 2) had been pronounced upon them.

"This was the most solemn denunciation ever uttered against Jerusalem. After renouncing the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, who, while they worshipped the temple, were working with hatred inspired by Satan to destroy the only one who made the temple sacred, Christ bade adieu to the once hallowed courts. He quitted the temple forever, declaring, 'your house is left unto you desolate. Henceforth a cloud blacker than sackcloth hung over the once favored nation." Review and Herald, December 13, 1898 (vol 3, p 631, col 1).

Was there any way for the church or the people who clung to the church, to see through this black cloud of darkness and see the light of heaven? No. Was there any hope of a revival and reformation back to God from within the church after this "terrible doom" (see Review and Herald, vol 4, p 156, col 2) had been pronounced upon them? No. She states in Patriarchs and Prophets, p 475, that it was "the final rejection" of the church.

"...the irrevocable sentence must be passed, 'your house is left unto you desolate.' Past opportunities, privileges, and blessings rise up before Him (Christ). He could see Jerusalem as she might have been. Holiness unto the Lord....The heart of Jesus was pierced with agony, and from His pale lips came forth the words. 'If thou hadst known even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thy eyes." Review and Herald, April 18, 1893 (vol 3, p 39, col 2).

The corporate church had passed the point of no return, and heaven's irrevocable woe was pronounced. Probation had closed for the church in the broad daylight, salvation had become an individual work, yet the majority of the membership still continued to cling to the church for their salvation.

Now with all that we have learned so far, was Jerusalem Babylon? Yes.

"Babylon is also charged with the sin of unlawful connection with 'the kings of the earth.' It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot..." Great Controversy, p 382.

So the Jewish church had become the harlot of Babylon.

"After speaking of the end of the world, Jesus comes back to Jerusalem, the city then sitting in pride and arrogance, and saying, 'I sit a queen, and shall see no sorrow? (see Revelation 18:7)." Selected Messages, book 3, p 417. (see also Review and Herald, December 7, 1897, vol 3, p 523, col 2).

Revelation 18:7 is a description of Babylon! So God's once chosen church had become Babylon, and His people were numbered with Babylon. Any religious organization who departs from God and unites herself with the world, who places and exalts men in the position of God, binding the will and consciences of others to themselves and making men the slaves of men, is Babylon (see Testimonies to Ministers, p 361).

Christ was trying to expose all the man-made commandments, all the custom and tradition, and all the pre-conceived ideas that kept His precious truth from breaking through all this rubbish surrounding their hearts. He wanted to break up that fallow and barren ground of their hearts, to thoroughly plow their heart soil so that His seeds of truth could take a firm hold, be watered and grow--producing a new creature in the image of God.

But this process could never take place, and salvation could not be secured while the people knowingly remained in bondage to their Babylonian church and their corrupt leadership. No truth that Christ came to impart could take hold and bring salvation under this type of influence. No new birth or born again Christian experience could occur while the people remained spiritually or physically within Babylon. They had to physically separate from Babylon, and had to give up all the error and false doctrines learned while in Babylon before the seed could grow heartily producing a new child in the image of God.

Christ knew all to well the experience of Abram and his wife Sarai in the land of Babylon. While they were physically within the land of Ur of the Chaldees or Babylon, Sarai was barren. She could not become pregnant with seed to produce a new child in the image of God until they obeyed God's command to flee from Babylon. God stated in Genesis 12:1:

"Get thee out of thy country, (Babylon) and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee."

Both Abram and Sarai had to willingly obey the call of God to separate themselves physically from all their acquaintances, kindred, and even their immediate family who chose to remain within Babylon, before Sarai could become pregnant with seed to produce a new child in the image of God. And the same for us! No new birth or born again experience will occur while we are in Babylon either physically or spiritually, and are under bondage to men.

Christ was trying to get the people to realize that God's true temple or church, where He and the Father wants to rule, is not in a building or structure made by hands, but it is within the individuals own heart or mind. This is where the Godhead wants to rule, within a temple made by God's hands and not man's, within each one of us. It is among these individuals that the Godhead wants to dwell.

"And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, behold the tabernacle (or temple) of God is with men. And he will dwell with them and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelation 21:3.

The Greek word for "with" means union, or togetherness. So the temple of God is united with men, and He will dwell with or among them and be their God and they His people. So God's temple, made up of His people, is where God wants to dwell and rule in the midst of. (see also Hebrews 3:6).

The same with the text in 2 Corinthians 6:16. The Greek word for "in" means by, about, among, or with. So God says:

"For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in (among or about) them, and walk in (or among) them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (see also Exodus 25:8, 29, 45-46; Numbers 5:3, 14:42; Deuteronomy 23:14; Psalms 46:5, 132:13-14, 140:13; Isaiah 12:6, 57:15; Jeremiah 14:9; Ezekiel 43:9; Hosea 11:9; Joel 2:27; Zephaniah 3:15, 17; Zechariah 2:5, 10, 8:3; Matthew 18:20).

God's people are to be fashioned and fitted as the stones which make up God's spiritual temple--reflecting His light of truth through them. And the Lord wants to dwell in the midst of this temple, with or among the stones or his people. He wants to rule in and walk among His faithful children--His faithful church.

"Consider, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord has a people, a chosen people, His church, to be His own, His own fortress, which He holds in a sin-stricken, revolted world; and He intended that no authority should be known in it, no laws be acknowledged by it, but His own." Testimonies to Ministers, p 16.

Now listen closely to what God considers to be His church.

"The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own." Desire of Ages, p 324.

God wants to dwell with each one of us--making our hearts firm and secure as a fortress upon His truth and word. That is why Jeremiah proclaimed: "Let Jerusalem come into your mind" (Jeremiah 51:50). Or let God rule and command in our minds through His word.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:15-16 (see also Psalms 119:11).

But God cannot dwell with us, ruling in our hearts and making us a part of His own church, with our soul as His own fortress in a revolted world, as long as our will and conscience is under bondage and control to another human, and we are physically in Babylon.

What did the Babylonians in Daniel's day believe? They believed and taught that God does not dwell with or among humanity--or in the midst of His people (see Daniel 2:11). The Jewish church leaders were teaching the same Babylonish doctrine that God does not dwell with the individual person, but that God only dwells in a church structure. As long as they could keep the people looking to the church, having them doing all they could to uphold it and to keep that building spotless and in good repair, while refusing to teach the people to do all they could to prepare their own soul temple, keeping it spotless and in good repair so that God could dwell with them, they had the people bound to them and their church forever, with no hope of ever reflecting the image of God perfectly.

But the people were blind to their situation, so Christ had to show them plainly where they were. Christ warned the people in truth about their church leaders being the followers of the devil. He had warned them in truth that their God-less church, or their glorious holy mountain, would be destroyed in justice and none could save her. Christ gathered out as many as He could away from that deadly influence, so that He could teach them greater truths and they could in turn teach these precious truths to others and gather them out, away from that deadly influence, to become a part of God's true church.

Christ showed them clearly that God does dwell with and rule in His obedient people, and He revealed God through His own fallen humanity which He took upon Himself.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." 1 Timothy 3:16.

And it is also our privilege and honor to manifest God through our own lives to the world, by living the truth which is planted within us.

But still the greater majority of the people remained in the chains of bondage to a corrupt leadership and a church of Babylon. Their house, their whole church and organization--including all its synagogues or outposts throughout the world--was declared to be desolate. God's presence was removed forever from their temple, never to return. Probation for the church had closed.

Hence the Jewish church became a God-forsaken structure of Babylon. It was beyond repentance, never to see a revival and reformation towards God from within again. Heaven's woe had been pronounced upon them. They had chosen Satan as their leader in the place of Christ, and they would henceforth follow Satan's plan of reformation to the bitter, bitter end. Yet the majority of the membership thought that the church was still following God and that God was still within it.

Christ tried to open their eyes by teaching them that "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20)--or only good trees bring forth good fruit and corrupt trees evil fruit. Yet this plain and clear truth still did not open the eyes of the people to what their church and its leaders were doing.

They crucified Christ, persecuted and killed those of His followers who refused to be party to their corrupt system and/or to be subject to their authority. They persecuted those who refused to allow their wills and consciences to be put back under bondage to man once Christ had freed it.

But how did these satanic church leaders and pharisees (or the self-supporting conservative class) keep the majority of the people clinging to their corrupt church, while even the Roman armies were marching up to destroy it and them?

"...in their blind and blasphemous presumption the instigators of this hellish work (church leaders) publicly declared that they had no fear that Jerusalem would be destroyed, for it was God's own city. To establish their power more firmly, they bribed false prophets to proclaim, even when the Roman legions were besieging the temple, that the people were to wait for deliverance from God." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 30-31.

Now where did these false prophets tell the people to wait for God to save them? Right in that God-forsaken church of Babylon. Right where the church leaders could have the greatest power and control over their minds and wills, thus keeping them in bondage.

Were these lying false prophets: and I can just hear them proclaiming "the church is not Babylon. It will not be destroyed, because it is going through. Why this is God's own church, and God is with us, and we have the truth." Were these hirelings of Satan successful in their hellish work? Sadly, they were very successful.

"To the last, multitudes held fast to the belief that the Most High would interpose for the defeat of their adversaries....

"All the predictions given by Christ concerning the destruction of Jerusalem were fulfilled to the letter...Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 31-32.

If not one Christian perished in the fall of the church, then all the true followers of Jesus had already separated themselves from it. But the majority chose to remain blind and under bondage to their corrupt leadership, and chose to stand to the death with their once favored temple.

They deliberately chose to disobey Christ's explicit command to willingly separate themselves and flee from Jerusalem (see Matthew 24:15-18, Mark 13:14-16, Luke 21:20-22, and Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 32, 38). Hence they were not really followers of Christ or Christians at all. By their own choice to disobey, they lost their souls by clinging to a God-forsaken church of Babylon. But they thought they were obeying God by remaining, and what a grand delusion they had imbibed. But it cost them their eternal lives.

"More than a million of the people were slaughtered..." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 36.

It was found that it was easier to remain in Babylon than to willingly leave it.

This is all just history that we have gone over and learned. But remember as we read earlier that Seventh-day Adventists would be going through these same experiences!

Sister White even stated in Testimonies, vol 5, p 160, and 18 more times in vol 5 alone that the SDA church and its membership are repeating the same history of the Jewish church (see Testimonies, vol 5, p 72, 75, 76, 77, 84, 94, 99, 217, 226, 258, 297, 456, 535, 601, 689, 690, 710, 728). And we found out that Jerusalem became Babylon!

Sister White even makes it more plain in Testimonies, vol 8, p 67-68, stating that Jerusalem will be a representation of the SDA church if it followed in its footsteps! And we are seeing all this sad history being repeated again in the church. She even warned the people in the year 1887.

"We have more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church than from the World." Review and Herald, March 22, 1887 (vol 2, p 121, col 2).

Two years later she states:

"Do not forget that the most dangerous snares which Satan has prepared for the church will come through its own members..." Testimonies, vol 5, p 477 (1889).

So where since 1889 should Adventists be looking for Satan's most dangerous snares to be stealthily laid out to trap them? Is it from the world, or the other churches as we have been taught? No. It is right from the SDA church and from all its followers and supporters.

Sister White even explicitly warns our people who Satan's agents are and exactly where we can find them. She writes in Testimonies to Ministers, p 409, that these agents of Satan will be found in the SDA church, standing in Adventist pulpits, preaching lies and falsehood to our Adventist people. The exact repeat of history with the Jewish leaders deceiving and leading their people to destruction from their very own pulpits and churches, teaching them false doctrines and having them cling to their God-forsaken church of Babylon.

As the SDA church is repeating the history of the Jewish church, and as they represent Jerusalem, what about the claim that the SDA church is not Babylon and never will be, that most of the self-supporting institutions, along with the church leadership, are saying? This statement itself is misleading and is a lie because she never said such a thing. Let's look at the history of this whole Babylon issue to see if we can clear up a lot of the confusion going on today.

Ellen White wrote in the year 1861:

"I was shown that some have feared that our churches would become Babylon if they should organize; but those in Central New York have been perfect Babylon, confusion." Testimonies, vol 1, p 270.

Sister White declared the SDA churches in New York to be Babylon because they fit the description. So do not let anyone tell you that she never called the SDA church Babylon!

The church did organize itself for business reasons in 1863 for the purpose of holding property in the name of the church instead of holding it in an individual's name. There was also a General Conference president elected, but his office was not for the purpose of controlling the entire church, as in an hierarchical church structure where man controls men, but he served only for the purpose of handling the business affairs of the church. Thus, this 1863 organization was arranged, not under an hierarchy, but under a simple organizational format for the furtherance of the work.

"Simple organization and church order are set forth in the New Testament Scriptures, and the Lord has ordained these for the unity and perfection of the church." Loma Linda Messages, p 816.

"The church of Christ is organized for missionary purposes." Review and Herald, September 12, 1907 (vol 5, p 358, col 1).

So anything done other than for "missionary purposes," or away from "simple organization," is a step away from being the church of Christ, and will lead to rebellion against God and His truth, to bring the will and consciences of others under bondage to men. And if continued on in this path, the church will end up becoming Babylon.

Did the SDA church leaders step away from "simple church organization," rebel against and reject God and His truth, and begin to control our people? Yes.

In 1888, the majority of the SDA church leaders followed George Butler, who was then president of the G.C., in rejecting God's precious light and truth sent to them at the 1888 G.C. session in Minneapolis (please read Selected Messages, book 1, p 234-235; and Testimonies to Ministers, p 467-468).

God in mercy sent to the church leaders a most precious message of truth. He sent His pure doctrine, or the latter rain message of the righteousness of Christ--being Christ in you the hope of glory. If Christ's teachings and His word is not seen to be living within you, is there any hope of glory? No! Is there any hope of overcoming all sin and reflecting Christ's image perfectly, without His teachings and His word living within you? No! This is what God was trying to get our leaders to see and understand, but they refused to see and chose darkness instead, rejecting this pure doctrine of the latter rain sent from God.

Since they rejected the truth that God's dwelling place and temple is with His true people and that His will was to be the ruling factor in their minds--thus enabling them to overcome all sin and live a perfect life--they then accepted and began teaching our people the same Babylonish doctrine that God does not dwell with humanity. They began doing just what the Jewish church leaders did by getting the people to uphold the church, getting them to fix their eyes upon it, instead of fixing their eyes on God and doing all they could to prepare and cleanse their own soul so God could make them a part of His church and could dwell among them.

Ellen White, along with Jones and Waggoner, tried all that they could to get the leadership to see this, to try and get them to change their minds and turn away from the path of rebellion and apostasy--from the rejection of God and His truth that they had chosen--which would lead them directly into Babylon. (For a more thorough understanding of what occurred at the 1888 Minneapolis Conference, please see "The Abomination of Desolation and Church History").

Did the SDA leadership's rebellion against God and His messages of truth continue? Yes. In 1891 the SDA leaders sent our prophet to Australia on September 12, 1891. But did they send her to Australia for the purpose of spreading the gospel, or to "get rid of her?"

Robert Olson, who was the head man of the White Estates, issued a paper on July 2, 1986 in which he comments on this very issue--so you cannot get much more official than this statement. He states on p 2:

"In 1891 our church leaders got rid of Ellen White by sending her to Australia."

So the SDA leadership did continue their rebellion and apostasy against God! But did the leadership succeed in shutting her up by shipping her away to Australia so that she could not so easily reprove them for taking the control of the heart of the church away from God? No. Even before she reached Australia, while she was yet sailing on the ocean, she wrote back saying:

"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'....

"And when men in the highest responsible positions make no difference between those who serve God and those who serve Him not, they evidence that their eyes are not single to the glory of God; therefore their whole body is full of darkness....

"Let us not form unholy bonds of union with the friends of the world; for God has pronounced His curse upon all such unions....Already has the power of darkness placed its mold and superscription upon the work that should stand forth untainted, unpolluted, from Satan's cunning devices....Woe be unto him whose wisdom is not from above but from beneath!" Testimonies to Ministers, p 265, 273, 277.

Now Sister White wrote that if the SDA church becomes married to the world forming a bond of unity, that the church would become a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Where is this phrase found in the Revelation? Revelation 18:2--dealing with Babylon! So Sister White wrote in 1891 that if the SDA church becomes united with the world, they would become Babylon! How could just becoming united or married to the world make the church Babylon?

Who is the church of Christ married to? She is married to Christ. Now if a married woman departs from her husband and unites herself with another, she becomes what? A harlot. So basically Sister White was warning that if the SDA church, who is married to Christ, departs from Him and unites herself with the world, that the SDA church would become the harlot of Babylon listed in Revelation 18.

Now in 1893, a man named A.W. Stanton along with several others, put out a tract calling the SDA church Babylon at that time. The SDA church had not yet married the world, nor had God given them this message, so the responsibility rested in their own human wisdom and judgment to denounce the church as such.

Sister White told them plainly that this message in 1893 was from Satan, and that Stanton was deceived. Where was Stanton deceived? God had not Himself declared the SDA church to be a harlot of Babylon, yet Stanton declared it to be anyway. Stanton had to use his own fallible human wisdom and his erring human judgment to do so. He had no "thus saith the Lord" with which to back him up. Sister White even stated that he was using his own individual responsibility, and that he ran ahead of the Lord before the Lord sent him (see Testimonies to Ministers, p 41 & 51). Anytime we use our own human wisdom and judgment without a "thus saith the Lord" as our foundation, we are in deep trouble.

Why did Satan deceive Stanton into picking the particular year of 1893 to call the SDA church Babylon? I find 2 reasons why.

1. Stanton was deceived into believing that as it took 49 literal years to rebuild God's temple after it was destroyed anciently, so it would take another 49 literal years to make up God's temple, or the 144,000 from the SDA church (see p 23 of his pamphlet). So Stanton took 49 literal years, or a Jubilee cycle, and applied it to his day literally, and he was greatly deceived by the devil in this.

2. The refreshing or the latter rain had begun to fall upon some of the church members, and to try and stop this from growing into the loud cry, Satan raised the cry that the SDA church was Babylon.

"How is it that these pamphlets denouncing the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Babylon were scattered everywhere, at the very time when that church was receiving the outpouring of the Spirit of God?...that is enjoying a season of refreshing?" Testimonies to Ministers, p 23.

So recapping what we have learned, in 1893 Stanton along with others without the Lord Himself denouncing the SDA church as a harlot of Babylon, ran ahead of the Lord, before the Lord sent him, and in his own fallible and erring human wisdom and judgment declared the church to be Babylon in 1893, without a "thus saith the Lord" to back him up. Satan had deceived them into reapplying the literal 49 year Jubilee cycle to their day. Satan was also trying to stop the latter rain from falling in a greater measure by working through the SDA church leadership in trying to keep our own people, as well as the world, from understanding and accepting the message of Christ's righteousness (see Selected Messages, book 1, p 234-235; Testimonies to Ministers, p 467-468).

Satan masterfully had his deceptions skillfully executed both in the church through the leadership, and without the church through Stanton and others, in order to keep God's precious message of truth from being planted in our people's hearts--producing a new creature in Christ Jesus. Satan, through his agents, was successful and the latter rain of God's pure doctrine of truth was stopped, and our blessed and merciful Saviour refused to come because His people were not ready.

Listen to what the Lord says about this whole situation:

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." Deuteronomy 32:1-2.

God's pure doctrine of truth falling upon the ears and hearts of the people, refreshes the souls of those who accept it. A new creature in Christ Jesus is produced, one who reflects Christ's image perfectly, and the result of this will lead to the proclamation of this pure truth of God which will swell into the loud cry of Christ's righteousness. (For more information on this truth, please see "The Last Message of Mercy").

"Because I will publish (proclaim or cry aloud) the name of the Lord (or His true character): ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (see also Isaiah 55:10-13).

But what did the SDA leaders do with this refreshing message? What did they do with this pure doctrine of Christ's righteousness? They "forsook God...and lightly esteemed the Rock of His salvation." Deuteronomy 32:15.

"to whom (SDA church) He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear." Isaiah 28:12.

Satan masterfully kept this message of God's pure doctrine of the righteousness of Christ from falling in a great measure upon the people through the leadership of the SDA church, and Satan will masterfully continue to do this over and over again.

Now most of our people believe and have been taught that since Sister White stated many times that the SDA church was not Babylon in 1893, that these statements will stand forever, that the SDA church will never be Babylon--no matter how corrupt she might become. They make Ellen White's statements into unconditional promises of God's continued favor with or without obedience. But is this what she really said or implied? No.

Every testimony that you will find Sister White stating not to call the SDA church Babylon, is only in the year 1893. There are no testimonies either before this date or after this date which state not to call the church Babylon. Which strongly suggests that these testimonies were written in the present tense form.

In fact she even states this in Testimonies to Ministers, p 50, that "there is but one church (SDA) in the world who are at the present time" not to be denounced as Babylon.

So these statements were written for the year 1893 only, and would only continue to be true if the church would continue to walk in the path of faithfulness and obedience to God and His revealed will. God's promises are always given on condition that His people remain faithful and obedient to His will, and when a person or a church refuses to remain true to God, they have no right to expect that God will continue to keep them from falling and preserve them as His chosen.

"God's promises are all made upon conditions." Faith and Works, p 47.

Also a testimony was published in the Review and Herald articles, in which Sister White verifies what we have already discussed, and even lists all the different phrases which also refers to Babylon.

"How dare mortal man pass his judgment upon them and call the church a harlot, Babylon, a den of thieves, a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, the habitation of devils...The Lord has had a church from that day (apostolic times) through all the changing scenes of time to the present period, 1893." Review and Herald, November 8, 1956 (vol 6, p 515, col 1).

So to call the church a harlot, or a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, etc., is the same as calling them Babylon. (Other denominations are also a cage of every unclean bird or Babylon, see Testimonies, vol 4, p 13).

In 1893 the SDA church had not yet departed fully from Christ and united herself to the world, thus fulfilling the conditions necessary to convert them into the harlot of Babylon as God and Sister White warned in 1891.

Sister White in her testimonies did not unconditionally promise that the SDA church would never become Babylon. It was that in 1893, they had not yet united with the world, and that's why she stated "at the present time" do not call the church Babylon. And just so that none of our people would become confused over this vital issue, she writes just two years later in 1895:

"The world must not be introduced into the church and married to the church. Through union with the world the church will become corrupt, 'a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.' The customs of the world must not have a place; for they will be open doors through which the prince of darkness will find access, and the line of demarcation will become indistinguishable between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not....Satanic forces are continually at work through the world, and it is Satan's object to bring the church and the world into such close fellowship that their aims, their spirit, their principles, shall harmonize..." Review and Herald, February 26, 1895 (vol 3, p 233, col 2).

So again she emphasizes that if the SDA church departs from Christ and marries herself to the world, that she would become an harlot of Babylon as found in Revelation 18.

Thus the big question that needs to be asked is; Has the SDA church departed fully from Christ her husband, and united herself to the world committing harlotry? Did they follow Satan's plan to harmonize together? Sadly, yes.

"The line of demarcation between worldlings and many professed Christians is almost indistinguishable. Many who once were earnest Adventists are conforming to the world--to its practices, its customs, its selfishness. Instead of leading the world to render obedience to God's law, the church is uniting more and more closely with the world in transgression. Daily the church is becoming converted to the world." Testimonies, vol 8, p 118-19 (see also Christ's Object Lessons, p 315-16).

"The central power of the earth is a demon. His throne is in the midst of the world, where should have been seen the throne of God. He has been patronized by the church, for the church has been conformed to the world, and is living in transgression of the Holy Law of God." This Day With God, p 28 (1900).

"The church has taken the world into her fellowship, and has given her affections to the enemies of holiness. The church and the world are standing on the same ground in transgression of the law of God. The church prefers to assimilate to the world rather than separate from its customs and vanities." Manuscript 44, 1900 (Last Day Events from the Letters and Manuscripts of E.G. White, p 55).

Sadly the SDA church departed from Christ and united herself to the world just like the Jewish church did. Now listen carefully to what Sister White warned about this.

"By choosing the world and its attractions, they divorce themselves from God." Review and Herald, July 13, 1897 (vol 3, p 481, col 1).

The corporate body of Adventism is no longer a separate and peculiar people to God. The line of demarcation is indistinct. The church has chosen to conform herself, to be converted, and in harmony with Satan and the world. This woman has left Christ--her husband and her first love, and has willingly given her affections to Satan. The church has transgressed the Holy Law of God by becoming a harlot.

Since the SDA church has united herself to the world, she has fulfilled the condition necessary to become a cage of every unclean and hateful bird or Babylon. As this is true, then why didn't we hear the cry raised in 1900 that the SDA church had become Babylon? Because no one wanted to raise that cry in their own fallible human wisdom and erring human judgment as occurred in 1893 with Stanton. God Himself would have to first proclaim that the SDA church had become an harlot of Babylon, and then all of God's true people could safely follow in God's footsteps and proclaim the same, and thus they would have a "thus saith the Lord" to back them up.

Some may have a problem with calling the church Babylon, but we are told in Testimonies, vol 4, p 615 that the friend of God approves what God approves and condemns what He condemns. All God's true people will voice the words of God. Again are we willing to be the friend of God, condemning what He condemns and cherishing what He cherishes? We all need to closely examine our hearts.

So the question remains, did the all knowing and all wise God who never errs in judgment, declare the SDA church to be the harlot? Yes!

At the 1901 General Conference Session, God tried to remove the kingly controlling power that the SDA church had, since the 1890's, been implementing and using to bind and control the will and consciences of our people. The church was repeating the same history as did the Jewish church in keeping their people under slavery to men. Under this type of bondage no one can obtain salvation (see Desire of Ages, p 141).

Just two days before Sister White was to arrive at the 1901 GC session, she sent this message to the GC leaders:

"God desires that these committees, which have handled these matters so long, shall be discharged from their rulers and have a chance for their lives...the Lord wants His spirit to enter. He wants His Holy Spirit to be King....This present standing must come to an end...finally it will come to nothing." Message to General Conference, April 1, 1901.

Then she arrived at the session two days later and declared:

"I feel a special interest in the movements and decisions that shall be made at this conference regarding the things that should have been done years ago...

"God gave them (GC leadership) clear light as to what they should do and what they should not do, but they departed from the 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....God wants them to be removed....

"God has not put any kingly power in our ranks to control..." General Conference Bulletin, April 3, 1901, p 23-26.

The kingly power of the SDA church did assent to step down, and Sister White was elated. But did the SDA church give up their authority and control over our people? Did they really allow God's Holy Spirit to be King and to recreate our people in the image of God? Or did the church leadership continue to exercise their papal supremacy over our people, keeping them under slavery and never to fully reflect the image of God and be saved while under such influence? Was Sister White's excitement short lived?

"What a wonderful work could have been done for the vast company gathered in Battle Creek at the general conference of 1901, if the leaders of our work had taken themselves in hand. But the work that all heaven was waiting to do as soon as men prepared the way was not done; for the leaders closed and bolted the door against the Spirit's entrance....The doors were barred against the Heavenly Current that would have swept away all evil...They built themselves up in wrong doing, and said to the Spirit of God, 'Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee.'" Letter 123, August 23, 1902 (Battle Creek Letters, p 55-56).

"The results of the last general conference (1901) has been the greatest, the most terrible sorrow of my life, no change was made....Men did not receive the testimonies of the Spirit of God...

"It is a perilous thing to reject the light that God sends. To Chorazin and Bethsaida heaven's richest blessings had been freely offered. Day after day the Prince of Life had gone in and out among them....but they refused the heavenly gift, and of them the Saviour said; 'Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.'

"So today upon those who have had light and evidence, but who have refused to heed the Lord's warnings and entreaties, heaven's woe is pronounced.

"The Lord bore long with the perversity of Israel, but the time came when the people passed the boundaries..." Manuscript Releases, vol 13, p 122-123 (Letter 17, January 14, 1903).

God had tried to reach the SDA church and to lead her to repent and come back to Him, letting Him be her Husband and King once again, instead of Satan being her husband and king. But the leaders refused, and pushed God's Spirit out of the church, closing, bolting and barring the door against Him so that He could not get back in.

With God's presence completely outside of the SDA church structure, Satan took control. And in the 1903 GC session, all pretense of following God were done away with and in the eyes of the entire church, the leaders voted to go directly against God, to go directly against their prophet and to bring back their kingly papal power of control over our people, keeping them blind and in bondage to a corrupt church just like the Jews.

Just two weeks after the SDA church decided to apostatize and depart completely from Christ, her first Husband, God Himself, who never errs, declared the SDA church to be the harlot of Babylon.

"Why is there so dim a perception of the true spiritual condition of the church? Has not blindness fallen upon the watchmen standing on the walls of Zion?...Who can truthfully say, 'Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world'? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He (Christ) said to me: 'Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character? '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!'" Testimonies, vol 8, p 248-50 (April 21, 1903).

God Himself who never errs, has through His own unfailing wisdom and infallible judgment declared the SDA church to be a harlot of Babylon, and that His divine presence and glory had departed from the SDA church and organization. God is no where to be found in the SDA churches.

The SDA church has left the side of Christ and has chosen to go to bed with Satan, Christ's rival and adversary. They have chosen Satan as their new husband and king in the place of God (see Testimonies to Ministers, p 396).

In 1903 God unerringly pronounced the SDA church and its organizational structure to be the harlot of Babylon, but He did not pronounce them to be Babylon fallen! So many confuse this in their minds. You must first be Babylon before you can be Babylon fallen!

In history, the Protestant churches were already Babylon "at the proclamation of the first angel's message," which started between 1833-1840 (see Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 239). But these churches were not declared to be Babylon fallen until the summer of 1844 (see Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 232)! So for a number of years these churches were already Babylon before they became Babylon fallen.

The first angel's message was given to these Babylonian Protestant churches to try and "separate the church of Christ from the corrupting influence of the world" (see Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 231). These churches had departed from the side of Christ, their first love, and had united or married themselves to the world--thus committing harlotry and becoming a harlot of Babylon. But God, in His infinite mercy, sent them warnings and messages and a period of time to repent of their great sin, and to come back to His side becoming His bride once again.

But did these Protestant churches accept the heavenly messages, repent, and break their marital connection with the world, coming back to the side of Christ? Or did they reject these precious messages, and continued to grow worse in apostasy and rebellion against God to the bitter, bitter end?

History clearly reveals that they continued on in apostasy, and in the summer of 1844 they were denounced as Babylon fallen.

Now did a literal angel come down from heaven and literally tell God's people that their churches, who were once the chosen church and people of God (see Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 199-200), were now Babylon fallen? NO! Then how was the cry raised? God's people, through much prayer and study of God's word, and by examining the fruits produced by their church, realized that the merciful messages of God were rejected, and that the apostasy and corruption was continuing to grow within their beloved church. They realized that the fruits produced by their churches fit the description of the fruits produced by Babylon. They then were compelled by God's Spirit to raise the cry that their apostate and corrupt church had become Babylon fallen, and that it was now time for all of God's true and honest people to come out and flee from the church.

This same history is again repeating itself with the Adventist church! The church was not Babylon in 1893, but by 1903, she had fulfilled the conditions necessary to become Babylon, and was denounced by God as being a harlot of Babylon in 1903--showing that "time and place must be considered" when dealing with these issues in the Testimonies (see Selected Messages, book 1, p 57).

But even after the church was denounced as a harlot, God still mercifully gave the church a period of time to repent of this great sin, and to come back to God as His faithful bride once again (see Testimonies, vol 8, p 250). But has the church repented? Have they divorced themselves from the world, and come back to the side of Christ? Or have they continued to grow worse in apostasy and rebellion against God and His truths since 1903?

Please read Testimonies, vol 8, p 104-106 regarding the vision that Sister White had on "what might have been" if the church would have repented and chosen Christ as their leader. The exact same repeat of history, after heaven's woe was pronounced, with Christ seeing what the Jewish church might have been if they would have repented and chosen Him as their leader (see Review and Herald, vol 3, p 39, col 2). But the Jews chose to follow Satan's reformation to the bitter end, and the same with the SDA church. After 1903, the church chose to accept and follow Satan's plan of reformation.

"The enemy of souls (Satan) has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist of giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure." Series B#7, p 39-40 (see Selected Messages, book 1, p 204-205.

The history of the SDA church, from 1903 until the present time, clearly reveals that the church has and still is following this reformation of Satan--especially after Ellen White's death in 1915. (For proof of this, please see "The Abomination of Desolation and Church History"). And Ellen White even warned our people of this very thing!

"I am charged to tell our people, that do not realize, that the devil has device after device, and he carries them out in ways that they do not expect....

"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.

Sister White also reveals that these various steps in the reformation of Satan, that the SDA church has chosen to follow, will be followed in their order (see Series B#7, p 6). As this is the case, then no revival and reformation to God will take place from within the church until storm and tempest sweep it away! But when will storm and tempest sweep away the SDA church and its organizational structure along with the great apostasy that she has chosen to follow?

"One thing it is certain is soon to be realized,--the great apostasy, which is developing and increasing and waxing stronger, and will continue to do so until the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout." Series B #7, p 56 (December 4, 1905).

When will the SDA church and its organizational structure, along with all its apostasy, fall? Not until Christ comes in the clouds of Heaven! Which means that the SDA church has no possibility of ever turning back to God! There will never be a revival and reformation to God from within the SDA church organization, because just like the Jewish church, they have become a God-forsaken church structure of Babylon. Any revival and reformation that seems to be taking place in the church will only be a reformation "from bad to worse" as she wrote in Review and Herald, August, 1849, vol 1, p 9, col 3. But it will have the pretence of being towards the Lord, exactly like it was anciently.

The worldwide SDA church of today is desolate without any hope of coming back to God--probation is closed for the corporate church. Babylon is fallen!

So the Will Ross dream, which says that the SDA church leadership will be replaced by a completely new group of leadership, is a lie. So many honest souls are staking their lives on this fake and false testimony, and are remaining within the church waiting for the change to take place--which will never come.

As long as anyone continues to remain in Babylon, under the kingly papal supremacy, where man rules over man and with the yoke of bondage around their necks, they cannot be born again into the fullness of Christ. They will never be saved unless they break this yoke (see Testimonies, vol 3, p 457). They will never receive the latter rain, nor will they play a part in proclaiming the truth in the loud cry (see Series B#2, p 44).

"Those who would be saved from the wily, deceptive influences of the foe must now break every yoke, and take their position for Christ and for truth...Unless they obtain this they will go step by step in the downward path, until they deny Him who has bought them with the price of His blood." Series B#2, p 45.

So many of our SDA people will choose to continue to cling and remain within Babylon--their own SDA church and organization, and just like the Jews, they will be brought down to hell right along with the church. God, in His infinite love and mercy for His people, even warned both the SDA church and all of its members of this very thing.

"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 the point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell...

"'And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye answered not; therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh, and I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.'" Review and Herald, August 1, 1893 (vol 3, p 69, col 3 (Brackets by Ellen White).

Oh my Brothers and Sisters, the SDA church has been denounced by God Himself as the harlot of Babylon, and it has continued on in apostasy and corruption until it has become fallen Babylon. Just look at and examine the fruits which the church is producing today. Are they fruits of a remnant church and people? Or are they fruits descriptive of a Babylonish church? Fruits cannot lie, and the wicked and corrupt fruits being produced by the SDA church clearly show to all who want to see, that in no way can the church go through to heaven, but without a doubt she will be brought down to hell--along with all those who trust in her and who remain within her.

Listen to what God states:

"Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her (harlots) ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house (SDA church) is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Proverbs 7:24-27.

The only people on earth who will never be Babylon are the remnant people of God. Since the SDA church has become Babylon, and its members are numbered with Babylon, then they cannot be the remnant church as they constantly claim. They state in utmost confidence: "We are the remnant church and people! We cannot fall, nor can we be cast aside." While the truth is that the SDA church is completely opposite of what the remnant church and people should be. This is the exact same position the Jewish church and people occupied. They also claimed in utmost confidence: "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we." Yet they were even more corrupt than the heathen. Lets look a little closer at this whole issue of the remnant.

Please turn to Revelation 12, and remember that a woman in Bible prophecy represents a church.

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

"And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered....

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:1-2, 5.

Which woman or church in history is being described here with 12 stars or parts to it? The Jewish church and people. Then who is the man child? Christ. Christ originated from the Jewish people. So verses 1-5 deals with the period of the Jewish church.

"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days....

"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." Revelation 12:6, 14.

Now the Jewish church did not flee into the wilderness, but it was destroyed in AD 70. So which church or people came out of the Jewish church, and went through the 1260 years of this prophecy which ended in 1798? It was the early apostolic church and people continuing with the faithful on down through the dark ages and through the Reformation. So verses 6-14 deals with the period of the church from apostolic times down through the dark ages of papal persecution, and through the Reformation--ending in 1798.

"And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Revelation 12:15-16.

Which church or people came into prominent view after 1798? The Protestant churches. And now we come to Revelation 12:17, which the SDA church unconditionally applies to herself forever regardless of obedience:

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Who represents the dragon? Satan. Which church, represented by the seed or the offspring of the woman, came out of the Protestant churches? The SDA church! Now lets reread verse 17, and replace the symbols with their meaning:

"And Satan was wroth with the Protestant churches, and went to make war with the remnant of the SDA church"--or the seed of Protestantism.

In order to be classified as the remnant, you must fulfill the conditions by keeping the commandments of God and following the Testimony of Jesus--or the Spirit of Prophecy (see Revelation 19:10). The remnant does not refer to those who do not fulfill these conditions--hence it cannot refer to the apostate and corrupt SDA church! The church cannot be measured by what she once stood for or once was. Her condition and standing in the world as they now are either uphold her as a church of God, or they condemn her as a church of God's enemy--Satan. (see Testimonies, vol 5, p 83-84). Fruits cannot lie!

What God reveals in Revelation 12:17, is that Satan is not making war against the church anyway; he is secure of them because they are his bride. But he is making war against the remnant who are distinct and separate from the SDA church. Why? Because they keep the commandments of God and follow the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The SDA church is not the remnant church because they have transgressed the law of God by becoming an harlot, and because they have rejected and refused to follow the Spirit of Prophecy. Name an area where the SDA church is following the counsel of the testimonies?

--Health reform? No.

--Sanitariums? No.

--Education? No.

--Church structure and organization? No.

--Church investments? No.

--Tithing? No.

--Insurance? No.

--Evangelism? No.

--Etc.

But yet they proudly declare that they are the remnant. Hence they are just a counterfeit of the true church of God--just like the Jewish church was.

Then to believe in and use the phrase; "The remnant of the remnant" is a falsehood and a great deception, because there is only one true remnant, and they are separate and distinct from the church. To believe in "the remnant of the remnant" theory means that you must be within and a part of the SDA church--or the first remnant, before you could be in the second remnant. What a grand delusion!

Before we continue on, I want to quote this testimony referring to the perfect example of our Saviour.

"At times, with burning earnestness and words of terrible severity, Christ denounced the abominations that He saw in the church and in the world. He would not allow the people to be deceived by false claims to righteousness and sanctity." Series B#2, p 47.

As a follower of Christ and not wanting to see my brothers and sisters being deceived by lies and falsehoods, I must speak plainly and expose these deceptions. So as you continue reading, please understand that these things must be clearly presented or more souls will be deceived, and their blood will be upon my shoulders for not warning them by speaking all the truth as Ezekiel 33 and Prophets and Kings, p 140-42 states.

Now what about the confusion over the issue of Laodicea vs Babylon? Can an individual or church be Babylonian and Laodicean at the same time? Can they be in a church of Babylon--making them Babylonians, and yet be in the condition of Laodicea?

This issue is a major stumbling block to the vast majority of people today. SDA church leaders state, "No! The church will never be Babylon!" The great majority of the Independent self-supporting organizations and individuals--who are constantly holding meetings in which they may state some wrongs about the church, but they tell the people "to stay in the church no matter what, but be sure to support us with your money"--in this issue these individuals state definitely "No! You cannot be both Laodicean and Babylon at the same time." They reason that if you are Laodicean, then you are Laodicean forever and can never become Babylon. They then freely admit that the SDA church is Laodicea, and reason that it cannot be Babylon, nor will it ever become Babylon. Then they state that the church is forever Laodicea, so no one is to ever willingly leave the apostate SDA church.

Such statements and reasoning is unfounded by a "thus saith the Lord," and is a specious lie. In the first place, Sister White states that only the remnant people or church will never be Babylon. And in the second place, God Himself has denounced the church as a harlot of Babylon in 1903.

But these people cannot or will not see this, and in their blindness and satanic zeal they dare to call anyone who speaks the truth, and denounces their harlot mother church as Babylon, as being from the devil. Now what does this do to God who has Himself denounced the SDA church as a harlot of Babylon? They dare to state that the All Wise and True God as being from the devil! Oh, how blind can these people be? Truly they are just like the conservative self-supporting class of Pharisees who persecuted Christ and told Him that He was from the devil because He told them the truth (see John 8:48, 10:20).

These conservative organizations and individuals may all teach some truth and expose the abominations going on, but they uphold human reasoning above a "thus saith the Lord" and hold that the SDA church is not Babylon, so no one is to willingly separate from her no matter how corrupt and apostate she becomes! (see Testimonies, vol 5, p 263, 706-07; vol 3, p 312, 165 regarding conservative).

Now what about the Laodicea vs Babylon issue. Sister White writes that all the Protestant church organizations since 1844, are Babylon (see Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 230-32). This means that the members of those Babylonian churches are also numbered with Babylon. Yet sister white writes this.

"The call to the gospel feast is first to be given in the highways. It must be given to those who claim to be in the highways of Christian experience,--to the members of the different churches. 'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.' Rev. 2:7...

"The Laodicean message, like a sharp, two-edged sword, must go to all the churches..." Testimonies, vol 6, p 76-77.

She writes in Testimonies, vol 8, p 302-304 that the messages of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are to be given "to the world." She also states in SDA Bible Commentary, vol 7, p 964, col 1 that the Laodicean message is to be sounded forth "to a perishing world." Now why would Sister White be telling us to preach the Laodicean message to the members of these other churches, who are already numbered with Babylon, if these members could not also be in the Laodicean condition at the same time?

These messages to all the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3 represent different spiritual conditions in the highways of the Christian experience. That is why a church and its organization can be Babylon, and yet the Laodicean message can be preached to and represent its Babylonian church members at the same time, and the same with the SDA church and its membership.

The SDA church and its hierarchial organization has become a harlot of Babylon, yet the Laodicean message represents the condition of the majority of its Babylonian church members.

So the only two conditions which we must be in our Christian experience, if we are going to heaven at all, is in the condition of Smyrna or especially Philadelphia. Smyrna represents those who have or will die following Jesus (see Revelation 2:10), who will be resurrected from the dead glorified to everlasting life, thus making up the great multitude of the redeemed of all the ages (see Desire of Ages, p 834, 623; Spirit of Prophecy, vol 3, p 253). While Philadelphia represents the literal number of the 144,000 who have perfected their Christian experience and reflect Christ's image perfectly in this life before Christ comes (Acts of Apostles, p 531, Selected Messages, book 3, p 427). These will never see or taste of death, and will be translated in a moment to everlasting life (see Review and Herald, April 19, 1870, vol 1, p 94, col 3, p 163, col 2; Prophets and Kings, p 227).

Interestingly, it is only these two groups of Smyrna and Philadelphia who are persecuted by the synagogue of Satan. This satanic group state that they are the Jews, or they state that they are the "remnant church," but they do lie! Sister White writes about this group and identifies who makes it up.

"You think, that those who worship before the saint's feet, (Rev. 3:9), will at last be saved. Here I must differ with you; for God shew me that this class were professed Adventists, who had fallen away, and 'crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.'" Word to the Little Flock, p 12.

Another problem with the statements and arguments of "to stay in the church no matter how corrupt she becomes," is the question of the innocent and righteous being in the midst of the poisonous atmosphere of apostasy and rebellion in the church.

Most take it for granted that nothing will happen. But can an innocent and righteous person be unaffected by their continued willing association in the deadly atmosphere of church apostasy and corruption? NO.

"It is impossible for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. 'What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial?' God and Christ and the Heavenly Host would have man know that if he unites with the corrupt, he will become corrupt." Review and Herald, January 2, 1900 (vol 4, p 137, col 2).

The only way to keep yourself from being corrupted is to spiritually and physically separate yourself from those things which are corrupt. But even as this is true, some still think that they can just leave those SDA churches which are blatantly in apostasy, and join some out of the way SDA church which appears to be unaffected by the apostasy. But is this possible? NO.

"The great heart of the work is at ____; and, as the human heart throws its living current of blood into all parts of the body, so does the management at this place, the headquarters of our church, affect the whole body of believers. If the physical heart is healthy, the blood that is sent from it through the system is also healthy; but if this fountain is impure, the whole organism becomes diseased by the poison of the vital fluid. So it is with us. If the heart of the work becomes corrupt, the whole church, in its various branches and interests, scattered abroad over the face of the earth, suffers in consequence." Testimonies, vol 4, p 210.

So for those who are saying that their particular SDA church is free from apostasy and corruption are mistaken, because if any church or institution is connected with the apostate and corrupt General Conference--the heart of the work (see Spalding and Magan, p 35)--then it cannot be pure, it also becomes apostate and corrupt along with all the members in it. And if our people will not awaken to this fact and flee for their lives, they will find themselves perishing and dying within Babylon, but they will be blind to the fact that they are in its very midst and are a part of it--just like Zedekiah of old.

Because Zedekiah rebelled against God and led Israel into sin, he was taken captive by Babylon. His eyes were put out--thus becoming blind, and was led directly into Babylon. His whole house became established there, and there he died, but he never saw that he was really within Babylon and a part of it. And this same sad experience will occur again to those SDA's who refuse to awaken to the fact that their SDA church of today has also become Babylon.

In fact the church is so closely united to the other parts of Babylon--Rome and apostate Protestantism--that she is just like a sister to them. And only by the infinite mercy of our God did He warn us of this very thing!

"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..." Letter 51, September 6, 1886 (MR 449, p 17-18).

Now some will still refuse to believe that the SDA church can become or really is Babylon, but maybe these statements can help.

In the year 1900, the SDA church chose to divorce herself from Christ--her first husband and love--and to become united and married to the world and Satan. Ever since that time, on a daily basis, she has continued her harlotrous love affair with the world. The GC president even continued the same adulterous love affair and stated:

"Most of all I would hope that we as a church would grow numerically and financially and in terms of world acceptance and influence..." Adventist Review, January 23, 1986, p 9.

The SDA church is indeed a world-loving church just like all the rest of the apostate churches. Now listen to what Ellen White writes.

"In the professedly Christian world, many turn away from the plain teachings of the Bible, and build up a creed from human speculations and pleasing fables; and they point to their tower as a way to climb up to heaven. Men hang with admiration upon the lips of eloquence while it teaches that the transgressor shall not die, that salvation may be secured without obedience to the law of God. If the professed followers of Christ would accept God's standard, it would bring them into unity; but so long as human wisdom is exalted above His Holy Word, there will be divisions and dissension. The existing confusion of conflicting creeds and sects is fitly represented by the term 'Babylon,' which prophecy applies to the world-loving churches of the last days." Patriarch and Prophets, p 124.

We are also told in Selected Messages, book 2, p 68, that teaching the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness "will convert the church into Babylon."

This again shows that there is the possibility of the SDA church becoming Babylon, and that sister White's testimonies in 1893--on not calling the SDA church Babylon, are not unconditionally given, but are given on condition of obedience to God's will! So if the SDA church teaches the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, then she will become Babylon.

We can clearly see and prove that the SDA church is holding Easter Sunday services, and is even having Sunday called the Lord's day--or exalting Sunday sacredness in the eyes of our people (please see "The Abomination of Desolation Stands"). But is the SDA church also teaching the immortality of the soul? Yes!

The SDA people are being taught that no one can keep God's law perfectly and overcome all sin in this life, yet they are told that God will overlook their continued sinning, and when Jesus comes He will make them perfect and take them to heaven anyway--granting them immortality. The Bible states that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" Ezekiel 18:20. But the church teaches that since you can't keep God's law and stop sinning, you won't die, because Christ will make you perfect at His coming and will take you to heaven and give you eternal life anyway. Or in other words, you can sin and still have eternal life--or the immortality of the soul!

"We shall never reach sinless perfection in this life." Review and Herald, May 19, 1966, p 4.

"We should remember that only when Jesus comes can we be made perfect." Ministry, December, 1965, p 9.

So, not only is the Adventist church a world-loving church thus showing that they are Babylon, but the church is also teaching Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul--which proves that the SDA church has been converted into Babylon!

Oh dear Brothers and Sisters, please open your eyes and ears and see and hear what is going on before it is too late. While you remain in Babylon, either physically or spiritually you will not be saved. You will not be able to reflect Christ's image fully, and God cannot dwell with you--making you a part of His temple and giving you His power and strength to overcome all sin. God's pure truth or doctrine may be falling all around you as the latter rain, and you will not be able to see it, and hence to proclaim it loudly in the loud cry (see Testimonies to Ministers, p 507).

Oh Brothers and Sisters, break off the shackles, the chains of darkness, and the yokes of bondage around your necks that hold and bind you to that God-forsaken SDA church of Babylon. Time is almost over and probation is closing. God will not wait any longer.

The SDA church and its leaders are still following their rebellion of 1888, and are still teaching the same Babylonish doctrine, that was taught in Daniel's day and by the Jewish church, that God only dwells in a church structure. They keep our people bound to them in having them to do all that they can to uphold the church, to keep the church spotless and in good repair, keeping their eyes fixed upon the church. They refuse to teach the people to keep their eyes fixed upon the heavenly Jerusalem, to do all they can to get their own soul temple as pure and holy "as the heavenly Jerusalem," keeping their own soul temple spotless and daily in good repair so that God can dwell among them, and then they can overcome all sin through God's power--reflecting His image perfectly.

"Jesus desires to efface the image of the earthly from the minds of His followers, and to impress upon them the image of the heavenly, that they may become one with Himself, reflecting His character, and showing forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light....The enemy has men in our ranks through whom he works, that the light which God has permitted to shine upon the heart may be darkened. 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." Review and Herald, August 19, 1890 (vol 2, p 419, col 2).

Which are you, a wise virgin, or a foolish virgin? It all depends on how you react to this message of Christ's righteousness, Christ being reflected in your life, giving you "the hope of glory"--the refreshing latter rain message of God's pure doctrine of unadulterated truth.

Don't you see the controversy going on between Satan and his agents and Christ and His followers? Satan and his agents are keeping the people looking downward to the earth, fixing their eyes on man and on an earthly corrupt church of Babylon. While Christ and His true followers are pointing the people upward to heaven, trying to fix their eyes on Jesus and the heavenly Jerusalem, trying to get them to rid themselves of everything earthly so that they may stand by the side of Christ and reflect His image, becoming His church. But the message of the true Babylonish condition of the SDA church will be given loud and clear--whether our people will hear or not.

"The first, second, and third angel's messages are to be repeated. The call is to be given to the church: '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....come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'" Review and Herald, October 31, 1899 (vol 4, p 109, col 3).

This is what is now happening. God Himself has condemned the SDA church and all other churches as being Babylon. Who will be the friend of God and condemn what He condemns? Who will join in raising the cry that Babylon is fallen?

God is calling all who are true and loyal to Him to come out and physically separate--becoming one with Him and being His church, and raising the truth high so all can see and hear it. You must comply with the conditions laid out in God's word, and separate yourself from Babylon--both spiritually and physically--before God can make you a part of His church and a part of His children, and clearly, before you could ever play a part in giving the loud cry.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness;

"And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in (the midst of) them, and walk in (the midst of) them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.

Now listen to what conditions must be met before God can make us a part of His temple or church.

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18.

Who is going to obey this call from the Lord to separate from all that is Babylon, and join God and His honest people in raising the cry that Babylon the Great is fallen? It will not be easy, but God has promised that He will be the support of all who remain loyal to Him and who will declare His whole council--not withholding one word of truth.

"The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld, must be given under the fiercest opposition from the enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith, and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against them." Testimonies, vol 5, p 463.

Watch the popular conservative self-supporting institutions and individuals rise up against the message of the SDA church being Babylon fallen, and begin along with the church, to persecute those who teach this truth from God--just like the popular self-supporting pharisees did of old. But will these apostates who are clinging to and upholding a God-forsaken church of Babylon suppress this message from God? Will they keep the "honest" ones from receiving and accepting the truth and coming out, letting God dwell with them, granting these His strength and power to overcome all sins, perfecting holiness in the fear of God?

Listen to what Sister White prophesies?

"By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands have never listened to words like these. In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from Heaven. The people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so? The ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened conscience. But many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men, and demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord.' The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, are filled with anger as their authority is questioned; they denounce the message as of Satan, and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 424-425.

This prophesy is already taking place before our very eyes. Where will you stand? On which side of the battle will you be fighting? Who will be your general and whose orders will you obey--Christ's or the devil's? Again we all need to examine ourselves and see where we are standing right now and then choose.

Please examine the fruits which the church is producing, because Christ has plainly stated and warned us that a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit. So if corrupt fruits are seen, then the church is not good--but corrupt, and it will be cast into the fire and burned along with all those members which continue to cling to it. By the fruit produced is the tree clearly known!

"Flee out of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul. Be not cut off in her iniquity." Jeremiah 51:6.

At this late date with probation almost over, your choice whatever it is will decide your eternal destiny.

"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

"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 (or all churches--see SDA Bible Commentary, vol 7, p 979, col 2) have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

"For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:1-5.

By elder robert sessler