An article from the [Adventist] Review, Oct. 20, 1988 [p. 2], reflects the popular thinking of all the 1888 re-emphasis during that year. "The year 1988 has been a year of heightened spiritual reflection for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For more than 10 months we have been commemorating the 1888 Minneapolis experience that focused upon the solemn theme of Righteousness by faith.". . . At the climax of the meetings, Neal C. Wilson led out in a special dedication service Sabbath afternoon. His sermon was about Elijah on Mt. Carmel praying for fire and then for rain. Then he asked for the brass torches especially made for the occasion to be brought out. Someone handed him a torch, and he explained that they were symbolic of the 1988 rededication and commitment to the 1888 message of "Righteousness by faith" by the world church.
Mr. Wilson explained that the torches could not be lighted because of the fire code policy, yet they were to be symbolic of each worker's commitment to Christ and the message. He then proceeded to pass out torches to all the conference men, pastors, then Seminarian students in turn, who lined up single file around the perimeter of the auditorium and stage. While the G.C. men and pastors held their empty torches high, Elder Bradford asked Elder Wilson to "light my light," "come on light me", and now "light them all the way down the line, let that good light shine." Neal Wilson prayed for the latter rain and near the conclusion, for fire to come down from heaven. He concluded the dedication by admonishing the whole congregation to take the principles learned here at "celebration '88" to the world. (AR - Nov. 24, 1988, p. 11). The meeting adjourned; Conference workers and pastors milled around the auditorium with drooping empty fine brass torches in their hands.
The whole scene made a deep traumatic impression upon many minds, the whispered words could be heard, "There is no light in the torches!" It was a solemn candlestick service where every one holds a candle in a dark room but no one lights the candles.
The conclusion of symbolic evidences is so plain, so clear, so simple to all who witnessed the ceremony through spiritual eyesight, that the meaning cannot be controverted. To see hundreds of leaders with raised empty torches while Neal Wilson fervently emphasized upon many doubting minds that; "God is still with us," brings to mind the same persuasion used by Protestant church leaders who had been passed by in 1844, proclaiming, "God is with us, We stand in the light, We have the truth." EW 241.
The rest of the evening many shared the unmistakable conclusion of the most significant symbolic event since 1888: That the candlestick has been removed from the corporate Seventh- day Adventist denomination. God cannot and will not use it as His organizational vehicle to lighten the earth with His glory (Rev. 18:1).
The sealed rejection of the 1888 message was not during the "Celebration", ironically enough, it was at the N.A.D. Year End Meetings at the Registry Hotel several days prior. During these meetings, two major policies were voted on which deny every practical truth of the 1888 message, and affirm the very evils that message was sent to correct. The two policies are: "GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTABLE INDEPENDENT MINISTRIES" and the "GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS NEW TRADEMARK POLICY". The independent ministries who do not qualify as "acceptable" according to the arbitrary G. C. guidelines, subject themselves to the possibility of civil litigation according to the "B 80 20 Unauthorized Use" clause of the new trademark policy. Submit or else . . .
The voting of these two policies with the symbolic evidences connected with the 1988 "Celebration", display the graphic fulfillment of the prophetic consequences of a persistent rejection of the 1888 message. For those seeking a sign: here it is. The handwriting is on the wall.
"No one must be permitted to close the avenues whereby the light of truth shall come to the people. As soon as this shall be attempted, God's Spirit will be quenched," MS 15, 1888, sermon.
From: Conflict, pp. 19, 20.
The Celebration Church
THE CELEBRATION CHURCH OF ANCIENT AND MODERN ISRAEL It was just before the "Celebration" of Passover, that the leaders of the Jewish church united with the civil government in order to crucify Christ (John 19:14, 15). The significance of this event was that the representative leaders of the church, officially repudiated or broke the covenant relationship between the Jewish nation and God.
"They cried out for the crucifixion of Christ and, as representatives of the Jewish nation, placed themselves under the Roman jurisdiction, which they despised, by saying "We have no king but Caesar." When they said this they unchurched themselves." MR #999-4. See also 5BC 1149, DA 737, 738.
The General Conference sponsored "Celebration" of the 1888 message, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1988, is similar to the "Passover Celebration" of the Jews in A.D. 31. As the Jews "celebrated" Passover, a commemoration of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt (symbolizing sin), so the "Celebration '88" meeting in 1988, commemorated the hundred year anniversary since the Righteousness by Faith message was proclaimed as a deliverance remedy for sin and legalism.
Just before the Passover celebration of the Jews, the leaders of the Church divorced themselves from God by officially uniting the church with the civil government (Caesar) in order to prosecute that dissident man (Jesus Christ).
Likewise, just before the "Celebration 1988 Commemoration", the representative leaders of the General Conference rejected the protective power of Christ by winning the first S.D.A. trademark lawsuit in history, and forming an official "Trademark Policy" for the North American Division. Thus, officially marrying the church to the protective care of "Uncle Sam" (U.S.A. govt.) while divorcing herself from the loving hands of Christ. The leaders are officially committed to use the "strong arm" (civil power) of her new husband, by present and future litigation. The primary targets are the independent ministries.
When the Roman government, prompted by the leaders of the Jewish church crucified Christ, God weighed the corporate Jewish church in the balances of the Sanctuary, and officially acknowledged that they had closed their corporate probation, by rending the veil of the temple. Matt 27:50, 51.
"When Christ cried out, 'it is finished,' the Holy Watcher that was an unseen guest at Belshazzar's feast pronounced the Jewish nation to be a nation unchurched. The same hand that traced on the wall the characters that recorded Belshazzar's doom and the end of the Babylonian kingdom, rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom". 5 BC 1109, (MR #999-8).
The "same angel" that told the Babylonian kingdom during Belshazzar's celebration feast that it had been "weighed and found wanting", Dan. 5:27, told the Jewish nation that they were "unchurched" by God. Essentially it was the same message to both nations; "probation has closed for you as a nation."
When the angel rent the veil of the temple, the most holy place was publicly exposed. This was a sign to all the honest in heart to see that the schechinah was no longer present with the Jews as a nation. The disciples didn't understand this fact clearly until Pentecost. . .
Like as the Jews celebrated Passover, a commemoration of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt (symbolizing sin), while at the same time crucifying the one who had brought them out of Egypt; So the Adventist leaders celebrated the 1888 message in 1988, while crucifying by their official "policies", every principle the 1888 message was designed to teach. Just as A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner preached a deliverance message in 1888 and were crucified as a result, so today, those who raise a voice as a remedy to deliver the modern church out of "worldly policy", are crucified by threats of civil litigation.
"The world and unconverted church members are in sympathy. Some when God reproves them for wanting their own way, make the world their confidence, and bring church matters before the world (civil courts) for decision. Then there is collision and strife, and CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED afresh and put to open shame." 3SM 302; 5T 242, 243; BC 1106-7. The official position of the General Conference is to "crucify Christ afresh" through the "trademark policy."
Like as the judgment angel rent the veil of the temple during the passover celebration, exposing the most holy place void of the schechinah light, a sign that probation had closed for the Jews as a nation; so during the "Celebration 1988 Commemoration", the judgment angel spoke Rev. 2:5 and 8T 247 to many hearts, while the world leaders held high their unlit brass torches as a symbol of their "rekindled" dedication to the principles of the 1888 message. Just as the leaders couldn't light the torches because it was against the "fire code policy"; so God can't pour His Spirit upon human torches because of our "policies."
Like as the Jewish nation was spewed out of God's mouth because the representative leaders rejected the true gospel and united with the state in order to crucify Christ; so the Seventh-day Adventist denomination has been spewed out of God's mouth, because the representative leaders have rejected the true gospel (for New Theology) and officially united with the trademark courts to prosecute Christ's followers.
"The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers of your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you." 6T 408.
"I have written largely in regard to Christians who believe the truth placing their cases in courts of law to obtain redress . . . such men may as well stop praying to God, for He will not hear their prayers." It's the voted policy as of 1988 to be in a "spewed out" condition.
From: Liberty Review, Celebration Issue, 1888-1990, pp. 11-13.
Final Comments
While time is never to be a test again, there are some interesting time elements involved in the close of probation for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Denomination. The fact that God allowed seven years for corporate repentance from November, 1981 to November, 1988, shows how merciful and longsuffering He is. God gave twice the time for modern Israel that He allotted to ancient Israel (3.5 years 31 A.D. to 34 A.D.). In contrast, how deserving the instruction given in Revelation 18:6, "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her."The parable taken from Luke 13:6-9 fits nicely too. From the time that the Conference initiated contact with John Marik (April, 1984) to the date of filing the lawsuit against him (April, 1987), three years elapsed. The Conference leaders had plenty of time to detect the error of their scheming. The parable describes an intercessory request for one more year. One year later, the court imposed real temporal punishments which could have been curtailed by the General Conference. At this point it was obvious that the General Conference had fully lost its grasp on the gospel of Christ. To seal this fact, the General Conference approved a "New Trademark Policy" in October, 1988. The "sign" of probation's close followed closely in early November, at "Celebration '88," and found consummation with the Week of Prayer seven full years from the Federal registration of the General Conference Corporation's trademark name.
Through the papal trademark church name, Satan has managed to finally destroy the denomination originally called of God to carry the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. The fall of this denomination mandates a coming out of the faithful souls to avoid partaking of her sins and receiving of her plagues (see Revelation 18:4). The "image of the beast" which is to be "the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided" has been formed and is actively persecuting God's people in different lands. In forming the decision to separate from the SDA denomination, intelligent judgment is necessary. The living saints must choose for life or death by carefully weighing the evidence of Scripture the truth as it is in Jesus. Only the "wise virgins" will have sufficient "eyesalve" to discriminate between present truth and error. Consequently, the three angels' messages are repeated to Seventh-day Adventists, testing their faith their practical application of the gospel and relationship to Christ. Ellen White gives the following insight:
The first, second, and third angels' messages are to be repeated. The call is to be given to the church: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 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 have waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. . . . Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."Many who went forth to meet the Bridegroom under the messages of the first and second angels, refused the third, the last testing message to be given to the world, and a similar position will be taken when the last call is made. Review and Herald, 10-31-99.
"Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. The servants of the Most High have been heralding the three angels' messages with the addition of the fourth angel since 1988. Those who are alive and remain are posed with a most solemn decision the judgment of the living. Receive "the seal of God" or "the mark of the beast." It is a life or death question. What is your disposition?
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