Image

Who represents the leopard-like beast? Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy clearly points this beast out as being the Roman Catholic Church or the papacy (see Daniel 7, in connection with Revelation 13:1-8, Signs of the Times, June 18, 1894 (vol 3, p 125-26). So Roman Catholicism, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, represents the leopard-like beast.

Who represents the lamb-like beast with two horns? Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy clearly points this beast out as being the United States, "coming up out of the earth" instead of the sea.

Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4 (4SOP), p 277: "...the beast with horns like a lamb is seen 'coming up out of the earth;' signifying that instead of overthrowing other powers to establish itself, the nation thus represented arose in territory previously unoccupied, and grew up gradually and peacefully.

"Here is a striking figure of the rise and growth of our own nation. And the lamb-like horns, emblems of innocence and gentleness, well represent the character of our government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, republicanism and protestantism...civil and religious liberty." (see also Bible Commentary, vol 7 (7BC), p 975 col 1 & 983 col 2).

So the United States with its civil government and powers based upon the principles of republicanism and protestantism, represents the lamb-like beast. But this beast does not remain peaceful for ever, because in Revelation 13:11, 15 it states that he will speak with the voice of a dragon, and say that an image to the papacy should be formed.

4SOP 278: "When the churches of our land, uniting upon such points of faith as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and sustain their institutions, then will protestant America have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy."

We can see that the image would be a protestant religious ecclesiastical power united with the civil power of the state to force obedience to the rules and commands of the church, just like Catholicism.

4SOP 278: "The image is made to the first or leopard-like beast, which is the one brought to view in the third angel's message. By this first beast is represented the Roman church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, having authority to punish all dissenters. The image to the beast represents another religious body clothed with similar power."

So when the protestant churches waive their differences in doctrinal beliefs and unite upon the same common points of faith and shall call upon and influence the civil authorities to enforce their rules and commands, then will the different churches of protestantism have formed themselves into an image of the beast.

7BC 976 col 1: "The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided....Rev 13:11-17....This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed."

So all the different churches of protestantism, whose leaders form their church and its organization into a replica of Romanism, will be represented by the image of the beast. And the great test for the people of God will be upon these different churches of protestantism who have formed themselves into the image.

Now, what if I were a member of one of these Protestant churches, whose leadership had chosen to form my church into an image of Romanism, then upon whom would my great test be centered? Would it be centered on another Protestant church that I was not a member in? No, that would not be a very great test, because my affections and emotions would not be tied to that other church or its leaders and besides I would not listen to them or their commands anyway.

Why, my great test would be centered on my very own church! My eternal destiny would be decided upon whether I would follow the rules and decrees of my church leaders whom I have been taught and led to respect and to obey as the voice of God to me, or whether I would follow the God of Heaven and His rules and decrees.

My great test would be whether I would remain a part of my corrupt church system, obeying their commands and teachings above God, being one with and of them, or whether I would show myself completely distinct from my apostate church system, refusing to obey their commands and false teachings, being at enmity against them. My eternal destiny would be decided on my choice of whom I worshipped more, my church or the God of Heaven!

Great Controversy (GC), p 443-44 "It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy--the beast....So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast."

So before any of the protestant churches can form themselves into an image of the beast they must first refuse to obey God's light and truths and choose apostasy and Satan's darkness instead. And the greater the light they reject, the greater the apostasy and darkness that will occur (Testimonies, vol 1 (1T), p 345). And the greater the apostasy, the more closely will that church resemble Rome.

What about the Seventh-day Adventist church? Are they a protestant church? Yes. In fact the SDA church was one of the greatest "protesters" against the Catholic church in the 19th century. So the SDA church is also one of the churches of protestantism.

Of all these different protestant churches which we named, have any of them rejected the light of Heaven and God's truth to choose darkness and apostasy instead? Yes. Which ones? All of them, including the SDA church!

With that last statement, some SDA's may be questioning as to whether their beloved church, which has been given the greatest light of any church in the history of this world, has chosen darkness and apostasy instead. Is this true?

Testimonies to Ministers (TM), p 396: "Oh, if I could have the joyful news that the will and minds of those in Battle Creek who have stood professedly as leaders, were emancipated from the teachings and slavery of Satan, whose captives they have been for so long, I would be willing to cross the broad Pacific to see your faces once more. But I am not anxious to see you with enfeebled perceptions and clouded minds because you have chosen darkness rather than light."

Letter 156, 1897 (Manuscript Release (MR) #454, p 9): "Apostasy has come in to our ranks as it came in to Heaven, and all who unite with Satan in this kind of work will act on the same principles Satan has worked."

Letter 266, August 5, 1906 (MR #454, p 27): "Never before have I carried so sad a heart as since I have seen the apostasy of men and women who have had great light...but I have no power to change the seductive working of the enemy."

As God's light and truth has been rejected and darkness and apostasy was chosen instead, did the leaders of the SDA church begin to mold it and its organization into resembling the Roman Catholic church?

Letter 34, March 1, 1886 (MR #133, p 27): "The evil of centering so many responsibilities in Battle Creek have not been small. The dangers are great. There are unconsecrated elements that only wait for circumstances to put all their influence on the side of wrong."

Just 2 years later these "unconsecrated elements" got their chance and at the 1888 GC session held in Minneapolis, Minn., the majority of the church leadership were "influenced on the side of wrong" and they rejected "a most precious message" from the Lord (TM 91, 468). And with it the latter rain and the loud cry of the third angel's message (see 1893 General Conference Bulletin (GCB), p 183; Selected Messages, book 1 (1SM), p 234-35). And since the latter rain and the loud cry were rejected, then so was the Spirit of God also rejected (see 1893 GCB 359; Series A #6, p 20)!

Since the Spirit of God with His molding power towards righteousness was rejected, then another spirit with its molding power towards darkness and apostasy was accepted. Sister White writes in 1891:

TM 277: "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."

Letter 71, April 8, 1894 (MR #133, p 27): "In 1890 and 1891 there was presented to me a view of dangers that would threaten the work...propositions which to their authors appeared very wise would be introduced, looking to the formation of a confederacy that would make Battle Creek, like Rome, the great head of the work..."

Letter 53, 1894 (MR #714, p 41-42): "God has given to every man his work....He has never placed upon one man, or upon any board of men...He has never laid upon any one the burden of making rules of action which will bind about and restrict the work, and confine the workers to a certain course of action.

"The fact that a man has been selected to be the president of a conference does not mean that he shall have authority to rule over his fellow workman. This is after the practice of Rome, and it cannot be tolerated, for it restricts religious liberty, and the man (president) is led to place himself where God alone should be....

"In following a course of this kind, men are pursuing a similar course to that of the Roman Catholics who center in the pope every power of the church, and ascribe to him authority to act as god...when this manner of action comes in among our people, there is need of a protest."

Manuscript #11, April 10, 1895 (MR #256, p 3): "It would be dangerous to consolidate all our institutions under one head at Battle Creek, and let one institution control all others. This would prove a curse. The Lord has not designed that Battle Creek should control all these instrumentalities."

TM 359-62 (1895): "I do not find rest in spirit. Scene after scene is presented in symbols before me, and I find no rest until I begin to write out the matter. At the center of the work matters are being shaped so that every other institution is following in the same course. And the General Conference is itself becoming corrupted with wrong sentiments and principles. In the working of plans, the same principles are manifest that have controlled matters at Battle Creek for quite a length of time.

"I have been shown that the Jewish nation were not brought suddenly into their condition of thought and practice. From generation to generation they were working on false theories, carrying out principles opposed to the truth, and combining with their religion thoughts and plans that were the product of human minds. Human inventions were made supreme....

"Satan's methods tend to one end--to make men the slaves of men....the high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear....

"The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences....Satan exalts, for he has inspired them with his attributes. They are following in the track of Romanism."

Sister White had warned the leaders that for some time they had been following the corrupt principles of Satan, and that they were following in the same track which led to the development of Romanism.

It is interesting that she would mention the Jewish church and its religious system as an example of what was going on within the SDA church at this time. Why did she give the Jewish church as an example? Because the Jewish leadership had followed the same corrupt principles that led to the development of the papacy.

She was trying to awaken the church leaders by showing them the end result of the apostasy which they had chosen to follow. It would inevitably lead the SDA church and its organization into becoming an image of Catholicism or an image of the beast.

Did the leadership heed the prophecy and warning? Or did they continue in following the same corrupt principles, in centralizing all power and control into the hands of the General Conference, and exalting men in the place of God with the GC president being the god or pope of this people?

Letter 81, May 31, 1896 (Spalding and Magan Collection, p. 35): "The same work that has been done in the past will be carried forward under the guise of the General Conference Association....there certainly is nothing now that bears the divine credentials....How long will these things be?...some there do not detect the injurious effects of the plans which for years have been working in an underhanded manner....the enslaving of the souls of men by their fellow men is deepening the darkness which already envelops them.

"Who can now feel sure that they are safe in respecting the voice of the General Conference Association? If the people in our churches understood the management of the men who walk in the light of the sparks of their own kindling, would they respect their decisions? I answer, no, not for a moment. I have been shown that the people at large do not know that the heart of the work is being diseased and corrupted at Battle Creek. Many of the people...assent to plans which they do not understand."

TM 375-76: "State conferences may depend upon the General Conference for light and knowledge and wisdom; but is it safe for them to do this?...To place men where God should be placed does not honor or glorify God. Is the president of the General Conference to be the god of this people?...The Lord has a controversy with His people over this matter."

8T 67-68 (1898): "Jerusalem is a representation of what the church will be if it refuses to walk in the light that God has given....He comes to investigate in Battle Creek, which has been moving in the same track as Jerusalem....the Lord sees what the human agent does not see and will not see--the outcome of all human devising in Battle Creek. He has done all that a God could do....but by a long process of departure from just and righteous principles, men have placed themselves where light and truth, justice and mercy, are not discerned....these are no idle tales, but truth."

Also the publishing house for the church, which sends out its books and papers to all of our people, hence affecting them by what they read, was also following in the same paths.

8T 91: "I feel a terror of soul as I see to what a pass our publishing house has come. The presses in the Lord's institution have been printing the soul-destroying theories of Romanism..."

The leadership were taking a course directly opposite to what God had chosen for them to follow, and they were betraying the cause and work of God into the hands of Satan. The leaders were in essence tearing down the work of God--which they were once building up, and building up the cause of Satan--which they once were tearing down. She writes to warn our people:

Review and Herald, May 24, 1898 (vol 3, p 571 col 3): "The cause of Christ will be betrayed. Those who have had the light of truth and have enjoyed its blessings, but who have turned away from it, will fight down the Spirit of God. Inspired with a spirit from beneath, they will tear down that which they once built up, and show to all reasonable, God-fearing souls that they cannot be trusted. They may lay claim to truth and righteousness, but their spirit and works will testify that they are betrayers of their Lord. The attributes of Satan they call the movings of the Holy Spirit."

This is what was happening and occurring before the year 1900, and we can see that the SDA church was being stealthily molded to resemble Rome. But did God allow this evil work to continue on unchecked? No.

At the General Conference of 1901 God sent a voice of decided and unmistakable protest to try and turn things back around. This voice clearly and unflinchingly rebuked and called for the removal of the leaders who were following in the track of the papacy and molding the church and its organization into the same image.

This voice called for a complete reorganization away from the papal principles that the church had been building upon and to come back to building upon the principles of God. And this person was the very first to speak when the conference was formally opened.

1901 GCB p 23-26: "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 (leadership) clear light as to what they should do, and what they should not do, but they departed from that light...Why, I ask you, are men who have not brought self into subjection allowed to stand in important positions of truth and handle sacred things?...We have been given an opportunity to get rid of every kind of rebellion....

"O, my very soul is drawn out in these things!...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. What we want now is a reorganization. We want to begin at the foundation, and to build upon a different principle....

In response to this "protest" the kingly papal supremacy, that was being put into place by the leadership over all the SDA people, did assent to step down and a reorganization seemed to take place. And needless to say, Sister White along with a lot of others were overjoyed and elated. But was the Spirit of God really allowed back into the conference and allowed to be the king over our people once again? Or did the same leaders only pretend to relinquish their kingly power, while they shut out God's Spirit and continued on in their plans to form the SDA church and its organization into an image of the beast; but under the pretense of building up the cause of God? What really was the true actions of the leaders of the church and the real outcome of the 1901 conference?

Battle Creek Letters, p. 55-56: "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 Spirits' entrance....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 17, January 14, 1903 to Judge Jessie Arthur (MR #1016, p 3-4): "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....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.

So the leadership had only pretended to do away with their kingly papal supremacy! They had only pretended to give up their confederacy to consolidate all power in the General Conference with one man in control! They had only pretended to reorganize and renovate the church and its organization upon a different program towards God, but in reality they were continuing with their plans to form the SDA church and its organization into an image of the beast!

And in the next General Conference session in 1903, with A.G. Daniels as president of the General Conference, all pretense in following the plans of reorganization laid down at the 1901 General Conference session were done away with, and a new constitution was adopted.

The kingly papal power was officially brought back into the church, while the counsel and commands of God and the prophet was rejected. And these things were done in the eyes of everyone present, which represented the entire SDA church.

But not all were asleep to the serious ramifications and the inevitable end result which this action would lead to. Before the new constitution of 1903 was adopted, Percy T. Magan obtained the floor and says:

1903 GCB p 150: "The proposed new constitution reverses the reformatory steps that were taken, and the principles which were given, and which were adopted as the principles of reorganization...in the constitution of 1901....

"...in that constitution, clumsy though you may call it, defective though you may mark it, there are principles of reformation and reorganization for the head of the work which are right; and those principles are absolutely subverted and swept aside in the proposed new constitution.

"It may be stated there is nothing in this new constitution which is not abundantly safeguarded by the provisions of it; but I want to say to you that any man who has ever read Neander's History of the Christian Church, Mosheim's, or any other of the great church historians...can come to no other conclusion but that the principles which are to be brought in through this proposed constitution, and in the way in which they are brought in, are the same principles, and introduced in precisely the same way, as they were hundreds of years ago when the papacy was made."

So by the SDA church following these same principles, as did the Jewish church and Roman Catholicism before her, she has also become a harlot as described in Revelation!

Manuscript 32, April 21, 1903 (8T 249-50): "The heavenly Teacher inquired: 'What stronger delusion can beguile the mind than the pretense that you are building on the right foundation and that God accepts your works, when in reality you are working out many things according to worldly policy and are sinning against Jehovah?'...

"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!'

"Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself." (please read also Review and Herald, October 31, 1899, vol 4, p 109, col 3).

So the church was now being leavened with the principles of the papacy which the leadership had chosen to follow. It was no longer just confined in the ranks of the General Conference, but was now being spread throughout the entire church!

Now some have the mistaken idea and reason that no matter how corrupt the GC becomes, their own home SDA church will not become as corrupt--but will remain pure, even though it is connected and united with the organization. Is this true? No!

4RH 137, col 2: "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?' (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). God and Christ and the Heavenly Host would have man know that if he unites with the corrupt, he will become corrupt."

4T 210: "...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, suffer in consequence."

"If most earnest vigilance is not manifested at the great heart of the work to protect the interests of the cause, the church will become as corrupt as the churches of other denominations."

As this is true, then even that little country SDA church, way out in the boonies, where so much time and earnest effort has been made to keep it pure, would also become corrupt by its connection with the corrupt organization. And if the leadership, who were forming the church into an image of the beast, were to succeed in their plans, then every SDA church, connected with the conference, and every church member would also become a part of the image. Just like the other churches of Protestantism. None would be left out unless they were disconnected.

Sister White also said in the 8T 249-50 testimony, that unless the church in 1903 were to repent, then they would continue on with their plans--eating their own fruit or continuing to subsist on the same corrupt principles of the papacy, until they achieved their goal. Then she states that they would "abhor" themselves!

Did the leadership of the SDA church in 1903 repent and come back to the Lord, or did they continue on with their plans? The leadership rejected repentance in 1903 (see Series B #7, p 5-6, Upward Look, p 301), and continued on in their plans--following Satan's reformation (see 1SM 204-05) to form the church into an image of Romanism.

But this was an area where the greatest stealth and deception had to be manifested in order to bring about the fruition of their plans. The changes, both doctrinally and organizationally had to be brought about gradually so as to not arouse or awaken the majority of their sleepy church members as to what was really going on.

The members had already been trained and educated "to look to man, and trust to man," and to expect much help from man instead of "looking to Jesus" (TM 93). They had already been trained to look to and follow the rules and decisions of the GC as the voice of God to them, so if the leaders could just keep the people and especially the young believing this, then it would mean the success of their plans. And if any question were to arise about the nature of the plans that were being brought in, why then the leaders would just declare that these changes must be enacted and followed for the "advancement of the cause of God" (TM 359-60).

The leaders would allow nothing "to stand in the way of this new movement" (Series B #7, p 39-40, 1SM 204-05). And if any members were to awaken and sound the trumpet note of alarm to awaken their brothers and sisters as to what was really going on and happening to their church, why the leaders and ministers would just declare that these "voices" are just accusing the brethren like Satan, and are trying to tear down what God has built up. But in reality it was the leadership who were tearing down what God had built up (see Review and Herald, May 24, 1898, vol 3, p 571, col 3).

But still there were too many staunch and true Adventists, during the early decades of the 1900's, who were not afraid to raise the trumpet note of alarm and awaken the people if they detected the end result of the plans being enacted. So before the leaders could bring about any major changes, they would have to wait until the majority of their "serious problems" and the "certain difficulties that would confront" their plans would die down. They knew "that time would be required for certain theological wounds to heal, and for attitudes to modify on the part of some" and "possibly it would be necessary to wait until certain individuals had dropped out of action" before the major changes in forming the church into the image could "wisely be brought forth" Movement of Destiny, p 17.

One of the first major changes was brought forth over half a century after 1903, in the 1955-57 period. During this time several "assigned" meetings (Movement of Destiny, p 19) took place between the SDA leadership and the Evangelicals, also known as the Martin and Barnhouse affair.

After these "assigned" conferences were over, it was discovered that the SDA leadership had made many major written concessions with the Evangelicals on many of our true established doctrines and pillars of historic Adventism and were now more in common with what the rest of Christianity were teaching. (You see in order for the church to become like Rome, it has to give up its peculiarity and lower God's high and exalted standard, which is exactly what we see them doing here.)

But God did not leave His people in darkness as to what was taking place. He had already warned them over 60 years before these meetings ever took place, that the leaders would produce "written documents...advocating concessions" with the world (Counsels to Writers and Editors (CWE), p 94-95)!

Even though the leadership had patiently waited over 50 years before starting to bring in the major changes; figuring that the attitudes of the majority of SDA's had modified into a more lax and carefree stance or had dropped out of the action, God again had a voice of protest raised to try and awaken His people.

M.L. Andreasen began sounding the trumpet notes of alarm, trying to arouse our sleeping people to what the leadership were doing. But "nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement." In describing some of what the leadership did to try and shut him up, he writes in his #4 letter:

"I was simply ordered to cease my activity, and the implied threat that if I did not do this, 'it will undoubtedly bring up the matter of your relationship to the church.' There was no suggestion of a hearing, I was simply ordered to stop my activity. I would be condemned without recourse....there was no question raised as to the justice of my complaint. I was condemned already; the only question was what my punishment would be....

"Here I was, for fifty years an honored member of the church, having held responsible positions. But if I dare hold 'views divergent from that of the responsible leadership of the denomination,' I become a member of the 'wide-eyed irresponsibles' who constitute the 'lunatic fringe' of the denomination; and without a hearing I was ordered to cease my activity or feel the 'brakes' applied. If I did not now have the documents before me, I would have difficulty in believing that any 'sane leadership' would attempt to stifle criticism and make threats against any members who seek to hold views divergent from that of the responsible leadership of the church. Had it come to this? Rome went but little further." Letters to the Churches, p 62-63.

Since a union with the Evangelicals had already occurred and concessions were made with many of our established doctrines, the next step towards Rome began with the leaders placing "emphasis on the non-controversial truths shared in common with all Christianity" and refusing to hold out and teach the doctrines which distinguishes God's true people from the rest of the world (see Ministry Magazine, March & June, 1966, and Review 12-18-69). This led to the book entitled "So Much In Common" written by both the World Council of Churches and the SDA church.

Now what I'm presenting to you is just a small portion of the different steps that the leadership have taken since 1903. If you would like to know more, then you need to write for the book "The Abomination of Desolation and Church History" at PO Box 328, Rogue River, OR. 97537 and a price list will be sent with your order.

Since apostasy has already occurred in the SDA church and since the church has already united with the rest of Protestantism in teaching the same common points of doctrine while refusing to hold out the needed testing truths, and since the church is accepting government and state support of their SDA institutions, especially in the area of colleges etc. (write for documents), then according to sister White's testimony in 4SOP 278, there is only left the last few changes before the SDA church is completely formed into an image of the beast.

In the mid 1970's some of these last few changes were accomplished which should have opened the eyes of all the church membership that something was seriously wrong with their church.

In 1974-75 the United States instigated a lawsuit against the SDA church, specifically because of a violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act by the Pacific Press Publishing Association regarding Merikay Silver and others.

In this court trial, the SDA church leadership made some startling documented statements about their church's organization and position etc. We will briefly go over some of these.

As the image is made or built up upon the same corrupt principles as Catholicism, then there cannot be any aversion to these principles or even to Rome itself without hindering the formation of the image. The aversions to the papacy must be done away with before the image can be completely formed. Which brings us to the first startling statement made by Neal C. Wilson in the reply brief for defendants on p 4:

"Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint, and the term 'hierarchy' was used in a perjoritive sense to refer to the papal form of church governance, that attitude on the church's part was nothing more than a manifestation of widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned." EEOC vs PPPA civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975.

This significant and major change in the historical aversion of the SDA church towards Catholicism prepared the way for the leadership to have open and friendly meetings with the pope himself. In 1977, just 2 years later, such a meeting took place, and it was reported in the Adventist Review (AR), August 11, 1977. It states on p. 23:

"In connection with a recent consultive meeting of secretaries of world confessional families held in Rome, B.B. Beach, secretary of the Northern Europe-West Africa Division, one of the 15 participants and the only Adventist in the group, presented a book and a medallion to Pope Paul VI on May 18.

"The present secretary of the conference and chief secretary of the Seventh-day Adventist church, Mr. Beach, submitted to Radio-Vatican an announcement in which he distinctly emphasized the importance of that first meeting of an Adventist with the pope. He is quoted as saying, 'it is a distinct honor to be present as secretary of the conference in an audience here in Rome with the holy father upon which I presented to the pope a book describing the work of the Adventist church throughout the world.'"

Did the SDA leaders forget what it says in Early Writings (EW), p 214, about the pope? "The people were wholly deceived. They were taught that the popes and priests were Christ's representatives, when in fact they were the representatives of Satan, and those who bowed to them worshiped Satan."

In 1968, three Adventist leaders had an audience with the pope (Paul VI). The three leaders were Pierre Lanares, Roland R. Hegstad, and Leif Tobiassen of Andrews University (see Review May 16, 1968, p 16-17, with pictures in the Review of May 30, 1968). But even this was not the first reported meeting of Adventist leaders with the pope.

In the Canadian Union Messenger of October 22, 1952, it stated that Dr. Jean G. Nussbaum, the religious liberty secretary of the Southern European Division of Seventh-day Adventists "has had six interviews with the current pope."

It is interesting to note that it was not until after these 6 different meetings with the pope took place that the "assigned" conferences with the Evangelicals occurred. And ever since then the leadership of the church have been moving swiftly forward towards Rome. Nor was the 1977 audience the last recorded time that Adventist leaders have met with the pope!

So from about 1952-1980 there has been 9 different meetings between SDA leaders and the pope that were reported, and I can only wonder how many other secret meetings that took place between the two that went unreported.

Truly, the SDA church has "consigned to the historical trash heap" their aversion to the pope and Roman Catholicism. Why shouldn't the Adventist leadership become friendly with the group whom they are trying to image! (please read Ezekiel 16:1-44).

CWE 95-96: "The religion of Jesus is endangered. It is being mingled with worldliness. Worldly policy is taking the place of the true piety and wisdom that comes from above, and God will remove His prospering hand from the conference. Shall the ark of the covenant be removed from this people? Shall idols be smuggled in? Shall false principles and false precepts be brought into the sanctuary? Shall antichrist be respected? Shall the true doctrines and principles given us of God, which have made us what we are, be ignored? Shall God's instrumentality, the publishing house, become a mere political, worldly institution? This is directly where the enemy, through blinded, unconsecrated men, is leading us."

Surely, "an outstretched hand," as Authur S. Maxwell puts it in his sermon on Vatican II, has been offered, and a union between Catholicism and Adventism has occurred because of "blinded, unconsecrated" followers of satan. And even this has been prophesied by our prophet (prophesied in Kress Collection, p 153)!

Also in this court trial, the General Conference was declared over and over again to be the SDA church. In the court transcript, on p 15 of the opening brief for the church, these two statements appear:

Now do any of you as SDA members agree with this? First lets define a couple of things. A church is a group or body of believers, and a church organization is the vehicle for these members to use to more effectively spread the truth abroad.

So the church and its organization are supposed to be two separate things. The organization is supposed to be subordinate to the church membership to further the work of God. But if the organization becomes corrupt, then its leaders will try to reverse this process. If they succeed, then the church membership becomes subordinate to the organization and the work of God is thus hindered. Also if this were to happen then the highest leader in the organization would become the ruler or king over all the people, and this has been the case in Adventism for over 80 years! The people join the SDA church, and the leaders of the GC organization controls them at will. But now we see something else taking place in this court trial.

The General Conference has now legally made itself the SDA church which means that every one on the roll books are now members of the GC organization, and as long as their names remain on the books then they are to be subject and subordinate to the authority of the GC and its president.

As such, then their true spiritual allegiance does not belong to Christ anymore, but it now belongs to the General Conference and its president. This is exactly what the leadership states in the court transcript. They state on p 17 in the opening brief for the church:

"The General Conference, then is the Seventh-day Adventist church....the embodiment of the remnant church as a Christian denomination, in a unified worldwide organization to which all baptized Seventh-day Adventists owe spiritual allegiance."

Can you begin to see the church looking more like Rome now? The Vatican and the pope also claim supreme spiritual authority over all its membership. But the General Conference president went even farther than this and ascribed to himself the title of being the "first minister" of the entire church--which is a title belonging to Christ alone.

So the president of the GC of SDA's has not only placed himself in a position over the people which belongs to Christ alone, but he is also ascribing to himself a title which belongs to Christ alone. So he is literally making and claiming himself to be a god over all the SDA membership! (see 2 Thess. 2:3-12). Which is exactly a mirror image of the pope who makes and claims himself to be the "supreme pastor" and god over all the Roman Catholic membership. (see the book Vatican Council II, p 426).

Letter 212, September 23, 1903 (MR #233, p 1): "The pope claims authority over the practice of many who do not recognize Christ as our only authority. He places himself in the position of God, and the weak and uninformed are kept from the knowledge that would reveal to them their privilege as children of God. We are to have no kings, no rulers, no popes among us."

Now what type of church structure and organization does the pope of Catholicism rule in? He rules in a hierarchical church structure. Now what type of church structure did the SDA leaders form their organization into? Did they also succeed in forming their church structure into being an image of Catholicism?

"From an ecclesiastical-historical standpoint, there are numerous forms of church organization, which are described variously as Presbyterian (which connotes governance by the priesthood), or Episcopal (which connotes governance by the bishops of the church), or papal (which connotes governance by a soul chief bishop), or congregational (which connotes governance by individual local church groups).

"These distinctions are without legal significance. From a legal standpoint...there are but two sorts of church organization which carry with them significant legal consequences: the 'congregational', and all others, which in law are called 'representative', or 'hierarchical'.

"The plain and undeniable fact is that the Seventh-day Adventist church is most assuredly not a 'congregational' one (although it contains elements of congregationalism) but is clearly of the 'representative' or 'hierarchical' variety."

Now these two terms "representative" and "hierarchical" means two different things, so why does Wilson use them both to describe the structure of the SDA church? Later on in the same brief on p 29, he states why. He says:

"...the church governs by a method or organization which in Seventh-day Adventist terminology is 'representative', and which embraces exactly, from a legal standpoint, the same kind of organization (in opposition to 'congregationalism') as is embraced by the term 'hierarchical.'"

So the SDA church structure is hierarchical and not representative. But since "in Seventh-day Adventist terminology," the word hierarchical is replaced with the word representative, then the leadership can say to SDA's that the church is not a hierarchy when it really is. What deception!

Just how closely does the SDA church image the Roman Catholic church in structure as compared to the rest of Protestantism? Such a study has already been done comparing 12 major Protestant denominations with the Roman Catholic church, and the findings were published in Spectrum vol 14 #4, March, 1984, on p 40-53.

The 12 major protestant denominations were: Seventh-day Adventist, Episcopal, Nazarene, Lutheran/Missouri Synod, American Lutheran, Lutheran Church in America, United Presbyterian, United Methodist, Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Congregational.

Out of all these major Protestant denominations the only church that was anywhere close to imaging the Roman Catholic church in structure and organization was the SDA church. On p 42 it states:

"At the local conference level the Seventh-day Adventist church has a representative form of government, above that level the polity of the Seventh-day Adventist is hierarchical: authority flows downward and members in local congregations have virtually no voice....the Seventh-day Adventist church is a closed, self-operating, and self-perpetuating system, similar to the Roman Catholic church, in which those in authority are not responsible to lower echelons. Above the local conference level, those in authority are not elected by, representative of, or administratively accountable to, local congregations or the membership at large."

So the SDA leadership has formed the church into a hierarchy! But yet we see the leaders continuing to allow membership to believe that they are still in a representative structure, by telling them so, and by having them continue to go through the motions of appointing representatives while it does not make one bit of difference in what the GC does. In fact even the delegates are handing over what tiny power if any they have "to the conference executive committee to elect leaders." (see Recorder, May 5, 1986 p 4, and also June 16, 1986 p 5).

Since 1984, and especially at the 1985 GC session, policy changes and restructuring has been done so that supreme power and authority over the entire church membership is so well established and so well centralized within the General Conference hierarchy, that it is exactly like Catholicism. In fact so much so that a federal judge of the United States has this to say about it.

On October 29, 1986, an opinion was handed down by Judge William T. Hart of the U.S. District Court, North District of Illinois, East Division, in favor of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist who was being sued by Derrick Proctor. Judge Hart declares:

"Church documents that prescribe the church's structure and governance confirm that all parts of the church are parts of a single entity. Next to the Roman Catholic church, the Adventist church is the most centralized of all the major Christian denominations in this country. The General Conference, as the world wide governing body of the Adventist denomination, is the church's highest legislative, judicial and ecclesiastical authority." Derrick Proctor vs General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, case #81 C 4938, Findings of Fact, Section B, Church Objectives and Structures p 22.

Oh, dear brothers and sisters, a judge of the world can detect and clearly see that the SDA church has been formed into an image of the beast, yet our own people are blind and cannot see it at all.

The judge said, "all parts of the church are parts of a single entity." All parts would include anything that is connected to the organization. Which would be institutions, hospitals, colleges, divisions, unions, conferences, churches, and membership, which means you!

The leaders of the GC have supreme authority and can legally control all of the different parts of the church, from the biggest to the smallest part, which means its members. Your name on the roll books signifies that you have agreed to abide as a loyal member of the General Conference which is the SDA church, and so its leaders have supreme control over you as long as you remain a part of that church and your name is on the books! This is part of the "legal consequences" of which Neal Wilson was talking about in the court transcript of 1975.

Now there are many more changes showing what the leadership have done to become just like Catholicism, especially in doctrine, etc. And since we do not have the time to go over them all, I have already documented over 30 more major similarities in a study which you can read in the Appendix at the back of this booklet, or you can write to me for the larger printed study.

But the main question that must be asked is, has the SDA leadership completely formed their church into an image of the beast? Remember Sister White said this about the image:

4SOP 278: "The image is made...to the Roman church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, having authority to punish all dissenters. The image to the beast represents another religious body clothed with similar power."

So in order for the image to be completely formed it must be a religious organization like Rome, ecclesiastical and hierarchical, and it must call upon and have the civil powers punish those who dissent and refuse to follow its rules, dictates, and man-made laws, or in other words refusing to bow and worship it.

Now we have already seen how the SDA church has been completely formed--structurally wise, into another ecclesiastical and hierarchical religious organization imaging the Roman Catholic church, but have the leadership also been calling upon and having the civil powers punish those who dissent and refuse to bow and follow its rules, dictates, and man-made laws? Because if the leadership of the church is doing this, then the SDA church has completely become an image to the beast.

In 1983 about 1300 Hungarian SDA's were disfellowshipped and pronounced dissidents because they protested against the churches membership in the National Council of Free Churches. Neal Wilson was asked about this issue during a question and answer period in 1985, and he states:

Pacific Union Recorder, February 18, 1985 p 4: "We have advised the dissident group to recognize the world church organization, to place their churches in the world church. But we cannot recognize a counter organization based upon false premises."

These disfellowshipped faithful Hungarian SDA's were allowed by the state to meet freely and conduct church services even though they did not have any permit from the state to do so, until Neal Wilson visited with the Hungarian government authorities in 1986. The report as follows:

Pilgrim's Rest Tract, WM-140, July, 1986: "Late in June, 1986, Elder Neal C. Wilson, president of the General Conference, again went to Budapest Hungary....Meetings were held...only with the Hungarian Union leadership and the Hungarian government....The Monday following Elder Wilson's departure form Budapest, Oszkar Egervary (leader of those who were disfellowshipped) was asked to come to the state office of religion...[and] told four things.

Now, let me ask you, what kind of power does Neal Wilson have to be able to meet with the leaders of a Communist government and tell them what to do, and the civil government obeys him? Only a power similar to the pope could do that!

Another incident--in 1985 during the General Conference convention at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, 5 SDA's were arrested on public property for protesting the falsehoods that the SDA leaders were presenting to our people as truth. The report:

"Five Seventh-day Adventists were arrested on the pedestrian ramp leading from the Superdome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel Thursday night while protesting...the protesters all were attending the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Session in New Orleans...[and] sought a forum at the convention to express their opposition...but have been denied by Neal Wilson, of Washington, D.C., president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists."

"Hanson, speaking for the group, said the arrests were used to discredit their protest..." (The Times--Picayune newspaper of Louisiana, Friday, July 15, 1985, p A-25, and Saturday, January 11, 1986, p A-22).

Another incident--the Seventh-day Adventist leaders of the South Kenya conference called upon the government and the local civil authorities of Kenya to stop certain "dissident" groups from holding meetings and spreading their doctrine. The civil authorities obeyed and with the names of the "dissident" members turned over to them, over 200 were arrested and sentenced up to 4 months in jail. The situation was reported in a letter from a brother, on November 30, 1986. He writes:

"In this part we are also facing astonishing persecution from our conference of the SDA church...brothers and sisters...have been handed over by our conference leader, and to date, [began on Oct 13] over 200 of our brothers and sisters have been turned in while others have been jailed for periods ranging from six weeks to four months. It is a pity that it is our spiritual leaders who have turned informers and are telling the police who to pick up.

"Secondly, our conference leaders have issued a directive that no meetings should be held in the name of the SDA church except on Sabbath between 9 AM and 12 noon. No meetings are allowed in the conference churches past that time or during weekdays. We are also forbidden to have any visitors in our church pulpits who are not cleared by the conference leaders. Government informers are often among worshippers in our churches and some of our brothers and sisters have been picked up after expressing their beliefs in church.

"The situation here is so alarming especially when we are being 'given away' by our so-called spiritual leaders who have united with the civil authorities to persecute us."

Now please do not think that I believe the doctrines that these people were teaching, but it shows what the church is doing to those who refuse to "bow" to their authority. In fact the SDA leaders called the local newspaper to express gratitude to the civil authorities for "containing" and stopping the "dissidents." The report as follows:

"Over 1000 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church believers assembled at their headquarters in Nyanachwa in Kisii and called on the authorities to probe two dissident church groups which are involved in heretical teachings, the executive director of the SDA church's South Kenya Conference, Pastor Nathan Ogeto, said yesterday.

"'We appeal through the press to the members of the public, the government and the world at large that SDA church believers in Kisii have nothing to do with the wayward dissident church groups,'...

"He said the assembly paid special tribute to the Kisii DC, the OCPD, district offices, chiefs and their assistants for their able leadership in containing and salvaging the situation" (The Kenya Times, Monday November 24, 1986).

And another incident, which is going on right now. In 1981 the SDA leadership decided to trademark the names "Adventist" and "Seventh-day Adventist" (reg #1,176,153 and reg #1,777,185 and is reported in the AR November 24, 1983).

They did this so that they could legally control the usage of these names, and to persecute through the civil courts, any and all who continue to use these trademarks without permission from the General Conference.

The SDA leadership has solicited and hired the services of a trademark attorney named Vincent L. Ramik, who is a faithful practicing Roman Catholic lawyer (see AR September 17, 1981, p 3), to try and stop, through the civil courts, any and all from using these trademarks without permission. Over 150 different individuals have been threatened with civil court action if they do not agree to and sign an 8-page "settlement agreement" written by Ramik.

This settlement agreement states, among other incredible things, that to avoid being taken to court you have to agree to "destroy all signs, advertisements, books, publications, periodicals, newsletters or the like which contain the name 'Seventh-day Adventist'..." (Settlement Agreement, p 5).

If you sign this agreement you will be required by law to destroy all books, magazines, etc. which have the name SDA in them. So there goes all of Sister White's books, along with the Review and Herald and the Signs of The Times articles. These would have to be destroyed by law! And before this "settlement agreement" can become legal--the president of the GC must place his signature upon it.

In the state of Hawaii, the GC through it's hired attorneys, has instigated a law suit against twelve separated members for calling their meeting house, "The Seventh-day Adventist Congregational Church."

On December 8, 1987, a federal court order was made in favor of the GC, "prohibiting the defendants (the 12 member church and their pastor, John Marik) from using the name "Seventh-day Adventist," and enjoining them to remove the sign, and hand over to federal agents all of their personal books, magazines, and other property that contained the name "Seventh-day Adventist," as reported in Pilgrim's Rest Tract, WM 194, 1988.

This has led to a $500 a day fine and a bench warrant for the arrest of John Marik, the pastor of the little separated church. And on December 16, 1989, he was arrested, manacled with wrist, waist, and leg chains, and eventually taken to a Los Angeles prison, with a fine of nearly $300,000 resting upon him. All this occurred because he refused to bow to the authority and demands of the SDA church!

When will our people wake up? The church has hired a catholic to persecute, through the strong arm of civil power, any who refuse to bow and worship the SDA church! But we should not be surprised because Sister White has already predicted that this very thing would occur! She writes:

Ramik is continuing to go across America specifically searching for dissenters who use these trademarked names without authorization. He has been quoted as saying, when talking to an Adventist threatened with court action, "30 down, 127 to go."

Anyone who continues to pay God's tithe money into the SDA church also becomes responsible for what the church is doing, because the church is paying for Ramik's services from your tithe money! (Nearly all direct General Conference maintenance and new activities are funded from a percentage of the tithe received by each local conference! See Pilgrim's Rest tract WM 178, 1987).

All of these reports show that the leaders of the SDA church have called upon, appealed to, and is having and uniting with the civil authorities in punishing and persecuting those who refuse to obey, bow to, and worship the SDA church; and warrants are being issued for arrests for those who refuse to bow! And the reports are continuing to grow!

In fact let me show you exactly how closely the SDA church has united itself with the civil governments, especially in Hungary and also in eastern block communist countries. I will be reading from the Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States senate, ninety-eighth congress, second session, June 12, 1984, p 264-65, please read closely:

"A few short comments must also be made about the situation of small Christian denominations who because of their limited numbers are often more prone to persecution by 'administrative means.'...

"Finally the situation of the Seventh-day Adventist must be mentioned. Their leadership, hand-picked by the state authorities, carried out the measures designed to destroy the autonomy of the church. In their case...the methods of intimidation were often more blatant than those applied against larger groups such as the Catholics. Nonetheless, these are all familiar to those who have studied totalitarian systems. They are always selected in such a way as to make documentation difficult if not impossible. Reminiscent of the intimidation known in the U.S. [as] organized crime...

"In the case of the Seventh-day Adventists. Some of the state 'appointed' leaders were so dissolute and morally reprehensible that they eventually had to give up their positions.

"The inevitable results of the state's manipulations was a split between the leadership and a group of preachers and faithful who chose an independent path. Their goal...was to return the church to its earlier, autonomous state. They seek a return to the original principles of their religion..."

Now let me ask you, when the president of the GC went to Hungary in 1986, who did he unite with to stop the 1300 'dissident' SDA's from holding their own church separate from the established SDA churches? The General Conference president united with the government civil authorities which then began to persecute and punish the faithful. Now what does this say for the whole General Conference in the U.S.? But Sister White has even warned us of this, over 80 years ago:

Letter 127, July 1, 1903 (MR #454, p 18-19): "We know that unconsecrated Seventh-day Adventists, who have a knowledge of the truth but who have linked themselves with worldlings will depart entirely from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits. The enemy will gladly hold out inducements to them, to lead them to carry on a warfare against the people of God."

Review and Herald, June 8, 1897 (vol 3, p 472, col 1): "...a great proportion of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will turn traitors and betray sacred trusts. They will prove our very worst persecutors. 'Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them...' And many will give heed to seducing spirits." (see also 4SOP 426).

This is already starting to happen. The SDA leadership have completely formed the SDA church into an image of Catholicism. Did you know that Sister White has already warned us that the SDA church, which we know so well, would become another Catholic organization?

1T 578: "That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek (or the GC headquarters) looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed. And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house, saying three times: 'this house is proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.' Terror seized me, and I ran through the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak a word to them for fear of being betrayed."

For those who refuse to believe what Sister White says or who still refuse to believe that the SDA church has become another Catholic organization, then you should believe this. Neal C. Wilson the president of the General Conference states this about his Seventh-day Adventist church in AR March 5, 1981, p 3:

Oh friends, the SDA church has become an image of the beast! Sister White has told us that the great test for the people of God, upon which their eternal destiny will be decided, will be on their relationship to this image. And so many Adventists are already failing their great test! So many Adventists have idolized this church above God Himself and have determined in their hearts to obey what the church tells them to do, rather than what God tells them to do.

So many Adventists may have already received the mark of the beast by bowing to and worshipping this church! (The mark of the beast means more than just worshipping on sunday--see 7BC 979 col 2 last paragraph).

But so many people still do not seem to realize that when anyone bows to and worships the decisions of the beast or any church that images it, then they are not worshipping God at all, but are bowing to and worshipping Satan himself! (see EW 214, Desire of Ages, p 36).

Oh, dear brothers and sisters, the SDA church, as it is today, is not the same church as it was during the time of our pioneers. The SDA church of today is refusing to teach, and has rejected, the doctrines and pillars which made true SDA's what they were and which distinguished them from the rest of Christianity (see current statement of fundamental beliefs of the church and compare with what the pioneer's held).

The SDA church of today has stepped off the platform of eternal truth, becoming an offshoot of the truths established over 140 years ago. About the only thing that is similar between the SDA church of today and the SDA church of our pioneers, is that they share the same name.

The SDA church of today is not the same church that we thought we were joining. From what it once was, the church of today is only a mere brittle shell with the name of SDA on it. But oh, how many of our people will continue to cling to this empty brittle shell, still holding that it is the true church of God because it uses the name Seventh-day Adventist!

Oh how many will be willing to go "down to hell," with that "worm eaten...deceptive craft," just to uphold the name Seventh-day Adventist. (see Review and Herald, August 1, 1893, vol 3, p 69, col 3; 5T 571-72).

The SDA church of today is in no way the church of God. This image of the Roman system is not the true church at all in any feature or in any sense! Yet so many will follow their own fallible human reasoning and inclination instead of following the will and chosen way of God.

What did Abraham do? God had told him plainly to separate from his established nation which he loved but which had become corrupted and wicked. God had told him to separate from all his associates, and kindred, and family which he loved and adored but who had chosen to remain within all the corruption and wickedness of their established nation.

What did Abraham do? Did he follow his own fallible human reasoning and inclination to stay within that corrupted nation thinking that he could reform it? Did he follow his own fallible human reasoning thinking that by his righteous example and by reproving the sins and abominations of his nation's members, that he would then be kicked out and hence separated from them and in this way he would obey the Lord's command? Or did he refuse to follow his own fallible human reasoning and inclination and without being kicked out, did he willingly walk out and separate himself from all the corruption and abominations of his nation and its members which he loved, without being forced into obeying the Lord's command? Which path did Abraham choose to follow?

Manuscript #19, March 13, 1886 (MR #805, p 4): "When God bade Abraham to leave his country and friends, he might have reasoned and questioned the purposes of God in this. But he showed that he had perfect confidence that God was leading him...he went at God's bidding. This is a lesson to everyone of us. When duty seems to lead us contrary to our inclinations, we are to have faith in God."

4T 523-24: "God selected Abraham as His messenger through whom to communicate light to the world. The word of God came to him, not with the presentation of flattering prospects in this life of large salary, of great appreciation and worldly honor. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee," was the divine message to Abraham. The patriarch obeyed, and "went out, not knowing whither he went," as God's light bearer, to keep His name alive in the earth. He forsook his country, his home, his relatives, and all pleasant associations connected with his early life, to become a pilgrim and a stranger....

"Before God can use him, Abraham must be separated from his former associations, that he may not be controlled by human influence or rely upon human aid. Now that he has become connected with God, this man must henceforth dwell among strangers. His character must be peculiar, differing from all the world. He could not even explain his course of action so as to be understood by his friends, for they were idolaters. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned; therefore his motives and his actions were beyond the comprehension of his kindred and friends.

"Abraham's unquestioning obedience was one of the most striking instances of faith and reliance upon God to be found in the Sacred Record. With only the naked promise that his descendants should possess Canaan, without the least outward evidence, he followed on where God should lead, fully and sincerely complying with the conditions on his part, and confident that the Lord would faithfully perform His word. The patriarch went wherever God indicated his duty; he passed through wildernesses without terror; he went among idolatrous nations, with the one thought: 'God has spoken; I am obeying His voice; He will guide, He will protect me.'

"Just such faith and confidence as Abraham had the messengers of God need today. But many whom the Lord could use will not move onward, hearing and obeying the one Voice above all others. The connection with kindred and friends, the former habits and associations, too often have so great an influence upon God's servants that He can give them but little instruction, can communicate to them but little knowledge of His purposes; and often after a time He sets them aside and calls others in their place, whom He proves and tests in the same manner. The Lord would do much more for his servants if they were wholly consecrated to Him, esteeming His service above the ties of kindred and all other earthly associations."

We must also be of this same child-like faith and willing obedience. We must be able to discern the voice of God through our own study and prayer and not to follow only the voice or words of any man. If our faith and actions are built upon just the words of man without our own prayerful study to make sure that the words are the truth, then we shall fall when tested and tried because we have no firm foundation built underneath us.

Revelation 14:9-11: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 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: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the best and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

What is the wrath of God? Rev 15:1 says that it is the seven last plagues! So how do SDA's escape from the seven last plagues which are going to fall upon their church? They must obey the rest of the third angel's message found in Revelation 18 (see 8T 118), which states:

While anyone remains in or connected with the SDA church, which has become so full of evil, wickedness, and corruption worldwide, and has gone so far into apostasy and conspiracy against God (Ezekiel 22:24-25, Jeremiah ll:8-10) that they have become an image of the beast, then they are sharers with and "partakers of her sins". This means that they are corporately responsible by just being connected with the church. (see also Jeremiah 26:15, Isaiah 13:15, 3T 265, 269).

As this is true, and every SDA church member is corporately responsible and is considered a sharer and partaker with all the evil and wickedness and sins of the church, then the seal of God can never be placed upon them while they are in this state (see 5T 505, 5T 207-16). The only way that a member of the SDA church--the image of Catholicism--could ever stand a chance of obtaining the seal of God and eternal salvation is to obey the command of God to "come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Oh friends, this message of separation is a message of love and mercy from God, and it is not a message from the devil as the church and its hirelings are constantly saying. (please read 4SOP 424-25).

God along with his true followers are urging you to separate for your souls eternal salvation, looking alone to Jesus, while Satan along with his true followers are telling you to remain within, for your souls eternal damnation, looking alone to man.

It is true that it will be much easier to stay and remain, choosing the broad path of disobedience which ends in destruction. Which is exactly what Sister White says, in 4SOP 426, that the majority of Adventists will do--these will fail their test "choosing the easy, popular side."

It is also true that it will not be easy for those faithful few--the remnant, who will obey all of the third angel's message and separate, choosing the straight, upward narrow path of obedience which leads to Heaven. (see EW 15). They will see their "former brethren" turn against them and become their "most bitter enemies" and "the most efficient agents of satan" in persecuting them, and the whole world will also be against them.

But these faithful have made God alone their refuge and not the church--as Revelation 14:4 says--they are not defiled with any woman or church! They have made God alone their Lawgiver and King and not the popes! They have put all their faith and trust in God alone and not in any man, and God alone will save these faithful few, the remnant from all their enemies and so shall these ever be with the Lord.

7BC 976, col 1: "The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided....This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed."

The Seventh-day Adventist church has been formed into an image of the beast and this great test will face every single church member, and each will decide for themselves their own eternal destiny.

Is the Seventh-day Adventist church organization really an image of the Roman Catholic church? Let's compare the two side-by-side. (NOTE: for a more complete and updated version of this Rome - SDA Church comparision, please visit the section on Catholic - SDA Similarities.)

2. "Behold her 'perfect organization,' by which she executes as by one man the wonders of her will, holds empires in awe..." . Lessons from the Reformation, by A.T. Jones, p 67-68.

1. "The plain and undeniable fact is that the Seventh-day Adventist church is most assuredly not a 'congregational' one (although it contains elements of congregationalism) but is clearly of the 'representative' or 'hierarchical' variety.'" The U.S. vs the SDA church in EEOC vs PPPA, civ. #74-2025 CBR, 1975, p 4.

2. "I continue to marvel at our church's unity....I think we will always continue to have the structure we currently have...It is difficult for me to conceive any better organization than we have. I find that the many people with whom I visit--top executives in business and industry, and even heads of state--are amazed by the effectiveness of our church structure." Adventist Review, Jan 23, 1986, p 9-11.

4. "We see here that his (Aaron's) principle responsibility was to act as mediator, as a link between the holy and profane, between God and man....In like manner the minister of the gospel today is the high priest....Today we (minister's) are the high priests....God desires that we who are His high priests today learn the same lesson....What a tremendous responsibility to act as mediators between God and man!" Ministry, Dec, 1961.

5. "Elder Robert H. Pierson is the president of General Conference and, as such the first minister of the Seventh-day Adventist church.... including myself as its first minister..." EEOC vs PPPA, Civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975.

9. The gates of hell will not prevail against us. Even though Martin Luther said, "If there is a hell, Rome is built on it." Sermon by Martin Luther in 1545. (W 54, 219 f--E 26, 147--SL 17, 1036).

6. "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." 1901 GCB, p 25 (E.G. White).

9. "...in case with the Laodicean church, as a church, is different, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The last church will not be spewed out; it will not be rejected; it will go through triumphantly." Review and Herald, Nov 9, 1939.

12. "The General Conference, then, is the Seventh-day Adventist Church....The embodiment of the Remnant Church as a Christian denomination, in a unified worldwide organization to which all baptized Seventh-day Adventists owe spiritual allegiance" EEOC vs PPPA, Civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975, p 17.

13. "Church standards will be emphasized in the next few years, because we are at the crossroads in this church, '...whether we will uphold the standards of Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy.' We in the Northwest are going to hold to the standards of the church." Adventist Review, Aug 1, 1985, p 14.

"Leadership will lead in love and understanding, and followership will support the church leadership unfailingly, even though necessarily critical of some decisions..." Adventist Review, Oct 25, 1979.

14. "The General Conference Committee is the highest authority in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. All other organizations and institutions that carry the name Seventh-day Adventist have a subsidiary role to the General Conference... The primary reason for the conflict is that these workers in the church have been unwilling to recognize and accept the authority of the church...It is also necessary for the church to establish its authority in the community of believers." EEOC vs PPPA, Civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975.

15. "...we already have a 'cardinal' from Africa, and before this session ends, I predict we will have two african 'cardinals' among our 15 vice-presidents...there is no 'cardinal' from all the countries of the Far East, while there will probably be two 'cardinals' from Africa." Adventist Review, July 3, 1985, p 11.

16. "In the restructuring plan, the delegates also handed over their power to the conference executive committee to elect leaders of the various areas of church ministries and directors of other departments." Recorder, June 16, 1986, p 5.

17. "...the General Conference of the Church, the only body having authority to alter the structure of the church either in doctrine or organization." EEOC vs PPPA, Civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975, p 17.

21, 22, 23. Church avoids close investigation, evades the discloser of truth, and has fearful corruption within. 3 sermons by Martin Luther; 2 in 1531, and the other in 1545. (W 30 111, 285--E 25, 15--SL 16, 1635). (W 33, 488f--E 48, 248--SL 8, 121). (W 54, 219f--E 26, 147--SL 17, 1036).

19. "It is our responsibility to study the Scriptures for ourselves, to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to submit our understandings to those in the church who are able to judge our findings, and then to abide by the decisions of the church..." 1987 Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, Lesson 13, March 28, p 92. Teachers Edition, p 153.

20. "Included in such discussions have been related theological concepts such as the nature of Christ, the nature of man, the nature of sin, perfection, and the question as to whether it is possible for a Christian to live a sinless life. In our judgment these...theological and Biblical issues need not be settled...We are requesting that we refrain from involving ourselves in public presentations of the...theology of righteousness by faith....We should all seek to diminish the flood of cassettes, brochures, books, and miscellaneous documents...This ended the discussion because the voice of the highest authority had spoken." Adventist Review, May 24, 1979, p 4-5.

21, 22, 23. "I was greatly distressed to read the report of president Neal Wilson in the March 24, 1983 Review notifying the church of the decision of the General Conference leadership not to publish the names of those involved with Davenport disclosing their acts of malfeasance while in office...As one who specializes in the prosecution of official corruption cases, I am shocked that our church leaders would so minimize the wrongful conduct of their fellow officers as to shield their conduct from the Adventist public....they are not informed how their public trust has been compromised and betrayed." Letter from Glenn Coe--Chief Trial Attorney, to editor of Review, Apr 11, 1983.

"...the IRS, SEC, FBI, and Justice Department have all initiated investigations and some Seventh-day Adventist conference administrators may even face trial for fraud." The Kingdom of the Cults, p 410, by Walter Martin.

"Wilson: A good question...The members of this group do not recognize any world authority in the Church....We have advised the dissident group to recognize the world church organization, to place their churches in the world church." Recorder, Q & A, Feb 18, 1985, p 4.

25. "...the position of the majority group of sane leadership which is determined to put the brakes on any members who seek to hold views divergent from that of the responsible leadership of the denomination." Letters to the Churches, p 16, by M.L. Andreasen.

"My brothers and sisters, I want the word to go out from this meeting that some of us are tired of critics and those who mourn and sigh for the abominations..." Adventist Review, Dec 13, 1979, p 6.

"In Dec 21, 1985 Br. Nikola was physically attacked by the Seventh day Adventists and their preachers in the church in Zagreb (Yugoslavia) and beat him so that he is now in the hospital....preachers Jovica Posavec, Kuburic... Markov...and others struck him pushing him out of the church...the leaders and preachers were angry because Nikola does not acknowledge their doctrine yet comes to church....he was attacked in the Adventist church near Prilaz 77 in Zagreb." Letter from Bro Ivan, from Yugo, 1985.

26. "Five Seventh Day Adventists were arrested on the pedestrian ramp leading from the Superdome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel Thursday night while protesting statements made by Russian delegates at a religious convention....The protesters all were attending the Seventh Day Adventists General Conference session in New Orleans...(and) sought a forum at the convention to express their opposition to the Russian delegate's statement but have been denied by Neal Wilson, of Wash., D.C., president of the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists." The Times-Picayune, July 5, 1985 p A-25.

"Hanson, speaking for the group, said the arrests were used to discredit their protest against the relationship his church's leaders have with communist countries." The Times-Picayune, Jan 11, 1986 p A-22.

27. The 1400 Hungarian SDA's who were disfellowshipped in 1983, have been meeting apart from the church in freedom until the president of the GC met with the Hungarian state rulers in June, 1986. Report as follows;

"Late in June 1986, Elder Neal C. Wilson, president of the General Conference, again went to Budapest Hungary....Meetings were held...with the Hungarian Government.... The Monday following Elder Wilson's departure from Budapest, Oszkar Egervari (leader of the 1400) was asked to come to the State Office of Religion...and told four things: They must stop all gatherings. No more religious meetings could be held. They must no longer receive offerings and carry on their religious duties. No more campmeetings or youth camps could be held. Certain people would be held responsible if these points were not followed....Over one thousand Seventh-day Adventists can no longer worship God together as a result of Elder Wilson's visit to Budapest." Pilgrims' Rest Tract, WM-140, July, 1986.

28. "Dr. Samuel Bacchiocchi, the first non-Catholic to graduate from the Pontifical Gregorian Univ. in Rome, Italy, will hold a Lord's Day Seminar...the Pontifical Gregorian Univ., a prestigious Jesuit University. Bacchiocchi...was awarded a gold medal donated by Pope Paul VI..." Recorder, Mar 17, 1986, p 17-18.

29. In Lima, Peru over 100 theologians met in Jan. 1982 to discuss unity of doctrine regarding Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry. They all "recommended unanimously" an agreed statement on these three doctrines for the "official response of the churches." Represented were "virtually all the major church traditions; Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, Methodist, United, Disciples, Baptist, Adventist and Pentecostal." WCC Faith and Order Paper, #111, 1982 (Back page).

30. "World conditions are precisely what He (Christ) said they would be just before His second advent....In the not far distant future He will take over the government of our world and set up His own kingdom of righteousness and peace....Come, O Man the world needs most!... Come and take over the government of mankind! Come and commence your reign of righteousness and peace!...'Even so, come, Lord Jesus!'" Man the World Needs Most, p 76, 93, 96 by Arthur S. Maxwell.

"Thus shall we anticipate the establishment of God's eternal kingdom of peace at the second advent of our Lord and Saviour, who is the Prince of peace." Adventist Review, Dec 5, 1985, p 19.

31. The Bible states that "the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezek 18:20). But the leaders are teaching that we cannot possibly keep God's law perfectly--without sinning--and that God will take us to heaven anyway. That's immortality of the soul!

32. The SDA leadership teach that Christ "took the sinless nature of Adam before the fall" (Movement of Destiny, p 497). Which means that Mary had to be holy and sinless in order for Christ to have Adam's unfallen human nature!

33. "Those who work for the Seventh-day Adventist Church respond to a religious vocation in exactly the same sense as does a cloistered nun." EEOC vs PPPA, Civ #74-2025 CBR, 1975, p 90.

34. "Fellowship dinner will be served to our visitors after church...Parishes 1 and 11 are your host today...Next week's host is Parish 2..." Paradise, Cal. SDA Bulletin, Aug 23, 1986.

35. The church cares only for money. Martin Luther said, "At Rome no one cares what is right or not right, but what is money or not money." Christian Nobility, June, 1520. (W 6, 431--E 21, 310--SL 10, 300).

35. The SDA organization has increased its membership by over 1.1 million by lowering our true standards into the dust--through "Thousand Days of Weeping" and now the "Harvest 90" campaigns--to increase the monetary flow into the church treasury.

37. Samuele Bacchiocchi holds "Lord's Day" seminars throughout SDA church's; but which day is he calling the Lord's day? In his book, From Sabbath to Sunday, the "Lord's Day" is referred to as being sunday over 51 times in just the first 160 pages! Yet this book is upheld by the SDA church leadership and ministers as a tremendous work. The writings of Sister White state without a doubt, that the "Lord's day" is the seventh-day Sabbath! (see 6T 128). But what is the position of the church in this issue?

"...the phrase 'the Lord's day' in Rev. 1:10....More attention should be given to the possibility that the phrase refers to an annual resurrection celebration." (Which is easter sunday!) The Sabbath in Scripture and History, p 127, by Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1982.

38. "On Sunday, May 19, our oldest church in New Zealand, Ponsonby, has been chosen as the venue for a nationwide televised church service--one of only six such services in NZ in 1985. This will be the occasion of Pastor Neal Wilson's visit..." Australasian Record, Apr 13, 1985, p 16.

"Next Sunday, January 12, at 4:00 p.m. our church (Watsonville, Cal) will host the service to launch the 'Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.' Many ministers of the city churches will be our guests as well as many of their members. We hope that many of you will be able to come." Watsonville SDA Bulletin, Jan 4, 1986.

"Good Adventist news for Easter--for the first time in denominational history a television network--CBS--will broadcast an Easter Sunday service from a Seventh-day Adventist church. The program, 'Festival of Hope,' will originate from the Camarillo Adventist Church in California....WCBS, New York City, will carry the service this sunday at 11 a.m...as will CBS affiliates in Roanoke, Boston, Tampa, Bismark, Minot, Madison, Williston, Cincinnati, Champaign, San Antonio, Columbus, Huntsville, St. Louis, La Crosse and Tuscaloosa. Some 20 other affiliated stations will carry the program..." General Conference Weekly Press Relations Newsletter, Spring, 1984.

39. W. John Arthur--Vice-President of the British Union Conference of SDA's--wrote two letters; one to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (dated March 27, 1986), and the other to the General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance Clive R. Calver (dated Feb 27, 1986). In these letters, he states that he is giving "Adventist support to those in opposition to the proposed repeal of the British Sunday trading laws....Elder Arthur was asked whether any of the (SDA) field leaders he had consulted had been opposed to sending the letters. His answer was no, there had been no opposition, all reaction received was positive." Prism, May, 1986, p 6, 12. Newbold SDA College in England. (Copies of both letters in article).