The Seventh-day Adventist Church is NOT Babylon

Created: 01 Apr 2013 / Modified: 06 Jun 2013 Recently, especially in the past few months, there has been a renewed push by many people some of them very well meaning, to consider that the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church is in full apostasy, and thus to be considered as Babylon. They do this, despite the existence of substantial, explicit and direct counsel from Sis White against coming to, or promoting, any such conclusion. Furthermore, a look at end-time prophecy would also make it clear that the Seventhday Adventist Church could not be Babylon, as it is the vehicle that God intends to use to preach the gospel to the entire world. We will take a moderately detailed look at some of the guidance and instruction that we have been given in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, which should help us to easily reject any and all of the following erroneous claims: The Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon The Seventh-day Adventist Church organization is Babylon Gods last day church has apostatized

Table of Contents
Israel is Never Babylon and Never Called Babylon ............................................................... 2 There is Only One Remnant Church in Revelation ................................................................... 3 Consistent Interpretation of Prophetic Symbols is Vital ............................................................ 4 God Will Handle the Cleaning Up of His Church ...................................................................... 5 There is Never Wholesale Departure from Israel ..................................................................... 6 We Need To Stand Fast ....................................................................................................... 7 Clear Statements from the Spirit of Prophecy ........................................................................ 8 Let Us Hear The Conclusion of the Whole Matter .................................................................. 11

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is NOT Babylon by Andrew S. Baker

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Israel is Never Babylon and Never Called Babylon

1 Samuel 1:26-28 KJV (26) And she [Hannah] said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. (27) For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: (28) Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 2:12-18 KJV (12) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. (18) But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 1 Kings 19:13-15, 18 KJV (13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? (14) And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (15) And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus (18) Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
Even in the darkest spiritual days of Israels existence, when the whole nation was in a state of apostasy, God has never called His chosen people Babylon. When all Israel rejected Gods command to take the land of Canaan, and only Joshua and Caleb harkened unto the Lord to follow Him, God did not send them away to start their own church, but instead preserved them in the middle of all the unbelief and apostate behavior until He purged Israel of the Apostates. (Numbers 14:20-24) When Elis sons were desecrating the temple and services of God with their total lack of consecration, God did not send His people away from Israel, but preserved His servant Samuel in the heart of the temple and cleaned Israel of the apostates Himself. (1 Samuel 1-2) When Ahab and Jezebel led Israel in national apostasy, neither God nor Gods servants called Israel by the name of Babylon, or suggested that Gods people now needed to flee from Israel. He used His servant Elijah to turn the hearts of the people back to serving the Lord, and He used Elijah to purge the land of the apostate priests and prophets. (1 Kings 17-18) Israel is never Babylon, even when Israel is greatly in need of correction. Jesus had a Judas in His camp, and the church will have its share of Judas, Ananias, and Sapphira look-alikes among others but God will weed them out of His church in His appointed time, and in His appointed way. To the extent that Gods people are aware of wrong doing in Gods church, they should speak up against it, and should resist it, but most importantly of all, Gods people should seek after Him with all their heart, that their calling and election might be made sure. We are saved as individuals, not a unit. We are, however, grouped together for ministry and encouragement.

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There is Only One Remnant Church in Revelation

Revelation 12:17 KJV (17) 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.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the Remnant Church of Bible prophecy. A careful study of Revelation, especially chapters 10-12 will show that the arrival of this movement fully fits the prophetic timeline in a way that no other church or denomination or group can claim to match. The book of Revelation also depicts two women churches. One is Gods true church, and one is the harlot, mother of harlots. These are two totally different women, and remain two totally different women all throughout the prophetic timeline. There is one and only one pure woman that comes up on the scene in the book of Revelation. No second entity arises at a later point in prophetic time. Additionally, the transition from national Israel to Spiritual Israel only occurs one time. The close of national Israels probation, as outlined in Daniel 9:24-27, never occurs to Spiritual Israel.

Revelation 3:14-22 KJV (14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. (21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. (22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Lord is rebuking and chastening His church, but those that hear His voice, and open the door, and buy of Him gold and white raiment will be overcomers just as He overcame. Those who do not open the door will ultimately be spit out, sifted out or shaken out.

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Consistent Interpretation of Prophetic Symbols is Vital

Revelation 14:6-12 KJV (6) And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (7) Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (8) And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (9) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, (10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (11) And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 18:1-5 KJV (1) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. (2) 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. (3) For all nations 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. (4) 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. (5) For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. John 10:16 KJV (16) And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Galatians 3:27-29 KJV (27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
As Revelation 18:1-5 is a louder, more detailed utterance of the message given by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), the Babylon referred to in chapter 18 must needs be the same Babylon referenced in chapter 14. In fact, all throughout the book of Revelation, the entity depicted as Babylon is consistently that of the papal power that first beast of Revelation 13. The call to come out of Babylon is the call to come into the ark of safety. Since Jesus is the Shepherd of one fold, He will bring all the other sheep He has into this one fold. Who was Jesus addressing in this passage? (John 10:16) Gods chosen people: Israel. Did you notice that Jesus said that He would bring the other sheep to the existing fold? After Spiritual Israel, there is no subsequent fold to bring these sheep into. Once the nation of Israel rejected Jesus, and their probation closed as prophesied in Daniel 9:2427 and Matthew 23:37-38, Gods promises to Abraham and his seed continued to apply to Spiritual Israel. The transition of Israel from a national context to a spiritual context occurs only one time in the scriptures (just as it does for Babylon). There is no Israel version 3.0

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God Will Handle the Cleaning Up of His Church

1 Peter 4:17 KJV (17) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Ezekiel 9:1-11 KJV (1) He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. (2) And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by His side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. (3) And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by His side; (4) And the LORD said unto Him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (5) And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after Him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: (6) Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
God is going to clean His church in His time and in His way. Notice that those who are marked (or sealed) are still in the midst of Jerusalem. They havent left the church or the city, but are instead sighing and crying for the abominations that are being done in the city. They are afflicting their own souls and working out their own salvation with fear and trembling but they have not left Gods appointed place or Gods appointed people.
I was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended. {4T 89.2} Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4

God cleans His church, removing those who are unfaithful, and leaving only those who are true and faithful to Him. While He is completely capable of starting over if He wants, God clearly has no intention of starting over at this point. The prophecies point to a cleanup, not a restart. God is coming back for His bride, as identified throughout the Bible including the book of Revelation. NOTE: The ark may be a smelly place at times, but it is the only prescribed place of safety for Gods people. We have a work to do right now, and like Nehemiah, we need to be on guard for all false calls to run and hide. (Nehemiah 6:10-12)

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There is Never Wholesale Departure from Israel

From the time that Abrahams feet touched the Promised Land, there have been very, very few sanctioned departures from the land of promise. Such instructions have been limited in both scope and duration. That is to say, outside of the protection that He provided for His people during the 1260 years of Papal persecution, God has never given any instruction for a signification portion of His church to go away from the place He established for them for any reason. Even in the examples below, the issue was never apostasy. Escape from persecution? Sure. But, as we will see, the scenarios are very limited in scope and duration, and all of the sanctioned departures are based on direct and specific instructions, rather than general principles. Abraham leaves for a famine Genesis 12:10 Isaac leaves Canaan and goes to Gerar to survive a famine Genesis 26:1 Jacob and his family go to Egypt to survive the famine Genesis 47 Naomi and her family go to Moab Ruth 1 David flees to Gath (twice) from the presence of Saul 1 Samuel 21:10; 27:1-2 Elijah goes to Zidon 1 Kings 11:26 Elisha sends someone to the land of the Philistines 2 Kings 8:1 God sends His Son to Egypt Matthew 2:13-14

Abraham met with a famine sometime after arriving in Canaan, and he went to Egypt to wait it out, rather than go back to where he had come from (Haran or Mesopotamia), which he knew would have been a defiance of Gods command for him to go to the land of promise. Isaac, upon encountering a famine at a later time, temporarily abode in the land of the Philistines. Jacob and has family went to Egypt to survive the prophetic famine. It should be noted that God had prophesied to Abraham that this would happen, so they were already following an instruction of God. (Genesis 15:13) Naomi and her husband went to Moab during a famine. We are not told why they did it, and things dont really go well for Naomi until she returns to the place that God had established her. This appears very much to be an unsanctioned departure. Davids two excursions into the land of the Philistines are not sanctioned either, and we see that great difficulties accompanied his actions. He was involved in deceit on both occasions, and nearly lost his family and the families of the men that were with him because of his decision to go to a place that was not sanctioned of God. Elijah is sent by God to the heart of Zidon to escape the persecution of Ahab, and to sustain a heathen woman who had some knowledge and belief of the God of Israel. This was a limited hideaway, because Elijah needed to get back to finish up the revival he had started in Israel. Elisha gives direct instructions to the Shunnamite woman to find some location to wait out a seven year famine. She selects the land of the Philistines where she is preserved until she returns. Again, this is a sanctioned command to a single family, and not all of Israel. Lastly, God sends His own incarnate Son into Egypt as a young child in order to protect Him from the wrath of Herod. He is sent there for a limited time only, both for protection and to fulfill prophecy. (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15) In contrast, Jeremiah chapters 42 and 43 tell an almost impossible to believe account of Gods people inquiring of God through Jeremiah where they must go and what they must do, and then utterly and completely rejecting the direct and detailed counsel to NOT leave the land of promise in order to seek shelter in the land of Egypt. Despite the plain warnings, they reject the counsel of the Lord and go to Egypt, and reap the consequence of that disobedience.

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We Need To Stand Fast

1 Kings 19:13-15, 18 KJV (13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? (14) And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (15) And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus (18) Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
If we run when we are not supposed to, we will be asked the very same question that Elijah was asked: What Are You Doing Here? When God wanted to Elijah to leave Israel, He sent Him to a specific place, for a specific purpose, for a specific time. When Elijah took it upon himself to run away, God had to straighten him out before Elijah could be fitted to do the remainder of the work that God had in mind for him. Do we really want to have God ask us: What Are You Doing Here? We are to be watchmen on the walls of Zion. We are to be afflicting our own souls during this, the antitypical Day of Atonement, and entreating God to blot out all of our transgressions. We are to be sounding the final message of mercy to a dying world, and proclaiming the straight testimony of the Word. In addition to all that the Bible has to show us about where God would have us to be, He has foreseen this issue and has given us even more blatant counsel through the Spirit of Prophecy

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Clear Statements from the Spirit of Prophecy

It will be found that those who bear false messages will not have a high sense of honor and integrity. They will deceive the people, and mix up with their error the Testimonies of Sister White, and use her name to give influence to their work. They make such selections from the Testimonies as they think they can twist to support their positions, and place them in a setting of falsehood, so that their error may have weight and be accepted by the people. They misinterpret and misapply that which God has given to the church to warn, counsel, reprove, comfort, and encourage those who shall make up the remnant people of God. Those who receive the Testimonies as the message of God will be helped and blessed thereby; but those who take them in parts, simply to support some theory or idea of their own, to vindicate themselves in a course of error, will not be blessed and benefited by what they teach. To claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, is to make the same claim as does Satan, who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God night and day. By this misusing of the Testimonies, souls are placed in perplexity, because they cannot understand the relation of the Testimonies to such a position as is taken by those in error; for God intended that the Testimonies should always have a setting in the framework of truth. {TM 42.1} Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers

Those who advocate error will say, The Lord saith, when the Lord hath not spoken. They testify to falsehood, and not to truth. If those who have been proclaiming the message that the church is Babylon had used the money expended in publishing and circulating this error, in building up, instead of tearing down, they would have made it evident that they were the people whom God is leading. {TM 43.1} Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers

Those proclaiming the church is Babylon divert money from a channel of usefulness into a channel of evil Those who advocate error, will say, The Lord saith, when the Lord hath not spoken. They testify to falsehood, and not to truth. If those who have been proclaiming the message that the church is Babylon, had used the money expended in publishing and circulating this error, in building up, instead of tearing down, they would have made it evident that they were with the people whom God is leading.... If those who have done this kind of work, had felt the necessity of answering the prayer of Christ that He offered to His Father just previous to His crucifixion,that the disciples of Christ might be one as He was one with the Father,they would not be wasting the means intrusted to them, and so greatly needed to advance the truth. They would not be wasting precious time and ability in disseminating error, and thus necessitate the devoting of the laborers time to counteracting and quenching its influence. A w ork of this character is inspired not from above, but from beneath.Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 43, 44. {PaM 31.3} Pastoral Ministry

Again I say, The Lord hath not spoken by any messenger who calls the church that keeps the commandments of God, Babylon. True, there are tares with the wheat; but Christ said He would send His angels to first gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into the garner. I know that the Lord loves His church. It is not to be disorganized or broken up into independent atoms. There is not the least consistency in this; there is not the least evidence that such a thing will be. Those who shall heed this false message and try to leaven others will be deceived and prepared to receive advanced delusions, and they will come to nought. {2SM 68.3} Selected Messages, Book 2

Those who have proclaimed the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Babylon, have made use of the testimonies in giving their position a seeming support; but why is it that they did not present that which for years has been the burden of my message,the unity of the church? Why did they not quote the words of the angel, Press together, Press together, Press together? Why did they not repeat the admonition and state the principle, that in union there is strength, in division there is weakness? It is such messa ges as these men have borne, that divide the church, and put us to shame before the enemies of truth, and in such messages is plainly revealed the specious working of the great deceiver, who would hinder the church from attaining unto perfection in unity. These teachers follow the sparks of their own kindling, move according to their own independent judgment, and cumber the truth with false notions and theories. They refuse the counsel of their brethren, and press on in their own way, until they become just what Satan would desire to have them,unbalanced in mind. {RH September 12, 1893, par. 7}

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Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world, that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows his supreme regard. The world is a workshop in which, through the co-operation of human and divine agencies, Jesus is making experiments by his grace and divine mercy upon human hearts. Angels are amazed as they behold the transformation of character brought about in those who yield themselves to God, and they express their joy in songs of rapturous praise to God and to the Lamb. They see those who are by nature the children of wrath, converted, and becoming laborers together with Christ in drawing souls to God. They see those who were in darkness becoming lights to shine amid the moral night of this crooked and perverse generation. They see them becoming prepared by a Christ-like experience to suffer with their Lord, and afterward to be partakers with him in his glory in heaven above. {RH September 5, 1893, par. 6} Review and Herald

There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren....The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage in no ordinary conflict... Those who have any realization of what this warfare means, will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil. {OFC 85.1} Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual responsibility, who, while claiming to be taught and led of God, still make it their special work to tear down that which God has been for years building up, are not doing the will of God. Be it known that these men are on the side of the great deceiver. Believe them not. {OFC 85.2} Our Father Cares

Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted outthe chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. We must be divested of our selfrighteousness and arrayed in the righteousness of Christ. {12MR 324.3} The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy. All these, He says, I have graven ... upon the palms of my hands [Isaiah 49:16]. They are held in everlasting, imperishable remembrance. We want faith now, living faith. We want to have a living testimony that shall cut to the heart of the sinner. There is too much sermonizing and too little ministering. We want the holy unction. We need the spirit and fervor of the truth. Many of the ministers are half paralyzed by their own defects of character. They need the converting power of God. {12MR 325.1} Manuscript Releases Volume 12

We are not to think that the chosen ones of God who are trying to walk in the light compose Babylon. The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above Gods holy and sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presidents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and satanic heresies which exalt the false Sabbath, and lead men to trample underfoot Gods memorial. {TM 61.3} Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers

But though the attitude of the churches is discouraging, yet there is no need of being disheartened; for God has a people who will preserve their fidelity to his truth, who will make the Bible, and the Bible alone, their rule of faith and doctrine, who will elevate the standard, and hold aloft the banner on which is inscribed, The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. They will value a pure gospel, and make the Bible the foundation of their faith and doctrine. {ST February 19, 1894, par. 9}

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For such a time as this, when men are casting aside the law of the Lord of hosts, the prayer of David is applicable,It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law. We are coming to a time when almost universal scorn will be heaped upon the law of God, and Gods commandment-keeping people will be severely tried; but will they lose their respect for the law of Jehovah because others do not see and realize its binding claims? Let Gods commandment -keeping people, like David, reverence Gods law in proportion as men cast it aside and heap upon it disrespect and contempt. {ST Feb 19, 1894, par. 10} Signs of the Times

I was shown the people of God, and saw them mightily shaken. Some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, were pleading with God. {CCh 338.3} Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. The angels of God left these, and I saw them hastening to the assistance of those who were struggling with all their energies to resist the evil angels, and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance. But the angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them. As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, a ray of light from Jesus would at times come to them, to encourage their hearts, and light up their countenances. {CCh 338.4} I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God's people. The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance, and all that truly receive it will obey it and be purified. {Counsels for the Church 338.5} Counsels for the Church

As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith. But, on the other hand, when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherds voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will say: I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas. The testimony of one and all will be: I cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal Saviour. {6T 400.3} Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6

The church has failed, sadly failed, to meet the expectations of her Redeemer, and yet the Lord does not withdraw Himself from His people. He bears with them still, not because of any goodness found in them, but that His name may not be dishonored before the enemies of truth and righteousness, that the satanic agencies may not triumph in the destruction of God's people. He has borne long with their waywardness, unbelief and folly. With wonderful forbearance and compassion He has disciplined them. If they will heed His instruction He will cleanse away their perverse tendencies, saving them with an everlasting salvation and making them eternal monuments of the power of His grace.--ST Nov. 13, 1901. {LDE 58.2} Last Day Events

I was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended. {4T 89.2} Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4

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The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christs righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness. {5T 81.1} Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5

Let Us Hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter

I do not believe it is possible for me to be any clearer than the servant of the Lord has been here in these statements, but I will attempt to highlight the following points and sum everything up: The Church is not to be called Babylon not then, and not now The imperfect conditions of the church will exist right up until God cleans it up shortly before the close of probation It is God who separates the tares from the wheat, and not man There is absolutely no call given by God for us to leave His remnant church that He has organized and established to proclaim the final message to the world Those who continue to say things that God has not said, are doing the work of His enemy, whether they intend to or not

Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy show us clearly that Gods church will stand until the end. God will cleanse it and prepare it as a bride adorned for her husband. As there are only two camps in the Great Controversy, leaving Gods camp must necessarily mean joining His enemys camp. This, I am certain, is not the position we ever want to take. There is nothing in Gods pronouncements through Sis White that suggest that there would come a time in the future where it would be okay to call the Seventh-day Adventist Church Babylon. It is not now Babylon, and will never be Babylon. Gods job is to clean His church. Our job is to abide in Him so that we are sealed and covered by His blood.

Exodus 12:21-23 KJV (21) Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. (22) And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning . (23) For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
In short, we find ourselves at almost midnight hour in the Great Controversy which is certainly not the time to be leaving the house where the blood is covering the lintel and door posts. The church is not perfect, but it will be made so as its members lean upon God as their only source of strength and God will remove all those who are not in harmony with His will or prepared for His soon return.

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