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he following email was written a few days ago to our official website, asking about our position on the “Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon” statement that is often attributed to us. After sending the following reply, however, a post was found on an electronic “blog” by another member of our fellowship, essentially claiming to be a “Response to the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church.” This is an unusual title, since none of the statements made in my reply below were actually discussed in the blog! For the record, I would be happy to continue my dialogue with this individual, but (as is often, sadly, the case) it seems that the original email was simply a means of seeking ammunition for an opinionated outcry. It is only fair that our readers get the opportunity to read what was actually said on both ends, spelling errors and so on intact.

----- Original Message -----
From: [email account withheld]
To: [CSDA website account]
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 8:36 PM
Subject: Question for you “creation” SDA’s

I have a question for you; Is it not true that Sister White says in TM that the SDA church can never constitute “Babylon” and that in the true church [SDA church] the “wheat” and “tares” will grow together till Chirst comes? If the wheat and tares grow together why are you trying to harvest?

[K.]

----- Reply -----
Sent: Mon 12/10/07 8:31 AM
To: [email account withheld]

Hello Mr. K,

Thank you for your question. You ask your question in two parts, and I will reply to them as such:

1) Is it not true that Sister White says in TM that the SDA church can never constitute “Babylon?”

No. It is not true that she has ever said this. There are statements in which Mrs. White has said, “The Seventh-day Adventist Church IS not Babylon.” There was, however, a time when it could rightly have been said, “The Sunday-keeping Churches are not Babylon,” “The Roman Catholic Church is not Babylon,” and “The Lord is with His people Israel.” These statements were all true in their time, but in every such instance something happened that made it no longer the case.

Ellen White herself explains the process by which this occurs. Using the example of the Jewish Church she wrote, “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.” [Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, page 388]

She then further says, “The Lord Jesus will always have a chosen people to serve Him. When the Jewish people rejected Christ, the Prince of life, He took from them the kingdom of God and gave it unto the Gentiles. God will continue to work on this principle with every branch of His work.” [Last Day Events, page 59]

Yes, the Jewish people were the true people, and they received promises that the temple in Jerusalem would stand forever. Yet, when they fell into apostasy and THEN, in that state, united with the world to become a persecuting power, they fell, and were the people of God no more. A hundred and fifty years ago, it might rightly have been said, “My brother, if you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, you are wrong.” [TM 50, probably the quote you are thinking about] But it would be dishonest and deadly to conclude from that statement that it could never possibly be the case. Mrs. White wrote, “We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” [Manuscript Releases Volume Twenty-one, p. 380]

Now, I assume that we both believe Ellen White was a prophet. We must, therefore, both accept that her statement above is true... the SDA Church would not be clear, and would become a “sister to fallen Babylon” if the evils of which she spoke (adultery, homosexuality, etc. in that case) were not cleansed from the camp. But here, my brother, is the matter... these evils were NOT cleared from the camp. In fact, the reason we protest the TRADEMARK law, and the reason the Trademark law even exists for us to protest it, is because homosexuals were allowed in to the Church, and the Conference, deciding to fix their error by appealing to the courts of the land rather than God, united with the second beast of Revelation. We protest! Further, the language she employs re: “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird,” is the precise language of Revelation 18, during a warning to come out of such a fallen organization as that. No, no... Ellen White did not say the SDA Church could never become Babylon. As a true prophet she warned against it, because it was possible. Laodicea can well be “Spued” out of the mouth of the Most High. There are no idle warnings in the Word of God. And just as Ellen White’s warnings were not taken seriously, so we must (if we are going to say she was a true prophet) admit that what she predicted has come to pass.

If you think a “sister” to Fallen Babylon is not the same as Babylon itself in character and punishment, we must read the Scriptures: “Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.” (Ezek 23:31) If you wish a still clearer statement of applying Babylon to an Adventist Church, read and take knowledge. Of a congregation in Ohio who opposed the then-faithful work taking place in the denomination, she wrote, “Their warfare has been unwise. They have been ready to cry out, Babylon, until they are a complete Babylon themselves.” [Testimonies For The Church Volume One, page 236]

Much more may be said about this, but the simple answer to your question, again, is “No, she did not,” and the People of God must know when it is to remain, and when it is to flee: “I am instructed to say that we must do all we possibly can for these deceived ones. Their minds must be freed from the delusions of the enemy, and if we fail in our efforts to save these erring ones, we must ‘come out from among them’ and be separate.” [Ms 106]

2) Is it not true that Sister White says [...] the “wheat” and “tares” will grow together till Chirst comes? If the wheat and tares grow together why are you trying to harvest?

Actually, the wheat and tares grow together “until the harvest.” (Mat 13:30) That should answer your question already, and from the greatest of all Sources. It is the Harvest now. We harvest, because it is time to harvest. In terms of Mrs. White’s writings, she says the same: “the wheat and the tares are to grow together until the harvest, the end of the world; [Matthew 13:30, 38-41.] that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse;” [2 Timothy 3:13, 1.] that “in the last days perilous times shall come;” [2 Timothy 3:13, 1.]” [The Great Controversy, page 321] Clearly even men and seducers do not “wax worse and worse” when or after Christ comes, but in the days just before. This is when the harvest takes place, and this is the moment in which we are living, for who can deny that evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse?

I trust my answers have been sufficient to show you the consistency of our beliefs. We absolutely believe the Testimonies, and in the Word of God. We see therein a pattern that the Spirit has compelled us to follow, for reform never takes place without separation and sacrifice. It is even now the time of the end; it is the time of the harvest, and those who say, “Not yet, peace and safety...” well, we know what becomes of them. May Yahweh find you among the company of the faithful while the wheat are being gathered into the Barn.

Yours in the Messiah,
David.

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Author’s Note: In the past, it has often been the case that when an individual has been “called out” for misrepresenting our answers, or ignoring them in public after discussing them with us in private, they will repent of their improper testimony and resume discussion. It is my prayer that this will be the case here as well.